NOVEMBER 20, 2024 • VOLUME 95 • ISSUE 12
The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929
By CARLEIGH BECK Associate News Editor
Quinnipiac University’s Student Government Association announced Nov. 13 a completed menstrual product initiative in a press release. These efforts, spearheaded by SGA’s Vice President Kaitlyn Sternhardt, have propelled a pilot program that offers free menstrual products in 20 restrooms on Quinnipiac University’s Mount Carmel Campus, two restrooms on York Hill Campus and six restrooms on the North Haven Campus starting in Spring 2025. Sternhardt has been an advocate for the last two years to provide free menstrual products to the Quinnipiac community. “The stories that I heard from my peers were my greatest motivator and inspiration (for this initiative),” Sternhardt wrote in a statement to The Chronicle. “As I began working on this project, I realized how multifaceted this issue really is.” Sternhardt plans to create a map of the restrooms that supply free menstrual products so students can easily access them. Both tampons and pads will be offered in the ADA-compliant menstrual product dispensers. Makeba Walcott, a third-year student in the Medical Doctorate program, worked with Sternhardt on this initiative. Walcott began an effort to put free menstrual products on the North Haven Campus after she struggled to get
SGA to provide free menstrual products across all three campuses
See INITIATIVE Page 2
ILLUSTRATION BY KATERINA PARIZKOVA
International business honors society instated at Quinnipiac By AVA HIGHLAND Staff Writer
Graduate student AJ Newth established a Quinnipiac chapter of the international business honors society, Beta Gamma Sigma. The international society, established in 1913, accepts the top 5-10% of business students at universities across the world. The students are invited via email every February if they reach the required 3.85 GPA. “Since 1919, Beta Gamma Sigma has been the only recognized Honor Business Society by the AACSB, the accreditation body for business Schools. The Business School at Quinnipiac University earned AACSB accreditation in 2000,” said Professor Mohammad Elahee, chair of International Business department and the chapter’s advisor. Quinnipiac has had a chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma for 24 years, however, there has never been on-campus activity. Members only received chords at graduation, but there were not any events for student engagement. Newth is a 3+1 graduate student with a bachelor’s degree in international business and data analytics and president of the on-campus chapter. She is working to give recognition to the talented students through various on-campus events. “We’re kind of looking to honor those students that work so hard to get into that society and have that really high GPA,” Newth said. “And the goal of getting into Sigma and having that chapter on campus is going to be to not only build students that are really academically smart, but also smart when it comes to being involved in
the community.” Newth was involved in six organizations during her undergraduate years. However, when entering her graduate year, she was looking to get involved on campus again. “I was kind of looking for a challenge, this was a really good option for me,” Newth said. “I was approached by Professor Mohammad Elahee (chair of International Business department), and he kind of said, ‘You know we have Beta Gamma Sigma, students don’t really know what it is, and there’s just so many opportunities to do cool things with the organization.’” Newth then assembled an executive board of fellow business students that she knew could take on the challenge alongside her. “The president and I worked together to formulate our executive board for BGS, and we are both incredibly proud of everyone’s performance so far,” said Sana Quadri, vice president and sophomore international business economics major. “I also assist in reaching out to and meeting individuals who can help the on-campus chapter thrive in the future.” Though still in the early stages, Newth has already seen collaboration within her team. “Even though I’m president and somebody else is a secretary, I don’t really believe in having a hierarchical structure within the (organization),” Newth said. “Everybody’s opinion matters. If anybody has cool ideas, throw them out there. So it’s really great to work with a group of girls that are so dedicated to getting this off the ground and up and running.”
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY AJ NEWTH
Graduate student AJ Newth instates Gamma Sigma Beta, a chapter of the international business honors society. As the on-campus chapter is just beginning, Newth and the e-board are still in the planning stages but have several goals for the year.
Newth is organizing networking and career development events, guest speakers See SOCIETY Page 2