‘Disappointing not to get what we really wanted after the year we had’
Women’s basketball falls in MAAC title game to Fairfield following historic season
By MICHAEL PETITTO Copy Editor
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Playoff season for Quinnipiac women’s basketball has come to an end, just one win shy of March Madness.
The Bobcats found themselves in a lopsided MAAC Championship, losing 76-53 to No. 1 Fairfield while putting up their lowest point total of the season.
As expected, the game between the MAAC’s top two seeds started out neckand-neck, with the scoreboard reading 1515 with 1:14 left in the first quarter.
But that was the last time Quinnipiac would even sniff a tie with Fairfield.
Quinnipiac’s perimeter defense was nonexistent. It seemed like almost every other Stags possession, the scheme crafted by Fairfield head coach Carly ThibaultDuDonis found a way to get her players open from beyond-the-arc.
After junior guard Sydni Scott drained her second consecutive triple, she confidently waved three fingers in the air to signify her dominance from downtown, as the Bobcats deficit continued to grow.
It didn’t help matters that Fairfield’s fan base showed out. The number of Stags supporters in the stands far outweighed the fans for the women in blue and gold.
Every Quinnipiac turnover, every minute that passed in the second quarter and
every time a Fairfield player made a shot, the crowd only grew louder and louder.
It was almost symbolic, the louder the roars of the crowd were, the bigger hole Quinnipiac found itself in.
Those Bobcats that dominated the second quarter of games all year long? They must’ve missed the drive from the hotel.
The Stags took over the entire second quarter. That aforementioned 15-15 tie? Fairfield responded with a 10-0 run and refused to take the foot off the gas.
The team’s defensive scheme kept freshman point guard Gal Raviv in check. Despite 12 first half points, the MAAC Player of the Year shot 5-14 from the field.
Along with Raviv, the rest of the team couldn’t find an answer for the Stag’s defensive efforts, often having to use most of the shot clock in order to craft a shot attempt that might fall in with a little luck. There were no open looks for Quinnipiac, and the score sat at 41-26 as the second quarter ended.
So halftime came, head coach Tricia Fabbri and company had an opportunity to make adjustments and keep the Bobcats in the race for a MAAC title.
How did they respond?
Right out the gate, sophomore center Anna Foley hit a layup to stop the bleeding from the first half. Then the Andover, Massachusetts native made a fadeaway floater
to start a momentum swing, and a few moments later hit yet another jumper.
Deficit down to nine.
But Quinnipiac’s troubles with perimeter defense persisted, Scott continued to shoot the lights out from downtown. By the end of the third quarter, the Bobcats were facing a 12 point deficit.
The fourth quarter was not kind to Quinnipiac. Already down double-digits, the Bobcats could not figure out how to stop Fairfield’s three point barrage. It’s not like the Stags were shooting the lights out before this game either.
Fairfield shot just 12% from beyondthe-arc in the win over No. 4 Mount St. Mary’s. Against Quinnipiac? 52%.
There were no answers for Scott all game long. The Prospect Park, Pennsylvania native finished the game with 18 points, all three pointers while shooting 100% from downtown.
“In practice my coaches tell me to keep moving,” Scott said. “Even if they’re dribbling you either move to the corner or move to the wing. I was following the ball and that’s how it allowed me to get my shot.”
The game was long over before the final seconds waned from the clock, but when the game clock rang zeroes, reality set in for Quinnipiac.
“Obviously this hurts,” Fabbri said. “It’s really disappointing not to get what we re -
ally wanted after the year that we had … more basketball is ahead of us. It’s not where we wanna be, but we’re gonna make the most of it going forward.”
Despite the loss and a flurry of emotions coming from all angles, the players continue to stick together as one unit.
“Everybody on this roster is a family this year,” Foley said. “Win or lose, we’re so grateful to have the opportunity at all.”
This moment is still fresh, but eventually Fabbri and the rest of the coaching staff will have to gear up for next year. Recruiting players, maintaining the ones on the roster and figuring out how to get over the hump and win a MAAC Championship.
But when asked about what the future looks like, Fabbri explained how she and the rest of the team are still in the present.
“It’s hard to look forward when you’re just in the moment right now with what comes next,” Fabbri said. “So I think I’ll better answer that question in a couple of days.”
Over those next couple of days, Quinnipiac will look to rebuild and retain as the young core of players currently on the roster show no sign of slowing down. Another year of experience together, and who knows what’s possible.
But for now, the Bobcats are likely thinking about what could’ve been rather than what’s in store.
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Quinnipiac School of Education receives funding to help fight statewide teacher shortages
By AVA HIGHLAND Associate News Editor
The Quinnipiac University School of Education received a $127,500 grant through the Department of Labor and state Department of Education to aid in the growing teacher shortage. The funds will support a new 15 month apprenticeship program for teacher candidates.
“This is the first time the state has ever had an apprenticeship program for teachers, and that we’re the only ones of the graduate level who are offering this,” Anne Dichele, dean of the Quinnipiac University School of Education said.
On July 23, 2024, the State of Connecticut Board of Education identified nine certification endorsement areas with statewide teacher shortages, and two in High-Need Districts. According to the State of Connecticut Board of Education, a district is identified as a HighNeed District “if it is an Alliance District or if the percentage of students who qualified for free or reduced-priced lunch exceeded the established cutoff.”
The state faces shortages spanning across subjects and specialties from pre-K to 12th grade. In particular, schools lack teacher candidates in special education, math, science and English language learners, Dichele explained.
In an effort to combat these statistics, the program will provide schools with additional and necessary teachers, as well as giving teacher candidates the experience needed for their career. It was also created
tioned apprenticeship programs.
Quinnipiac’s School of Education also worked with the state of Connecticut Department of Labor, Connecticut State Department of Education, teacher unions, school districts and the university.
“It’s a very highly collaborative group,” Dichele said. “So all of those different constituencies needed to come together in order to build out this program.”
Apprentices in the program will
“ This is the first time the state has ever had an apprenticeship program for teachers.”
– Anne Dichele
DEAN OF SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
with “the idea that teacher candidates could be paid while they’re learning to become a teacher,” Dichele said.
The School of Education officially found out they received the grant in the beginning of January, and are the only graduate program in the state to be considered for some of the funds. Planning, however, began about two years prior. The Department of Labor began working with states to provide funding to prepare teacher candidates through the aforemen-
achieve both a masters degree, as well as a year of teaching under a highly qualified and experienced mentor.
The program officially begins in July, where apprentices start the program with taking courses, attending workshops and meeting their mentor. They will continue taking courses through the fall, J-term, spring and both summer sessions.
By the fall of 2026, the apprentices will be certified, licensed and able to have their
own class.
The program includes 17 stipend slots, making it highly competitive. The School of Education is partnering with two districts, East Haven and West Haven. East Haven will have eight apprentices, and West Haven will have nine. It is designed with a goal that those apprentices will later be hired in those districts.
The program is open to graduating seniors who are not in Quinnipiac’s 4+1 program, as well as those who choose to come just through the graduate program.
Not only is the program open to Quinnipiac students, but its offerings go beyond the university as well.
“For people who are changing careers, or people who simply have thought about teaching but have thought about teaching but have an undergraduate degree in math or science, or people who just have always thought about becoming a teacher money wise, how are they going to go back to school, this is a real opportunity to support that,” Dichele said.
As for benefiting the university itself, Dichele looks forward to the program strengthening the reputation of the school and outcomes for teacher candidates. With a 98% higher rate, Quinnipiac is recognized within the state and regionally for putting out quality teachers.
“We’ve got such a strong reputation in the state for teacher preparation,” Dichele said. “Our best ambassadors to our program are the ones who are out there, who graduated from our programs. They’re out there, just terrific teachers.”
The recruitment process began in early March and in just over a few months until the program will officially hit the ground running.
Staff Meetings on Tuesdays in SB 123 at 9:15 p.m.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VIVIAN SANTOS
Quinnipiac University School of Education Dean Anne Dichele anticipates the apprenticeship program will help fight teacher shortage and prepare teacher candidates.
Former PepsiCO CEO receives Quinnipiac’s 2025 Impact Award, reflects on career in fireside chat
By CARLEIGH BECK Associate News Editor
Former CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi visited Quinnipiac University to receive the M&T Bank Center for Women and Business 2025 Impact Award and to participate in the third annual Eileen Peters Farley ‘68 Endowed Speaker Series for Women and Business on March 6.
The impact award gives Quinnipiac an opportunity to recognize a notable businesswoman each year. Meanwhile, the speaker series was created in memory of Quinnipiac alumna Eileen Peters Farley, who was an accomplished entrepreneur and president of the university’s Southern California alumni chapter. She died from pancreatic cancer.
As attendees walked to the Mount Carmel Auditorium in the Communications, Computing and Engineering building, they were given copies of “My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future,” Nooyi’s autobiography, as well as Pepsi cans in a variety of flavors.
Tuvana Rua, the director of M&T Bank Center for Women and Business, kicked off the event by introducing Farley’s daughter, Jessica Geis, who followed in her mother’s footsteps and became an entrepreneur.
Geis spoke about her mother’s love of Quinnipiac, which led Geis and late father to create the endowment in Farley’s name in 2018.
“She would always tell us, and this will be my advice to you as well … ‘don’t squander your opportunities and your intelligence and your talent, their gifts from God, and they’re not yours to squander,’” Geist said. “They’re your responsibility and obligation to develop and share with the world and to continue to help others and leave a legacy of positivity and great impact that lifts others up.”
After Geis spoke, Nooyi and Quinnipiac President Judy Olian began a fireside chat. Nooyi discussed her recent travels to her home country, India, her upbringing, the path that led her to becoming PepsiCo’s CEO and the challenges she faced in the role.
Earlier in March, Nooyi traveled to India with Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, who was her classmate at Yale University’s School of Business. Nooyi, Lamont and a team of state delegates went to discuss how to build stronger economic ties between Connecticut and India.
“I’d say, the bottom line is there’s activi-
ty, progress, innovation (and) entrepreneurship thriving in India, but it’s not the India I knew,” Nooyi said.
Nooyi was born in 1955, shortly after India gained independence. She attended a Catholic school, where there was constant pressure to succeed in classes. This pressure was furthered by her grandfather, who was the head of her family. He cared deeply about academics, and would help Nooyi and her siblings with their school work.
She earned her bachelor degree from Madras Christian College and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta. Nooyi then attended Yale, where she earned a Master of Public and Private Management.
During her time at Yale, Nooyi worked multiple jobs to pay off her student loans. That drive in her career and schooling is what led to her first job at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a major consulting firm.
“When consulting firms would come to (my professors) and say, ‘give us the top five kids we should seriously look at,’ they always had my name on the list,” Nooyi said. “And why was that? I worked very hard. And I worked hard because I felt I was given a privilege, and I was given a unique opportunity to come to the United States and come to Yale.”
Nooyi was exposed to many industries because of her time at BCG. It also allowed her to interact with people of high power in the companies, which helped her to prepare for her future roles.
Shelter joined Motorola in later years, where she became vice president and director of corporate strategy and planning. She moved to Asea Brown Boveri as the senior vice president of strategy, planning and strategic marketing.
Then in 1994, Nooyi joined PepsiCo as its senior vice president of strategic planning. From there, she was promoted to senior vice president for corporate strategy and development, then CFO and president.
When she was the CFO and president of PepsiCo, Nooyi was presented with a $1.5 billion plan to redesign PepsiCo’s IT architecture. The plan was approved by her before going to the CEO, and she wanted to make sure she fully understood it before signing it.
Despite being rushed by members of the IT department, she spent six weeks reading a textbook related to information for the IT redesign, and meeting with the professors
of the textbook to gain a better understanding of it.
Even though this information was not related to what she studied throughout college, she felt it was crucial for her to learn about it before signing off on a large plan.
“Don’t sign something until you understand what it is, because at some point, it might come back to bite you,” Nooyi said.
Then in 2006, Nooyi became CEO of PepsiCo.
Up until Nooyi, all the PepsiCo CEOs were white, male, Christian veterans. Although the CEO before her faced some backlash for his decision on the new CEO, he made sure to let people know that he believed Nooyi was the most qualified person for this position.
To get to this point, she continued to make sacrifices like spending long hours in the office and being away from family.
“I was an immigrant from an emerging market,” Nooyi said. “I was colored in corporate America, where there wasn’t anybody like me at that time, and I was I didn’t realize it then I was breaking so many barriers. The only way to do it at that time was being better than anybody else.”
During her time as PepsiCo’s CEO, she led large transactions for the company, like acquiring Tropicana and Quaker Oats. She also divested in restaurant brands like Taco Bell.
Nooyi also developed the consumer goods chessboard, which allowed her and her employees to visualize the potential deals various food and beverage companies could make to improve their position in the market. This is the project she is most proud of during her time as CEO.
During the fireside chat, Nooyi emphasized to students the importance of learning, even after college.
“You have to remain a lifelong learner,” Nooryi said. “Curiosity has got to be (your) middle name, because the world around you is changing in such profound ways.”
Some students, like Brett DeBell, a first-year finance major, came to the event as a part of their class. DeBell came out of the fireside chat recognizing the importance of consistently learning new skills and information.
“You always have to keep learning,” DeBell said. “Just because you leave Quinnipiac doesn’t mean that your learning stops. You have to keep innovating yourself and just learn more.”
Hamden residents push back on proposed fiscal budget
By AVA HIGHLAND Associate News Editor
On Monday, March 17, Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett proposed the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year Budget at a hybrid Hamden Legislative Council meeting.
Council President Dominique Baez approximated 50 Hamden residents physically in attendance, and 74 tuning in online.
Garrett presented a summary of the past year as well as current and upcoming projects, changes and grants. In particular, Garrett discussed plans for a new community campus, replacing the former Michael J. Whalen Middle School complex in the Newhall neighborhood.
Already, nearly $10 million of American Rescue Plan Act Funds (ARPA), has been allocated for this project.
While the plan has been in the works for several months, Hamden residents have protested, arguing that there are more pressing matters to be addressed first. Residents expressed a need to restore the foundations of homes that are in need of restorations.
At the hybrid Hamden Legislative Council meeting on Dec. 9, 2024, several residents attended to protest the community campus plans, reported New Haven Independent. Five founding members of the Hamden Newhall Neighborhood Association (HNNA), appeared in shirts that read, “Foundations First!!”
“They talked about their homes sinking into contaminated soil, the walls cracking, their myriad of health issues,” New Haven Independent reported.
At the March 17 meeting, Garrett presented phase one of the future Hamden Community Campus.
“We are demolishing the old academic building with $5.4 million from the Department of Economic and Community Development,” Garrett said. “Designs will be complete this spring, and we can go out to bid for the demolition this summer.”
This initial phase includes partial demolition of the Gymnasium Building, which will be replaced with a Youth Arts and Recreation Center.
Following the Mayor’s presentation, residents in attendance were invited to speak in the public input section of the meeting. Several residents addressed their concern and upset regarding the new community center plan.
Hamden resident Susan Nobleman addressed the previous worry that residents have expressed.
“Community meetings have shown that the residents living there would rather have their unfinished repairs of their properties be funded first,” Nobleman said. “I’m here to offer my support for the Foundation’s First campaign. Before spending funds on a new building, funds should be secured for the surrounding neighborhood.”
Later, Hamden resident Patricia Vener-Saavedra echoed the unease in going forth with the community campus construction. She discussed the financial effects that would come from this plan, as taxes will increase.
“We need to be paying more attention to the people whose foundations are in dire trouble, becoming nonexistent, and that’s more important than a community center,” VenerSaavedra said. “Remember, community is not about a building. Community is about people. And if you chase away people because they cannot afford to stay in Hamden, then what are you trying to tell us?”
CARLEIGH BECK/CHRONICLE
Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi and Quinnipiac University President Judy Olian participate in a fireside chat on March 6.
By LILLIAN CURTIN Associate Opinion Editor
Opinion
Let your kids live a little
New experiences hit you full-force in your first year of college. You are exposed to so many different opportunities, whether they be good or bad. Most teenagers have a rebellious streak at some point in high school.
It’s hard to rebel with new resources for parents, such as Life360, or, when I was in high school, Apple ID. I still found my way around it though. I’m thankful I did.
I may have done some stupid and dangerous things in high school, but I don’t regret it. I hate to put my parents on the spot, but they, for the most part, trusted me. The exposure I got in high school prevented me from wasting my time in college.
I had a friend in high school whose parents never let them have their phone with them at night until the week before we graduated. I can tell you that it didn’t stop them from using their iPad and laptop all night. The only thing it stopped was their socialization and communication.
As soon as they got to college, they were experimenting with substances. I get it, it’s college. It’s one thing to smoke and drink, it’s another thing entirely to do it just because you want to catch up to a crowd that’s been doing it for years.
I’m not advocating for giving your child substances, but also don’t freak out if they’re exposed to them. Educate them.
It could stop them from consuming something laced or spiked because they didn’t know how to turn something down.
I’m so grateful that my parents weren’t breathing down my neck in high school when it came to my social life. They had my location, for safety reasons, and they checked it. They would ask where I was going and how long I was going to be gone,
There was no reason to be. Yeah, I’ll admit I was doing things that were frowned upon, but my parents also taught me enough about spatial awareness to know if I was in a safe environment or not. Anything I did in high school, I did in a place that I was comfortable in. They trusted me enough to know that if my gut was telling me something was wrong, I would call.
and other responsible parents would ask their kids questions. But, I was cheer captain, I volunteered in my fire department as a cadet, a teaching assistant for multiple classes and played softball. As long as my grades and extracurriculars were fine, I was being respectful and I came home uninjured, they weren’t too worried.
There
is
By BEN BUSILLO Opinion Editor
There’s too much content in the world. Way too much. We are drowning in it, and I don’t think people realize how bad it’s gotten.
Everything is content now. Every thought, every meal, every mundane observation about life gets turned into something consumable. And we consume it.
Relentlessly.
The internet used to be a place where things had weight. If something went viral, it had meaning. Now, a video that would’ve been a cultural moment a decade ago is just another scroll, buried under an avalanche of hot takes, dance trends and AI-generated nonsense.
We are constantly bombarded with information. Every time you pick up your phone, there’s a fresh wave of opinions, most of them terrible. Every loser on Instagram thinks they are Mike and the Mad Dog, but unlike them, Mike Francesa and Chris Russo are enjoyable to listen to.
Scrolling is a full-time job, except the paycheck is an addiction into the abyss of whatever weird algorithm Instagram Reels has you on.
So much of what gets pushed in front of us is garbage. It’s not just short form content either. Look at streaming services like Netflix. Netflix releases hundreds of bad TV episodes and movies every year. They just continue to pump the menus with trash. Marvel
aren’t checking it. I’ve seen parents spam their adult children’s phones because they want to know what they’re doing. They’ll make their child give them access to Quinnipiac accounts. That’s too much.
Arguably the worst though is the inbetween when parents are obsessive when their kid is in high school, and then completely detached when they get into college. Yes, you legally become an adult when you’re 18, but mentally there should be a transition period.
You can’t just expect your child to magically gain good decision-making skills the day they turn 18. You need to have them grow into those skills long before then, so they’re ready when the time comes.
If your child is in middle school, start prepping them for the freedom you should give them in high school. Then, when they get to high school, you can relax because you trust your children.
If you don’t trust your child to come to you if something happens, that’s more often than not, not on them. It’s on you for not giving them the space to feel comfortable. Now that I’ve been in college for a couple of years, I’m still seeing parents smother their children. My parents have my location, but because I don’t care that they do, they
When they’re in college, they should be focused on important things. You won’t have to worry as much because you know they aren’t experimenting with anything dangerous far away from you, as opposed to when they were just across town in high school.
It’s not the end of the world if they get into trouble. Even if they’re doing something they’re not supposed to, you can know that they can get into a little bit of
too much content
does the exact same thing. Half the shows they put out on Disney+ are just nonsense with poor special effects and cringy writing. How about cutting the production schedule in half and putting time and effort into good scripts?
Media literacy is dead. People will believe anything, no matter how ridiculous it is. It seems every time I do my monthly Facebook glance, I see the most clearly AI-generated images with thousands of likes. I’ll see an image of a 10-year-old kid standing next to a skyscraper made out of popsicle sticks, and the top comment will be something like “Wow, nice work young man!”
I mean, I can’t really blame anybody just trying to smile on Facebook on their lunch break. They are victims in the plague of the doom scroll. Facebook doesn’t care, they get a shit load of money from all the traffic generated on their site from advertisers. The more views the better.
Think about the golden age of the internet. If something went viral, it was a big deal. Everyone knew about it.
The blue and black or white and gold dress was a global debate. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and Harlem Shake had everyone doing it. Now, a video can get 10 million views in an afternoon, and it’ll be forgotten by the next morning. The internet moves too fast for anything to matter anymore.
The worst part? We’ve adapted. Our attention spans have been shredded, and we’re cool with it. People don’t watch full YouTube videos anymore — they watch clips of clips. Articles? Too long. Just give us the bullet points.
We are in a constant state of consumption, but it’s all empty. There is too much content, and none of it sticks. We don’t sit with anything anymore. We don’t let things breathe. I don’t know what the solution is. May -
ILLUSTRATION BY BEN BUSILLO
Opinion
The NBA needs a new face of the league
It’s time to give it to Jayson Tatum
By COLIN KENNEDY Managing Editor
Ever since the NBA’s inception in 1946, the league has always had a face to it. Whether it was Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan, there was always that one guy that everyone knew and related to the NBA.
In simpler terms, the face of the league is essentially the player who at his time of playing is the most famous and recognizable figure, and embodies the league’s image. It’s the guy that the league wants to plaster on every billboard and commercial across the globe.
And for the first time in a very long time, the NBA is in desperate need of a new one. The league really hasn’t had to struggle to find that top guy probably since the 1970s. It’s been smooth transitions between Johnson, Jordan and since 2003, LeBron James. But James is now 40, clearly not the same player he once was and can realistically call it quits this summer.
So the NBA has a problem. There isn’t a clear cut young guy that can automatically take the crown, and guys like Kevin Durant and Steph Curry are too old at this point as well. But there is one guy who clearly wants it, is willing to take it on and all the hardships that come with it, and checks every box that the NBA is looking for.
May I present Jayson Tatum.
The Boston Celtics forward brings everything to the table necessary to become the face of the league, and no one is hungrier to take on the role than Tatum. Ever since he came into the league in 2017 it was clear he wanted to be in the same league as
Bobcat Buzz
the all-time greats, and for his name to be mentioned alongside fellow All-Stars like Curry and James.
Probably the biggest element to the conversation is that Tatum is a winner, plain and simple. Since being drafted to the Celtics in 2017, the St. Louis, Missouri native has been to the playoffs each year, reaching the conference finals five times, and also has two NBA Finals appearances. And in summer 2024 he reached the NBA mountaintop as he led Boston to its first world championship since 2008.
So let’s break it down. He already has a ring, two Olympic gold medals, a signature shoe line and is the best player on one of the biggest basketball markets in the world. Oh did I also forget to mention he is only 19 years old (27).
“Did he win a championship? Yes. Did he win gold medals? Yes. Was he always a part of winning seasons? Was he first-team all-NBA? Those are things that you know are hard evidence,” Tatum told the Washington Post. “Face of the NBA? They can always debate. But it’s like, I check off all the boxes.”
So he passes nearly every test required to be the face of the league — why isn’t it such a natural transition like it was for Jordan and James? Well that’s kind of complicated.
Tatum isn’t necessarily the most outgoing guy in the world. He isn’t flashy on or off the court, and he isn’t the most intense competitor you’ll come across. He isn’t getting in opposing players’ faces or saying anything controversial.
But the biggest factor keeping Ta -
Heritage Kitchen rules
By BEN BUSILLO Opinion Editor
Quinnipiac University rarely receives applause about its cuisine, and I mean rarely. But with this one, it nailed it.
At the beginning of the school year, Au Bon Pain was replaced by Heritage Kitchen, a rotating food truck venue featuring a variety of cuisines — from Mediterranean to Mexican. The concept keeps things fresh, offering students new flavors each week.
I never ordered anything from Au Bon Pain my first year, so I don’t miss it. Was a bagel and coffee shop really warranted in that space? On the other side of the wall, quite literally, there are plenty of coffee dispensers
to go around and, guess what? Bagels. Along with every other pastry you could get at Au Bon Pain.
If you want an iced coffee, just order one from Starbucks. It has to be 100 times better than whatever Au Bon Pain was serving.
Walking into the dining hall on Monday and seeing what restaurant has taken over the corner is one of the highlights of my day.
The lines do get long however, as wait times can exceed 20 minutes at peak hours. But that’s just because of the high demand. I will happily wait for a baked potato from Spuds Your Way, a lamb gyro from Taste of Grill or an O.G. Chicken Sandwich from Liberty Rock Tavern.
A lot of students walk into Café
tum away from the title he wants so bad is probably the fact that he’ll never win MVP. While Tatum is consistently a top five player in the league and does so many things really well, he doesn’t necessarily dominate opponents across large stretches of the season.
Guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic or Giannis Antetokounmpo kind of have this magical element to their games that is mystifying to watch. While Tatum does have stretches where his game looks like that — 2023 Game 7 against Philadelphia — it’s not an every night occurrence.
What Tatum does have going for him is he is better consistently at every element of the game than every other player in the league. He can routinely score 30 points, grab 12 boards and dish out seven assists all while playing world class defense on the other end. What separates him from everyone else is he does this every night, no matter the day or opponent — looking at you Joel Embiid.
But what should be the most important factor is his innate ability to just win. No one in NBA history has more playoff wins than Tatum before turning 27. He’s consistently making deep playoff runs every year, doing whatever it takes to just win.
So NBA fans can take their 60-point performances from SGA and their 30-2020 triple doubles from Jokic, slapping their highlights across social media. Tatum will be doing all the little things necessary that go into winning.
Maybe that’ll cost him the title he so desperately craves, it shouldn’t, but it probably will. Hopefully the banners he raises in Boston will make up for it.
Q, sigh, and think, “Welp, I guess it’s chicken fingers and fries again.” Heritage Kitchen offers an alternative, bringing in diverse flavors from around the world.
This is especially valuable for firstyear students, who don’t have easy access to cars and can’t just head off campus for a better meal. For them, Heritage Kitchen provides a rare opportunity to break up the monotony of campus dining without the hassle of arranging transportation.
Quinnipiac may not always get it right when it comes to food, but this time they did… mostly because they aren’t the ones cooking.
A broken clock is right twice a day I guess.
BRANDON WU/FLICKR
Jayson Tatum holds up the Boston Celtics’ 18th Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy during their victory parade on June 21, 2024.
ILLUSTRATION BY TRIPP MENHALL
Arts & Life
Mother Monster is back
Lady Gaga brings back old vibes with “MAYHEM”
By ALEXANDRA MARTINAKOVA Editor-in-Chief
Nostalgia is a powerful thing. Whether we like it or not, it holds a lot of influence over us.
Which is why I knew I would love Lady Gaga’s newest album “MAYHEM” the second it was announced. Because listening to it, I felt the same way I did when I was 10 years old at a summer fair in Croatia, while “Poker Face” blasted around me (yes it was very popular in those places back in the day).
“MAYHEM” can only be described as Gaga’s return to her roots, with both the style and aesthetics of this album.
Featuring 14 tracks that Gaga describes as “utter chaos,” “MAYHEM” is a mixture of music styles and vibes that truly bring back the Mother Monster.
Gaga first teased her comeback by releasing the opening track “Disease” back in October, accompanied by a music video that, frankly, transported me back to when I was hooked on “Born This Way.”
After that, it was only a matter of time before the album announcement came on Jan. 27.
Gaga chose to give her fans another taste of what was to come with her debut of the music video for the second track
“Abracadabra” during the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2. All I’m going to say about this song is that as someone who used to listen to “Applause” on repeat, I am a big fan of this track as well.
However, the charm of this album doesn’t end with Gaga just bringing her old work to life once again. Gaga is an awardwinning artist with a soul of the poet, and the rest of the album reflects that.
“We are all asked to define who we are and explain ourselves,” Gaga said in an interview with Vogue. “I’ve had a really hard time with that in my career. I’ve found it really hard to answer those questions. So, I allowed myself to be lots of contradictory things. Whether it was this genre or that genre, I took whatever came out, and made it all come together to be wholly me.”
Gaga definitely wasn’t afraid to call anything or anyone out, and the track “Perfect Celebrity” not only proves that, but also gives “Paparazzi” vibes in a way.
Lyrics like “I’m made of plastic like a human doll/ You push and pull me, I don’t hurt at all, “You love to hate me/ I’m the perfect celebrity/ So rip off my face in this photograph/ Perfect Celebrity/ You make me money I’ll make you laugh” and “I look so hungry but I look so good/ Tap on my veins suck on my diamond blood/ Choke on the
fame and I hope it gets you high/ Sit in the front row watch the princess die,” reflect the change that Gaga went through in her relationship with fame and how she reacts to it now, compared to when she was 20.
One of my favorites is definitely “How Bad Do U Want Me,” a song that half of the internet has taken to calling a lost Taylor Swift’s “Reputation” vault track, and honestly, I can see it. It’s the most ‘pop’ song on the album, and it’s incredibly catchy. If this was released as a single, I could see it doing some serious numbers.
And as a fan of both artists, I would not mind a collaboration, is all I’m saying.
“Die With A Smile,” a grammy-winning duet with Bruno Mars, wraps the album line-up. When I first saw the song list, I was confused to see she decided to include this song as well. But after listening to the entire album as a whole, it started to make sense.
As the album goes, the tempo of the songs slows down a bit, which is most noticeable with “The Beast” and “Blade of Grass,” two of the songs before “Die With A Smile.” The more melancholic tones complement the last track nicely and brings it into the album as a whole.
Whether you want to dance, cry, scream or just vibe, I promise I can find you a song on this album that will be just what you need.
Mother Monster just knows what she’s doing.
Gaga really poured all of her artistry into this album. It’s a golden mixture of feelings like lust, anger, frustration, shame, pride, love and acceptance wrapped up in black chaos that feels both new and incredibly familiar at the same time.
From controversy to parenthood
How Trisha Paytas’ family changed her life
By GRACE CONNEELY-NOLAN Associate Arts & Life Editor
In a world where getting “canceled” is every influencer’s worst fear, there is one who has embraced the title.
With a history of fame from her controversial content, Trisha Paytas has caught the attention of millions with her multifaceted career.
Love her or hate her, you have to respect the brand she's made for herself — almost like she discovered a loophole when none of us were paying attention. She is somehow immune to being canceled.
Beginning in 2007 with her YouTube channel “blndsundoll4mj,” she has now amassed an audience of 20 million followers across all platforms.
With billions of views, Paytas has centered all her videos on her raw, unfiltered personality. Her content has ranged from lifestyle vlogs, ASMR videos and mukbangs to cosplay; dressing in a variety of costumes. She has often been accused of cultural appropriation along with engaging outrageous behavior and making problematic statements, all to gain attention.
As part of her trolling and clickbait stunts to stay relevant, Paytas once claimed to be transgender while still identifying as a woman, non-binary and even joking about having Dissociative Identity Disorder.
Among her online videos, she has gueststarred on more than 50 TV shows and films, including “The Tonight Show,” “America’s Got Talent” and “Modern Family.”
Paytas has tapped into the music industry with some of her hits, “I Love You Jesus,” and “Daddy Issues.”
She has also gained attention for her iconic remakes of popular songs from nostalgic movies, such as “Bet On It” from “High School Musical 2” and “What Dreams Are Made Of” from “The Lizzie McGuire Movie.”
In September 2022, Paytas and her husband Moses Hacmon welcomed their first baby, Malibu, into the world.
Since then, Paytas has stepped away from her damaging online persona and begun focusing on her personal life. She has acknowledged her past mistakes, made several public apologies for her behavior and bounced back from controversy.
“I just thought negative attention was the only way I would get attention and money and ‘fame,’” Paytas said. “And I've never had more success (than) now — by being myself, not trolling, not pissing people off, and just being myself.”
While she has changed her content and appearance from the past, some believe that her apologies are simply not enough to make up for everything she's done.
On her journey to rehabilitate her image and become a better version of herself, she started her own podcast, “Just Trish,” in 2023.
Paytas spills her heart out and speaks her mind. She talks to the camera in a funny, relatable way, showcasing her ability to entertain and engage audiences.
On March 6, Paytas revealed on her podcast that her and Moses are excited to announce a third addition to their family. Expecting in July, they don’t know the gender yet, but plan to announce it closer to the due date at one of her upcoming live shows.
The popularity of her podcast has led to Paytas’ tour, “The Eras of Trish Tour,” which takes her across North America from February through June. It’s a nod to Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” which was a tribute to her studio albums and their corresponding musical “eras.”
So for Paytas, her tour is a mix of her content: unpredictable and full of energy. Not knowing what to expect at each show, she sings Disney throwbacks, does karaoke, features multiple costume changes, brings on special guests and interacts with the audience. Doing what she loves, she delivers a
chaotic musical production, with exclusive merchandise available at each location.
Despite challenges of her early career, Paytas has emerged as a resilient and more self-aware creator — embracing her past mistakes while striving to become a better version of herself for her family.
She has proven that reinvention is possible and her current journey is a testament to personal growth and motherhood.
As we continue to watch her expand her brand beyond shock value, one thing remains certain: Paytas will always find a way to be in the spotlight.
ILLUSTRATION BY KATERINA PARIZKOVA
ILLUSTRATION BY KATERINA PARIZKOVA
A taste of spring
Welcoming warmer weather with blueberry-lemon scones
By GRACE CONNEELY-NOLAN Associate Arts & Life Editor
Whenever I’m home from college, I make full use of my kitchen — so much so that I am limited to baking only after the last batch of treats is gone.
My goal this spring break was to trick myself into thinking we’re already in spring, by making a dessert that highlights citrus fruits and warm, lighter flavors — lemon blueberry scones with a lemon glaze.
I wanted to bridge the gap between winter and summer.
Making scones was a first for me, so I anticipated some struggles along the way, but it went pretty smoothly.
I wouldn't say these scones were made with love — more like determination, mixed with some fear in hopes they’d turn out well and that I didn’t waste several lemons and heaps of blueberries.
The whole ordeal took me a little over two hours, including prep and baking time, so it’s not something you can quickly put together.
I started by combining all of my dry ingredients: flour, sugar, fresh lemon zest, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
It was funny to learn that it only takes one tablespoon of lemon zest to transform these scones from plain blueberry to lemon-blueberry.
Then, I grated a stick of unsalted frozen butter (frozen is key, not refrigerated, as I later learned) and combined it with my dry ingredients.
You can use a pastry cutter or two forks to combine, but I chose to blend the mixture with my fingers until it resembled several pea-sized crumbs. I let that sit in the freezer while I worked on the wet ingredients.
I combined heavy cream, one egg and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup. Then, I removed the mixture from the freezer, slowly drizzling the wet ingredients over the dry and added a cup of frozen blueberries to the mix.
I actually prefer frozen over fresh blueberries when it comes to baking. For one, they are more convenient and frozen blueberries retain their shape and texture better, preventing them from bursting and becoming mushy in baked goods.
With all the ingredients in one bowl, I gently mixed them with a spatula. Next, I lightly floured a large cutting board and
worked the dough into a ball, but it was too dry — this is when some panic started to set in.
I added another tablespoon of heavy cream to moisten it. Once I worked with it enough to resemble a blue loaf, I pressed it into an eight-inch disk, one inch thick and cut into eight wedges.
After sectioning off the pieces, I brushed a mixture of heavy cream and water onto the dough.
At this point, I thought my dough might be too moist, so I carefully separated the pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and stored it in the fridge for about 20 minutes while I dealt with the mess in my kitchen.
I started on the glaze, which was pretty simple: just combine three tablespoons of fresh lemon juice with a cup of confectioner’s sugar. If you don’t want to make a glaze, I recommend adding coarse sugar to the dough with the heavy cream before refrigerating.
After there was enough counter space available, I took out the scones and
separated them; four on each tray. They baked for about 22 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and filled my house with the best smell.
In hindsight, I’m glad I didn't cook all eight on one baking sheet because they expanded a lot and would have overflowed onto the oven racks.
I was so excited they came out beautifully and used all my self-control to let them cool for 10 minutes before drizzling on the lemon glaze.
Within a day, half of them were gone.
Scones are fun to make because you can get creative with different flavor combinations, whether sweet or savory, and they can be justifiably eaten at any time of day.
Breakfast? Sure. Snack? Yup. Little tea time? Absolutely.
I would definitely make these again. The scones were light, fluffy and tasted delicious. And they looked beautiful — the aesthetic alone made the two and a half hours of my life worth repeating.
Baking them felt like a small victory, and the best way to welcome a new season.
Erewhon’s viral $19 strawberry and what it says about today’s culture of excess
By GINA LORUSSO Arts & Life Editor
Nestled in the heart of Los Angeles, Erewhon, the so-called wellness haven has become the epicenter for ridiculously high prices for organic fruit, healthy snacks and strange groceries you haven’t heard of before.
It’s the type of place that’s marketed as farm-to-table and everything seems like it’s nutritionist approved. The prices are so steep that it’s almost impressive.
Essentially, Erewhon makes other highend food stores like Whole Foods look like a bargain bin. Within Erewhon’s aisles, you’ll find a jug of water for $25 and a $17 smoothie bowl. But the latest food item to sweep the internet is the viral $19 single strawberry from Kyoto, Japan — this takes things to the next level.
After scrolling through what felt like a million videos of this fruit, I couldn’t help but think about the broader implications of this strawberry. What makes a strawberry worth $19? Do people think purchasing this fruit, or anything from Erewhon, boosts their social status?
The strawberries come in a luxurious little pod with a stand to display all its greatness. These berries aren’t supposed to be just fruits, they’re supposed to be an “experience.” Let’s be real: these influencers aren’t fooling anyone — it’s simply a marketing tactic to heighten the
experience and create the illusion that it’s something special.
When influencers post reviews of them trying this strawberry, they want their audience to think they have the funds to casually splurge on stupid things and not face any financial setbacks.
“Look at me, I can afford this, and so should you!”
This strawberry is a status-driven item — and an absurd one at that.
of-line purchase. It’s most likely a psychological effect where after purchasing such an expensive item, they want to convince themselves and their followers that the purchase was worth it, even if the fruit itself is inferior to the regularly priced item.
Influencer
Alyssa Antocii, @ alyssaantocii on TikTok, received 17.8 million views on a video of her taste-testing this strawberry. The comment section probably wasn’t what she expected.
“If I dropped $20 on a strawberry, I’d probably convince myself it was the best one I’ve ever tasted too,” @brenda. boats wrote.
meaning it gave off the energy that paying a premium for a single strawberry is a reflection of a society obsessed with excess. It’s about showing society that you bought it, tried it and showed your audience that you’re part of something rare and unattainable to some.
This phenomenon of influencer culture isn’t isolated to these strawberries. The trend is spreading through different industries, including designer clothes, luxury tableware and furniture. These items fuel the idea that luxury isn’t just about owning expensive things, it’s about making it known that you own them and that you have something out of reach for others.
At what point do we stop questioning how insane it is to make some of these purchases? Is it really about enjoying it? Or sending a message to the world when you’re holding that perfect, deep red strawberry?
It’s a symptom of a society where image is more valuable than substance, and where luxury is not based on the price of the item, but the exclusivity it promises.
Hundreds of influencers have bought this strawberry, claiming it’s the best fruit they’ve ever tried.
Yet to anyone watching, they know the influencer is trying to justify their out-
Many users echoed the sentiment while others said the video felt dystopian,
As influencers continue to lean into this culture, the line between what we need and what boosts our status is increasingly blurred. So, the next time something like this strawberry pops up, maybe it’s worth asking: Are we just buying into the image it’s meant to project?
‘Chaos: The Manson Murders’ leaves many questions unanswered
By GINA LORUSSO Arts & Life Editor
When documentaries get released about monumental criminal cases that have the country, or maybe even the world, at the edge of their seats, you expect them to have groundbreaking production, go into every miniscule detail and, of course, answer all of your questions.
Netflix’s “Chaos: The Manson Murders” did none of those things.
Charles Manson was a criminal, musician and cult leader who led the Manson Family based in California during the hippie movement in the late 1960s and 70s. They were responsible for at least nine murders in Los Angeles between July and August 1969, including the murder of actress and model Sharon Tate.
The Manson Family started out with Manson himself and a few women who were essentially his groupies who he managed to brainwash with LSD, music and sex. Manson organized the killings, but never actually got his hands dirty — he directed his followers to do so in a psychedelic trance.
The documentary did a fine job of setting the scene here, explaining that people were attracted to his “good guy” persona — something he didn’t see in himself, but reflected to please the Family and keep them devoted to his “philosophy.” It doesn’t really dive into what his philosophy was, only noting toward the end that he was fascinated by Scientology, making it difficult to follow his motives throughout.
What bothered me the most, however, was how every crime scene photo was blurred. I
understand that it was most likely due to the sensitivity of the case, but I’m watching to gain an understanding of the murders’ severity and history — not to be left in the dark, obscured by details that could have provided insight to the events that unfolded.
Additionally, each time an image appeared, it would jump around on the screen, and zoomed-in versions of the same image would overlap the original. It became incredibly frustrating because the constant movement made it impossible to focus on one thing — I ended up having to pause the documentary every time a new image appeared so I could evaluate what I was seeing.
Despite the complaints I’ve made thus far, there were some highlights that I grew to appreciate.
I’m a huge Beatles fan and I was shocked
to find out Manson believed some of their songs on their 1968 album “The Beatles” — commonly referred to as the “White Album” — included coded messages that hinted at an impending race war and that he and the Family were destined to
Songs like “Helter Skelter,” which translates to chaos and disorder, “Piggies” and “Revolution” seemed to stimulate these murders as hints to these songs were left at the crime scene, often written in the victims’ blood on the walls and throughout their homes. During Manson’s trial, his followers who weren’t convicted of murder protested outside the courthouse in support of Manson and the revolution that was “soon to come.”
While the Beatles had no idea their music was being used as a
manifestation to kill — and obviously had no involvement in these murders — it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth knowing Manson changed the meaning of the “White Album” for many people, including myself.
I remember driving to school one morning and my dad told me how frightened he was when he read “Helter Skelter,” a book written by lead Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi in 1974 — five years after the murders took place. At the time he was 15 years old, scared to death, reading this gory, true story late at night after everyone in his family had gone to sleep.
He recalls reading about a barking dog and, like a signal from Manson himself, a dog started barking outside, sending my dad’s teenage mind into a spiral of terror and blurring the lines between the book and reality. Over 50 years later, he still remembers exactly how that moment shook him. I wish “Chaos” had that much of an impact on me.
With a story as twisted and interesting as this one, the documentary didn’t meet my expectations whatsoever. I didn’t know much about the Manson case prior to watching and I feel I’ve gained little knowledge other than the basic who, what, where, when and some other random facts about the case and time period.
Was Manson a deeply disturbed individual who committed unspeakable crimes? Yes. But, does his story deserve better production? Also yes. Maybe I’ll gather the courage to read “Helter Skelter” one day to finally be able to understand the Family and Manson’s so-called God complex — but until then, my questions will linger and this
ILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA COLLINS
ILLUSTRATION BY KATERINA PARIZKOVA
Take a trip down to ‘Paradise’ and stay a while
By RYAN JOHANSON Associate Sports Editor
I didn’t know what I was getting into after seeing a promo for a show on a plane that sparked my interest, but boy, was I hooked.
“Paradise” on Hulu was far away from the definition of the word — an ideal or idyllic place or state. This was clear from the first episode to the last.
The show dropped every Tuesday on Hulu from Jan. 26, when the first three episodes were released, and ran through March 4. Each episode ended with my mind spinning in circles and rattling as to what just happened. Every week brought a new cliffhanger that left fans wanting more.
The opening scene introduces us to Xavier Collins (Sterling L. Brown), a family man and a Secret Service agent assigned to protect Callum Bradford (James Marsden), the president of the U.S. Right from the start, we see how Collins juggles a double life with his job and caring for his family as a single-father — often leaving his daughter Presley (Aliyah Mastin) to take care of his son James (Percy Daggs IV) when duty calls even if it was James’ bike in the yard.
Bradford lives in a pristine, highly controlled gated community, as many highranking officials do in political shows. At first, “Paradise” had the feeling of “West Wing,” “Madam Secretary” or “House of Cards” because of the political edge. But then, about 15 minutes in everything shifted.
When Collins returned to his post after a morning run, he calls for Bradford but there is no answer. Eventually, Collins lets himself in and finds the president on the floor, blood gushing from his head. Collins was the last one to see Bradford the night prior; nobody else.
This is where the dystopian mystery kicks into high gear and starts to become interesting. Who committed the murder? Why didn’t he call it in when he first saw him on the ground? Could he have done it himself?
While these questions eventually get answered, the show expertly leaves fans asking questions episode after episode. Each cliffhanger only deepens the mystery. As somebody who likes the suspense in weekly released shows, “Paradise” had me waiting for the next Tuesday. But if you’re someone who usually gets deterred from watching shows like this, don’t panic and click off; turn on the next episode because it keeps getting better.
And trust me, your questions will be answered and you’ll be surprised in the process.
The gated community that Collins protects isn’t the usual White House in Washington D.C. setting. Instead, it opens with the biggest twist that changed my perception of the whole show.
Right from episode one, this community is actually an underground bunker built inside a mountain in a mysterious place — later shown to be in Colorado.
The most emotional and drama-filled episode, and my personal favorite episode, is episode seven “The Day.” In this episode, it answers the biggest question of them all: why these citizens are in this bunker in the first place.
A massive eruption of an in-ground volcano in Antarctica triggered tsunamis that devastated the whole world, breaking everything in its path, with the U.S. next in line. This disaster was known by Bradford, his fellow cabinet members and Collins, but not even by the general public or the
many members that were inside of the White House.
Bradford faced many decisions, whether to call Versailles — a series of plans to bring high members of the public into the bunker so they could survive — or not. As chaos ensued, he stops to talk to the custodian of all people to see his reaction to the impending doom that the custodian didn’t know was coming. Collins also tried to pull Bradford’s attention by trying to make sure his wife Terri Rogers-Collins (Enuka Okuma) made it to the bunker.
Episode seven delivers an emotional punch, based on what transpired from Bradford’s decisions in that episode. While I won’t spoil what Bradford decided to do to save the country, I highly recommend watching it yourself and watching all the way to ensure you catch up on every detail, especially with
a second season coming in 2026.
Credit to director Dan Fogelman for mastering pacing the series slowly and slowly peeling the layers of the show and not spoiling the mystery too early or showing the hypotheticals fans thought ahead of each episode.
Beyond the twists and suspense, “Paradise” does an excellent job of exploring themes of isolation, loyalty and moral transparency. You don’t suspect Collins to be the hero as he wrestles with guilt, his service and survival instincts in a collapsing world. It shows in his performance when he adds emotional weight to an intense narrative. Brown’s ability to convey paranoia while trying to figure out who killed Bradford elevated the show.
Collins may have left “Paradise,” but I'm definetly staying for season two.
Formula One’s ‘Drive to Survive’ continues to impress
By RYAN JOHANSON Associate Sports Editor
The Netflix original sports documentary “Drive to Survive” has been a focal point of the growth of Formula One in the U.S. and was the reason I got into the sport.
The 10-episode Netflix docuseries is a backstage pass to Formula One, giving fans an inside look at the thrilling, real-life drama beyond the broadcast. By revealing the intense rivalries and showcasing the high-stakes nature of the sport, it has made Formula One into more than just a race.
The most recent season was released on March 7 — one week prior to the start of the 2025 campaign — recapping the 2024 season that was nothing less than intense.
Whether it was Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton leaving the team to join Ferrari after 12 seasons with the Silver Arrows, the Red Bull Racing dominance fading or the Red Bull team principal Christian Horner's investigation, the show jumps into everything right away and showed what made the season great.
The show starts with the biggest news of the season, the Hamilton departure and the Horner investigation in the first episode. We see how the loss of Hamilton affected Mercedes for the rest of the season because of the relationship between his team principal.
It's covered early in episode one, with Netflix in the room when Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff reconvene at Mercedes’ car launch. We see raw comments from Wolff weaved in, such as his questions over the timing of Hamilton’s move, while a scene in episode three sees him run through potential driver options, including Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.
It was important to cover it early because the move from Hamilton was before the season and sent shockwaves through the Formula One paddock, influencing the driver market. This topic was dragged along through the season making it a great start to the season.
The show addresses Hamilton’s move to Ferrari at the jump, but there’s little mention of him for the rest of the season.
Not even his victory at Silverstone which broke a 31-month winless streak for Hamilton. With his following that comes with the name Lewis Hamilton, he was absent from most of the season which was surprising to say the least.
The best way to see how “Drive to Survive” gives you an inside look, is to watch episode seven, “In The Heat Of The Night,” where Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, McLaren’s Lando Norris, Williams’ Alex Albon and Mercedes’ George Russell filmed portions of their Singapore Grand Prix weekends on phones.
The Singapore grand prix is one of the most mentally and physically straining because of the 86 degrees Fahrenheit heat that affected the drivers while driving 62 laps. This episode offers a glimpses into that, especially with Russell, as cameras follow him in the after the race where he breaks down from overheating.
While this may have been to watch how much it affected Russell it stayed true to the premise of show’s goal of revealing what we don’t see from the broadcasts.
While there were the normal cameras used in the episode, the more personal iPhone footage gives us a closer look into
the drivers’ weekends through the creative angles that the drivers wanted to show.
This was deliberate, according to executive producer Tom Hutchings who told The Athletic: “We are conscious of telling the same stories from previous seasons so we look for new angles or new ways of telling them.”
While the season delved into the grueling 2024 season it doesn’t cover every storyline.
For example, “Drive to Survive” leaves out some of the less headline-grabbing moments, Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman scoring points on his debut, Russell’s disqualification at the Belgium Grand Prix or Williams reserve driver Franco Collapinto making a name for himself.
Of course, it is tough to cover every
single storyline that happened on and off track from the 2024 season in just 10 episodes. But as a diehard fan of the show, it would be more influential to see these stories in the season to see the whole story. But I understand these topics may not have received the same media attention as others in the season; it makes sense why they didn’t cover them in the show. Their influence had on the season was shown to be worth nothing.
“Drive to Survive” excels at giving us an inside look at the thrilling, real-life drama behind the racetrack and played a key role in helping me get into the sport, and I hope the show has the same impact on you as it did for me.
ILLUSTRATION BY KATERINA PARIZKOVA
Ghosts of Placid
How Quinnipiac can end a nine-year drought, win the Whitelaw Cup
By COLIN KENNEDY Managing Editor
“We’re devastated.”
Look back at the last nine years of Quinnipiac men’s hockey and this quote from head coach Rand Pecknold could be from any one of its gut-wrenching losses in the ECAC Tournament.
Because the fact is, despite all the success, despite a national championship and countless NCAA Tournament wins — Pecknold hasn’t been able to conquer Lake Placid, New York. At least not for the last nine years.
The last time Quinnipiac came away with the Whitelaw Cup was in 2016, and since then they’ve fallen short each time.
But oftentimes in sports certain things happen when you least expect it. It would almost make perfect sense that this team, the one that added 15 new players and started the year a dreadful 3-5 would be the one to do it.
Now, this group of Bobcats going up to Lake Placid and winning two games wouldn’t be a miracle — not by a long shot. For all intents and purposes this team should and is expected to go into Herb Brooks Arena and win the Whitelaw. But in recent memory there has always been that “Lake Placid thing” with Pecknold’s teams sitting in the back of their heads. No matter how much NHL talent is on the roster, Placid is the great equalizer.
However, this team’s greatest weakness can become its greatest strength. With such a high roster turnover since 2023, there is only one player who has suited up in more than one game in Lake Placid — junior forward Victor Czerneckianair.
“We're not having the chat this year about the Lake Placid thing,” senior goaltender Noah Altman said Feb. 22. “Like, there's no reason to chat about it. We're an entirely new team.”
So, while immaturity and an overall shaky growth process has plagued the Bobcats at certain stretches this season, it has put them in a position that may actually help them this weekend. Quinnipiac desperately needs to win the Whitelaw — or at the very least appear in the championship game — in order to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
“Our backs are against the wall here,” graduate student defenseman Cooper Moore said March 14. “We know that it's do or die right now, and we've been working all year to get to this point, and we're feeling really good about our game right now, and we're just really excited to keep rolling.”
This hasn’t always been the case in years past, with a majority of Pecknold’s teams already securing an at-large bid by the time the conference tournament rolls around, including the 2023 National Champions, who fell in the ECAC Championship game. In simpler terms, Lake Placid wasn’t the end of the road, it was just a pit stop in the pursuit of a larger goal.
Because of that, Quinnipiac’s mindset should be different, it should be sharper and more intense than in years past. There is no tomorrow.
And after Quinnipiac’s sweep of Brown in the ECAC Quarterfinals last weekend, it’s clear the pieces of the puzzle are there, it just has to put them together at the right time.
The biggest piece of that puzzle will be Matej Marinov. The sophomore goaltender
had his best weekend of his career in his postseason debut. Marinov stopped 54 out of the 55 shots sent his way, with the only goal coming off a 6-4 chance by the Bears.
“Matej was great,” associate head coach Joe Dumais said following Quinnipiac’s 4-0 win on March 15. He kept us in that game early, and then we found a way to score.”
After splitting goaltending duties for much of the season with sophomore Dylan Silverstein, there was a question mark about who would get the net come playoff time. Marinov ended that conversation last weekend.
“As a goalie that’s what you want, we all want the pressure,” Marinov said. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Having a hot goaltender will certainly help carry Quinnipiac into next weekend — Marinov hasn’t lost since Nov. 9 — but the Bobcats are also going to need guys to create some chances on the other end, and it seems to have a young group ready to cash in.
In their playoff debuts, freshmen, forward Tyler Borgula and defensemen Elliott Groenewold, racked up the points; with Borgula potting two goals in Saturday’s 4-0 win and Groenewold finishing the weekend with three points.
“If you look at Elliot Groenewold tonight, he was spectacular,” Dumais said. “He played a ton of minutes. He was playing against (Brown’s) top line all night long. Tyler Borgula had two goals for us, he’s a freshman, this is his first playoff series. So we had a lot of guys step it up.”
Borgula also helped fuel the nation’s No. 1 power play, drawing a pair of penalties in Saturday’s win. If the Bobcats want to escape Lake Placid with the Whitelaw,
they’ll need to lean into their strength in the power play. Though scoring may be tough to come by as a potential matchup with Clarkson — who ranks No. 6 in the nation on the kill — looms.
“We have very talented power plays,” Borgula said. “So to get us out there is very special, and it's fun to watch because there’s so much skill. And I think just drawing penalties gets the guys going.”
But at this point in the nine-year drought, it probably doesn’t matter as much about the opponent as it does about just finally slaying this Lake Placid narrative that looms over this team each spring. Yes, Clarkson and Cornell will be extremely tough opponents to out, but the ghosts of Placid have proved to be a tougher opponent than any ECAC team of years past.
Maybe the final buzzer sounds and this group of Bobcats become just another ghost in the halls of Herb Brooks Arena.
Or, maybe, this year, Pecknold has the right group, facing the right circumstances, at the right time, and everything comes together. Maybe by Saturday night, Quinnipiac is hosting that Whitelaw Cup that has evaded some of the best teams in program history.
Maybe, for reasons outside anyone’s understanding, this is the team that does it. After all, there just seems to be something in that building that leads to teams winning when you least expect it.
Quinnipiac will begin to put together the puzzle Friday, March 21, in the ECAC Semifinals against Cornell. Puckdrop is set for 4 p.m. in Lake Placid.
PHOTOS BY TRIPP MENHALL/ILLUSTRATION BY COLIN KENNEDY
Why Fairfield was too much for the Bobcats in the MAAC Championship
By RYAN JOHANSON Associate Sports Editor
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — After making it to the MAAC women’s basketball championship for the first time since the 2018-19 season, the Bobcats stared the Stags in the face — their second matchup in a week — for the title Saturday afternoon.
Fairfield, the reigning MAAC champion, took down the Bobcats 76-53 to be crowned the conference champions for the secondstraight year. But how did the Stags pull it out?
Fairfield outclassed the Bobcats in every facet of the game.
After “leaving the offense at the hotel” during its semifinal matchup against Mount St. Mary’s, as Fairfield head coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis put it, the Stags broke out to their best offensive game of the MAAC Tournament.
Fairfield broke down a Bobcats defense that had been formidable in their previous two MAAC Tournament games, holding both No. 10 Iona and No. 6 Merrimack to under 52 points and 35% from the field.
The Stags exploited gaps in a Quinnipiac
zone that had been strong, but allowed multiple wide-open three-pointers. This was their key to victory, as the Bobcats struggled to recover. The fourth quarter sealed the win for Fairfield, with the Stags hitting six of their 15 threes.
“It was totally their day,” Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri said. “There was not much we could do or adjust or try to play better, to take it away when you have (junior forward Sydni) Scott going six for six, but you know, you got to give them credit. It doesn’t feel great.”
A big reason for that was Scott, who was perfect from behind the arc and it seemed like every possession ended with the Prospect Park, Pennsylvania, native’s hands on the ball.
“For me, it wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when,” Fairfield sophomore guard Kaety L’Amoreaux said. “Having her on that court was huge, and knowing that she was gonna hit those threes.”
It wasn’t just Scott who thrived from deep; Fairfield had its best three-point percentage of the season at 51.7% on 29 attempts.
While offense can win you games, defense wins you championships. This statement was put
on the forefront for the Stags, and their best way of defeating the Bobcats, was stopping No. 14.
On every inbound, whether after a basket or a timeout, Scott and L’Amoreaux doubled freshman guard Gal Raviv, preventing any inbound pass into the Kadima, Israel, native. This forced the Bobcats to bring down sophomore guard Karson Martin or sophomore center Anna Foley to help break it.
“We wanted someone else to bring the ball up,” L’Amoreaux said. “So that was just our initial plan.”
For the 40 minutes that Raviv played, there were Stags either doubling or faceguarding her, making the offense run through others instead of the MAAC Player of the Year. The rest of the Bobcats did their best, but the pesky Stags’ defense limited the Bobcats to their lowest point total of the season — 53 points — after scoring over 60 points in the last two games.
“I thought they did just a great job locking us down,” Fabbri said. “And then in our ball their ball screen coverage was really good. We couldn’t squeak anything by them. And then again, when you’re behind and then you’re re-
ally playing catch up, there was a lot of pressure on every possession.”
Fairfield moved on to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year and the third time in the last four years.
“(We) scheduled every big conference that we could so that we could do the best on our end, to give ourselves the best NET (ranking),” Thibault-DuDonis said. “We believe, without a shadow of a doubt, we deserve an 11 seed.”
Following Selection Sunday, the Stags were selected as a 12 seed and will play Kansas State in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Bobcats, however, left Atlantic City empty-handed, and will look ahead to next year with a young core and familial atmosphere.
“I’ll always look back and be grateful for this team, like everybody on this roster was a family this year, so win or lose, like we’re so grateful to have the opportunity at all,” Foley said. “It’s just going to motivate us to make a run in whatever game we play next and just be grateful that we got to share the court together at all.”
GEORGE MADDALONI/CHRONICLE
Freshman guard Gal Raviv surveys the defense in a 76-53 loss to Fairfield in the MAAC Championship on March 15
GEORGE MADDALONI/CHRONICLE
Fairfield celebrates after Quinnipiac junior forward Ella O’Donnell turns over the ball in the MAAC Championship.
GEORGE MADDALONI/CHRONICLE
Sports
GEORGE MADDALONI/CHRONICLE
Men’s basketball’s MAAC title dreams foiled in semifinal loss to Iona
By RYAN JOHANSON Associate Sports Editor
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — After answering questions from the media, senior guards Jalen Barr and DeJour Reaves along with former freshman guard Adam Njie Jr. got up, hugged and laughed with former Iona head coach Tobin Anderson as they walked out of the press conference.
The Bobcats didn’t think they would walk in second at the press conference again after the MAAC Semifinals, but they faced that reality, and it was clear it hurt them.
For the second-straight season, the Bobcats had their hopes vanish in the MAAC Semifinals, this time not by a buzzer beater, but by a 50-28 advantage in the paint by Iona with a final score of 81-73.
Graduate student guard Savion Lewis entered first, followed by junior forward Amarri Monroe. Both were visibly emotional after their hopes of winning the elusive MAAC Championship slipped from their grasp just 30 minutes prior, much like last year. Monroe started starring at the ground while Lewis did his best to manage his emotions as they walked in.
“It feels terrible,” Lewis said. “(I’m) trying to hold my emotions right now. Just knowing that this was my last time playing with Quinnipiac, I wasn’t able to finish the job.”
For Lewis, it was his last chance to accomplish the biggest thing left for him. But his legacy will be ingrained in the young guys that will succeed him.
“I believe that I left a legacy here for the young guys that they’re going to carry on and be able to finish it in the next year’s (MAAC Championship),” Lewis said.
The Bobcats seemed to be back into
the game, coming all the way back from a 16-point deficit to get it within two after a pair of free throws by Monroe brought it to a one-possession game.
But then an errant dribble by Reaves fell into the hands of senior guard Doug Young, who tossed it to Monroe, and slammed it home to tie the game to cap off a 10-0 run.
“(Young) had such an up and down year,” Lewis said. “He faced a lot of adversity, and although we lost today, he showed what it means to be persistent. And I hope that everyone was able to see that you know his attitude, his energy was very contagious.”
The Bobcats faithful were elated, and Quinnipiac looked like a comeback was in the works — a comeback that has helped it win 20 games this season. But the Gaels relied on their strength inside, dominating the paint, where the Bobcats couldn’t keep up. Iona won the battle thanks to its fluidity of the pick-and-roll and the overpowering strength in the paint.
“(Junior forward Yaphet Moundi) just a beast in there, you know, he’s so strong, so physical,” Anderson said. “He finished some shots from the basket. But I thought, yeah, we did a great job of the paint and being big, physical and imposing our will that way on the game.”
The pick-and-roll between Njie Jr. and Moundi was unstoppable. When the Bobcats focused on Moundi, Njie Jr. either beat them to the cup or pulled up for mid-range shots. When the defense shifted to the freshman guard, Moundi dominated the paint.
“He’s a force of nature,” Quinnipiac head coach Tom Pecora said. “At about the 12-minute mark, we talked about just getting in deeper gaps and force him to beat us
Poor physicality costs Bobcats in Atlantic City
By MICHAEL PETITTO Copy Editor
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Two years, two heartbreaking losses.
The Quinnipiac men’s basketball team has been bounced in the MAAC Tournament Semifinals in back-to-back years.
Last year, it was a last second tip-in against Saint Peter’s. This year, Quinnipiac spent the entire game against No. 4 Iona trying to catch up in a contest in which they never led.
So what was the difference maker that gave Iona what it needed to complete the upset?
Physicality.
Graduate student forward Paul Otieno had a great season, but the big man was no match for Iona’s post players.
The Nairobi, Kenya, native was given the tall task of guarding Iona junior forward Yaphet Moundi, who averaged 23.5 points in the MAAC Tournament coming into the matchup with Quinnipiac and dropped another 17 against the Bobcats.
“Their ability first and foremost to combine both speed and aggressive toughness put us on our heels,” Quinnipiac head coach Tom Pecora said.
At halftime, Iona had scored 28 points in the paint. Quinnipiac had just eight.
over the top, but he’s relentless. His ability to get into the lane is so impressive.”
Njie Jr., Reaves and Moundi accounted for 16 of the final 24 points for the Gaels, highlighting the Bobcats’ inability to counter them throughout the whole game. The trio wreaked havoc in the MAAC Tournament, playing a major role in the Gaels’ advancement to the MAAC Championship in which they lost to Mount St. Mary’s.
Desperation and frustration set in for Quinnipiac as time dwindled down to the final buzzer, with the uncertainty around the future of many of its players. With question marks hanging over graduate student center Paul Otieno and Monroe regarding next season, the Bobcats played with a sense of urgency, trying to win by any means necessary, and it had to come fast.
“I definitely felt like (Quinnipiac) was getting frustrated because they were the No. 1 seed, and they felt like it wasn’t supposed to come in the game and lose,” Reaves said. “So I feel like down at the end of the game, they definitely got frustrated because especially, we were playing great defense on them, we were forcing them to take tough shots.”
First it was Monroe, then Young with missed three-pointers, then, to make matters worse, sophomore guard Khaden Bennett was blocked attempting a three-pointer. That led to the game-sealing dunk by senior guard Jalen Barr.
Quinnipiac entered Atlantic City with its pockets full of aspirations and optimism, hoping to change the narrative of not making the MAAC Championship. Instead it left the table empty-handed asking themselves, “What went wrong?”
“Yaphet was a physical presence,” former Iona head coach Tobin Anderson said. “You’ve seen the last couple of days, he’s just a beast (in the post). We’re not gonna win a lot of shooting contests, that’s not gonna happen. But we can defend and rebound.”
Defend and rebound they did, Otieno recorded just four points on 1-6 shooting while the Bobcats were held to their lowest point total since March 2 against Merrimack.
Moundi in particular was a dominating two-way presence for Iona all game long. The Paris native made it difficult for Quinnipiac to gameplan for, as the Bobcats simply had no one on the roster who could defend Moundi.
The Bobcats tried to counter Iona’s physical dominance in the three-point game to cover the deficit. But the shots from downtown just weren’t falling and Quinnipiac quickly found itself in a deficit it couldn’t claw back from.
Junior forward Amarri Monroe splashed just three of 12 shots from beyond-the-arc, and sophomore guard Khaden Bennett – whose three-point heroics in the quarterfinals helped the Bobcats snatch victory – made zero of his four attempts from downtown.
Pecora and company will look to revamp and rebuild this upcoming spring. With looming questions over Monroe’s future with the team and with graduate student guard Savion Lewis departing, there’s currently more questions than answers for the men in Hamden.
One thing is for certain, if Quinnipiac wants a chance at a MAAC title next year, the team needs to establish a more physical presence. If it doesn’t, a threepeat of a second-round exit is very likely.
