The Hofstra Chronicle March 3, 2026

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THE HOFSTRA CHRONICLE

KEEPING THE HOFSTRA COMMUNITY INFORMED SINCE 1935

OPINION

‘Vote blue no matter who’ doesn’t work

“If you claim your party to be a left-leaning one, put actual leftleaning candidates out there.”

By Anthony Favilla OPINION EDITOR

If you have been following politics over the past few years, you may have heard the phrase “Vote blue no matter who.” It is often used to encourage Democratic voters to vote for Democratic candidates no matter if they align with the voter’s view or not, so long as they block Republicans from taking power.

The reasoning behind this is understandable, especially when it comes to the national elections. Progressives and Democrats alike do not want President Donald Trump in power, and Democrats are the

most viable political option to beat him.

However, this attitude is very unhelpful for the party and progressives as a whole, especially long-term. Voting for someone simply because they are a less harmful option than their opponent enables corrupt Democrats to stay in office and allows tangible change to stagnate. We can see this on a local level in New York’s 3rd Congressional District. Representing that district is Democrat Tom Suozzi. He is a moderate who has been involved in New York politics since becoming the mayor of Glen Cove in 1993.

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TUESDAY March 3, 2026

Local business leaders push back against ICE

By Katelyn Buchalter ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

At a community listening session for Hofstra University’s Frameworks of Community class on Feb. 11, Hofstra students and faculty listened to ongoing concerns and conversations from community members of Hempstead and Uniondale. The discussion included discourse on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Community member and local business owner Nelson Hernandez attended the meeting. He spoke of signs he had made to provide to local businesses, which read “ICE/CBP Agents do not have consent to enter this business unless they have a valid judicial warrant.” Additionally, the poster noted, “Staff are not authorized to consent access to this business.”

“We have a big role as a business community to get involved with what’s going on because, especially [within] Hempstead communities right now, I talked

FEATURES

to at least 50 businesses in Hempstead and they’re going through so much pain,” Hernandez said.

Businesses throughout the area have seen significant losses, especially as of late. Hernandez approached businesses in several streets, offering them signs and speaking with them about the losses they have faced.

“I took a few streets, and I went [into] every single one of

[the businesses]. There were some delis, restaurants, multiservices, clothing stores [and] phone stores … Especially one of them that mentioned to me that they had two stores, one on Main Street and the other one right by Home Depot. They said that both of those stores, they used to be very busy, and after this situation with ICE, their business dropped like 60%,” Hernandez said.

This Hofstra Life: Django Buenz

By Kumba Jagne MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Progressive influencer and junior political science major Django Buenz describes her content as an echo chamber of her own timeline. She posts explanations, vlogs and screenshots of communist and leftist memes, among other things.

“It’s kind of like yelling into the void,” Buenz said. “[It’s]

most of what I do and what I’m kind of infamous for doing, which is yelling.”

According to an article from NPR, published on Sept. 10, 2023, the Chilean military, with help from the United States, launched a coup to overthrow socialist president Salvador Allende on Sept. 11, 1973. Former President Richard Nixon and his assistant for national security affairs, Henry Kissinger, wor-

ried what it would mean for the U.S. if there was a freely elected socialist in the Chilean office. In the years leading up to 1973, the U.S. spent millions of dollars for anti-communist propaganda and covert actions. General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte became Chile’s leader and killed 38,000 of his citizens and 3,000 people disappeared in his 17-year dictatorship.

College Republicans bring Curtis Sliwa to Hofstra

By Kumba Jagne MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Former New York City mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa stood outside the Hofstra University Student Center Theater flanked by two public safety officers while wearing his signature red beret. At 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, a speaker listed Sliwa’s achievements, and when he walked into the room of less than 100 people, applause and entrance music rang out. His signature New York accent rang through the theater as he revisited his memories of Hofstra.

Sliwa praised Hofstra for housing the New York Jets’ summer training camp, daily practices and off-season workouts from 1968 to 2008. He last visited Hofstra in 2016 for the Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump presidential debate.

and called Republicans “Cuomo-sexuals.”

“Not billionaires, not masters of the universe, not the insiders, not influencers – the people will decide in elections,” Sliwa said.

Sliwa’s red beret is a uniform of the group he founded 47 years ago called the Guardian Angels, a nonprofit volunteer organization. The organization patrols subways and the streets to reduce crime and help the underserved. They have been criticized for obsessing over the public eye and targeting people of color and immigrants.

“One rationale for why the Guardian Angels came about, why they continue to operate globally, it’s because we care about people and taking care of those who are least capable of defending themselves,” Sliwa said.

Assistant

President of the Hofstra College Republicans, Issac Brendel, wanted this event to be open to everyone, not just republicans.

“College campuses – at least used to be places for free thought, free debate, critical thinking skills,” Brendel said. “We want to bring that and restore that back to campus by giving students a chance to come and be heard and listen to differing thoughts.” The panel was moderated by Brendel, Hofstra College Republicans Vice President John Vira and Programming Chair Jacob Aurelus.

Sliwa stated he had no regrets on his decision to continue running for mayor despite bribes and calls to drop out. Sliwa alleged he was offered $10 million dollars from unnamed billionaires to drop out of the race in favor of Independent Party candidate Andrew Cuomo.

President Trump had also called for Sliwa to step down.

This rhetoric is why Sliwa disagreed with how New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani handled the snowstorm in late January.

“He messed up on that by refusing to remove the homeless and emotionally disturbed,

ments. Mamdani has since reversed his stance and will now conduct sweeps of homeless encampments, with the goal of connecting them with homeless shelters.

Sliwa’s visit came just 24 hours after Trump’s State of the

“Not billionaires, not masters of the universe, not the insiders, not influencers – the people will decide in elections ... ”

especially in sub-zero, freezing weather,” Sliwa said. “Close to 20 died. He’s stubborn. He thinks they should be able to live in encampments, that’s wrong.”

Mamdani discontinued sweeps of homeless encampments that existed under former Mayor Eric Adams. According to The City, sweeps did not result in permanent housing for anyone and only 3% of people affected by sweeps were placed in homeless shelters. Involuntary commitment and admitting homeless people deemed unable to care for themselves to a hospital was a last resort for Mamdani.

Union address. The Hofstra College Republicans panelists asked about Sliwa’s policy in relation to this state of the union. Sliwa rejected portions of the SAVE Act, including two bills that would require citizens to present documents, like a birth certificate or a passport, when registering to vote and present photo ID each time they vote.

“There’s plenty of legal IDs you can use to register to vote, let’s not get greedy,” Sliwa said.

“The population is on our side, about 80% of the population says you should have to show ID when you vote each and every time, and I believe you do.”

ment (ICE) to Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s stop-and-frisk quota. Around 5 million people from 2002 to 2013 were stopped and frisked by police, majority of which were Black and Latino men who had committed no crimes.

“I know some ICE agents who have had discussions with me, ‘Curtis, you know I got a quota every day,’” Sliwa said. “‘You know towards the end of the day, if I haven’t gotten a really bad hombre … I’m going to have to grab anybody I can.’”

Josef Winter, a sophomore music education major, attended the panel to gain insight on how Sliwa energized young people who are stepping away from the Democratic Party. The panel left little room for questions from audience members, including Winter, who left wanting more.

“I thought it was kinda poorly ran,” Winter said. “I think we could have benefitted from more audience questions or more time for [Sliwa] to be talking and less so of the three people that we know all of their political views filibustering.”

Vira ended the event by gifting Sliwa a Hofstra College Republicans shirt. Brendel said that Hofstra College Republicans is open to anyone, regardless of political affiliation. They meet every Wednesday at 1 p.m. in room 302 of CV Starr Hall. hofstrachronicle@gmail.com Editor-in-Chief

“I would’ve needed to take a hot shower every night, I would’ve felt soiled,” Sliwa said. “[Trump] was responsible for the death of 15,000 elderly because of his executive order during the lockdown pandemic and sexual harassment charges – 13 I might add.”

He labeled Cuomo a sore loser

As of Feb. 12, 19 outdoor deaths were linked to the cold, although none were in encamp -

Sliwa compared the current operations of United States Immigration and Customs Enforce -

What you may have missed

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Cambodian journalists appeal treason convictions over a photo taken from the Thai border clash – Friday, Feb. 20

Two journalists from Cambodia appealed their convictions on treason charges by Siem Reap Provincial court and 14-year prison sentences. The charges followed a Facebook post from last year that showed pictures of the border clashes with Thailand. Authorities say that the journalists took photos of restricted military zones, with one photo exposing land mines. The wife of one of the journalists filed an appeal through a lawyer in the hopes of a higher court providing justice.

Death of Mexican Drug Cartel Leader ‘El Mencho’ – Sunday, Feb. 22

Mexico's military operation killed drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as ‘El Mencho,’ on Sunday, Feb. 22. The operation took place in the western state of Jalisco, Mexico, on Feb. 20. Mexican forces, backed by the U.S. National Guard, sealed off the area and opened fire on the cartel, where they found a wounded ‘El Mencho,’ who died on the flight to a medical facility. The aftermath involved many jobs and schools being closed due to civilian safety concerns.

United Kingdom enforces travel permit requirement for foreign visitors – Wednesday, Feb. 25

Starting Wednesday, Feb. 25, visitors from 85 countries must obtain an electronic permit to enter the United Kingdom. Absence of this permit will result in getting barred from entering in the future. The Electronic Travel Authorization requires all visitors without a U.K. visa to purchase a pre-travel permit online for £16 ($21.70). This travel requirement was first introduced in 2023; however, it will be strictly enforced as of Feb. 25.

Japan demands the release of a Japanese national from Iran – Wednesday, Feb. 25

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, Japan briefed the press on the fact that a Japanese national has been detained in Tehran since January. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki confirmed that the Japanese citizen was taken into custody on Jan. 20, but he gave no further details due to privacy issues. The government is in contact with the detainee and their family.

Breast cancer awareness highlighted at Hofstra women’s basketball game

By Natalia Rivera ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Pink decorations and attire filled the stands at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on Sunday, Feb. 22, when the Hofstra University women’s basketball team dedicated their game against UNC-Wilmington to raising awareness about and honoring survivors of breast cancer.

The game showcased more than just basketball; it displayed support for people who are affected by cancer and the organizations working to support them. Students, players, fans, supporters and survivors attended the event to support the cause.

It was a topic that hit especially close to home for Hofstra’s women’s basketball program since assistant coach Keila Whittington is a fouryear breast cancer survivor.

The Pride partnered with the World of Pink Foundation, a nonprofit focused on providing comprehensive aftercare for women recovering from breast surgery. They offer top-quality bras, custom breast prostheses and lymphedema garments at no cost for uninsured or underinsured women, among other things.

The event also teamed up with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, a nationwide nonprofit organization established in

honor of Hall of Famer Kay Yow, who spent more than two decades battling cancer. Yow was head coach of North Carolina State University from 1975 to 2009. The funds go to teams, coaches, players and fans through initiatives and events that are held across the country, celebrating survivors and the fight against all cancers affecting women. Since its founding, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund has awarded millions of dollars in grants for research, education, screening access and programs that serve overlooked communities.

During breaks in play, ingame announcer Justin Manning spoke about the causes of cancer and encouraged attendees to donate using QR codes displayed on the jumbotron.

Hofstra invited survivors and their family members to wear pink hoodies on the court to be recognized and celebrated. The Pride players showed support by wearing pink shoes and Hofstra’s cheer and dance teams carried pink pom-poms instead of their usual blue and white.

For students, the awareness was a touching addition to the game. Hofstra Athletics made the event even more engaging by organizing a giveaway of pink Hofstra hoodies for the first 15 fans who attended the game.

“I try to go to all the women’s basketball games that I can because I’m close to some of

the players,” said Michael Hilliker, a sophomore physics and math double major. “We heard about the giveaway first, but once we knew it was for breast cancer awareness, it made it even more meaningful.”

Natalie Laclede, a sophomore English major, added that the event’s focus on the awareness of women’s breast cancer stood out to her.

“They’re doing a great job,” Laclede said. “It’s just really nice of them to put something like this together.”

Local Hofstra alumni attended the event and shared their thoughts. Dan Savarino, a Hofstra alumnus who graduated in 2015 and is now a staff member in the Hofstra sports media department, emphasized Hofstra Athletics’ continued support.

“I’ve always loved this annual game,” Savarino said. “It’s great to see everyone wearing the pink shoes and jerseys. Like many people, I have a personal connection through my family, so it’s great to see how Hofstra women’s basketball supports the cause.”

The event provided a space to honor not only survivors, but also the broader community affected by cancer, reminding attendees that awareness, support and unity go far beyond the final score.

BLAC Cultural Exhibition closes out Black History Month at Hofstra

By Natalia Rivera ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Culture, pride and performance filled Hofstra University’s Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center on Friday, Feb. 27, as the Black Leaders Advocating for Change (BLAC) Exhibition marked the last celebration of Black History Month on campus. Through works of art, performances and community gatherings, students and faculty came together to view and participate in the annual cultural exhibition.

Hofstra’s BLAC organization serves as a voice for the Black community on campus. The motto for the event was, “Tonight, we spotlight the heart of the Black diaspora.” This was BLAC’s third annual cultural exhibit at Hofstra. The event transformed the space into a place of art, community and identity.

According to BLAC e-board member Jean Pierre, a sophomore political science major, the decision to make the exhibit annual was intentional.

“This is annual because of the significance that Black culture does really have within us,” Pierre said. “It celebrates the Black students who have been here, who were here, who are here and who are still happy to arrive here.”

Pierre said that the exhibit served a purpose beyond celebration.

“We do this to send a message to the administration,” Pierre said. “There are Black students

here. We are not invisible.”

The exhibit was divided into two sections: an art display and a live performance showcase.

The art display featured walls which displayed various categories of paintings, films and sculptures that reflected Black pride, struggle and unity. Graduate student Catherine Roth, a mass media studies major, showcased several works ranging from paintings to 3D sculptures.

“The sculpture was something I haven’t really done before,” Roth said. “Grills are coming more into fashion now and people don’t really understand the meaning behind them, so it’s important to put it on display and give that message to people.”

One of Roth’s paintings was inspired by Haitian dance and kompa music. It blended movement and culture into art.

“When you can’t always speak, art gets to speak for you,” Roth said. “It’s a method of send-

one of her favorites, saying that it “really showcases and highlights all the important people that have helped along the way.”

As the evening continued, the focus shifted from viewing artwork to viewing live performances that celebrated Black

“There are lots of things going on that are threatening our rights, our way of life ... Now more than ever is not the time to step back or be quiet, but to step up and speak louder.”

ing messages.”

DaeJa Young, a senior filmmaking major, showcased her award-winning documentary about her parents’ self-started soup kitchen in Dallas, Texas, which highlights poverty and food insecurity in the city.

“Dallas has a really high population of homeless individuals, and poverty is increasing every year,” Young said. “I took all the camera equipment and flew it to Dallas and documented my parents and grandparents’ cooking, planning and running the entire event.”

Young, who regularly attends the cultural exhibit, was invited to showcase her work this year by BLAC President, Aydan Smith, a senior international business major.

“I’ve always loved the cultural exhibit,” Young said. “I’ve come every year, but I’ve never shown my art here. It was a great opportunity.”

For students, the exhibit served to both educate and showcase a new view on art and storytelling.

Angelina Letellier, a freshman journalism major, said that she had originally attended the event for a class assignment but ended up finding a deeper appreciation for it.

“There are so many different voices and different types of art,” Letellier said. “It’s such a good learning experience to understand more about the community.”

She pointed to a piece honoring influential Black leaders as

artistry. Jade Beaulieu, a junior psychology major with a premed track, performed a cover of “Alfie” by Dionne Warwick. Afterward, graduate law student Noah Henry performed original poetry, including a piece centered on Haitian culture. Strictly Stepping, Hofstra’s step performance group, delivered a fierce routine that had earlier been described by Smith as embodying “power, style [and] grace.”

There were games and activities, like Kahoot trivia, that tested attendees’ knowledge on Black clubs, campus history and cultural milestones. The winner received a BLAC shirt and a BLAC Eats meal of their choice. Attendees also participated in “human bingo,” a communitybuilding activity that encouraged conversation and connection across the room.

Smith organized and performed in the showcase, closing the night with a rendition of

by

chi. She viewed the work of the cultural exhibition as both hard and rewarding work, especially the community formed at the exhibition.

“When we create spaces like this, it reminds people that we are here and we are thriving,” Smith said. “We’re not just existing on campus; we’re contributing to it.” Despite a delay in food service, students stayed, conversing among each other and building the idea of community.

“Seeing students stay, participate in the games [and] form a conga line, that’s what community looks like,” Smith said.

Smith also addressed the audience directly after the performances, acknowledging the broader social and political tensions currently happening in the world.

“There are lots of things going on that are threatening our rights, our way of life,” Smith said. “Now more than ever is not the time to step back or be quiet, but to step up and speak louder.”

As Black History Month comes to a close, the BLAC Exhibition served not only as a celebration of culture and creativity but as a reminder of advocacy, visibility and continued presence on campus.

“Black History Month is about soul,” Smith said. “It’s about resilience, creativity and joy even in spaces where we’ve had to fight to be heard.”

Local business leaders push back against ICE cont.

As of earlier this year, Nassau County has engaged in assisting ICE. Under the 287(g) agreement, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations is allowed to partner with state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies.

This means law enforcement officers are allowed to “perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight.”

“The business community needs to become very conscious and aware of becoming involved in the political arena [and] in understanding what’s going on, how it’s going to be affecting us deeply if we’re not speaking about the real issues and contacting electing officials,” Hernandez said.

Signs are not the only way that the local business community is fighting back. Many businesses in the Hempstead and Uniondale area have banded together to create a louder and more noticeable voice through engaging with officials like Laura Gillen, U.S. representative for New York’s 4th Congressional

District and former town supervisor for the Town of Hempstead.

Graduate journalism student Annie Siddique attended the community listening session.

“[If we unify], we’ll be able to overcome this crime that [ICE is] creating in our communities.”

“There might be a meeting that we’re gonna have with [Gillen]. We’ve been looking to meet with these elected officials and put some pressure [on them],” Hernandez said. Hernandez expressed getting in contact with Gillen, as well as Tom Suozzi, representative for New York’s 3rd Congressional District. Currently, Hernandez is looking to press the issue of ICE in a meeting supposed to take place on Thursday, March 5.

“The message that we are conveying is to have passion, some love for communities and understanding that what [ICE is] doing is going to affect everybody at some point,” Hernandez said.

“It was really interesting and heartbreaking, honestly, to see what’s going on in the community,” Siddique said. “It’s like we hear these things on the news but to see it at such a large level – how involved community members are to protect their people –it’s really moving, touching [and] shocking.”

Siddique went on to highlight the importance of both community and student involvement during times like these, emphasizing the crucial role of student journalism.

“I think community and student involvement in this situation is so important because students are basically the future right now and it’s

up to us to do the right thing,” Siddique said. “Then within students, there are student journalists also and it’s our duty to report on the truth.”

Hernandez believes the events in Minneapolis, Minnesota, are a prime example of conveying a message, one that is important in the protest against ICE.

“I believe we need to convey to all humanity, that understanding [of] what hap -

pened in Minneapolis, how people stood up against ICE, the crimes that they committed, they’ve been committing,” Hernandez said. “I believe that’s the way that we need to convey those messages. [If we unify], we’ll be able to overcome this crime that [ICE is] creating in our communities.”

Public Safety Briefs

Compiled by Katelyn Buchalter

minutes without incident.

PS and UFD responded to the location. The situation was corrected, and the fire alarm was reset.

On Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at 9:53 p.m., the fire alarm in Alliance Hall activated due to hair products. The fire alarm sounded, and the building was evacuated within two

On Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, at 10:08 p.m., an HU student reported to PS that at 4 a.m. on Feb. 19, they heard an unknown person talking on the phone in the common area of their suite.

The unknown person left the suite when the students’

alarm went off. An investigation is being conducted into this matter.

On Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, at 9 p.m., while plowing in parking field 7N, vehicle one, owned by the Plant Department, struck vehicle two, driven by a non-student, causing damage to the front panel. There were no injuries and police assistance was declined at the time.

On Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, at 9:45 p.m., while plowing parking field 7 SW, vehicle one, owned by the Plant Department, struck vehicle two, which was parked, causing damage. The owner is unknown. Police assistance was declined at the time.

On Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, at 3:05 a.m., while plowing in parking field 7 SW, vehicle one, owned

by the Plant Department, struck vehicle two, which was parked, causing damage. The owner is unknown. Police assistance was declined at the time.

This Hofstra Life: Django Buenz cont.

CONTINUED FROM A1

In 2020, Buenz’s mom told her that her uncle was one of the disappeared. As the black sheep of the family, her uncle was not pro-Pinochet or pro-military. Pinochet targeted people who opposed his rule. Further research, sparked by this newfound knowledge, radicalized Buenz to the political left when she was 15 years old.

“High school [was] online –which was such a joke; I learned nothing,” Buenz said. “I don’t know how to do chemistry, but I know Nixon’s foreign policy and Kissinger’s foreign policy because that’s what I was fervently reading at home with all my free time in quarantine.”

A few months after Buenz began exploring her political identity, George Floyd tragically lost his life in Minnesota, leading to Black Lives Matter movement protests erupting across the United States and in her home of New York City. Buenz decided to read more information about how “rotted America was on the inside,” Buenz said.

“I had no idea what to do so I was like, ‘I’m going to study politics. I’m going to make this my life. I’m going to make a change,’” Buenz said. “You know when you’re young and you have all that hope and dream?”

Buenz wanted to attend school in a Republican county be-

cause she had grown up around Democrats and desired thoughts from the other side. Now, located in Republican-leaning Nassau County, she’s a progressive influencer with a following of over 85,000 on TikTok and 67,000 on Instagram.

Her teenage fans often ask her for advice regarding social media creation, to which she recommends to not do it. Instead, she encourages them to study what they want and organize and educate themselves on their own time.

“Growing into my social media platform happened at the same time as growing into life at college and expressing myself and finding my people,” Buenz said.

Her social media did not initially reflect her political views as she wanted to gain followers before creating niche content. She posted daily vlogs, mukbangs at Hofstra University’s dining halls and “get-ready-withme” videos.

“It wasn’t until I fell out with my freshman year suitemates who had told me never to post about politics that I was like, ‘You know what? Why am I f****** listening to you guys?’” Buenz said. “‘I’m going to post about politics.’”

Buenz was walking around New York in the summer of 2024 when she saw a sticker posted on a piece of scaffolding that read, “Keep Calm and

Destroy Hamas.” She turned on her camera and filmed herself ripping off the sticker. She called the sticker disgusting and said, “No one wants your Zionism on the Lower East Side.” Zionism, as explained by Brittanica, is a movement with the goal of establishing a Jewish national state through the colonization of Palestine.

“You’re not destroying Hamas. You’re destroying hospitals. You’re killing children,” Buenz said in the video. “This is July 2024 so it’s 10 months into the genocide, slaughter [and] destruction – complete rubble turning of Gaza.”

The TikTok video was reposted by an X account called StopAntisemites, amplifying the content to a Zionist audience. Commenters pointed out Hofstra’s large Jewish population and leaked her address and family’s phone numbers.

“It was a really intense week,” Buenz said. “I was lucky enough to not be in the city and cope with it with my best friend.”

Buenz continued to post political content as normal, until what she refers to as the “Charlie Kirk Incident.”

While sitting in her room with a group of friends on Sept. 10, 2025, the television flashed breaking news that the rightwing political influencer Charlie Kirk had been shot at Utah Valley University. She said the room erupted in cheers. Her boyfriend sent her a video on X of Kirk getting shot and it was clear that he was dead. Kirk founded right-wing activist group Turning Point USA, an organization that visits college campuses to debate students on political issues.

“‘Oh my god, this is massive news everyone’s going to be talking about this,’” Buenz said was her mindset at the time. “‘I need to put something out and say what my opinion is on this.’”

She posted a video on Instagram celebrating his death. By that evening, death threats littered Fizz, an anonymous social media platform for college students. The head of Public

Safety encouraged her to stay home if she felt unsafe coming to campus. She met with Dean of Students Chermele Christy. In their conversation, Christy discussed Buenz’s content.

“My focus in situations like this is on supporting students’ safety and preparedness,” Christy said. “Students are free to express their views yet should understand the potential of highly charged topics for strong reactions.”

After the sticker incident, Buenz felt far more equipped to deal with the “Charlie Kirk Incident.” She maintained her stance.

“[Kirk] was a big propaganda piece for a lot of evil things in the world,” Buenz said. “I don’t regret celebrating his death.”

Remarks from numerous people saying they were surprised that she was nice in-person lead her to modify her content. She now highlights important economic issues, such as the fact that people should be able to afford a house if they work eight hours a day, finding that even right-wing people agree with her when she does not say Karl Marx or socialism.

“[My content] definitely changed after Sept. 10 from, ‘Haha dumb conservatives. Got what he deserved. Fascism is so bad’ to ‘Let’s talk about what fascism is. I want to break it down. I want to tell you why you deserve better,’” Buenz said. “[I’m] leading with that revolutionary love.”

Although Buenz said, “nothing about any of those events were easy to digest,” she has a few support systems that keep her

going. Some of it comes from direct message requests from followers saying, “She’s their motivation,” and getting paid to post brand offers; however, most of it is her dad who stands as a rock and provides her with everything from mentorship to book suggestions.

“In the [1970s], he was in college and attending protests and doing all that stuff that people today would call ‘social justice warriors’ online,” Buenz said. “Back then, it was just, ‘You’re human with empathy; you’re going to want to be with fellow humans with empathy and see how far you can go or how much you can change together.’”

Buenz is looking to make a club at Hofstra to unite leftwing people around facts while eating pizza and hosting movie nights. After graduation, she has a plethora of job plans including independent journalism, campaign managing or starting a public relations firm for left-wing people in the U.S. She suspects Generation Z will abandon the democratic party in favor of a further leftist approach and hopes to fill that gap.

Buenz’s views can be described as many things, but it all boils down to one sentence: “It starts with anti-establishment and it ends with you deserve better,” Buenz said. “I believe anyone’s minds can be changed, but the way to change minds is not by making enemies out of each other.”

Buenz can be found on Instagram at @dj8ngo or on TikTok at @djangita.

By Hannah Mudry FEATURES EDITOR

Up the staircase and to the right, in Hofstra University’s Guthart Hall, sits a small, student-run storefront fit with apparel for students and faculty of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business.

The Zarb Store sells sweatshirts, sweatpants, pajama pants, T-shirts and lion stuffed animals.

“We try to price our merchandise as [low] as we can,” said Prahald Peri, sophomore accounting major and the Zarb Store’s chief financial officer.

“We have prices ranging from $15 for our little plushies [and] up to $50 for our quarter zips and our crew necks. It’s truly just how affordable we can make it while still making money because, obviously, we’re a business.”

The student employers at the Zarb Store are responsible for budget allocation.

“We buy our own merch with our own money. We sell it, we market it, we do accounting, finance and everything,” Peri said. “It’s just a great experience for business majors to get to dip their feet into the fields that they want. It really allows

By Hannah Mudry FEATURES EDITOR

It’s not a secret that college life, and education in general, is moving toward a digital world. For many, notes, exams and lectures are all transitioning from pen and paper to stylus and iPad. When I first made the switch from my typical

FEATURES

HofSpots: The Zarb Store

you to see what you want to do with your career.”

Students join the store as interns before moving up to manager positions.

“It’s really just how ambitious you want to be. Last semester, I completely created a whole new role of chief financial officer, which is now what I do. I run the accounting and finance teams,” Peri said.

In order to create his own position, Peri approached his dean and mentioned he wanted more responsibility.

“We worked together. We worked with Andrew [Kern], our store coordinator, and we just created the role,” Peri said. “I haven’t done much yet, but I’m excited to see what I can do.”

The Zarb Store is overseen by the Zarb School of Business Dean’s Office. Senior Associate Dean and Adjunct Associate Professor of Information Systems and Business Analytics Brian Caligiure encouraged Peri to start a new position and helps to manage the workload for students.

“He’s our go-to point, especially for anything finance and accounting,” Peri said. “He’s the person I work with the most. He really is the only faculty

that works with us. Everything else is completely done by the students.”

The students open the store, pick shifts, buy merchandise, tag it for sale and complete their own inventory.

“We have two main inventory systems. We have Clover, which is our point of sales, that really helps us collect payments and deposit them,” Peri said. “Then, we have Thrive, which is our new inventory system that we implemented last semester. It helps us barcode all of our merch, just to make sure that everything is accounted for.”

Students learn the inventory systems when they are hired as interns. Some business classes require students to work a shift at the store. This way, students receive hands-on experience outside of the classroom.

Most students decide to take a part-time position after working the one shift. The store adapts to each new employee.

“It’s all about what you want to do and the experience that you want to have in the Zarb Store. We’re completely open to whatever students want,” Peri said.

After Hofstra revealed their new logo and branding on May 1, 2025, the Zarb Store had to

adapt to the change, along with the rest of the university.

“The biggest operational challenge came last semester. We had to completely overhaul [merch with the old logo], tag everything and make sure everything was accounted for,” Peri said.

Merchandise with the old logo is heavily discounted at 70% off. Students can visit the store periodically during the day.

“Our hope is that we can be open from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. It really just depends on if people can cover shifts or not,” Peri said. “We want to be open as much as possible. We want to attract as many people as possible. Our merch is great, so we

want people to buy it.”

The store typically sees around five customers per shift, but it depends on foot traffic each day.

“This is our fourth year of operations, so we’re still trying to get our feet running,” Peri said.

The completely student-run business is a highlight on Peri’s resume.

“It’s just the amount of experience you get at such a young age inside college. Employers, they look at that, and they’re like, ‘Wow, you know what you’re doing. You have the experience already. You’re able to step into roles much higher than other people who may not have the same experience as you,’” Peri said.

Chron Critique: Goodnotes

five-subject notebook to my Apple device empire, I was searching for the perfect note-taking application.

Goodnotes is my note-taking home. It is a note-taking application fit for all Apple, Android and Microsoft devices. It encourages potential customers to “use the flexibility of voice, text or Goodnotes’ renowned digital handwriting to capture any thought, in a digital notebook, Whiteboard or a Text Document,” according to the Goodnotes website.

Although Goodnotes can be downloaded for free from any app store, it contains small in-app purchases. If more than three notebooks are created, the user must pay for a premium subscription. There are easy ways to cheat the system,

though. For example, I downloaded only one notebook and made different sections for each of my classes in the notebook’s outline. The premium features allow for the unlimited notes, unlimited audio time and artificial intelligence capabilities. However, it doesn’t seem very necessary because I have not seen a premium pop-up since the time I accidentally created too many notebooks.

In my notebook, I can handwrite my notes with my stylus pen, type notes on my computer, import images and export my notes for download. Goodnotes comes with free benefits that truly enhance educational practices, like various note-taking abilities to improve memory retention.

Goodnotes is available to the

casual user, but it is especially beneficial for students.

The application can be downloaded on any device and synced to a private cloud so that a user can view their notes at any time, no matter which device is near them. I personally find this helpful on days when my iPad dies during class and I need to switch to transcribing lectures on my computer.

Another positive of Goodnotes is that the application also allows recordings, so not only is it possible to transcribe lectures across multiple devices, but it’s also possible to record a lecture.

The pen tool has multiple stroke levels, so users can decide the thickness of their writing depending on how zoomed in they prefer to view the page. The user can also choose which

color brush they would like to use based on an entire color wheel, so notes can be organized with colors according to the meaning of each note. I was nervous to make the switch from paper to digital because I genuinely believe that handwriting notes leads to better test grades. Having the ability to handwrite notes through a digital landscape helps support me through the digital transformation, but it also keeps my traditional values at heart.

Goodnotes has been the perfect note-taking application during the first month of my new classes this semester. It’s also a plus that my backpack is a lot lighter without a big paper notebook sitting inside and paper notes tearing off and crumbling at the bottom.

MAN ON THE UNISPAN

“What’s the best food spot on campus?”

By Denivia Rivera and Joe Orovitz FEATURES EDITOR AND MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

“Bits [and Bytes] or True Burger.”

- Hailey Presley-Channell, Freshman

O verheard @ h O fstra

“Have you ever met a male hockey player? I’m not surprised.”

“My nail tech told me to break up with my boyfriend.”

“They need a class in hygiene.”

“Bits [and Bytes] definitely, but also Rosso Verde. True Burger is really good.”

- Alex Vileno, sophomore

“I’d probably say True Burger.”

- Janelle Laroche, sophomore

“Because he’s Latina.”

“Do you think that’s you being you or alcohol? Or both?”

“These kids don’t know how to play Dress to Impress.”

“Don’t mind the hat, I’m follically impaired and don’t want to blind anybody.”

“We’re drama bonded. We are a covalent bond. We are sharing p orbitals.”

If there’s something funny you overhear, you can now submit it here!

FEATURES

Personal Essay: The major decision

By Emilie Morrissette ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

When I was in high school, I felt like the only person in my school who had genuinely no idea what they wanted to do with their life. While everyone around me was applying to colleges and writing their essays for submission, time froze for me.

I believe that one of my biggest flaws is my inability to look ahead towards the future. If I could, I would have pushed the future farther and farther away, but it only caught up to me in the end.

I had many interests, but nothing that I could see myself pursuing as a career. With my graduation date drawing near, I decided to save money and buy myself more time by attending community college. In reality, I was only furthering the inevitable countdown, patiently waiting for a clock that would soon strike.

My friends visited their colleges, wore merchandise and searched for roommates to start their new life. Far away they

went, while I was still stuck in the same small farm town that I had been in my whole life.

I virtually attended community college classes, studying forensic science and working as a waitress to save up money. This was single-handedly the most isolated I had ever felt. Lacking a normal day-to-day schedule and social interactions with my friends, I felt as though I had lost my motivation and spark.

My two-year community college plan was short lived, as I knew I had to cut my journey short and go to a real university. It was the only way for me to break out of the vicious cycle I was in while I was at home.

Without touring Hofstra University, I applied and hoped for a key that would let me unlock every part of myself that I dreamed about being. I rode this dream all the way from my acceptance letter to move-in day.

With my new life on the horizon, I was terrified, but I knew anything would be better than the dread I felt during that year taking online college classes.

I started out at Hofstra pursu-

ing forensic science, a field that I had taken interest in for the past five years of my life. I finally had a focus and clear direction: I wanted to be a forensic document examiner.

While I thoroughly enjoyed my forensic-focused classes, I was struggling in both my chemistry and biology classes.

Toughing it out through my spring semester freshman year, I hit a point where I had to be honest with myself: If I was unable to understand these difficult science courses during college, I was never going to be able to make it work in the real world.

This was a fight that I had been battling for far too long. I was attached to this idea of becoming a forensic scientist, without ever exploring other options.

Suddenly I found myself at a dead end once again – stuck between the crossroads where a decision had to be made that would change the trajectory of the rest of my life. I spent the entire summer thinking about where I should go from here.

I had a lot of fun with the investigative side of forensic

science and being able to write about the cases. This investigative aspect could be translated to journalism as journalists search for the next hit story and watch it unfold.

Through joining The Hofstra Chronicle, I discovered a newfound passion for journalism. I believe that having the ability to inform the public and tell people’s stories is an incredible honor for a journalist.

I was aware that many college students change their major during their time at university, but no one ever speaks about how utterly terrifying it is – to not only

leave the possibility of one life behind, but then to take a leap of faith into uncharted territory.

Even though I was unsure of the outcome, I will never forget the genuine joy I feel every time I publish an article. That, in and of itself, is worth it. Your friends taking the time out of their day to read your work and telling you that they learned something from it is always a rewarding feeling.

From STEM to communications, I made the ultimate jump. It’s okay to be unsure and change your mind. Trust yourself and you will find the path that works for you.

Chron Critique: Bare Naked Bakery

By Hannah Mudry FEATURES EDITOR

Located at 156 7th St. in Garden City, Bare Naked Bakery is filled with completely gluten-free and nut-free dinner and dessert options.

The bakery was founded on Long Island in 2008. Their website reads, “Creating a safe place for our guests, especially kids, to enjoy the foods they miss without worry is the primary aim here at Bare Naked

Bakery. Proper packing and preparation are vital to every product created to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for our community.”

As a gluten-free individual, I went to the Bare Naked Bakery excited to try delicious, safe snacks.

When entering the storefront, I was met with a warm and friendly greeting from the staff. The store has multiple fridges and cases, all filled with food. On the left wall, there

is a fridge full of gluten-free dough and frozen food, which are perfect for quick, convenient meals. To the right sits the cash registers and dessert cases filled with cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more. They also have breads and bagels, which are all completely gluten-free.

The store has some indoor seating options in the front and outdoor seating options, which are available on nice days. The bakery felt very homey, giving the sense of safety and comfort. What I appreciate most about the Bare Naked Bakery is their convenient hours. Typically, bakeries are open only in the early morning, however, the Bare Naked Bakery opens at 8 a.m., seven days a week and closes as late as 6 p.m. on the weekdays and 8 p.m. on the weekends.

During my visit, I ordered a slice of cheesecake and an Oreo cupcake as my sweet treats for the day. The cheesecake was

delicious with a creamy filling and a crumbly base. The base was a nice crumb at first, but then became soggy as the cream cheese set into the crust. It was a little disappointing, but there’s not much that can be done with gluten-free graham crackers.

The Oreo cupcake also lived up to expectations. The chocolate cake was on the drier side, but that was offset with the sweet, Oreo frosting. I found it difficult to eat the cake and frosting individually because of the dense tasting bottom and sugar-filled top; however, the two flavors blended nicely together.

When I arrived, I was also offered a sample of gluten-free banana bread, which was dry as well. I’m unsure if that is a result of the cake sitting out for an extended period of time or because of the gluten-free flour, which is infamous for resulting in stiff, hard cakes.

The prices of each menu item are relatively acceptable, especially being allergen friendly. Typically, allergen friendly desserts have a higher price point. The cheesecake slice cost $7 and the cupcake cost $5.95, before tax.

As a student, finding gluten-free treats around Hofstra University’s campus can be challenging. Cheesecakes, brownie sundaes and chocolate cakes with regular flour leave me with migraines and stomach aches. Finding the Bare Naked Bakery in the robust downtown life of Garden City was meaningful to me because I no longer have to watch my friends indulge in warm brownie sundaes without me.

Despite some dry, crumbling textures or soggy characteristics, the Bake Naked Bakery is a safe, cozy storefront filled with allergen friendly sweet treats.

A whole lot of soul

Blizzard hits hofstra

Snow a foot deep blanketed Hofstra University on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23. The blizzard came after a multi-day cold snap. Hofstra maintenance staff used snow plows and shovels to clear walkways, roads and parking lots. With two days of canceled in-person classes, students had plenty of opportunities to enjoy themselves.

Arts And EntErtAinmEnt

Eric Dane: Compassionate, strong and inspiring

By Vanessa Flanagan ASSISTANT ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Beloved actor Eric Dane, known for playing Dr. Mark Sloan on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” passed away on Feb. 19, after nearly a year-long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dane was diagnosed in April 2025 and fought until the very end, continuing his work by filming scenes for Season 3 of HBO Max’s “Euphoria” in late 2025.

Dane’s most iconic role was as Mark, also known as “McSteamy,” in “Grey’s Anatomy.” Mark’s death after battling complications from a plane crash will hit harder than ever for fans rewatching the show. His most famous storyline involved a romance with Lexi Grey, protagonist Meredith Grey’s little sister, who also dies in the same crash that left Mark injured. The hospital changes its name to the current “Grey Sloan Memorial,” honoring the two. Now we are always reminded of the beloved Mark, and with him we are reminded of Dane. Interestingly, fans have pointed out that Dane’s date of passing marks exactly 20 years since he premiered on “Grey’s Anatomy” on Feb. 19, 2006.

Dane’s co-stars Patrick Dempsey and Kate Walsh posted Instagram tributes for their late friend. Dempsey said, “The world was a better place because of you,” and Walsh called Dane a source of support and love.

In his final few months, Dane became an advocate to help find a cure for ALS. In Dec. 2025, he joined the Board of Directors for Target ALS, a nonprofit aimed toward research to find effective treatments for the disease.

“This disease takes something from me every day, but I won’t let it take my spirit,” Dane said.

“Target ALS embodies that relentless spirit, and that’s why I’m joining the board.”

Immediately following his passing, Netflix released an interview with the late actor in an episode of “Famous Last Words,” where he highlighted the

most vulnerable parts of his life to interviewer Brad Falchuk. He talks about everything, from his battle with drugs and alcohol to how laughing is his favorite thing to do.

There was some controversy surrounding the release where people said it was too soon for

him more open and available to experiencing the truths about himself.

Dane looked back on his biography and his work saying that he was “proud of all of it,” as it got him to where he was at the time of the interview. Though he was an iconic actor with familiar

Netflix to air something of the sort, but the interview had been filmed in Nov. 2025 with the intention of its airing after Dane’s death, which he was aware of.

“It’s kind of cool, I think,” Dane said on the fact that no one would see the interview until after he was gone.

Multiple times during the interview, he said that he was never fond of being vulnerable. This is the most revealing conversation that he had with anybody. He opened up about how he never thought that he was enough or was deserving of a great life.

Since his diagnosis, he had realized that he was more than enough and this disease helped him see that. With ALS, all he had left was himself, which made

could have done that when he was healthy, he said that it was very freeing.

He thought of himself as a “kind, thoughtful, considerate, empathetic, sensitive, vulnerable – even though afraid to be at times – person who cares a lot.”

He said that it was exhausting feeling everything as deeply and intensely as he felt all the time.

Since his diagnosis, he said multiple times that this disease would never take his spirit.

He said he had been jealous of people who had the quality in them that makes people want to keep going regardless of what’s happening, as he never had that himself.

“There’s no reason for me to be happy in any individual moment, but I am,” Dane said. His spirits have been surprisingly buoyant throughout his health journey, and he has no idea why.

Before the interview wrapped up, leaving everything out there, he humorously denied murdering anyone but said that he had punched a couple of people who deserved it.

He ended the interview with his last words for his daughters. He left them with four things that he had learned from his disease: live now, find a passion, choose your friends wisely and fight – never give up.

Quick Hits

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roles, his role as a father was the one that mattered most to him. He called himself a good dad and said that he showed up where it mattered, even if it was hard while he and his wife were separated.

There are roughly 31,000 people in the United States living with ALS, and Dane still couldn’t believe that he was one of them. He never imagined losing his life to such a rapidly progressing disease and wished that he could walk his daughters down the aisle and meet his grandkids. He felt sorry for his daughters, wife and friends, but he did not feel sorry for himself. He said that he had “tons” of regrets, but he had pretty much let go of everything. Even though he wished that he

“You are my heart, you are my everything. Goodnight, I love you. Those are my last words,” Dane said.

Following his passing, his family’s GoFundMe has raised over $450,000, helping to pay Dane’s heavy medical bills. During his final interview, Dane said that ALS research is fueled by money. If there were unlimited funds, a solution would be found relatively quickly. Target ALS said that they will carry their work forward in Dane’s honor and in honor of many who came before him.

Thank you, Dane. You’ve been a great inspiration, and you have shown the world what it means to fight until the very end.

Editor's Picks

VIDEO GAME

'Red Dead Redemption 2' (2018)

Creator: Rockstar Games

BOOK

'Half His Age' (2026)

Author:

MOVIE

'How to Make a Killing' (2026)

Director: John Patton Ford

ALBUM

'eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead' (2025)

Artist: Ariana Grande

SONG

'Be Her' (2026)

Artist: Ella Langley

Ryan Murphy takes on the Kennedys in 'Love Story'

By Kimberly Lopez ASSISTANT ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Writer and director Ryan Murphy does not shy away from sensitive topics, especially when they pertain to real people. “Love Story” is a new biographical anthology romance television show. Murphy is listed as an executive producer, but Connor Hines created the show. Season 1 covers the love story between John F. Kennedy Jr. (Paul Anthony Kelly) and Carolyn Bessette (Sarah Pidgeon). Each season will center around a new couple, much like Murphy’s show “Monster” does with killers.

The Kennedys have always been largely adored and scrutinized by the public eye. With the release of this series, it seems that not much has changed.

Based on early paparazzi photos, fans criticized the hair choices made for Bessette. The costume designer switched from a wig to Pidgeon’s real dyed hair for a more authentic look.

“[The criticism] was really hard

By Abby Gibson ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Swedish singer-songwriter Zara

Larsson is no stranger to viral fame. In 2024, over a decade since her breakout moment, the internet found its way back to her through a colorful dolphin.

A TikTok video featuring an animated dolphin with a background described by Rolling Stone as “Lisa Frank-esque” set to “Symphony” – Larsson’s 2017 collaboration with Clean Bandit – took on a life of its own. The viral moment didn’t end there as her song “Lush Life” began circulating online after Larsson invited a fan on stage to perform the choreographed dance with her in Nov. 2024. By late Aug. 2025, Larsson had a new dance trend to the song “Midnight Sun.” Larsson had her first claim to fame in 2008 after winning Season 2 of “Talang,” a Swedish talent show. Her time on television screens didn’t stop

on our actors, though, because they were in a situation where we were being stalked by paparazzi, just like [Bessette] was,” said Brad Simpson, another executive producer of the show, to The Hollywood Reporter.

One of the biggest critiques came from JFK Jr.’s nephew, Jack Schlossberg. In a video posted to his Instagram stories on June 19, 2025, Schlossberg said, “For the record, I think admiration for [JFK Jr.] is great. What I don’t think is great is profiting off of it in a grotesque way.” He also mentioned that the Kennedy family was not consulted about the show.

The series released three episodes on Feb. 12, with weekly episodes airing every Thursday on Hulu since then. With just five episodes out, we have seen how the Kennedy family dealt with Jackie Kennedy Onasiss’ (Naomi Watts) death, Bessette working her way up in Calvin Klein before her fame and the notorious public argument that JFK Jr. and Bessette had in Battery Park. There’s a thin line with these

types of series. Viewers start feeling like they know the Kennedys personally and start nitpicking what is true or false in their eyes.

The reality is: We didn’t know these people. Each episode begins with a message stating, “This story is inspired by actual events.

Certain depictions of people and events have been dramatized or fictionalized for storytelling purposes.” At the end of the day, someone will always be making a biography of a public figure for entertainment.

The series has showcased fresh faces, like Paul Anthony Kelly.

In an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Paul Anthony Kelly said that he had been pursuing acting for “like 12, 13 years” and “wasn’t moving forward with anything.” After the recent success of “Love Story,” Kelly went from someone who was ready to move on from acting to the internet’s newest fancast for Batman.

The show’s cinematography and production are top-tier. The warm tones create a nostalgic feeling that places the viewer in New York

Zara Larsson's new era

there; later that year, 10-yearold Larsson began singing on “Sommarkrysset” (“The Summer Cross”) and the following year appeared on “Jag ska bli stjärna” (“I Shall Become A Star”), a program that follows Swedish talents as they seek international fame.

You” charted at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Swedish Singles Chart for three consecutive weeks.

“My true passion has always been to perform and to entertain and to be an experience in front of other people,” Larsson said in an interview with i-D. “Now

I don't want to just be a performer; I want to be an artist.

After signing to a Swedish independent record label, TEN Music Group, in 2012, Larsson released her debut EP “Introducing” in 2013. She then signed with Epic Records in the United States for a threeyear contract during which she released two albums, “So Good” (2017) and “Poster Girl” (2021). Her 2017 album provided hits like “Lush Life,” “Never Forget You,” featuring MNEK, and “Symphony.” “Never Forget

City during the 1990s. Despite previous discourse, the fashion choices are now getting praise, with TikTok already attempting to make “‘90s minimalism” a 2026 trend. The soundtrack also includes heavenly ‘90s needle drops, such as “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” by Jeff Buckley. Pidgeon and Kelly’s chemistry is undeniable. You sometimes forget you’re watching a series based on the Kennedys because the actors make every scene feel like a romantic comedy. Due to this, the internet is already romanticizing the famous political couple, forgetting that they were real people with real issues. It is important in cases like this to tread carefully. Discourse will continue, especially when real people are involved, but so far, I have not read anything that I perceive as distasteful. The series has grown to be addictive, creating anticipation in viewers each week. Whether you choose to engage or not, the show has stories to tell that are worth looking into.

I feel like it has changed a bit, going from searching for outside validation to just creating.”

She is currently signed to Sommer House, a record label she founded in June 2022 in partnership with Sony Music Sweden and Epic Records. This allows Larsson to own her discography and new music going forward, with licensing through Epic Records and distribution through Sony Music Sweden. Recently, Larsson was nominat-

ed at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards for “Best Dance Pop Recording” for “Midnight Sun.”

This was her first ever nomination for the award ceremony, and though she lost to Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” the recognition shows that Larsson is becoming more self-assured in her artistry.

“I experienced huge success at the very beginning of my career, but I didn’t take it in or stop to feel happy,” said Larsson in a Sept. 2025 interview with Vogue.

“I think people are just really seeing this new confidence. For the first time in my life, all parts of me and my art feels cohesive. I don’t want to just be a performer; I want to be an artist.”

If a TikTok dolphin has sparked a new wave of attention toward Larsson, it’s her personality and ambition that will sustain the popularity. This comeback creates a moment that seems rare in pop culture, a second chance that is shaped by experience, ownership and self-definition.

Amy Poehler's podcast makes for a good hang

By Paige Sanacora ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Every Tuesday, acclaimed actress and comedian, Amy Poehler, invites you to escape the woes of your life with her award-winning podcast “Good Hang with Amy Poehler.” Each week, Poehler chats with a different guest about their careers and everyday lives.

In the introduction of her first

episode, which premiered in March 2025, Poehler said, “I just want to make it clear … I’m not here to change your life, I don’t care if you get any better, I don’t have advice for you – I just want us to have fun and lighten up a little.”

With an emphasis on a whole lot of laughter, Poehler has done just that.

Each episode follows the same format where Poehler begins with

a one-to-two-minute introduction, giving listeners a glimpse into the episode. Before the main interview begins, Poehler speaks with someone who personally knows the guest over Zoom. Through these flash interviews, Poehler gains unique insight on her guest and asks for a question or two to include in her main interview.

The bulk of each episode is centered around her conversation with her guest. While many of her guests are old friends or colleagues, she delves into every episode with the same enthusiasm and joy, regardless of her familiarity with the guest. The podcast’s guests have ranged from Seth Meyers to Michelle Obama, encompassing celebrities from different facets of stardom. Poehler jumps around through each guest’s careers, mutual connections and shared enthusiasm, focusing on moments of joy and what makes them laugh.

Each episode ends with a segment called the “Poehler Plunge,” in which Poehler shares something that is making her laugh these days.

It is clear through Poehler’s

interactions with every guest that she is genuinely interested in their lives and their responses to her questions. She doesn’t simply read off a script. Instead, she builds a rapport with each guest that makes it feel as though you’re viewing a phone call between two old friends.

The podcast’s first episode featured Poehler’s long-time comedy partner and best friend, Tina Fey.

The two discussed the differences between the expectations of men and women in comedic settings and in their personal ventures (i.e., the podcast).

“Guys get to just, like, goof around and have fun and it be like straight comedy escapism, and our stuff has to be about menopause, which also is important,” Poehler said.

“One of the reasons why I want to do this podcast, as I’ve watched so many men do the bare minimum … I’m truly giving 25%, which [is most people's] 75%.” Poehler said, in the podcast’s third episode with Rashida Jones.

Poehler did in fact take home the Golden Globe for Best Podcast. During her acceptance speech, she said, “I just want to say that I know I am new to this game. I have great respect for this form. I have great respect for all the people that I am nominated with.”

Poehler has emphasized time and time again that the primary purpose of “Good Hang with Amy Poehler” is to focus on laughter, joy and the good things in life. While she often ribs at the “norms” of podcast culture, all she wants to get out of each episode is a good laugh and a good hang.

This past year, the Golden Globes introduced a “Best Podcast” category. “Good Hang with Amy Poehler” was nominated, alongside five other podcasts, including “SmartLess,” which is co-hosted by Poehler’s ex-husband, Will Arnett. In a pre-show interview with Entertainment Tonight, all three hosts of “SmartLess” admitted they thought Poehler was going to take home the award.

'People We Meet on Vacation': a better book than movie?

By Gianna Costanzo COPY CHIEF

*SPOILER WARNING*

Are you interested in travel journalism, friends to lovers and unlikely friendships? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, then Emily Henry’s 2021 novel “People We Meet on Vacation” is the next read, or watch, for you. Despite the abundance of millennial dread and an unironic reference to flossing, Henry’s 2021 novel is the perfect feel-good read. Readers follow through the eyes of Poppy Wright, a bubbly, chaotic traveler, as she transitions from her teenage years to young adulthood. Each chapter is centered around a different vacation Poppy has taken with restrained and thoughtful Alex Nilsen, her token travel partner. The book jumps between present and past vacations the two have taken together over the course of 12 years.

The story is riddled with tension

as readers are made aware of a friendship-ending conflict between Poppy and Alex that took place two years prior during their vacation in Croatia. The trip is referenced often through Poppy’s narration, but readers don’t learn what happened until the final chapters.

There were a couple changes made to the movie – which released on Netflix on Jan. 9 – that I appreciated. The book was entirely from Poppy’s perspective, which made it hard to understand Alex’s perspectives of their arguments. In the movie, viewers were able to see Alex (Tom Blyth) slowly fall in love with Poppy (Emily Bader), which makes the love story much better in my opinion.

I also appreciated that they changed what their fight was about. The book was built on miscommunication and hurt feelings. While the movie still had some of those aspects, Alex and Poppy’s fight was based more on her inability to settle down, rather than her dismissing or misunderstanding his feelings. This

aspect made the fight more believable and less frustrating.

However, the movie felt like a loose adaptation of the book rather than an accurate adaptation of it. While the storyline is vaguely the same and there are a lot of noticeable similarities, a lot of the things that made Poppy and Alex the people they were in the book were left out. I acknowledge that it’s hard to adapt a 400-page book into an attention-grabbing movie, but how are we as viewers supposed to root for their relationship when we don’t know what is keeping them apart. The movie is essentially a lot of montages of their vacations that are broken up with tear jerking, one-liners like, “How about we die alone together.” It may not seem like much now but watch the movie and you’ll see the importance.

There are a lot of small differences between the book and the movie – like the locations of events or years that they took place – but most of the time, the

dialogue is the same. Because of this, I don’t have many complaints on whether she sprained her ankle on a hike in Colorado or in the streets of New Orleans. The worst change from the book to the movie, in my opinion, was Poppy’s monologue at the end. While it was true to the story that was built in the film, the monologue completely disregarded the entire meaning of the name of the book. This left the movie’s name

incomprehensible for anyone who had never read the book.

The book has heart. It is passionate, sincere and emotional. The readers can clearly interpret the turmoil Poppy and Alex are experiencing when they are fighting and the joy they feel when they finally get together. The movie, on the other hand, completely stripped both characters of their intricate backstories and their character development.

The views and opinions expressed in the Opinion section are those of the authors. They are not an endorsement of the views of the Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors.

Adult animation is under appreciated

By Matthew Carlinsky STAFF WRITER

When I mention adult animation, you may think of shows like “Family Guy” or “South Park,” or maybe indie amination hits like “King of the Hill” or “Smiling Friends.” These shows are known for good reasons, but it feels like adult animation is oftentimes reduced to its focus on comedy, rather than it being appreciated for its plotlines and narratives.

That is not to say that shows are not allowed to be comedies, though. I absolutely love the wide variety of shows that Adult Swim has to offer, especially the older, episodic ones that tend to have a reset after every episode, like “Space

Ghost.” I just wish that, at least here in the West, more studios realized that adult animation is a medium that can allow for truly captivating narratives and plotlines, and it is a shame that we do not see these types of shows more often.

I know that “BoJack Horseman” comes up every now and then, but even with the litany of shows that are focused on narrative, I never see or hear people talk about it. I remember when I first watched “Scavenger’s Reign” while new episodes were still coming out on HBO Max and before Netflix got the rights to it. I still think it is, hands down, one of the best animated shows I have seen, yet I have only ever seen maybe three people talk about it. The fact

that it is not even getting a second season is heartbreaking to me. I also cannot help but think of Genndy Tartakovsky, a fantastic director for adult animation. He has done some noteworthy work, such as the way in which he wrapped up “Samurai Jack” in its fifth season, taking what was originally a show aimed for younger audiences and wrapping it up with its older fanbase in mind.

“Primal” is another fantastic example from Tartakovsky, an action-packed show with a compelling plot, complete with little to no dialogue. I have been wanting to find people with whom I can talk about all the amazing animated shows out there. It is not just the average person who should give adult animation a chance,

though. The number of shows that either failed to get greenlit or did not get renewed for additional seasons – even with a lot of interest from audiences – is truly frustrating to think about.

It is kind of ironic, though, that adult animation is seen as risky by networks. When animation first entered public consciousness, it was not aimed specifically toward children. It was only when television started to take off as an entertainment medium and networks needed shows for children that this perception took hold. Animation just happened to fit the what appealed to children back then. Plus, there are still some notably successful pieces of adult animation that are far

more popular. “Invincible” is a fantastic example of this. I know that a lot of people keep up with “Invincible” (personally, I’ve read the comics in their entirety) and that social media becomes ablaze with excitement when news of another season drops. I suppose it would just be nice to see that same kind of attitude toward a lot of other pieces of adult animation. It would also be fantastic if studios could look at the success of adult animation and not be as hesitant to greenlight more adult animation.

Matthew Carlinsky is a senior English major and computer science minor.

Move past moral criticism and literalism

By Tim Daly OPINION EDITOR

If an artist’s role is to reflect the current times, then part of their duty is to reflect the ugliness of society. United States media has increasingly portrayed morally-flawed protagonists since the mid-20th century. This has generated a common criticism that fatally misinterprets works that feature these types of characters: the dismissal of these portrayals as either endorsement or criticism of them.

If the portrayal is not an overt, preachy condemnation, people often take the inclusion of an immoral character as the creator approving of the characters’ actions. In this framework, there is no room for a story about a reprehensible character unless it ends with fable-like simplicity and moral resolution. This type of interpretation lacks nuance. It evaluates the content based on the level of justice in a fictional world, as if characters’ actions have to

satisfy real-world moral beliefs. Even worse, these critics assume that audiences are so intellectually fragile that they will imitate immorality they see on screen.

A movie that has recently attracted this type of criticism is “Marty Supreme.” Those such as Anthony Fantano, as he shares in his YouTube channel, The Needle Drop, take issue with the immorality of the protagonist, Marty Mauser. Fantano said that the film “never forces Marty to reckon with his bad behavior, his evil ways, through either an inner dialogue or voice or any serious consequences for his actions.”

At its core, this criticism is the conflation between inclusion and endorsement. The movie shows that those who harm others often do not feel guilt nor face adequate consequences. A portrayal of a man who cheats, steals and hurts others does not have to register as either a clear critique of its protagonist’s actions nor a glorification. The audience is

intended to find Marty admirable at times for his ambition and feel repulsed by the ugly actions he takes at others.

The literalist reading of this film is that, because Marty doesn’t face justice, the film itself is supportive of his actions. The people who interpret the film this way don’t see it as a reflection of how U.S. society prioritizes ambition at the cost of morality nor as the extraction of a message about how selfishness can harm the lives of others; they see the film as supportive of the values it subtly critiques. Those like Fantano leave the film angry that Marty wasn’t arrested, thinking that the film’s message is that audiences should act like him.

Fantano argued, “I genuinely feel like the moral of this film is just be as impulsive and as stupid as you can possibly be, and it’ll just be all cool.” This interpretation not only takes the protagonist’s actions as the filmmaker’s endorsement, but it also ignores how the film portrays Marty’s actions as ruining

the lives of those around him.

Another flawed film that received this type of misinterpretation is “The Joker.” Instead of treating it as a cautionary tale of how poverty and a cruel society can lead to violence, some critics thought it portrayed a violent person in a sympathetic light. Since the protagonist, Arthur Fleck, is often faced with hardship, audiences inevitably identified with him. Furthermore, they thought that audiences would emulate what they saw.

Those like the National Review questioned the movie’s impact, saying that some viewers “are likely to sympathize with and relate to [Joaquin] Phoenix’s character, at least for the early stretch. When he completes his transformation into a violent and dangerous criminal ... how many viewers will recognize it as crossing a moral red line and how many will find it inspiring?”

Audiences are not so infantile and impressionable. “The Sopranos” did not make its audience join the mob, and

“Breaking Bad” did not make its audience sell drugs. Complex portrayals of this type of immoral character do not function as recruitment propaganda. This type of criticism discourages people from making art that reflects the ugliness of the world. “Marty Supreme” is not an overt criticism of prioritizing ambition over morality. Instead, it made me rethink how we excuse actions driven by ambition and the pursuit of the American dream. Portraying immoral characters this way makes this point more effectively than an on-the-nose critique would have. Misinterpretations of these movies are examples of what critics often forget: art does not have to announce its criticisms to be critical, and it doesn’t have to punish its characters to demonstrate their flaws.

Tim Daly is a senior journalism major and English minor. You can find him on Instagram @ timdaly5.

The

Chart Toppers

ACROSS

1 Response to a good joke

5 "Mamma Mia" band

9 New York, for one

14 Biblical brother of Cain

15 Weaving apparatus

16 Pointed symbol

17 2025 Chappell Roan hit

19 Coffee shop order

20 High-ranking military officer

21 Where to put your napkin

22 Many minutes, for short

23 Jumbotron segment for couples

26 One third of an ellipsis

29 Use a chair

30 2025 Alex Warren hit

32 Fire starter's crime

35 Army no-show, for short

36 Bibliography abbreviation

37 Did quick estimations

39 Ooze, as a gland

41 Prefix meaning all-encompassin g

42 Veggies in a pod

44 More strange

OPINION

45 2025 Sabrina Carpenter hit 47 "Sesame Street" airer

48 "Pick a card, ___ card"

49 AriZona product 51 Video game programmer, for short 54 Navigational aid, abbr.

55 Alleviate

57 Prepare for an event

60 2025 Tate McRae hit

62 Savory taste

63 Measure of distance

64 Approves silently

65 Handbag

66 Grasped

67 Ancestry map

DOWN

1 Come out of one's shell?

2 Detest

3 Stilettos, for example

4 In addition

5 Notwithstandin g

6 Knocks down pins with a ball

7 Feathered scarf

8 Comedian Poehler

9 Deli sandwich meat

10 Ensnare

11 Creation from Monet or Michelangelo

12 Little tyke

13 Female sheep

18 Malevolent

21 Soup serving utensil

24 Scatter, as seeds

25 Get to the other curb

26 Went out with

27 Give a speech

28 Hip-hop's ___, the Creator

29 Sega character ___ the Hedgehog

31 Geeks

32 Pleasant scent

33 From Italy's capital

34 Far from dreary

35 "Hello" singer

38 Grand tales

40 Metallic source of blue pigment

43 Put two and two together?

46 1960s rebel

47 Took a gander

50 Internet instigator

51 Interior designer's focus

52 Dodge

53 Biblical passage

54 Gingivitis targets

56 "___ She Lovely" (Stevie Wonder song)

57 Slangy greeting

58 Australian ostrich relative

59 Paving material

60 Texter's letters of disapproval

61 "Easy as __!"

The views and opinions expressed in the Opinion section are those of the authors. They are not an endorsement of the views of the Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors.

‘Vote blue no matter who’ doesn’t work cont.

CONTINUED FROM A1

Underneath the surface, we see Suozzi’s severe shortcomings as a transparent politician. Last year, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust filed a complaint against him for disclosing multiple United States treasury bill purchases a year late. He also has a history of failing to disclose many stock market purchases during his time in office. In January of this year, Suozzi voted to fund the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a decision that faced major backlash from his constituents.

This is the kind of politician who benefits from the “vote blue” rhetoric. Is he who liberals and progressives of Nassau County want representing

them? Is this someone that will push for real change in Congress?

At the national stage, this rhetoric propping up establishment Democrats is arguably a major reason why former Vice President Kamala Harris lost the 2024 presidential election. After former President Joe Biden dropped out and Harris was nominated, there was initially energy behind her nomination.

As her campaign went on, however, she drifted towards the center and failed to address many of the issues that her voter base wanted her to address. She shut down pro-Palestinian members of the base who wanted her to support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and to cut off funding to Israel. Her campaign largely supported deportations

and ran on a “secure border,” much like Trump’s campaign. As the election neared, instead of meeting with progressives, Harris campaigned with Republican Liz Cheney in Pennsylvania. Instead of appealing to her primary base, Harris’ campaign opted to appeal to center-right voters. This once again left the progressive voter disillusioned and uninspired. Voters clearly wanted a change from the status quo and Biden’s policy; Harris’ campaign represented a stay with it.

Not settling for an establishment Democrat can work. The 2025 New York City mayoral election is a great example of this. The rise of current Mayor Zohran Mamdani showed the country that a candidate can win a major election running

on progressive, democratic socialist policy. Instead of shutting down pro-Palestinians in the base, he pledged to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he came to New York, following the arrest warrant that the International Criminal Court issued for him. He ran on progressive policy, such as universal childcare and taxing the wealthiest 1%.

His policy attracted 1.1 million New Yorkers to elect him as mayor, a historic turnout. Instead of shifting center for the sake of mass appeal, Mamdani stood on what he began his campaign with. This campaign shows the direction Democrats must go in if they want people to be excited about them.

If you claim your party to be a left-leaning one, put actual

left-leaning candidates out there. Voters want a change of pace from the status quo of establishment Democrats, and now they have been shown an alternative by Mamdani’s win. If you are a progressive voter, you should not feel obligated to “Vote blue no matter who.” The Democratic Party should not trot out another mediocre candidate to oppose the Republicans in 2028 and expect progressive support. Democratic voters must pressure them to nominate someone who actually reflects progressive policy.

Anthony Favilla is a sophomore journalism major and political science minor. You can find him on Instagram @anthony_favilla_jrnl.

Housing is unaffordable on Long Island

By Madeline Sisk EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

If you have lived on Long Island, you would probably agree with me when I say that it’s ridiculously expensive to live here. As someone who is currently apartment hunting, I can confidently say that the market for young renters is worse than my parents’ generation could have ever imagined.

When the Siena Research Institute surveyed Long Island residents last year, 85% of those who answered said that affordable housing was generally unavailable, with 94% of renters indicating the same. From my experience, renting a decent one-bedroom apartment near Hofstra University is going to cost around $3,000 per month if you want the luxury of a dishwasher (don’t even ask for an in-unit washer and dryer; you’d be

looking for a unicorn). Let’s be honest, who has that kind of money starting out their career? Not me, and certainly not most people I know, but that line of thought made me ask myself: If living here is so undesirably expensive, how did people even end up on Long Island in the first place? It turns out, Long Island used to be one of the best, most affordable places to live in the United States, with a standard family home in “America’s first suburb,” Levittown, costing families just $7,000 in the 1950s.

This is because Dwight Eisenhower, president at the time, saw the ease with which residents travelled while they were deployed overseas in Germany during World War II and signed the Federal Aid Highway Act when he was in office. This act began the development of safer, speedier and multi-lane highways. This meant that people could work

in the cities without necessarily having to raise their families there.

The post-World War II baby boom and exodus to the suburbs increased populations on Long Island by 47%. The baby boom became a period when soldiers from World War II, who were set on living the American dream, bought progressively bigger and bigger houses to support their growing families as they headed into their middle age. With people putting down roots and jobs becoming increasingly available as a result, the economy soared.

But the tides have turned now, and I’m seeing exactly why people in my age bracket are in the economic crisis they’re in. Generation X may have been the last generation to reasonably afford Long Island. The children of baby boomers, Millennials and older Generation Z, have moved on and moved out, so it’s time

for the Boomers to downsize from the mini-mansions and into cushy condominiums and apartments. The housing market for these large family homes has plummeted, and the next generations won’t be able to afford to buy them.

Unless your parents are willing to front the money for a down payment, it’s only financially possible to rent your first place. Adjusted for inflation, renting prices have increased by 17%, while incomes have declined by 2%, since the start of the 21st Century, according to the Regional Plan Association.

Curb your enthusiasm, folks. Most places expect you to show proof that you are making at least three times more than what your rent costs before the keys to the front door ever touch your hands. This is great if you have a whopping $144,000 salary right out of college; you, too, can get the keys to

your very own $4,000 cushy one-bedroom apartment. Besides, 56% of renters in the United States end up paying more than the suggested 30% of their income anyway. Now, if you could point me to even one standard entry-level job that pays $144,000, consider me shocked

If you are old enough to afford a house on Long Island and you’re reading this, stop telling my generation that we’re not trying hard enough and look in the mirror at who caused these problems in the first place. And if you are in an entry-level job looking for an apartment, good luck.

Madeline Sisk is a senior public relations and strategic communication major.

By Eric Leaf STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra University men’s basketball team reclaimed the Battle of Long Island with a gritty 67-58 defensive performance over Stony Brook University on Saturday, Feb. 28. With the victory, the Pride secured a top four seed in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), earning the elusive double-bye in the conference tournament.

The double-bye allows the top four seeds to skip the tournament’s first two rounds and avoid playing during the

Pride conquer Long Island rival

opening two days. This provides teams with two extra days of rest, but more importantly, two days where the Pride cannot lose a game and become a chapter in another team’s fairy tale story.

Hofstra improved to 11-6 in CAA play and 20-10 overall, marking the fourth 20-win season in the last five years under head coach Speedy Claxton.

“[I’m] proud of the guys,” Claxton said. “Sometimes we got to win ugly. Tonight was gritty, not pretty. Offensively, we kind of got bogged down, I think they did a terrific job on our two guards.”

Hofstra’s backcourt twoheaded monster of Cruz Davis and Preston Edmead has been the engine of the team all season, but on Saturday night they were largely neutralized. Davis, the nation’s 15th-leading scorer, was held to just eight points on a tough 2-8 shooting performance from the field. It marked Davis’s second-lowest scoring output of the season, trailing only his

seven-point outing earlier in the year – also against Stony Brook.

The other half of the duo, freshman standout Edmead, managed to break through the offensive struggles a bit better than his counterpart. Edmead finished with 14 points on an inefficient 3-8 shooting night. The freshman guard also found himself in early foul trouble, playing with three fouls most of the game.

Basketball is a next-man-up sport, and Claxton and company have found valuable depth throughout the roster. Fouryear program veteran German Plotnikov stepped up in a big way with the team struggling offensively. The guard from Belarus opened the game shooting hot, starting 3-3 from the field and accounting for all eight of the Pride’s early points. Plotnikov finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, all of which came in the second half.

The biggest spark for Hofstra came off the bench, as Biggie Patterson led the way to victory.

Patterson poured in a game-high 17 points, knocking down four shots from beyond the arc. He was also dominant on the glass, grabbing 10 rebounds to record a double-double.

“[Patterson] came in and held down the fort,” Claxton said. “That’s what we expect from [him]. This is what we envisioned when we signed him last spring. We need him to be that third guy. When he plays

like that, we’re a different team.”

The Pride finally broke their four-game losing streak to Stony Brook in the Battle of Long Island.

Hofstra has one more regular season CAA game remaining at home against Drexel University on Tuesday, March 3, at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Clutch threes lead Hofstra to victory

By Thomas Montana STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra University women’s basketball team won a 45-44 nailbiter against Monmouth University on Sunday, March 1. Having won four of their last six games, the Pride is now 7-20 and 5-11 in conference play. They currently sit 10th

in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) standings.

“[I’m] just really proud of this team and their fight,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “We’ve talked about their resiliency, that they’ve had to continue to show up and show up and show up. Felt like in January we were a November team.”

Hofstra’s first-half struggles returned against the Hawks. After starting the game with two makes on three attempts, the Pride went 2-9 for the rest of the quarter and 6-22 for the rest of the half.

Hofstra took charge in the first 5 minutes of the second quarter, going on a 13-4 run in that span and leading 21-12. This cold streak didn’t discourage the Hawks, though. They finished the half holding the Pride to 0 points within the last four minutes, cutting the deficit to 21-19 at the end of the half.

The third quarter was back and forth, with Monmouth coming out with a one-point lead. It was the highest scoring quarter of the game with 31 total points scored and a combined 46.2% shooting between both teams. The fourth quarter was the polar opposite, with both offenses grinding to a halt.

With just three minutes remaining and Hofstra down 42-39, the Pride missed five straight shots. Senior guard

Emma Von Essen stepped up in the clutch, sinking back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Pride the three-point lead that they never lost.

“I tell [Von Essen] that every shot that she shoots – I don’t care if she makes her first 10 or misses her first 10 – every shot she shoots, I think is going in,” Santos said. “You can see down the stretch of the game there, it didn’t matter. She was letting it go, letting it fly, and we all had the confidence in her to be able to do that.”

With transfers Sana’a Garrett and Deivejon Harris not stepping on the floor, the Pride shortened their rotation to eight players with 10 or more minutes, with freshman Kiyanna Blacks-Stewart logging just two minutes.

Santos has stressed time and time again that being able to win Sunday games despite the results from earlier in the week is crucial. Every win in this stretch has been on a Sunday.

“We had multiple [Sunday

games] to start the season where we had battled on a Friday, come up short and then came into Sunday and laid an egg,” Santos said. “It’s a huge emphasis for us on those Friday games, regardless of if it’s a win or loss; we’ve got to change our mindset, pick ourselves up or keep our momentum going into the Sunday.”

This is now the second season in a row with these end-of-theseason runs. Hofstra won six of their last seven games going into the tournament last year. This season, the Pride has just two games left and could potentially reach as high as eighth in conference standings.

In their final home game of the season, the Pride will face Drexel University on Thursday, March 5, at 6 p.m. Drexel defeated Hofstra earlier this season in dominating fashion, winning 6738 in Pennsylvania.

Rutgers University dominates Pride on the road

By Conner Keough STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra University women’s lacrosse team lost their matchup against Rutgers University, 17-7 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey on Saturday, Feb. 28. For the Scarlet Knights, Caroline Ling lit it up with five goals and two assists, while Lily Dixon added a goal and five assists. Dixon’s fifth assist of the afternoon put her in first place on the list of most assists in Rutgers history.

Nikki Mennella scored two goals and three assists, which gave her 27 points on the season. Hofstra’s Natalie DeMeo continued her strong play with two goals and Luchianna Cardello put up 12 saves for Hofstra.

The Pride struggled to clear the ball, finishing the afternoon just 12-19. This seven-point difference on the losing end is the largest that Hofstra has had in a game all season. Despite having seven turnovers on failed clears, Hofstra finished the afternoon with 13 total turnovers to Rutgers’ 14.

The Scarlet Knights dominated possession, winning draw controls 17-8 and groundball 24-14, which contributed to the lopsided score.

The Pride started the game with a strong defensive possession. Christine Dannenfelser forced a turnover to spark Hofstra in transition on offense, but they failed to

capitalize on it. Dannenfelser set a career high with six caused turnovers. After a back-and-forth opening five minutes, Ling was the first to find the back of the net. Ling’s goal opened the flood gates because 18 seconds later Hilary Elsner scored and doubled Rutgers’ lead.

Freshman Shannon Steck got Hofstra on the board with just over 8 minutes left in the first quarter, cutting Rutgers’ lead to 2-1. That was the closest that the Pride got to the lead in the game. The Scarlet Knights doubled their advantage to two goals by the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Rutgers outscored Hofstra 3-0 to take a five-goal lead into the halftime break. Rutgers goalie Simone Koryszewski made seven saves in the first half.

Rutgers opened the doors with three player-up goals in the third quarter. The Pride went on a three-goal scoring

run after that. Mennella had a goal and dished two assists on tallies by Kristen Redding and DeMeo to bring the game to a four-goal deficit.

Rutgers ended all hope of a Hofstra comeback by outscoring the Pride eight to two the rest of the way. Rutgers ended the game with a 10-goal advantage, giving them a running clock by the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

Kayleigh Bender, Hofstra’s

second leading scorer, did not play on Saturday. Bender is the reigning Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Year. She has 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points this season.

With this loss, the Pride fell to .500 on the season at 3-3. Hofstra will be back in action on Wednesday, March 4, against the No. 3 University of Maryland. Gametime is set for 3 p.m.

Pride battle against ranked Rutgers University

By Ethan Poole SPORTS EDITOR

The Hofstra University men’s lacrosse team dropped their fourth game in a row on Saturday, Feb. 28, a hard-fought 11-8 road defeat to No.14/16 Rutgers University. The Pride fell to 1-4 on the season, while the Scarlet Knights improved to 5-1.

Hofstra gave one of the nation’s toughest teams all they could handle. The Pride and

Scarlet Knights each shot the ball 37 times, with 20 making their way on goal on either side. Rutgers turned the ball over 16 times, while the Pride had 15 giveaways. Rutgers picked up 29 ground balls to Hofstra’s 26, and the Scarlet Knights won only one more faceoff than the Pride.

Hofstra’s resilience was on full display early in the game. They quickly fell into a 3-1 hole halfway through the first quarter, with Trevor Natalie

being the only scorer for the Pride in the quarter. Rutgers was looking to set up in the offensive zone again, but Will Delaney broke up a long-range pass, and the Pride brought the ball the other way. Gus Langtry scored the first of his three goals on the day to cut the deficit in half. On the next offensive possession for the Scarlet Knights, Haydn Sommer’s shot beat Pride goalkeeper Shea Kennedy but hit the crossbar. Kaden Major picked up the rebound, and Joey DeYoung tied the game 11 seconds later.

Things stayed deadlocked until two straight Rutgers goals restored the Scarlet Knights’ multi-goal advantage early in the second quarter. Colin Kurdyla slipped behind the Pride defense and took advantage of his clear shot at the cage and assisted Greyson Vorgang’s goal. Langtry and Vorgang traded goals to put the game at 6-4 with just over 10 minutes to go in the first half.

Drew Bogardus, a sophomore

from Sheffield, Massachusetts, struck less than a minute later.

Natalie’s shot rang off the post, but Bogardus grabbed the rebound and buried his first goal in two games. Five minutes of stalemate passed before Langtry completed his first-half hat trick, letting his shot go in the air and firing it past Rutgers’ AllAmerican goalie Cardin Stoller.

Just three minutes later, Natalie gave Hofstra their first and only lead of the afternoon. He spun around and fired his shot as he was falling to the ground, putting the Pride up 7-6 with just over a minute left in the half.

Unfortunately for Hofstra, Rutgers responded with a perfect offensive possession; quick movements, precision passing and a discombobulated Pride defense left Kurdyla open in front of the net to tie the game heading into halftime.

Defense and goaltending took over in the second half, only five goals followed up an opening 30 minutes which saw 14 tallies.

Kennedy made five third-quarter saves but allowed three goals; Kasey Mongillo found a soft spot in Hofstra’s zone defense in the second minute of play to give Rutgers a lead they didn’t relinquish.

After another goal for the Scarlet Knights, Natalie completed his hat trick with a long-range shot to get the Pride within a goal, but Sommer went low on Kennedy a minute later to restore the two-goal advantage.

The Pride limited the Scarlet Knights to one shot on goal in the fourth quarter, but it went in the net. Evan Large closed the scoring with his first career goal. Hofstra had three shots on goal and many more offensive chances but were stifled by Stoller and the Rutgers defense at every turn.

Next up for Hofstra is a home tilt against the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Gametime is set for noon on Saturday, March 7.

Pride downed by Dukes in two-win weekend

Frank Chiapperino STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra University softball team dropped both games of their doubleheader when they lost to James Madison University by a score of 5-3 on Sunday, March 1. With this game, the Pride ended the Lakeside Book Company Invitational and tournament play. They will also kick off Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play with a 3-10 standing.

Ryleigh Smith recorded her

By Samantha Nadler ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

first collegiate multi-hit game for the Pride, while Alanna Morse, Gabby Sultan, Victoria Frobosilo and Nicole Cancel all recorded one hit for Hofstra.

Kylee Gleason and Madison Edwards secured two hits and an RBI each in the victory for the Dukes.

Kailyn Haig started for Hofstra in the circle. Through five innings, Haig allowed three earned runs on eight hits and two strikeouts. Madison Steppe made her third relief appearance in her collegiate career, pitching one inning and allowing two earned runs on two hits.

Kirsten Fleet pitched a complete game for the Dukes. Through seven innings of work, she allowed two earned runs on six hits and eight strikeouts.

James Madison threatened Hofstra during the first inning after back-to-back singles from Gleason and Edwards. Haig escaped further trouble with a strikeout and two flyouts to end

the inning.

The game remained scoreless until the Dukes scored a run in the bottom of the third. Haig forced Gleason to foul out to lead off the inning. Edwards worked a walk and stole second to kickstart the offense. Bella Henzler picked up an RBI with a knock to left field. Emily LeGrand singled and stole second to place runners on second and third. Kendra Lewis worked a walk to load the bases before Haig struck out Mia Tribul to get out of the inning.

Hofstra responded in the top of the fourth inning, knotting the game at one apiece. With one out, Sultan doubled, and with two outs after Frobosilo reached first base on a fielding error by Lewis, Sultan scored.

James Madison broke open the game with a four-run sixth inning. Haig allowed back-toback singles to open the frame before Steppe came in for relief. Lisey St. Jean loaded the bases

with a successful bunt. Cali Legzdin ripped a single down the first base line to score Tribul and Reaghan Warner. Backto-back sacrifice flies from Gleason and Edwards gave the Dukes a 5-1 lead heading into the final inning.

The Pride rally fell short in the seventh inning. Frobosilo led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Cancel singled to place runners on the corners. Smith scored Frobosilo with a single down the third base

line to trim the lead to three. Morse singled to score Cancel and advanced to second on the throw, but the comeback fell short after Chelsea Villar grounded out to Emma Jo Evans to end the game.

Hofstra’s home opener marks the start of CAA play. The Pride will take on Stony Brook University on Friday, March 6. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Winless Pride swept in road matchup

Daniel Escalante, a freshman from Kingston, Pennsylvania, proved to the Hofstra University baseball team on Sunday, March 1, that the team’s offense is slowly but surely coming alive. Escalante went 2-3 with one run scored and another batted in. Yet, the Pride’s offense simply could not catch up to the bats of Liberty University in the two teams’ series finale, when the Pride took a 10-7 loss on Flames territory.

After being swept by the Flames, the Pride remain winless at 0-6. The Flames improved to 7-3 on the season. After an early exit by Michael Brown in the middle game of the series and Tyler Castrataro departing before the bottom of the third in Sunday’s matchup, the Pride were left without their regular starting middle infield. To combat the losses to Hofstra’s stellar defense, Sam Leonard made

his first start for the Pride at shortstop while starting third baseman Gabriel Melara shifted to second base following Castrataro’s exit. With Melara’s transition to the middle infield, Escalante took over the hot corner.

Unlike the first two games of the series, it was the Flames who struck first with scoring.

In his first collegiate start, freshman southpaw Nick Reese walked Tanner Marsh with one out, then Marsh came home on an RBI double from Ryan Drumm. With two outs, Drumm came home on Escalante’s error, putting Liberty up 2-0. Singles from Escalante and Melara gave Nick Biddle two runners on base. After Biddle’s bunt sent both runners home, he was also called safe on a Liberty fielder’s choice. Biddle advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Leonard. Then, a groundout from JJ DeVito to Flames second baseman Dylan Grabowski sent Biddle home to give the Pride the lead.

The Flames quickly tied the game up when Drumm scored on a wild pitch by reliever Chris Bedford.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, Tyler August came in to pitch with two outs and CJ Griggs on second base. August gave the Pride back their lead when Escalante drove Griggs home on a single to center field.

The bottom of the sixth saw Liberty continue the trend of tying a one-run differential, when Bedford gave up a solo home run to Nick Barone, evening the score at 4-4. Yet, a groundout by Tyler Cox sent Leonard home and put the Pride back in the lead in the top of the seventh.

The score remained 5-4 until Liberty once again tied the game in the bottom of the eighth after Tanner Sanderoff gave up a leadoff home run to Jaxon Sorenson. With two easy outs, Sanderoff struggled to close the inning, giving up a base hit and two walks to the next trio of batters to load the bases.

Reliever Deuce Musial hit Drumm to send a run home. Musial then gave up a three-run double to Riley DeCandido and an RBI single to Grabowski before being pulled from the game. Brayden Gregg got the final out for Hofstra’s pitchers by striking out Sorenson, putting the Flames up 10-5. Down five runs, the top of the ninth was Hofstra’s last time to strike. After Biddle and Leonard both struck out, DeVito took first base after getting hit, then

second

base. Cox drove DeVito in on a single up the first base line. Cox then also stole second base. Griggs followed with a single up the third base line, driving in Cox, but a groundout by Biddle ended the game. Hofstra will travel to Poughkeepsie, New York, to face Marist University, who also seeks their first win of the 2026 season. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4.

By Ethan Poole SPORTS EDITOR

Kayleigh Bender has been a revelation for the Hofstra University women’s lacrosse team. She scored 31 goals last season en route to the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Year award. In five games this season, she has 11 goals and already has two games with four goals under her belt, but her impact as a positive presence off the field may be just as important for the Pride.

“Everyone loves [Bender],” said Hofstra head coach Shannon Smith, “She’s got a great personality; she’s energetic; she’s always smiling; she loves to laugh, loves to crack jokes and she’s a really good teammate and really genuinely cares about every person on the team.”

Keeping things light and breezy in a Division I environment has its challenges, but for Bender, it’s simple – she wants the game to be fun.

“It was always fun as a kid but sometimes you get caught up as things get fast and the season blows by,” Bender said. “[Smith] always says ‘be where your feet are.’ I just try to enjoy playing with my best friends every day.”

Hofstra’s women’s lacrosse team is a tight knit group, and Bender had no issues breaking into the fold in the summer of 2024 when she first stepped foot on campus.

“I would say [we connected] instantly,” Bender said.

Kayleigh Bender’s found family

“On and off the field [my teammates] are my best friends and my sisters.”

There was no hazing here; there was no need to earn her way into the good graces of the team’s veterans. Bender was welcomed with open arms.

“I had never felt so seen and appreciated,” Bender said. “I felt like I was fully part of something. Being part of a team is great, but there’s nothing like truly loving the people that you’re around.”

That instant connection led to instant results on the field.

“I feel like I really got a good groove with the girls on offense and it led to success on the field,” Bender said. “There was full trust in my teammates around me; they encouraged me; they never looked down upon me because

like no other. Her work ethic pushed me to give my all every day,” Bender said. “On the field, she was so encouraging … if I had a bad play, she would say, ‘Shake it off, we need you, this team needs you.’ She was very supportive of me.”

Learning from mistakes is a crucial part of any young player’s development. The encouragement from Flannery and others helped her to learn from her mistakes in real time but not dwell on them.

“It made me feel like it was going to be okay and made me feel like I’m still capable of providing for the team even if I made a mistake when I’m still learning,” Bender said. “[Flannery] was straightforward in the best way, that’s what you need on the

a lot of fire to the offense, which pumps everyone up.”

While it’s not particularly

“Having my best friends I know I can rely on has totally changed my life.”

I was a freshman; I was treated as an equal. I think with my teammates and my coaches believing in me and pushing me every day at practice, I was prepared.”

Megan Flannery was a crucial mentor for Bender. Flannery played four seasons at midfield for the Pride and provided the veteran leadership that any young player needs.

“[Flannery] was a workhorse

field. I needed to learn a lot when I came in. It was a whole new world of lacrosse I was going to play … so being able to learn from mistakes was very helpful.”

Bender has a special friendship with Nikki Mennella, Hofstra’s superstar attacker. The duo has done spectacular things together on the field, in large part due to their tight bond off the field.

“I trained with [Mennella] over the summer before coming to Hofstra for my freshman year and obviously you know the name; you know how good she is,” Bender said. “So, it was great to be taken under her wing. She was like my big sister on the team.”

As the pair has grown closer, their partnership on the field has grown deadlier.

“We’re great friends,” Bender said. “[We] hang out outside [of] lacrosse, and I feel like that translates to on the field. We have good chemistry. I know her tendencies, and she

common for a freshman to score 30 goals in a season, Hofstra’s coaching staff knew that Bender could be an impactful player on offense last year.

“We recruited [Bender] to be an impact player and to make an impact in our program,” Smith said. “She put a lot of work into that and listened to what we needed and wanted as coaches and put the work in outside of practice. As she continued to grow, we really could see the enormous impact she was going to have.”

Expectations were high for Bender in Hofstra’s seasonopening game against Long Island University last winter, but she shattered them, scoring four goals and introducing herself to the world of college lacrosse with authority. Bender was moved around the field throughout that game. She started out playing at X position, before moving up top into more open space.

“Bender did a really, really

day and saw herself grow immensely.

“When I was being scouted against, people figured out my tendencies, so I had to grow because I had to learn more moves and more layers to the offense,” Bender said. “I had to learn how to respond to the defense better and what they gave me.”

As conference play approaches rapidly, Bender’s eyes are on the CAA Championship.

“We talk about [the CAA Championship] every day,” Bender said. “It’s something you go to bed thinking about the night before a conference game. It makes me excited just thinking about getting the chance to play in that game.”

Despite all her success on the field and all her dreams of CAA glory, Bender treasures the friendships she has forged with her teammates above everything.

“Having my best friends I know I can rely on has totally changed my life,” Bender said. “If at 3 a.m. I’m still having a bad day or something, they’ll be there to call. It’s like having a bunch of sisters who you’re with 24/7.”

SPORTS

Hardwood to headset: Alarice Gooden

By Shannon Bickert SPORTS EDITOR

On the court, Hofstra University women’s basketball point guard Alarice Gooden commands the offense. Off the court, she breaks down plays behind a microphone. On the airwaves or on the court, the Brampton, Ontario, native has made the most of her four years in college. However, her collegiate career was not as she anticipated just years before stepping onto Hofstra’s campus.

Growing up, Gooden played competitive soccer and basketball. For a while, she believed that she would play soccer at the collegiate level. She decided to pursue basketball at a higher level after playing Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball during high school. Hofstra then began the recruiting process with Gooden after seeing her performance in the Nike Circuit Nationals in Chicago, Illinois, during AAU ball.

While deciding where her athletic career would take her, she was also up in the air about what to major in.

“I really didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Gooden said. “I was just going to go into business; that’s what I always told myself.”

During the pandemic, Gooden started to explore different career paths, realizing her true potential and passion.

“I was always just watching basketball and old games, when there weren’t any sports to watch,” Gooden said. “I didn’t even know that sports broadcasting was really even a career. So, I kind of discovered that. Then, my sister ended up helping me find a major that was suitable for me. I was never really an analytical person. My sister knows me

well; she knows I wouldn’t succeed in business, and I always succeeded in the arts and English in high school as well, so she helped me get all of that together. During the recruitment process, she told me that Hofstra would be the best option for me because it’s so close to New York City and they have such a good school of communication.”

Upon arriving at Hofstra, Gooden jumped into exploring what the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication had to offer. She joined WRHU 88.7 FM and the Hofstra Entertainment Access Television Network’s “Sports Beat” to get reps in sports broadcasting.

“It’s really hands-on, which I really appreciate. I remember my first broadcast last year was so bad in the first half of the men’s game,” Gooden said. “But just the opportunity to make mistakes, that’s what I’m so grateful for. With doing these games and all the other radio stuff, I was able to make mistakes and meet a lot of people, and a lot of people have reached out to me and told me that they heard the broadcast, and they heard the improvement of how I analyzed the game. It’s opened a lot of doors for me.”

This year, Gooden got the opportunity to serve as a color analyst for the men’s basketball team on MSG Network, thanks to Assistant Director of Athletics for Broadcast Kevin Dexter who runs Hofstra Sports Media broadcasts.

“I was happy with [the MSG game] because I know that the goals I am setting for myself, they’re really achievable, so Hofstra has made it really accessible for me and possible for me to see that I can achieve my dream of becoming a

sports analyst [and a] sports broadcaster,” Gooden said. While trying to achieve this dream, Gooden is balancing broadcasting with Division I basketball.

“It’s really hard because I don’t get a lot of reps in that I should be getting in, especially in undergrad, because basketball takes up so much of my time,” Gooden said. “The coaching staff here at Hofstra have been supportive of me, and they would adjust individual workout times [because] they know [I’m] doing this. And when I was doing the games, they would come and support me. If I need help with anything, they would be there to help me, so I wasn’t alone in the process with balancing it, but it was hard some days.”

While working on-air, Gooden was making a name for herself on the court. Gooden has made over 100 career appearances. In the 2024-25 season, Gooden started two games. This season, she has started 26 games and played in every game, taking on a leadership role in her fourth season.

“I’ve seen peers [take on leadership roles] before, so I try not to put too much pressure on myself,” Gooden said. “It’s been fun, I’ve been enjoying that upperclassmen rule and meeting those expectations. I’ve seen the rewards of meeting those

expectations every day.”

This season, Gooden has not only been a strong leader, but a valuable scorer, averaging 7.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Gooden has historically shone when it matters most in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament, which the Pride are slated to play in midMarch. In the 2023-24 CAA Tournament, Gooden scored 37 points across three games, scoring a career-best 19 points in game one against Hampton University. Last season, Gooden notched 18 points in the loss to the eventual CAA Tournament Champions, College of William & Mary.

“It’s just every game could be your last game [of the season], so I’m kind of leaving it out there on the court, and the stakes are just really high,” Gooden said.

The Pride have won four of their last six, after an eightgame skid. Gooden is happy with how the team is shaping up for the tournament.

“Historically we’ve always done really well in the tournament. We’ve added a lot of new offensive sets, so I’m excited to see how that works,” Gooden said. “I’m excited [about] how the team is looking right now.”

Gooden is also happy with the team’s culture. She lives with her teammates, which makes playing together mean more.

“Those are my sisters,”

Gooden said.

“I enjoy playing with them. On and off the court, I love living with them and being with them every day.”

Gooden sees the correlation between playing basketball and sports broadcasting, taking the skill set she learned on the court and applying it to her career.

“I feel like I have an advantage because basketball is a life skill, so I communicate with my teammates, and we’re adjusting on the fly, especially in-game,” Gooden said. “If a team runs a play that we never went over in scout, we have to adjust in-game, and I can take that skill and put it back into reporting. If something happens on the fly in the reporting world and it was last minute, I can adjust. It’s given me the ability to think faster on my feet.”

As Gooden’s collegiate career comes to an end, she is grateful for all the experiences and relationships that she has created through Hofstra.

“It wasn’t an easy four years,” Gooden said.

“Basketball has taught me a lot about myself, but Hofstra has just given me a lot of opportunities that I never saw coming [and] some friends that I know that I’m going to have for a very long time. So, I’m just grateful for the opportunity to find what I love and do what I love.”

March 3, 2026

BIGGIE’S BAG

Biggie Patterson’s double-double helped propel the Pride to a 67-58 victory over Stony Brook, securing Hofstra a double-bye.