Students experiencing confusion after rideshare and food delivery services moved to North Lot
By MADELYN DURKEE Contributing Writer
Since the Hogan Lot closure, North Lot has become the designated parking lot for rideshare services like Uber and Lyft. Students using these services have been experiencing confusion and inconsistencies from Public Safety as the new policy is implemented.
The Chronicle conducted a survey investigating the inconsistency of the new policy.
In an article published earlier this month regarding the closure, Public Safety Chief Tony Reyes wrote to The Chronicle that moving driving services to North Lot was intended to “reduce traffc congestion, prevent hazardous conditions and to keep our campus community safe.”
So far, students have not experienced any improvement. Despite North Lot’s central location on campus, many students are inconvenienced by the new location because Hogan Lot is much closer to most dorm buildings.
“It’s annoying that (drivers) can’t go to Hogan because it is right next to my dorm (in Mountainview),” Ashlyn Pinet, a frst-year nursing student said. “So now I have to walk all the way (to North Lot).”
Many students share her frustration. In addition to the added walk across campus, students have reported confusion from rideshare drivers now directed to North Lot. The Uber app still designates Hogan Lot as a pick up and drop off point for Quinnipiac University.
While vehicles arriving at Hogan Lot are being turned away by police or public safety offcers, there are mixed messages of where they should be going next.
“There’s been a couple instances I’ve had, especially with DoorDash specifcally, where they will get bounced between the different entrances,” Vincient Raggozino, a frst-year accounting major, said.
He has noticed lots of miscommunication between the lots.
“I had a driver who went to Hogan and he got turned around and he got told not to go to North lot, he got told to go (to South gate), and he went over there and they told him to go to Hogan,” he said.
It is clear there is as much confusion among Public Safety offcers over the new policy as there is between students.
This is not the only problem students have observed since the Hogan closure. The inconsistency in policy for vehicle identifcation at North Lot is raising concerns for some students.
Drivers arriving at North Lot are required to stop at the gate to provide identifcation and proof of the services they are providing. However, there seems to be signifcant variation in how this policy is followed.
“I feel like we preach being a safe campus,” Gabriella Acevedo, a sophomore economics and political science major, said.
TYLER
The Uber app’s default drop-off location is the Buckman/Tator Parking Lot, however, this is prohibited for rideshare and food delivery services.
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However, when she arrived on campus in an Uber the offcer at the gate did not stop the car or identify it.
“They kind of just looked at (the driver) and let us go right through,” she said.
Of the students surveyed by The Chronicle, only 53% say they were stopped at the gate compared to 47% who say there was no attempt to identify the car arriving at North Lot. A majority of these instances occurred when vehicles entered campus at night.
“I mean I think it’s important,” Kate Marin, a freshman health science major, said. “I think they should defnitely check ID.”
This inconsistency is causing concern over campus safety and security, especially given the large number of vehicles now passing through North Lot.
Despite North Lot’s larger space, traffc congestion concerns have not been solved. Students described a chaotic scene over the past weekend when all rideshare traffc was directed to one area.
Emma Roach, a freshman history major, was overwhelmed when trying to fnd her ride.
“There were like 20 other Ubers trying to pick up different people, so you never know who was there for who, and then cars were almost running into each other,” she said. “It was just a lot.”
The Hogan Lot closure was intended to address these issues, and create a safe space for students and drivers. So far, nothing has been solved with the move to North Lot.
Students hope that their current concerns will be addressed as the campus adjusts to the Hogan closure. As Acevedo put it; “It’s new.” It may take some time for students and drivers to adjust to the new policy as these issues are ironed out by Public Safety.
President Marie Hardin leads Strategic Visioning conversation
By ALYSSA FOX Contributing Writerr
On Sept. 9, students and faculty attended a Listening Lab during Common Hour as part of a new campaign for Strategic Visioning in the university’s culture led by President Marie Hardin.
A Listening Lab is an interactive session of small group conversations, particularly focusing on the core values of the university. The values discussed included building a community around students and academics through ideas such as respect, communication and
student-centeredness.
“I think you can’t have a strong community without academics, but then you also can’t have academics without a strong community,” sophomore mathematics major Megan Pollard said during a conversation about studentcenteredness. “Everyone in the world can think back to a time where they were in school and they had a teacher they didn’t like so much. That class just didn’t click with them and they can’t remember anything from that class, and it’s because there wasn’t that sense of community.”
ALYSSA FOX/CHRONICLE
Quinnipiac President Marie Hardin kicks off the Listening Lab conversation.
ALYSSA FOX/CHRONICLE Audience members participate in the Listening Lab conversation.
ALYSSA FOX/CHRONICLE
Sociology Chair Catherine Soloman shares her thoughts during the discussion.
ALYSSA FOX/CHRONICLE For additional thoughts, attendees flled out a survey at the end of the event.
ALYSSA FOX/CHRONICLE
Sophomore mathematics major Megan Pollard joins in on the conversation.
INFOGRAPHIC BY TYLER MIGNAULT
School of Business opens brand new café to students
By CHLOE GRANT Staff Writer
As a part of the new South Quad’s School of Business, Quinnipiac University opened the School of Business Café — following a long period where students were left dealing with long lines and overwhelmed spaces in the existing dining halls. This new location launches a whole menu of food items, including sandwiches, overnight oats and more, as well as acting as an additional Starbucks location.
The School of Business Café is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, with the exception of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays. In order to speed up wait times and boost overall effciency, the cafe has two mobile ordering kiosks equipped with everything their menu has to offer.
In the process of curating their menu, the Director of Operations with Chartwells Higher Ed Erica Robbins worked alongside Quinnipiac’s chefs and students from the Quinnipiac Dining Advisory Committee to actually prepare the food and get their feedback. Doing so allows them to ensure students have access to their favorite dining options.
“We just wanted to be able to give the students a really high quality product with things that were going to really resonate with them and our customers… So we really look forward to the students’ feedback, and want to be able to hit on every area that you know you guys are looking for, obviously, within reason, as much as we can with what we have available to us,” Robbins said.
Discussing a little bit about the challenges the café has encountered so far, Robbins shared
how they have been working to determine peak service times. She explained how, because they tend to vary depending on the day of the week and time, café staff want to ensure that they are able to accommodate larger groups of students and guarantee everyone gets good service.
“I defnitely feel like we’re starting to hit our stride now that we’re kind of in our third week,” Robbins said. “We had a full frst week of what we call the soft opening, where we were only open for four hours, just to really, kind of let all of the staff, as well as ourselves as managers, get our feet wet and really learn the patterns and what was going to be popular
for food and drinks. Each week and each day since then, we’ve really honed in on what everyone’s favorites are, so each day, it’s getting easier to manage that piece of it.”
With the mass amounts of students eager to try out a new dining option, many have expressed positive feedback on food and beverage options and have been very happy with everything they’ve ordered at the School of Business Café so far.
Marketing major Addi Taylor highlights her and her friends’ trips to the café.
Taylor shared, “We get the bagel every time, but they’re always really good. The
bagels here are a lot better than (the dining hall), and the drinks are made better here.”
With its prime location at the main entrance of the School of Business, the girls explain how they love the convenience of the café and how they can always go together after their class. The large seating area scattered with couches and tables in front of the cafe provides the perfect atmosphere to chat with friends or just sit down between classes for a bite to eat.
“We always love to work with students to fgure out, like, what the perfect ft is going to be,” Robbins said. “The awesome part about having student run operations is where Quinnipiac, Tom Ellett and also Chartwell… all work in collaboration with the student managers at each of these operations to give them the real world skills … so that they’re ready for the future in any new role that they take on [and] so they’re actually all involved in the hiring process as well.”
Subsequently, Robbins goes on to discuss a little bit more about how students can provide their feedback on the café and what they are looking to get out of the space.
“There’s going to be a survey released in the upcoming week to kind of get a general consensus, consensus from the student body population of what kind of [scene] they would like best at the School of Business … we really want [students] to really feel proud of the space that they work in,” Marketing Manager for Chartwells Higher Ed Lexi Pepe said.
All students are eligible to attain a position at the School of Business Café. Students can reach out with inquiries about student employment at quinnipiacdining@quinnipiac.edu run by Pepe.
Irma/Dana pedestrian bridge closure causes frustration among students
By NATHAN ROJAS Contributing Writer
The Irma/Dana pedestrian bridge has been closed for the foreseeable future, as per Quinnipiac University Office of Residential Life’s email sent out to the student body last week.
“The Facilities team has recently observed that the Irma/Dana pedestrian bridge has shifted… the bridge will need to be closed until it can be replaced,” the offce wrote.
The bridge sits between Irmagarde Tator hall and the Recreation and Wellness Center. Both sides of the bridge are currently blocked, preventing students from using it.
This has led to much frustration among students. Jillian Kelley, a frst-year undecided business major and resident of Dana English hall, expressed her concerns on the issue.“It’s just an inconvenience, because we live in Dana,” Kelley said. “So now we, instead of walking through, have to walk all the way around. It’s just annoying.”
This has also impacted students’ arrival time to class.
“It sometimes makes it harder to get to class like on time, I’ll have to leave earlier or walk around the other way,” freshman undecided business major Grace Sharan said.
Aside from students who live in the nearby dorms, other students have also been impacted by the bridge closure.
“I defnitely feel it’s inconvenient,”
sophomore Physical Therapy major Conor McAllister said. “I mean, the frst time I saw it, I was like, ‘How am I supposed to go?’ I gotta walk back. I come across here every day, around, go to the gym, play basketball, stuff like that.”
Despite the bridge being closed, students have noticed that the bridge appears to be fne, causing speculation on why it was closed in the frst place.
Michael Lombardi, a frst-year undecided major, pointed out this fact, “I don’t know why it’s closed, it doesn’t look broken or anything. I think it should be like top priority to fx it, because students use it a lot, especially Irma and Dana (residents).”
While the university has acknowledged the issue, it seems unlikely that it will open again anytime soon. This fact was confrmed by John Morgan, the associate vice president for public relations in a statement he wrote to The Chronicle, “There is currently no timetable for completion, as a new bridge will need to be designed and approved before construction can begin. In the meantime, pedestrians should use the other bridge by the Larson residence hall and the walkway by the library. We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation as we work to ensure the long-term safety and accessibility of the bridge.”
for students.
OLIVIA MASTROMARINO/CHRONICLE
Students visit the new School of Business Café before or after class with its convenient location.
The Irma/Dana pedestrian bridge is closed for repairs, causing an inconvenience
Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe ‘DOOMED?’
By RYAN HAJE Contributing Writer
Last summer at the world’s biggest fan convention — San Diego Comic-Con — Marvel Studios took the stage at Hall H and unveiled its mind-blowing announcement — Tony Stark’s actor, Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe .
What should have been an exciting announcement has instead brought me feelings of anger and confusion.
The MCU started all the way back in 2008 with Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man,” starring RDJ as Tony Stark. For over 10 years, he played this iconic character and was the face of the MCU until his final film as the character in “Avengers Endgame” in 2019 when Stark sacrificed himself to save the universe. Since then, RDJ has expanded past the MCU starring in films like the critically acclaimed “Oppenheimer” which won him his first and only Oscar. This brought the actor back into the mainstream once again.
What made the announcement of his return so frustrating for me was not the actor himself, but his casting. Instead of reprising his role as the iconic Stark/Iron Man, in a bizarre turn of events, they casted RDJ as Doctor Doom.
Doctor Doom is the main antagonist to the Fantastic Four — a well respected and
cherished Marvel villain. Out of all the characters to cast RDJ as, why Doctor Doom?
To have two such pivotal characters played by the same actor is the laziest thing Marvel has done in the past few years, and they have done some pretty lazy stuff. The most confusing bit of all of this is the statement RDJ released when the announcement frst came out: “New mask, same task.”
My frustration over this casting goes much further, it goes to how Disney is handling Marvel as a whole. According to Matt Belloni of Puck News, “Marvel Studios” paid RDJ over $100 million for both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” This money could instead be going to the hundreds of visual and digital effects artists who pour blood, sweat and tears into these movies.
Not to mention there has been no build up to Doctor Doom within the past movies. In the Infinity Saga, the main villain, Thanos, was slowly hyped up over the span of six years, and when it came for his time to shine, Josh Brolin blew the audiences away. I’m not saying RDJ can’t achieve this praise, but with only three years between the casting announcement and “Avengers: Doomsday’s” release in 2027, I think we should be worried.
If I was in “Marvel Studios’” shoes, I
would have stuck to the original plan of having Kang the Conqueror as the main villain in “Avengers: Kang’s Dynasty” before the RDJ casting, but recast Jonathan Majors due to his contro versy. By now, Kang could have been a fleshed-out and respect ed villain that fans would look forward to seeing on the big screen. Sure Kang was flawed before the con troversy, but Marvel could have fixed their mistake and made something the fans were sure to remember.
As for the larger question of, is the MCU doomed? I think so.
With the start of James Gunn’s new DC Universe and superhero fatigue being more prevalent than ever, I think we’re reaching the end of the MCU. Super hero movies will not be leaving any time soon but I believe we are moving away from the MCU and into the age of the DCU, be ginning a new era for the action movie genre.
Our new Department of War: A testament to diplomacy or dominance?
By JOANNA FARRELL Contributing Writer
In another unsavory, yet unsurprising move by President Donald Trump’s administration, the Department of Defense (DOD) has taken on a new name: the Department of War.
According to the Historical Offce of the Secretary of Defense, the department held the name since 1949, with this being the frst change to the DOD’s name in 76 years.
What does that mean for us? What does the word “war” imply that “defense” does not? It comes down to one word, or rather, the absence of it — diplomacy.
War is complex, defense is not. War entails different elements that defense simply doesn’t. War considers economics, personal gain, allyship, as well as the actual act of war and fghting.
Defense, however, is quite simple. If someone attacks you, you have the right to defend yourself. Defense is the reaction from an offensive move by another country or enemy — very different from the complexities that make up war. Countries only need a department of war when they are considering war or trying to scare other countries out of it.
Does this mean that we’re heading toward a time when a war department is more relevant than a defense department?
It boils down to one, albeit, scary, statement posted to The White House website, “This name sharpens the Department’s focus
on our own national interest and our adversaries’ focus on our willingness and availability to wage war to secure what is ours.”
This statement is not simply a justifcation of the name change as some would lead you to believe. This is a declaration of dominance, a grasp at power and a complete dismissal of the diplomatic nature of the U.S. One that says we are no longer concerned with the success and stability of other nations, but ours and ours alone.
Trump claims that the change comes because we won both World War I and World War II with a war department, not a defense department. However, if we look back in history, both wars were won on the defensive after attacks on the U.S. Our entrance into WWI came after the sinking of the RMS Lusitania and the Zimmerman Telegram, and our entrance into WWII came after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
One Democratic representative summed it all up in a statement he made to NBC News; “It’s hard to adequately plumb the depths of the stupidity of everything that goes into this,” Rep. Adam Smith said.
Stupid would be a polite way to put exactly what this change will mean for the average person.
According to an article by The Independent, this rebranding of the Department of Defense to the Department of War is projected to cost U.S. taxpayers over $1 billion, as they will now have to change the name on
stations around the world. This will involve changes to signage, uniforms and even down to minute details like the branded notepads and pens the Department of Defense uses.
This comes at a time when direct costs to citizens have been at the forefront of everyone’s mind. We’re currently experiencing nationwide concerns over tax hikes and tariffs that have been slowly increasing the cost of everyday goods. While this change might spark joy in some, the savvy economist knows that no name change comes with out cost to the citizen.
While at the beginning of the year we were focused on cutting government spending and waste, we’re now spending over $1 billion from the budget that took months to pass on a name change that has no impact on the effectiveness of the de partment or the work it does.
To those of us who have been closely following this administration since the changing of the guard in Jan uary, this news comes as little shock. Since Trump’s inaugu ration, the U.S. has withdrawn itself from the World Health Organization, United Nations Human Rights Council and will withdraw from the United Nations Edu
cational, Scientifc and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as of Dec. 31, 2026.
The removal from further United Nations programs remains up for debate by the White House, but any further withdrawals will reinforce the idea that once again, for the next nearly three and a half years, the United States will be acting in its best interest and
Opinion
Pilates princesses are ruining pilates
By MORGAN BOLLIGER Contributing Writer
“Snatched waist,” “flat stomach” and “hourglass figure” are some of the many ridiculous names these so-called pilates in fluencers have titled their workout videos. They claim you’ll see significant results by doing a 10-minute workout, with some even advertising that you can do them in your pajamas.
But that’s just not the case.
Pilates is far more than cute outfts, pink yoga mats and aesthetic workout videos. It’s not just for girls who are al ready on the skinnier side, due to a fast metabolism, genetics or intense dieting, either. And it’s certainly not just for people who want to appear perfect, rather than mak ing physical progress with their exercise. So don’t let these princesses fool you.
Pilates was invented by Joseph Hubertis Pilates over 100 years ago as a means for strength training and recovery for wounded soldiers in World War I. He set out to develop a new approach for muscle conditioning. One of his ideas was to attach springs to hospital beds, which led to the creation of the modern pilates reformer.
That being said, pilates isn’t a recent development. It has been around for a century, and yet it has only become popular in recent years.
I personally love pilates — I loved it
before it was a trend. I used pilates in the way it was originally intended to be used — as a supplement to build a healthy relationship with exercise and my body. The more experience I gain, the more educated I become on how to do it properly, and the more I realize people try pilates because of the false assumptions around it. These assumptions are due to influencers who are just straight-up fake.
To put it simply, you cannot get lean, toned or skinny just by doing pilates like
the influencers claim, especially not by following workouts that are barely 10 minutes long. Behind the scenes, many of them are dieting and doing additional exercises. Not only that, but some of these princesses aren’t pilates certified (yes, you need to be certified in order to teach pilates), meaning their exercises can hurt more than help.
It’s extremely important to have correct form, technique and breath work for pilates to actually be effective. In many
of the pilates princess videos found on YouTube, there are no cues or voice overs instructing you on how to breathe or how to have correct form, which can cause you to strain your muscles, with no physical results or “hourglass figure” achieved.
Additionally, while I definitely support women creating a safe environment to work out, I fear that presenting pilates as a workout for princesses turns men away from trying it, despite its origins. They may even discredit it and underestimate its importance.
Pilates can be a challenge when done right. At times, it makes my body sweat, burn and shake. The way I look after I take a class is not aesthetic — but that’s how it’s supposed to be. So while it’s okay to wear a cute pink outfit to a pilates class, realize it’s an incredible way to strength train, and there shouldn’t be a specific gender assigned to it. It’s for anyone and everyone — from broke college students taking a free class, to the older generation trying to keep their strength and mobility. Just make sure your instructor knows what they’re doing.
You won’t get an hourglass figure after doing a 10-minute workout. It’s a process. So keep in mind the core principles of what pilates is really about, and always remember that it’s about progress, not perfection.
Artifcial Intelligence's unquenchable thirst
Training AI is using too much water
By NEVE WILSON Copy Editor
These days it feels like you can’t escape hearing about Artifcial Intelligence (AI) — especially generative AI, like ChatGPT and CoPilot — which generate original text or images when prompted by the user. However, there is one major repercussion of AI that I don’t hear talked about enough: the amount of freshwater it uses.
How can typing something on a computer waste water? Data centers.
MIT News defnes a data center as “a temperature-controlled building that houses computing infrastructure, such as servers, data storage drives, and network equipment.” As that infrastructure is used to perform your requests, it gets hot, like how your laptop may after using it for a while. To keep data centers from overheating, chilled freshwater is often used. It’s called an evaporative cooling system: water absorbs the heat and evaporates.
One data center can use millions of gallons of water in a single day, says the BBC. A study in the World Economic Forum estimates that by 2027, AI-driven data centers could use up to 1.7 trillion gallons of freshwater, only returning some of it to the water table.
To put this into context, a medium-sized data center (15 megawatts) uses as much water as three average-sized hospitals, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Data centers are necessary for regular computing too, like searching or sending an
email. But because of the rise of artifcial intelligence, the demand for data centers has risen signifcantly, and so has their construc tion. Artifcial intelligence is also especially energy-intensive.
That’s partially because training new AI models consumes huge amounts of water. Noman Bashir, comput ing and climate impact fel low at MIT Climate and Sustainabil ity Consor tium, says that “a generative AI train ing cluster might con sume seven or eight times more energy than a typical comput ing workload.”
Shaolei Ren, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, estimated that it took hundreds of thousands of liters of freshwater for OpenAI to train GPT-3, the third generation Large Language Model that powers ChatGPT.
Some states are trying to regulate the high water usage. In Connecticut, Senate Bill 1292 would require AI data center owners or operators to submit quarterly reports to the Commissioner of Energy and Envi-
However, the nation is still building data centers quickly. Shortly after his inauguration, President Donald Trump announced Stargate, a plan to build 20 new data centers in the U.S. in collaboration with OpenAI — the creator of ChatGPT.
Living next to these data centers, like Georgia resident Beverly Morris, can be really diffcult. Morris is afraid to drink the water at her house because she believes construction of the data center disrupted her private water well, causing her tap water to be flled with sediments. Meta, who owns the center, denies it.
Even with all this data, it is diffcult to put an exact fgure on how much energy and
water AI uses, since there are currently no state or federal regulations that require tech companies to publish this information.
Using up water at such a high rate is especially concerning when 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to viable water, according to Forbes. The water that is being used in these cooling centers is freshwater, which can be used for drinking or farming. Some of it may end up back in the water table, but some of it is lost completely to evaporation or becomes too dirty to use.
Companies like Microsoft, Meta and Google have made promises in the past to become water positive by 2030, meaning they will replenish the water they use up and then some. However, at the current rate data center construction is going, this does not seem viable.
Potential solutions for the high water usage include more effective cooling systems, harvesting rainwater and more effcient infrastructure. At the user level, we can be more mindful about how we’re using AI. Ultimately, it would be unrealistic for me to say we should all stop using AI – it does have really benefcial applications across many different felds. And like Pandora’s Box, now that it has been released to the public, it would be almost impossible to take back.
But the next time you use it, think about how much water it costs and ask yourself whether you really need its help or if you’re just being too lazy to perform a basic search.
ILLUSTRATION BY LILIANA MIRABELLA
Arts & Life
Students celebrate annual Fall Fest a little earlier this year Not quite Monday, but almost
By GRACE CONNEELY-NOLAN Arts & Life Editor
On Sunday, Quinnipiac University's Student Programming Board (SPB) and WQAQ 98.1FM hosted Fall Fest, welcoming students back to campus with free merchandise, food trucks, games and a live performance from indie-pop band almost monday.
The Mount Carmel Campus Quad buzzed with excitement as attendees arrived to enjoy the sunny afternoon and music that carried across campus. Students streamed through the inflatable Bobcat mouth to collect their punch cards to guide them through the day’s activities. From painting pumpkins and caricatures to custom airbrushed T-shirts — all in pursuit
of the coveted Fall Fest quarter zip.
As the lines grew longer, the number of remaining quarter-zips quickly dwindled, fueling both the excitement of the crowd and anticipation for the band to take the stage.
IN PREPARATION
Like any major concert, Fall Fest takes months of preparation, careful planning and collaboration. As one of Quinnipiac’s biggest on-campus traditions, this year’s event was no exception.
Nicole Healy, assistant director of student engagement, said planning began as early as July to meet this year’s early start date.
In past years, Fall Fest has been held in October and even as late as November, but
“... Have some faith in the process, that it'll work out, and even if you can't fully see the end point yet, just trust the process and keep going. ” – ALMOST MONDAY
the timing changes year to year depending on the artist’s availability.
“Almost monday has been phenomenal,” Healy said. “I’ve really loved working with them because they have been pretty quick with our stuff and they’ve been very willing to engage with students and make the most of the experience.”
Promotion for Fall Fest proved to be just as important as planning. The Student Programming Board leaned into residence hall outreach and consistently posted on Instagram to make sure students were aware of the event.
“We want people to think, ‘Wow, I must have to go to Fall Fest, because it’s literally everywhere,’” Healy said.
But the goal went beyond filling the
Quad. Both SPB and WQAQ emphasized making the event feel inclusive for all students, on and off campus.
“We like to give students a look into the other offerings besides just the artist, since everyone’s music tastes are different,” Amanda Geraci, a senior communications and media studies major and mainstage chair, said. “Food trucks, activities, games and merch are all things we like to hype up before the event so students feel like there is something for everyone.”
For Geraci, the highlight of Fall Fest goes beyond music and giveaways.
“The sense of community, 100%,” she said. “It feels so great seeing everyone come outside with their friends to let loose and enjoy a relaxing, stress-free afternoon.”
monday lead singer Dawson Daugherty performs
A CONVERSATION WITH THE BAND
A lmost monday brings a laid-back California energy wherever they go. The indie-pop trio — Dawson Daugherty, Cole Clisby and Luke Fabry — are longtime friends from San Diego.
Before their Fall Fest performance, the band sat down with The Chronicle, WQAQ and Q30TV to talk about their music, creative process and what it’s like to make art with people you’ve known for years.
“It is definitely fun to be creating with your friends,” Daugherty said.
Now working on their second album, almost monday keeps the process fresh. For them, creativity comes from embracing change and leaning into spontaneity.
“Whether it's going to a new place to record, or we have some weird ideas to have, like, suit day, so come to the studio in a suit. Or, I don't know, just trying to keep the creative energy flowing so it just doesn't get stale,” Daughtery explained.
The band’s signature sound — a breezy, surf-inspired pop — reflects their passion and love for San Diego’s culture. That authenticity, they say, is what makes the music resonate with fans.
“I literally met Cole surfing, and then I asked him to be in the band,” Daugherty said. “I think people just love when artists are very much so unapologetically just talking about what they like. So I think
Kimmel Live!” and features across ESPN, CBS, HBO Max and more, learning lessons about both creativity and success along the way.
“... Have some faith in the process that, it'll work out, and even if you can't fully see the end point yet, just trust the process and keep going,” Fabry said.
The band’s rise to fame makes their appearance at Quinnipiac feel especially exciting — and the band is just as thrilled to perform.
Used to endless sunshine, living on the West Coast, the band appreciated Quinnipiac’s mountain views and the beginning signs of fall foliage, calling the campus a “utopia” upon first impression.
Like SPB and WQAQ, almost monday hoped their performance would provide a fun afternoon where students can relax, leave their stresses behind and bring the Quinnipiac community together.
IN THE MIDST OF FESTIVITIES
As the event kicked off, students lined up at each booth, punch card in hand and free giveaways on their minds.
While waiting in line for an airbrushed T-shirt, senior computer information systems and business analytics major
been an annual tradition, this year was Ortiz’s first time attending.
“This is actually my first time coming, cause I was like ‘I’m a senior, I need to experience it, ’” she said.
Food trucks Liberty Rock Tavern and Blue Chip Creamery proved to be crowdpleasers, offering students sweet treats and savory eats to enjoy alongside the fun music and activities.
For many attendees, this was their first time listening to “almost monday,” but they were nonetheless excited to hear what the band has in store.
First-year friends, Sophia Pigeon, a mechanical engineering major, Kyle Fox, a mechanical engineering major and Spencer Horowitz, a computer science major, started off their frst Fall Fest by painting pumpkins.
“There’s a lot of activities and it’s like not that crowded, so you have the freedom to do what you want,” Pigeon said.
Some students had a different perspective, however. Dominick Caruso, a first-year mechanical engineering major, argued that the waiting time for activities was a headache. When asked what he would change, Caruso said, “more booths. It takes forever.”
Because the booths were all a hit, there
in line and they run out of supplies by the time you get there.”
Even with the wait time, students were willing to stick it out for the free merch and food. For much of the afternoon, the booths were the main attraction until the music began.
ALMOST MONDAY PERFORMANCE
A lmost monday took to the Arnold Bernhard Library steps at 1 p.m., with one of Quinnipiac’s most recognizable landmarks serving as the backdrop for their high-energy set.
“What’s up QU?” singer Dawson Daughtery shouted, before launching into an electrifying sound of their song “is it too late?” as heads turned and students gathered by the gate.
With a lively stage presence, the band kept the energy high, cracking jokes and keeping the crowd engaged, with plenty of fan interaction — getting the crowd to sing along with the chorus of “tidal waves” and ending songs with shouts of “Yee Haw!”
People spread across the quad, some right up against the front gate, while others listened from a distance, sitting on the lawn with friends, food and merch in hand, just soaking in the music.
“I only heard a few of their songs before, and I liked their whole setlist that they played. It’s not usually the genre of music I listen to, but I really enjoyed it,” Morgan Kolomer, junior media studies major and event staff, said. “‘Coast to coast’ has become one of my favorites.”
The band’s setlist featured songs like “jupiter,” “can’t slow down” and “cough drops,” maintaining their chill but upbeat vibe throughout the performance.
As the concert came to a close, and attendees began to trickle out, Fall Fest had achieved its purpose: pull students
TYLER MIGNAULT/CHRONICLE
Students stand in line to paint pumpkins and complete their Fall Fest punch cards.
TYLER MIGNAULT/CHRONICLE
Students gather in front of the Arnold Bernhard Library where almost monday performs an energetic set for Fall Fest.
TYLER MIGNAULT/CHRONICLE
President Marie Hardin's dog, Tator, soaking up the warm September afternoon.
Bassist Luke Fabry
Vocalist Dawson Daugherty
Guitarist Cole Clisby
C LLEGE
By SOPHIE MURRAY Contributing Writer
How Claire's lost a generation
I have very fond memories of shopping at Claire’s.
What I remember most was getting my ears pierced there. Or my friends and I pooling our tooth fairy money to dive into their never ending buy three, get three free jewelry sale. Or begging my mom to buy me the flavored lip gloss packs so I could feel like a “real teenager” experimenting with makeup.
Claire’s was the store that had it all and tween girls thrived there. It was a magical haven flled with aisles of pink, sparkly treasures; it was the peak of girlhood.
For generations of tween girls, a trip to Claire’s was not just a shopping trip, it was a rite of passage. Since its founding in 1961, Claire’s has become the go-to destination for girls to explore fashion and beauty at their own pace. Its products were fun, age-appropriate and offered a safe way to discover your personal style.
So why has Claire’s seemed to become so irrelevant lately? And where are all of the stores going? Well, earlier in August, the company fled for bankruptcy for the second
From sparkle to struggle No warning, just music: The revival of
By COOPER WOODWARD Contributing Writer
One of the most exciting times for a music fan is having their favorite artist release an album. That first teaser is posted, and the anticipation begins, counting down the days until the album becomes public.
A feeling that’s even better? Having your favorite artist release an album with no warning. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as “the surprise drop.”
The surprise album release can find its origins all the way back in 2013, with Beyoncé’s self-titled project breaking an industry norm stretching back decades. Artists like Drake, Frank Ocean and Eminem would follow suit in the coming years, each releasing their own unannounced projects, with each proving the tactic to be a viable alternative to the traditional marketing we’ve come to know.
However, after reaching its peak in the mid-2010s, the momentum of surprise releases began to wane in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. With touring suspended and digital marketing becoming the primary means of engaging with fans, the industry shifted its focus to familiar promotional methods, abandoning the innovative approach of surprise drops.
The surprise drop relied on the element of shock — that nobody saw this coming. When this strategy was temporarily ditched, it gave way to carefully planned strategies designed to sustain attention over months rather than days to come back to the forefront of music promotion. For a while, the “surprise drop” seemed more like a relic of the pre-pandemic era than an
time in seven years. Claire's has since announced the sale of most of its North American business to private equity frm Ames Watson, a holding company focused on purchasing and transforming companies. and Vietnam,” CNBC stated. Keeping Claire’s alive will not be easy,
especially as mall stores like it continue to fall off. One of the most pressing challenges is the increased tariffs imposed on imports from China. This has forced many retailers to reevaluate and raise prices. This is
you are more likely to find tween girls shopping in a Sephora, curating their
own overpriced and unnecessary skincare routines inspired by influencers. Watching them rush to grow up, skipping that joyful middle phase of childhood is bittersweet, especially when so many of us made our best memories in places like Claire’s.
So the big question remains: where will tween girls turn now to explore their styles? As shopping shifts online and kids become more plugged into social media trends, the market is pushing kids into adulthood faster than ever. The charm of Claire’s was that it gave kids permission to be kids — to experiment with glittery nail polish, butterfy hair clips or friendship bracelets. Claire’s was about fun, not pressure.
The future of tween self-expression lies heavily on brands that will be able to offer a balance of fun individuality within beauty and fashion without rushing kids to adulthood. Whether any company can fill the void of Claire’s is uncertain, however, the fun earrings, hair clips and flavored lip glosses will not disappear, it is just whether or not we can let kids be kids again.
world, but it’s a culture that’s becoming increasingly popular.
Another example is Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX.” After putting the music world on notice earlier in the year with his triumphant win over fellow artist Drake in their feud, he released his sixth studio album “GNX.”
But he didn’t release it with the rollout and spectacle that an artist like him should’ve, instead, he posted a link to the album’s website on X, at noon on Nov. 22, 2024. That’s it. No single, no teaser, nothing. Just one post.
Justin Bieber got on this trend back in July with the release of his seventh studio album “Swag.” After keeping a lot of the main project details under wraps, Bieber finally released it on July 11, with fans only knowing about the project's existence for less than a day prior.
Three months later, Bieber doubled down, releasing the album's counterpart “Swag II” in almost identical fashion — announcing it via a social media post, then less than a day later, releasing it to the public.
Although these are three isolated occurrences, within the last year, it’s indicative of a comeback for a trend that has much been forgotten about.
For the longest time, the music industry was built on month-long album rollouts, singles being released with the utmost precision and teasers carefully created to build hype. But today, a single post, Instagram story, or livestream can spark global conversations, turning what could be considered a regular album release into
Quinnipiac golf is all gas, no breaks in hopes for a title repeat
By MICHAEL PETITTO Associate Sports Editor
When you fnally climb to the top of the mountaintop and reach the ultimate goal, does the hunger stop?
That’s the question for Quinnipiac golf, after missing out on the MAAC championship in 2023, the Bobcats crossed the fnish line and secured another conference title. But the time for celebration is over, a new season is approaching.
For a program with six MAAC titles and are the current defending champs, the question is pretty easy to answer.
Junior Samantha Galantini has seen both sides of the coin. The 2024 MAAC Rookie of the Year witnessed frsthand when the team barely missed out on a conference championship, and was there for the celebrations when the team climbed the mountaintop last season.
“I think we go into the same mindset as last year knowing that we have to go out and win the trophy,” Galantini said. “It’s just about
continuing to play well and knowing that we have to prove ourselves and win.”
Head coach John O’Connor believes the team should have won it all in 2023, which was the single push the team needed to get back to the top.
“I think the fact that they all knew that we should have won last year but didn’t was a motivation enough,” O’Connor said on April 23.
But now the Bobcats are in a different spot, instead of competing to get to the top they’re fghting to defend the title of MAAC champions. Much easier said than done, but for a program that won back-to-back conference titles in 2021 and 2022, it’s not unheard of.
Something that has certainly helped the program’s dominance in the 2020s is the Bobcats ability to fnd outstanding talent. Quinnipiac has the two most recent winners of the MAAC Rookie of the Year on its roster, including Galantini and the 2025 recipient sophomore Sophia Fujita.
Fujita acknowledged that it’s hard for other teams to ignore the Bobcats dominance, but that it’s still necessary to play like the underdogs.
“People know that we’ve won our conference,” Fujita said. “But just staying humble, keeping our head down and just doing our thing on the course is really important, even though we won last year.”
For a title defense, Quinnipiac has it easy when it comes to roster construction. With the program retaining all of its undergraduate players from last season, while adding two freshmen Mason Egdahl and Michelle Wong.
“Mason and Michelle have been doing well,” Galantini said. “Defnitely two strong people who both want to play, our whole team’s a family and we’ve enjoyed welcoming them in.”
Team chemistry is great, but unlike most collegiate programs, golf is not a team sport. Every single player on Quinnipiac’s roster is fghting to stand out against the competition.
“We’re all teammates and we’re really
friendly with each other but we’re also competing with each other for spots,” Galantini said. “We’re all competitive in that we want to beat each other, so it helps us push each other even more.”
As the season grows closer and closer, each teammate will need that extra push as this time Quinnipiac will start at the top and look to defend the crown from competition that is just as motivated and ready to topple the defending champions. With some of those competing courses housing opponents Quinnipiac didn’t play during its title run last year.
“It does suck, it’s a little bit of a disadvantage to not have played these courses,” Fujita said. “But I don’t have any expectation, I’m going into this course with a clean slate and I just get to learn and enjoy that experience.”
The Bobcats frst match of the season will take place at the Nittany Lion Invitational on Sept. 21 and 22. The start time for both games is 8 a.m.
Savion Lewis signs with Bosnian pro team: The point guard departs to the Eurobasket after seven years with Quinnipiac
By MICHAEL PETITTO Associate Sports Editor
Former Bobcat Savion Lewis ‘25 is taking the leap from college to the pros, signing with KK Leotar Trebinje, a Eurobasket team in Bosnia.
!e former All-MAAC point guard announced !ursday a ernoon on Instagram in a joint post with the team that he’s taking his talents across the globe.
“He’s ready to connect the game and be the real engine of our team,” the team wrote. “Welcome to the blue and white team!”
Lewis’ agent Daniel Konteth took to Instagram on Friday to celebrate the signing.
Another one! More Blessings upon Blessings as my guy,” Konteth wrote. “My New York brother Savion Lewis signs his rookie contract in Bosnia with @kkleotar.”
Lewis was a member of the Bobcats for
seven seasons, with four of them serving as redshirt years.
It was only a matter of time before the point guard made the jump to the pros, with Quinnipiac head coach Tom Pecora stating in the past that Lewis has the makings of a future head coach.
“He’s going to be a great coach,” Pecora said on March 12.
Lewis graduated from Quinnipiac as one of the most decorated players in the program.
!e point guard who served as the Bobcat’s engine for so many years was known for his ability to dish out assists. So much so that Lewis nished the 2023 campaign with the 2nd most total assists nationally (248) while averaging 7.3 APG.
When his career with Quinnipiac was all said and done, Lewis nished with career averages of 6.6 points, 3.2 points and ve assists.
Lewis is currently Quinnipiac’s recordholder for the most assists in the school’s Division I history.
JULIA KUSMENKO/CHRONICLE
Senior Sandhya Vaikuntam prepares her chip at The Farms Country Club in Wallingford, CT on Oct. 9, 2023.
Savion Lewis ‘25 drives to the hoop against St. Peter’s on Feb. 28, 2025.
Men's soccer pull past Caldwell for frst win of season
By EMILY MARQUIS Contributing Writer
HAMDEN — “We really needed to win.”
For sophomore forward Andrew Monteserin and the rest of the Quinnipiac men’s soccer team, no words rang more true a er its 3-1 victory over the Caldwell Cougars Tuesday a ernoon.
A er a grueling rst two weeks of the season, a stretch in which the Bobcats came up winless in four straight contests, the expectation for the Quinnipiac squad was that this match-up against Caldwell would be like hitting the reset button.
sion and scoring chances.
e relentless pressure and calculated attack paid o for the Bobcats early. Sophomore forward William Holum managed to collect a nearperfect long-ball over the heads of the defense, staving o pressure from Caldwell sophomore defender Pieter Hengeveld to net his rst goal of the 2025 campaign.
e shot, coming only 50 seconds into the contest, would be the rst of 12 within the half, the most rst-half attempts by the Bobcats all season. It was ve shots later when,
gerous chances from the Cougars’ side. is problem was only magni ed at the start of the second, as both frustration and subsequently, mistakes began to mount. Despite trading great chances, including multiple attempts where the only player to beat for Quinnipiac was Caldwell’s junior goalkeeper Justin Talbot, it was the Cougars who would break the scoreless second half, cutting the Bobcat lead to one in the 56th minute.
e strike by Caldwell seemed to awaken a competitive re for Quinnipiac, with the inten
match, the talent on Quinnipiac would not be denied. Ryssdalsnes tallied his second point of the a ernoon on an assist to Monteserin, whose perfectly placed shot barely beat a sharp Talbot to put the game away.
For a game that was meant to be a con dence booster, the Caldwell Cougars proved to be a more di cult challenge than anticipated. It took much more to put the visiting squad away than the Bobcats would have liked.
“We have to nish the game earlier. We got a lot of chances, so the important thing is to score
For a team that had ample opportunity on ensive end, the name of the game moving forward will be execution. Maximizing scoring chances is a necessity as conference play looms
Quinnipiac feld hockey youth show the way on youth day
By NOAH KIM Contributing Writer
HAMDEN — Coming o a tough 4-2 loss to Boston University on Friday, Quinnipiac eld hockey took to home turf for the second time this season, taking on the undefeated Columbia Lions. e game proved not to be easy sledding for either team, as both defenses did their best to clamp down.
However, the Bobcats came out on top, 3-2. is game held extra importance for the team, as it was Youth Day, having the Cheshire High School eld hockey team present at the game.
“Having this environment around this team is fantastic,” head coach Nina Klein said. “Super grateful for the support today, it made a lot of a di erence.”
e Bobcats controlled possession early, even getting an early penalty corner chance, but it was the Lions that struck rst. Columbia senior forward Sophia Abate got the ball past Quinnipiac senior goaltender Cristina Torres.
The chance for the Bobcats did eventually materialize, as a heads-up pass from sophomore midfielder Francisca Eschoyez to freshman forward Rozemarijn Van Keulen tied the game back up at 1-1. She wasn’t done, though, as in the third quar-
tion when it comes to shutting down attacking
With seven and a half minutes to go in elder Mo Quaile won another scrappy possession battle and found Eschoyez for h goal of the season in fensive play from the Bobcats seemed to indicate that their
e chance became more risky with just over three minutes in the
game, Columbia freshman forward Izzy Kaczor chipped a ball over Torres, and the Lions brought the lead back down to just one. A er the goal, the Lions pulled their goalie, meaning for the remaining time, Columbia would be working with an extra attacker.
With two minutes to go, a series of lengthy video reviews from the o cials, as well as a challenge from both teams, slowed the game.
“Today I was actually super grateful for the video referrals,” Klein said. “It was taking the momentum and steam out of the game.”
Despite two close scares with penalty corners, the Bobcats didn’t allow Columbia to score again, and would hold on until the nal buzzer at 3-2.
A er the win, the team’s eyes looked forward to their rst Big East game of the season, against a tough Liberty team.
“I think this week we just focus on the things we need to get better on,” junior mid elder Lauren Keyte said on the upcoming game, “We obviously have a tough weekend coming up heading into Big East play.”
Quinnipiac will be back in action at the Quinnipiac Field Hockey Stadium on Sept. 19, as it opens Big East play against Liberty. e game is set for 1 p.m.
Deep dive into the history of women's tennis in Hamden
By CLAIRE FRANKLAND Sports Editor
As Quinnipiac women’s tennis enters the 2025-26 season, it celebrates its 50th season.
Bet you didn’t know that one.
Honestly, no one knew that one. Not even head coach Paula Miller.
“I just found out about this yesterday,” Miller said in regard to the team’s milestone. “We are in the works of planning something. Hopefully over alumni weekend we can kind of incorporate that.”
Despite hitting such a milestone for a collegiate program, women’s tennis has not received any recognition for it.
No social media posts, no campus recognition, no special banners or logos, nothing.
On the flip side, Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey is fully embracing the pride of hitting its 50th season milestone.
“The GOLDEN YEAR loading in Hamden…,” Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey wrote in an Instagram post. “Join us at The Bank in 2025-26 as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary season and stay tuned for special events all year long!”
Not only is this post pinned at the top of its Instagram feed, but the team has also garnered a new logo to celebrate. This logo has become the team’s profile picture on various social media platforms, including Instagram and the social platform X.
Additionally, Quinnipiac women’s basketball is celebrating its 50th season, making an Instagram post asking people to save the date for its celebration.
“Friendly reminder, our 50th Anniversary Celebration is on October 11th! Make sure you save the date in your calendars #BeGreatToday,” the team wrote on Instagram.
Naturally, one might wonder: If all these teams have celebrations, why is women’s tennis not even aware of the milestone?
And that’s a question without a definite answer. But to honor the team’s 50th sea -
son in Hamden, let’s take a dive into the history of women’s tennis under the Sleeping Giant.
BEGINNING AND DIVISION II
The beginnings of Quinnipiac women’s tennis are hard to come by online, however, celebrating 50 seasons would mark 1975 as the beginning for the Bobcats.
The only acknowledgement of the team’s 50th year can be found on Senior Director, Content Strategy for Live Channels and PartTime Faculty Jamie Deloma’s LinkedIn.
“Congratulations to the unparalleled Paula Miller for kicking off the 50th year of Quinnipiac University’s women’s tennis with a strong win at home,” Deloma wrote on LinkedIn.
While the first 11 years of competition remain unknown after scouring the inter net, women’s tennis competed at the Divi sion II level, dating as far back as 1987, according to the NE10 website.
During this time, Quinnipiac competed in the Northeast-10 conference, where it was noted that it was one of the 1989-98 runner-ups, with Merrimack, to Spring field in the NE10 Women’s Tennis Cham pionship. Quinnipiac was also runner-up in 1992-93, before being crowned champions in 1993-94, 1995-96 and 1996-97.
During its last year in the Northeast-10, 1997-98, Quinnipiac was runner-up in the championships to Pace University.
DIVISION I
Quinnipiac athletics made the switch from Division II to Division I in 1998, mark ing a pivotal moment in program history.
With its switch to Division I, Quinnipi ac joined the Northeast Conference. In the NEC, the Bobcats performed strongly over the years.
From 2000-2004, Quinnipiac was run
ner-up to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, before winning five straight titles. With the chance to six-peat, the Bobcats slipped back into the runners-up column, falling to Long Island University.
In 2011, the Bobcats grabbed the title once again, before being runners-up in 2012 and 2013.
MAAC CONFERENCE
After competing in the NEC for 15 years, women’s tennis transitioned to the Mid Atlantic Athletic Conference in 2013, where the Bobcats continue to compete to this day.
Since joining the MAAC, Quinnipiac has won nine MAAC titles, winning five straight from 2014-2018.
2015 season, and has proved to be a great leader for Quinnipiac. Prior to being head coach, Miller served as assistant coach for the Bobcats for 15 seasons. Miller was once a Bobcat herself, graduating from Quinnipiac in 1996.
During her time as head coach, Miller has been awarded MAAC Coach of the Year eight times, while tallying nine perfect regular seasons.
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Under the leadership of Miller for 14 seasons, Quinnipiac women’s tennis has made seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament, as a result of an automatic bid from winning its conference. According to Quinnipiac Athletics, the Bobcats’ seven
