FEBRUARY 15, 2023 • VOLUME 93 • ISSUE 15
The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929
OPINION: Turkey native calls attention to earthquake tragedy
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By DAMLA GUNES Contributing Writer
As you may have heard on the news, one of the worst disasters of the last decade happened in my home country of Turkey, known officially as Türkiye, on Feb. 6. Not just one, but two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.6 occurred nearly backto-back and caused tremendous damage to Türkiye and Syria. As of Feb. 13, the death toll is estimated to be more than 40,000 and at least 24 million people are affected. The earthquake hit southeast Türkiye and caused considerable destruction to ten cities: Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa. Immediately after the incident, Türkiye called for international help. However, there are still so many people waiting for that aid. Imagine trying to rescue your family from under the rubble, having no idea if they are alive. Imagine being a little kid and being rescued, only to learn that your whole family is dead. Imagine being a teenager and putting your family in a grave. How is this fair? Who is to blame? The nature? The faith? The government? The contractors? There are thousands of people dead, thousands of families destroyed and thousands of facilities gone and yet we are still trying to blame someone; whatever we do we cannot bring those people or places back. Currently, all types of schools are closed until Feb. 21. Universities switched to online education because the government decided to give college dorms and facilities See EARTHQUAKE Page 4
South Quad, accessibility and diversity: President Olian addresses campus concerns By KATIE LANGLEY News Editor
Quinnipiac University President Judy Olian sat down with student media on Feb. 13 to discuss her four-and-a-half years at the institution and answer questions about recent campus news, including the construction of the South Quad and plans to increase campus diversity, equity and inclusion. Here are the key topics Olian spoke about:
South Quad construction
Construction crews broke ground on the $293 million South Quad project earlier this winter after receiving final approval from the Hamden Planning and Zoning Commission on Dec. 13. Olian said the new 417-bed first-year residential hall, 142,000-square-foot general academic building and 80,000-squarefoot business school included in the South Quad plan will foster “cutting-edge” research and development. “When we think about buildings, we don’t think about brick-and-mortar walls,” Olian said. “We think of them as enablers. What is it that our students, faculty and staff are going to be able to do through the building that they couldn’t otherwise do.” However, the project was controversial among some Hamden residents, who expressed concerns about the initial rezoning of the Mount Carmel Campus for the South Quad initiative. Noting that the South Quad planning pro-
cess was “extensive and comprehensive,” Olian said the university was supported by the Hamden PZC. As Quinnipiac moves forward with its 10Year Master Facilities Plan, Olian emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive relationship with the Hamden community. “Let’s be clear, when we thrive, the town thrives, because we’re the biggest employer other than the government in town… and on top of that, all of the businesses in the town really enjoy the relationships that they have with the students, faculty and staff,” Olian said.
Accessibility concerns
Following coverage by the Chronicle revealing flaws in the university’s approach to accessibility, Olian said that she is focused on helping students with differing abilities succeed at Quinnipiac. However, Olian also said she recognizes that the path changes from the ongoing South Quad construction poses an accesssibility issue to some. She encouraged students with accessibility concerns pertaining to the new detours to reach out to the Office of Student Accessibility. “We need a bit of patience because this is a big project,” Olian said. “We’ll get there, and we want to minimize any forms of disruption. It’s all about students, including those who have special accommodations, so please let us know if there are any issues.” Olian also referred students to the Stu-
dent Accessibility Advisory Committee, which administrators committed to creating in November following a Student Government Association resolution calling on the university to audit the OSA. The committee is currently taking applications, according to MyQ, Quinnipiac’s student website.
Campus diversity
Olian also responded to questions about campus diversity, following the results of the Inclusive Excellence Survey, released on Dec. 6. Over 45% of student respondents to the survey said that campus is not diverse. The survey will help Quinnipiac “establish a baseline” for which to improve upon issues of diversity, Olian said. “I don’t think there’s any single initiative that will make us a more diverse campus,” Olian said. “It is all the little acts of kindness, of generosity, of pipeline development.” Olian added that the university is now reaching out to high schools in more diverse areas to recruit potential students and will continue to provide programming focused on diversity.
Diversity, equity and inclusion leadership
When asked about the departures of former Title IX coordinator Dennis Kwarteng and outgoing Vice President for Equity, Inclusion and Leadership Development Don Sawyer, Olian said that the turnover is not unusual, despite the appearance of instabil-
ity within the DEI staff. Kwarteng left his position at Title IX coordinator in January “for another professional opportunity” after three years in the role, according to a Jan. 10 email from Sawyer. Civil Rights and Title IX Investigator Sarah Hellyer is currently serving as the interim Title IX coordinator. Less than two weeks later, Olian announced in a Jan. 23 email to the university community that Sawyer will leave his current position in July to join Fairfield University after 11 years at Quinnipiac. Olian said during the interview that the university is conducting a “nationwide search” for a new DEI head. “We expect to get somebody who is going to be extremely qualified and continue the journey that I think has been very impactful towards building on the culture of inclusivity and continuing the internal commitment to that all across the university,” Olian said. “And remember, (DEI) starts with the leadership team, but it does not end with the leadership team.”
Supporting community members from Turkey and Syria
Following a Feb. 6 earthquake estimated
to have killed over 40,000 people in Turkey and Syria, Olian sent an email to the Quinnipiac community on Feb. 10, to share reSee OLIAN Page 2