The Quinnipiac Chronicle, Volume 96, Issue 15

Quinnipiac's Public Safety works on ensuring students safety amid recent national incidents

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Rabbi Reena Judd's tenure at Quinnipiac ends after 23 years

By RILEIGH LUTRUS Staff Writer

Stepping into Peter C. Herald House for Jewish Life, students are welcomed by Rabbi Reena Judd. She introduces herself and invites you in.

Judd has been Quinnipiac University’s Rabbi for the past 23 years. She entered campus with less than 10 Jewish students meeting every five weeks. Today, over 30 students of all religions go to the Herald House once a week. Judd prides herself on building a community of acceptance and open arms at Quinnipiac.

“I’ve worked really, really hard to try and keep that balance and make it that way for all the people that stop in,” Judd said.

“It’s the Jewish home on campus, but it’s not just for the Jewish students. It’s for anyone that finds it comfortable.”

Students come every week for Shabbat, bring new faces, leave with new friends, a new safe space and lots of free food.

“Coming to Quinnipiac, I didn’t really have much connection with my Judaism,” junior psychology major Delilah Papka said. “Despite not being the most religious person, Rabbi has always made me feel warm, happy and proud of my religion. I know I always have a home here. She has the most welcoming arms, the most beautiful heart and has created such a wonderful place, that I think, honestly made me love Quinnipiac.”

Judd has been a Rabbi for 33 years. Growing up, she was always close to her religion and knew, whatever her profession, Judaism had to be the main focus. She started her journey by moving to and living in Israel at 18.

The Israeli army requires all citizens to serve for 24 months and Judd was a member for three and a half years before finally saying, “I hate being told what to do.”

She then moved back to the U.S. with her first husband, got divorced and stayed to become a Rabbi.

“Becoming a Rabbi was my way of finding a life that the basic floor of it is Jewish,” Judd said.

She worked at two congregations for

five years in Mississippi and New York. After being told her contract wasn’t going to be renewed because she was “too much,” she found the job at Quinnipiac.

The Rabbi often referred to herself as “too much” and how her outspoken personality wasn’t liked by many people throughout her life. Judd said making people uncomfortable is her superpower.

“I don’t make you uncomfortable because you’re comfortable in yourself,” Judd said. “You have to be able to get along with your neighbor…I came to this conclusion of radical acceptance, you got to accept someone.”

MEET THE EDITORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alexandra Martinakova

MANAGING EDITOR

Gina Lorusso

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Emily Adorno

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Tyler Mignault

NEWS EDITOR

Ava Highland

OPINION EDITOR

Lillian Curtin

ASSOCIATE OPINION EDITOR

Joanna Farrell

ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

Sophie Murray

SPORTS EDITOR

Claire Frankland

ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITORS

Emily Marquis

Cooper Woodward

DESIGN EDITOR

Katerina Parizkova

ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR

Emily Katz

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Elisabeth McMahon

ASSOCIATE SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Taylor Huchro

MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION EDITOR

Quinn O’Neill

ASSOCIATE MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION EDITOR

Harper Ferraro

ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS

Ryley Lee

Lily Zahka

COPY EDITORS

Anthony Angelillo

Amanda Dronzek

Chloe Grant

The views expressed in The Chronicle’s opinion section are those of the respective authors. They do not reflect the views of The Chronicle as an organization.

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Public Safety takes steps to ensure students' safety in response to nationwide incidents

By ADRIANA CERBONE AND WILLOW SEIBOLD

In light of recent incidents occurring at other universities around the country, Quinnipiac University’s Department of Public Safety took precautions with safety policies at the start of the spring semester to ensure a secure campus and stress-free students.

On Dec. 13, two students were killed and one injured by a gunman at Brown University in Providence, R.I. — just 112 miles from Quinnipiac. With several national tragedies in mind, safety is the No. 1 priority across all three campuses at Quinnipiac.

In August, there was an emergency preparedness exercise that included local and state law enforcements.

“I feel very safe on campus but honestly sometimes it is too much,” Hailey

Webb, a first-year 3+1.5 occupational therapy major said. “It is a hassle to have people here that are not enrolled at Quinnipiac due to pub safety.”

Webb also expresses how it is hard to use Uber or Doordash since they only allow food delivery and driving services to go to the North Lot.

Webb explains how she would make small changes to the way campus safety works. Specifically, Webb wishes Hogan Lot could be open to Ubers and Doordash again, as it was in the past. The change was made earlier this academic year in an effort to keep students safe from dangerous conditions in and around the parking lot.

“It is really inconvenient to walk to North Lot to pick up food or get picked up especially in the cold,” she said.

She explained that working with college students was the best fit for her personality and career. Judd wasn’t seen as “too much” for college students. Students come to college to figure out who they are and who they want to be. Judd gave Quinnipiac students a place for learning and growth.

“By the time most adults become adults, you’re set in your ways. You have your opinions. It’s hard for people to even listen to opinions that are different from them, whereas in college, there is a hunger that’s there. That’s been what’s kept me engrossed in college life, because the students with whom I interact are students

Students expressed mixed views on the “overbearing” tactics of public safety officers. While students are confident in the safety on campus with Public Safety checking Q-cards and restricting visitors, this can also cause struggles with parking and guests.

“I feel like they do a great job at checking people in and making sure they go here or not,” sophomore Diagnostic Medical Sonography major Samantha Hartman said.

But there is something she would change.

“The one thing I would change about public safety is how strict they are with parking,” Hartman said. “I like how they are very concerned about who comes into the school but the students that have Qcards and proof they go here should not have a hard time especially on the weekends. Some of the public safety officers can be very harsh for no reason.”

Finding a balance that works for both the Quinnipiac community and safety officers is crucial for students’ accessibility to navigate easy parking on campus.

Jaymes Ippolito, a first-year marketing student, also noted how he feels safe on campus, but suggests more prominence of the blue light systems in case of emergency.

At other universities, the average number of blue light systems is 250-300, whereas Quinnipiac only has roughly 56.

The Mount Carmel, York Hill and North Haven Campuses maintain a strong presence to keep safe and happy students all over campus.

If a student has any safety related concerns, they may contact Chief Tony Reyes directly.

“ I've worked really, reall hard to try and keep that balance and make it that way for all the people that stop in.”

– Rabbi Reena Judd

who aren’t scared of me.”

Judd’s decision to leave Quinnipiac came from a place of love and time for change.

“I’m going to go into the rest of my life and sit in my backyard in my hot tub drinking margaritas,” she said.

Judd mentioned her new goal is to publish an autobiography she’s been writing throughout her life, titled “White By Default: A Rabbi’s Reflections on Race, Religion, and the Bible.”

The students of Quinnipiac are going to miss Rabbi Judd and her “too much” personality. “She means so much to everyone and she really touches everyone’s heart,” Leona Levin, student assistant for the herald house, said. “She’s so special, honest and kind. She will really do whatever she can to try and make you better in every way and I think that’s beautiful. I’m going to miss her a lot.”

Quinnipiac offers summer housing to students with internships for the second year

By MADELYN DURKEE Staff Writer

A program launched last year offering housing on Quinnipiac University’s campus for students with summer internships will return this year. Summer housing will be available to both Quinnipiac and nonQuinnipiac students from May 17 to Aug. 2.

“We did launch this last year to nonQuinnipiac students that were looking to stay on campus for the summer because they were doing internships with either one of our corporate partners or just another organization in the area,” Shannon LeGault, associate vice president for conferences and events, said.

The launch of the program last summer was a huge success.

“We wanted to start small and just make sure that we had all the processes and procedures in place and make sure that it would work well with the university,” LeGault said. “So, we did start with a small cohort of 11 that really enjoyed their stay here.”

She is hoping to expand the program this year and encourages more Quinnipiac students to take advantage of this opportunity.

“Quinnipiac students were allowed to stay last year as well, it just wasn’t largely promoted to them. So this year we are promoting it as one big program,” LeGault said.

Current Quinnipiac students will pay $320 per week to stay in The Hill suites on the Mount Carmel Campus while non-Quinnipiac students will pay $350 per week to stay on York Hill Campus in the Eastview suites for the duration of the program.

Although students will be living on separate campuses, LeGault has plans to host social events designed to bring the two communities together.

“We are also looking to build a little community between groups, so we are looking to set up a welcome reception or ice cream social, just so that everybody can get to know each other and so that they have that community while they are here for the summer,” LeGault said.

All students in the program will have access to free parking on campus, WiFi, the Library, the Recreation and Wellness center and all outdoor spaces for the duration of the summer.

“We are looking to continue to grow and

have more facilities open in the summer going forward,” LeGault said.

New this year, students will also have access to dining hall services for the month of July, when other groups, such as athletes on campus are not using them.

“But then also we have them in the Hill and Eastview specifically because of the kitchens,” LeGault said.

Some internships may require students to stay after Aug. 2, and while this program will end on that date, LeGault says Quinnipiac students would be able to stay on cam -

pus by requesting to move in early to their fall housing assignments.

“Unfortunately for the non-Quinnipiac students, the second is the latest that we are able to keep them at this point. That may change in future summers, but we obviously want to make sure that facilities have enough time to clean and make any repairs to all the dorms before the Quinnipiac students move back in for the fall semester,” LeGault said.

She is hoping to continue to expand the program in coming years as more students and organizations utilize this unique opportunity.

“We’ve shared the information with a lot of our corporate partners so that they know when they are recruiting people that they can also let them know about this opportunity in the hopes that they can hire people who aren’t from the area,” LeGault said.

For students from other states, this program could offer them a wider range of opportunities as they search for internships over the summer.

“Hopefully this gives them the opportunity to think even more broadly about the internships they are applying to, knowing that they can stay in the area,” LeGault said.

Applications for Summer 2026 are open now, and LeGault is looking forward to more students showing interest in the program.

“My goal is to have at least 30, I would love to see it get up to 50, but my goal is to get to 30,” LeGault said.

She hopes that as the program continues to grow and bring in more students from other areas, Quinnipiac will become a hub of activity and support for the student community year-round.

“Our goal is to get summer just as lively as the academic year,” LeGault said.

Association for Women in Sports Media makes a comeback at Quinnipiac

By CHLOE GRANT Copy Editor

The recently founded Women’s Sideline Society at Quinnipiac University has taken over the former chapter of the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM).

The now AWSM is a student organization on campus that strives to support and advocate for women with a strong interest in the sports industry across business, marketing, media, management, advertising, finance and more.

While the AWSM formerly had a home at Quinnipiac, the organization disbanded due to no longer having an advisor and enough e-board members to sustain the club. However with its recent takeover, the AWSM is back and better than ever.

“I hope that they can create a space for people at Quinnipiac to talk about their experiences and create support for one another,” said Brianna Trachtenburg, 3+1 graduate sports journalism student. “When I started, there were only three of us from my class that actively did student media for sports. Now it has grown significantly, and it’s because of the support we received from everyone around us that made us want to stay and do the same for the underclassmen.”

Sophomore 3+1 advertising major and founder of the organization, Maria Keegan shared some of the changes she and her team at the AWSM are hoping to enact with the takeover.

“I think in terms of change, I think I really want to emphasize community building,” Keegan said. “I really want to make it like it’s been, almost like a project in a way, where it’s not so much just with a club. It’s more of a community and like an organization.”

The national organization founded in 1987, is a non-profit that supports, advocates for and promotes the advancement of women in sports media roles including but not limited to journalists, broadcasters, and producers.

“It allows people to make connections

with other people working in sports. It also gives support to everyone and allows students to share their experiences,” Trachtenburg said.

With its chapter making a comeback on campus, Keegan and the rest of the AWSM e-board hope to provide the same for women at Quinnipiac.

“We have volunteering plans. We have leadership opportunities. We’re going to do a networking opportunity coming up with Tyler Brosious from the New York Islanders,” Keegan said. “So the transition has really been impactful to the organization in terms of opportunity… it’s great. And it goes back to, you know, supporting the girls the best we possibly can.”

According to the AWSM website, the organization works to promise and increase diversity in sports media through careerenhancement networking and mentoring initiatives similar to what Keegan and her team want to bring to Quinnipiac.

“I find so much joy in being and supporting, like the building grounds for a community that I feel so strongly passionate about,” Keegan said. “And although it is hectic and it is a big time commitment and a lot of work, I think it is so rewarding in every aspect.”

For more information or an interest in becoming a part of the Association for Women in Sports Media, their organization can be found on Bobcat Central, or on Instagram @awsm_quinnipiac.

By JOANNA FARRELL Associate Opinion Editor

ILLUSTRATIONBYKATERINAPARIZKOVA

I am outraged.

Opinion

They claim that immigrants are taking our jobs, don’t pay taxes and therefore, don’t contribute to our society. This has been disproven time and time again, but these people are like dogs with food aggression. You can’t take their bone.

GermanyNaziEven hadbystanders

I was outraged yesterday, and I will be outraged tomorrow. One thing I will not be is silent.

Another man has been killed, another child taken, more people have died in detention camps, if we can still morally call them that and unfortunately, we’re not even close to 2028.

Since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s administration, we have seen atrocity after atrocity, and if I can be candid with you, I am nervous to write this article. But as I always tell my friends and family, I didn’t choose to become a journalist to play footsy with the government.

Minneapolis has been a hotspot for ICE murders for the past month.

Every day, there is a headline about these undertrained, incompetent, power-hungry individuals.

They’re swarming people on the streets, questioning their immigration status with no justification other than the color of their skin. We live amongst them, breathing the same air, driving the same roads, living in fear, questioning who’s next.

Every day, we seem to be slipping further into a time and a country that I no longer recognize.

One of the reasons the Trump Administration has built so much support for ICE agents is by creating a feeling of “us” vs “them.”

On the ICE website, the careers page reads, “America has been invaded by criminals and predators. We need YOU to get them out.” Referring to immigrants as “criminals and predators” is a dangerous sentiment and one that seems to have found heart in some Americans. Trump has gone on record many times calling immigrants “animals.”

This is exactly the type of rhetoric that turns people against one another.

Dehumanizing immigrants makes it easier for ICE to systematically target them, because in their eyes, they’re not human. This also eases the mental load on the Make America Great Again cronies who support this because they don’t have to feel guilty watching innocent people get kidnapped and murdered in the streets every day.

I’m tired of tiptoeing around these subjects. Can we please just call a duck, a duck?

Every day, our country slips further and further into the fascist archetype of the 1940s. Quite frankly, I think the scariest thing about it is the fact that so many people can’t see it, or simply won’t.

People seemingly forget that there weren’t just two groups of people in Nazi Germany. It wasn’t just Nazis and people against Nazis. There were bystanders. People who said, “this doesn’t affect me,” who turned away and were complicit in the genocide of entire groups of people.

Don’t be the person that no one remembers; be the Miep Geis, be the Oskar Schindler, be someone that history wants to remember, not just another statistic of peo-

ple who did nothing.

ICE agents are actively seeking out people of color to question their immigration status.

In one case, a Minneapolis police chief spoke out about the profiling happening to offduty officers, every one of which was a person of color. Those here on visas are not safe, even though they have gone through all the required legalities. Countless victims have come forward about being targeted by ICE, regardless of the fact that they have every right to be here.

Sometimes they’re not even looking for immigrants but rather the people who sympathize with them, who, in their eyes, are just as bad.

I have no sympathy for ICE. Saying that they’re just following orders holds no water for me. The Gestapo was also just following orders.

I have been called extreme in the past for saying that we are closer to Nazi Germany than we are to the American Dream. I won’t hear it.

I am tired of being called names by MAGA because I don’t believe that people should be stuffed in the backs of vans and carted away to facilities that the government is keeping under wraps.

When’s the last time we’ve seen photos come out of Alligator Alcatraz?

In a current lawsuit against Alligator Alcatraz, detainees claim that their attorneys had to schedule appointments three days in advance and were often transferred to the next facility before their attorneys met with them. Sound familiar? Because it should to anyone with any historical competency.

So go ahead, call me every name in the book. I can’t be bothered to care what comes from the mouths of people who sit here and justify the murder of people going about their lives in the same way you and I do.

Major League Soccer is no longer the

‘big

dog’

in U.S. Soccer

By REX NAYLOR Staff Writer

Since 1996, Major League Soccer (MLS), has been the premier soccer league in the U.S. There has been little success for upcoming stars, nor has it been an option for players entering their prime. The MLS has the reputation of a “retirement league” for Europe’s elite players that wish to still earn millions.

On Jan. 27, plans for United Soccer League (USL) promotion and relegation (pro-rel) were confirmed for the 2028 season and beyond. This means the USL will be the first in the U.S. that will use the same domestic league system as the rest of the world.

This change is what American fans have been crying out for for years. A game in the bottom tier can be just as entertaining and important for a club’s livelihood as a match in the top tier, if not more.

The pro-rel system proposed would add USL Premier above the USL Championship, making the four leagues mirror the English Football Pyramid. This is no coincidence, as the USL hired Tony Scholes, the chief football officer at the Premier League, to oversee this process. Here’s how pro-rel works: The initial phase would have 12-14 teams in each of the leagues, having the top two go up, and the bottom two

go down. Once enough expansion teams have been added, each league will house 20 teams, with the top three going up, and the bottom three going down at the end of each season.

When an argument is made for U.S. soccer, the biggest obstacle it faces is the MLS not having pro-rel. This leads to many fans like myself supporting teams in England like Arsenal or Manchester. Even though the USL isn’t as large as the MLS, having pro-rel in the coming years does give it an edge over the MLS in the future.

Younger fans may prefer the pro-rel system to MLS, and seeing the community many of the USL teams create, they will be more incentivized to support a USL team in their city than an MLS team, or even a team in Europe.

The change to the system is expected to create higher stakes for teams, improve player development, deepen fan engagement, as well as international matches for certain premier teams. The change doesn’t directly affect the MLS, but it does create more competition in the future and forces their hand.

The success of the new system doesn’t seem to hinge on the USL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). On Dec. 31, the 2021 CBA expired, meaning the USL Players Association (USPLA) and the owners are at crossroads.

Even though the USL Championship and League One are professional leagues, the league minimum for League One players is $2,000 to $2,200 per month. These contracts

aren’t even full year, rather 10-month contracts leaving many players to pick up jobs on the side to make ends meet.

In an ESPN article, players are seeking fully provided healthcare, adequate training facilities and better pay making the league minimum a little more than $40,000. Players also wish to increase the revenue share for their image and likeness. The old CBA allowed the players association $25,000. Now the USLPA wants an increase to $600,000 which is on par with the PWHL. If the USL wishes to be taken seriously in the future, it starts with attracting good talent. Paying players that little does not accomplish that in any way, and even if USL executives don’t want to dig themselves a hole financially, it’s best to pay the players what they are worth.

If negotiations and expansions go well, the USL does have a shot at becoming the premier soccer league in the United States. It’s unlikely they financially surpass the MLS, however the USL gives a greater sense of community and genuine soccer to those interested.

It’s clear that many fans already prefer the USL to the MLS, and the pro-rel era in the U.S. has already begun. Now it’s in the hands of the players and executives of the league to make this system work and do more for U.S. soccer than what the MLS has in 30 years.

Opinion

Punxsutawney Phil is a fraud

America keeps letting him get away with it

By GINA LORUSSO Managing Editor

Every year on Feb. 2, Americans gather around their TVs to watch an immortal rodent crawl out of his hole and lie to the entire nation with absolutely zero consequences.

Punxsutawney Phil has been “predicting the weather” since 1887. This year, the “same” Punxsutawney Phil announced that there will be six more weeks of this terrible winter and everyone just believes him. Groundhogs only live for 6-14 years — this one is a fraud and sucks at his job.

There is no possible way people believe that this animal can, first of all, see his shadow, and then take his silent word about there being an early spring or six more weeks of winter. How do we even know he looked at his shadow?

Cut the cameras, it’s ridiculous.

“The Seer of Seers” who drinks the “elixir of life” is somehow expected to be taken seriously, as if we’re not talking about an animal being held up Simba style by men in top hats. He does nothing but exist and we accept his ancient wisdom. He probably doesn’t even know what the hell is going on and over 40,000 people went to see him last year.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the whimsical tale of Punxsutawney Phil, but

why are Americans believing a literal rodent over educated meteorologists and scientists who have degrees and data? These people dedicate their lives to studying weather prediction but get overshadowed every February.

There’s no way you can convince me that this groundhog has those same qualifications.

What makes matters worse is the complete lack of accountability. If Phil is wrong, nothing happens. He doesn’t go on an apology tour and give compensation for inconveniencing every American. But God forbid the meteorologist on the news is wrong — all the Facebook moms are hysterical, saying, “I hate that guy on Channel 8, he’s always wrong.” Blah, blah, blah.

Phil just recedes back to his hole after his 30 seconds of fame with his fat wife Phyllis and their bastard children, Sunny and Shadow. Don’t worry, Phil — us humans will go back to our salting and shoveling, wearing five layers of clothes to keep warm while you hibernate until your next

this point, Groundhog Day isn’t even a tradition — it’s a scam Americans participate in every year without fail. Somehow, despite all the logic and common sense we have today, the same crap will happen next year — Phil will come out, make his prediction, then we him again while a reliable system. watch next year and say “aww, he’s cute,” then be angry for the rest of the day because he’s nothing but a liar and a artist.

Dump situationships, date self-love

By CAROLINE ALLEN Contributing Writer

If you’ve yet to experience the gutwrenching game that is a “situationship,” you’re one of the lucky few. Simply put, a situationship occurs when two individuals are attracted to one another and enjoy each other's company for a short while, but aren’t interested in labels.

The most confusing situationships involve long , deep conversations, having a million things in common, romantic outings and gestures and passionate chemistry. Though they may start off fulfilling, the longer this behavior continues without promise of a future, the more emotional and mental damage is done. This is not a relationship. Do not confuse the two. You’re going on dates, but not dating. You're hanging out every day, but you are not together. Obviously.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it short, sweet and casual when both parties are in absolute agreement. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case, otherwise it wouldn’t be called a situationship. However, at what point do you either need to address your commitment issues or your inability to advocate for standards?

There is a common theme among our generation of avoiding serious relationships. Despite our apparent fear of commitment, we still seek connection and a situationship is the ploy used to get the validation we yearn for out of someone

without the strings. A “no labels” label used by fickle love bombers.

Most single people claiming they’re taking some time to work on themselves are looking for a simple excuse to ghost you and find their next infatuation. We’ve all heard the excuses: single people are just not ready to date. Or, perhaps the most popular excuse, they “need to work on themselves right now.” But do they actually?

Too often, we look for validation in other people. Even if we’re wary that the next romantic partner might not be willing to give us the comfort we’re looking for, we continue to ask for it. The situationship could let us down time after time and we still find a flaw within ourselves that needs fixing in order for them to stay.

As much as we may try to twist the game, there’s no way to guarantee your feelings will be reciprocated by someone. It doesn’t matter how long you wait to S nap chat them back, whose Instagram story you like, or how many times you pass them on the way to class. If they’re not giving you genuine effort from the beginning, no amount of straining on your part will change the way they feel.

It’s time we stop searching for comfort and validation in others. That need is what drives us to change ourselves to be liked and the fear of being without it is what pushes us to run away from someone when things get too comfortable.

We might never understand why a

relationship we thought was going well is short-lived. A partner leaving after they get what they want is beyond our control.

What we can control is our own mindset.

The first step to healing is to accept that independence is okay.

pretend dating really worth the emotional torment of never fully knowing where you stand with someone?

It may be easier to strive for a nonexistent standard, rather than real expectations. Once you let someone in, you open yourself up to possible disappointment or run the risk of letting a partner down if you can’t give them the honesty they deserve.

The feeling of being able to start fresh with a partner again and again is intoxicating. That first week of quality time getting to know someone while there aren’t any expectations is simple, and the implication of commitment afterwards is probably why so many people jump ship while they can still claim they “had no idea it was getting serious.”

This time, instead of entering the same cycle, it’s time to give it a break. Before wasting someone’s time with inconsistency, ask yourself what you’re hoping to get out of this relationship. Instead of hoping for approval from a partner, ensure that you’ve given yourself the validation you need beforehand. When we’re capable of giving ourselves the love we deserve, weeding out the addictions who will only set us back becomes all the more possible. Freedom from the situationship is what will eventually lead to a future true relationship. For now, let’s prioritize our own independent healing.

Arts & Life

finale, when the girls accept that they aren’t being rescued and their lack of food options becomes

‘YELLOWJACKETS’

TEENS LOTTIE AND SHAUNA ARE NOT MISUNDERSTOOD, JUST INSANE

The plot eats (pun intended). The acting is fantastic and the constant switching between timelines — the wilderness era in 1996 and the survivors’ adult lives 25 years later — is moderately entertaining. But holy shit, I’ve never hated two characters more.

Teens Lottie (Courtney Eaton) and Shauna

“Yellowjackets” teeters on the idea that the woods possess supernatural elements, but it never explicitly states it.

Lottie believes the wilderness, or “It,” controls the Yellowjackets’ fate, going full Jehovah’s Witness on the survivors.

Her visions fuel the events of the season one

At this moment, everyone is unknowingly tripping on psychedelic mushrooms, leading them to believe Travis (Kevin Alves), one of the surviving sons of the Yellowjackets’ head coach, is a stag. Lottie convinces the team to tie up my sexy Latino baby to a chair in the cabin, marking the show’s first hint towards cannibalism.

The girls start kissing Travis, slobbering all over him like he’s a piece of meat. It’s literally

Travis frees himself and runs into the woods. The Yellowjackets chase him down, restrain him like Jesus on the cross and shove a pinecone down his throat as they prepare to sacrifice him to the wilderness.

Natalie (Sophie Thatcher), A.K.A. mother, finds everyone and stops the mania. As a TravNat truther, I

After that night, I can’t fathom how Lottie remains a beacon of hope to anyone when she’s absolutely deranged.

“Oh, but Lottie’s mentally ill.”

So is half of America.

In season three, Lottie tells the group that they can’t ever go home because they “don’t belong there anymore,” and decides they should have a second hunt to satisfy “It.” I’m sorry, what?

For clarity, the Yellowjackets conceptualize hunts in season two to avoid starvation and appease the wilderness, randomly drawing cards until a survivor plucks the Queen. That person is then chased down and cannibalized, naturally.

Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t rant about Shauna. My sweet Rose Landry from “Heated Rivalry,” you are the worst person ever. The showwriters paint Shauna as a passive, insecure teen who faces insurmountable loss in the wilderness. While that is technically true — she loses and eats her best friend, Jackie (Ella Purnell), and births a stillborn — these events that make her a victim are self-inflicted.

Teen Shauna was screwing Jackie’s boyfriend, Jeff (Jack DePew), and wound up pregnant.

Jackie learns this through Shauna’s journal and protests by sleeping outside of the cabin in the dead of winter. Shocker, Jackie freezes to death and everyone pities poor pregnant Shauna, who, by the way, becomes the first to consume human flesh in the form of Jackie’s ear.

Fans admire Shauna because she’s brave enough to do what the others can’t; she’s the butcher. But instead of being disturbed by dismembering and priming bodies for consumption, Shauna embraces it.

I get it, you’re angry at the world and heavily traumatized. But I’ll interject by saying everyone in this show is pretty screwed up, too. Also, sleeping with your bestie’s boyfriend is a conscious choice.

By season three, Shauna’s lost it. She convinces the group that Coach Scott (Steven Krueger) burned down their cabin at the end of season two. The Yellowjackets hold him captive until Natalie mercy-kills him.

Lottie dethrones Natalie as Antler Queen and appoints Shauna, who forces Natalie to prepare Coach’s body for a feast. It’s truly Shauna’s wet, barbaric dream.

In the season three finale, a few Yellowjackets devise a plan before the hunt to rig the deck so Shauna’s newest slave, Hannah (Ashley Sutton), gets chosen.

Shauna catches on and positions herself so Mari (Alexa Barajas) winds up with the Queen and is mutilated via pit trap moments later. An apathetic Shauna demands that the others bring back Mari’s hair after barbecuing her body.

Are we deadass? This stone-cold bitch is so far removed from reality — she doesn’t even want to be rescued — that she needs a damn trophy. I’m not saying everyone in this show is a saint, but they sure as hell weren’t licking their lips while committing murder.

I don’t understand why the rest of the Yellowjackets give either of these girls the time of day instead of cooking their asses. I hope I pull the Queen next, because I’d rather die than see what egregious shit Lottie and Shauna do to this team in season four.

Overconsumption microtrends keep popping up and TikTok is to blame

By JOANNA FARRELL Associate Opinion Editor

Microtrends. They seem to be on everyone’s mind. Whether it be the clean girl aesthetic, messy girl aesthetic, Y2K, Booktok, you name it; there’s a microtrend somewhere on the internet that people are emptying their bank accounts to fit into.

Sure, you can buy an aesthetic. You can buy clothes that make you fit into a box. With online stores like Shein and Amazon, the opportunities are endless. Like with cheap clothes to fill your closet or books that you’ll never touch that sit on your shelves to make you look more learned.

I can’t lie; I fall into these trends with every late-night doomscroll as I attempt to reclaim my time spent during the day on school and work. I’ve bought all the protein snacks, the tiny Y2K glasses and a multitude of beauty products that were once the big thing on TikTok and I just had to have them.

But how many microtrends end up rotting at the back of your closet, or products left to expire on your shelf because you can’t use them before the next microtrend pops up that needs you to buy into it?

Overconsumption seems to be the norm for our generation, and one trend sticks out among

the rest. Hygienetok.

Hygienetok seems to be a product of the clean girl trend that has been flooding For You Pages for the past couple of years. Videos showcasing elaborate 10-step shower routines often feature

washes, a body scrub, some combination of expensive hair care products and an evergrowing number of body lotions and oils to use after the shower.

The creators of these videos treat this as

The average person uses one body wash, maybe a scrub, shampoo, conditioner and possibly a lotion after.

Now this isn’t to say that hygiene is bad, or that having a multi-step shower routine or expensive hair care means that you have succumbed to some sort of evil corporate scheme. This is more to say that we should really only buy products we plan to use.

If you are buying something because it’s trending on TikTok, check your shelf and see how many lotions and body sprays you have stacked up from the last Bath and Body Works mega sale. Or how many TikTok microtrends you bought into to use once and never touch again?

A part of being a conscious consumer is recognizing when a trend has gone too far, and this trend is one of them. It’s making ordinary people like you and I feel dirty for taking a normal shower without having an array of options to choose from.

In the age of social media, trends spread like wildfire, and it can be hard to keep up when the “next best thing” is just a scroll away, both mentally and financially. Don’t stress yourself or your wallet this year trying to keep up with the trends. You and your shower routine are fine just the way they are.

A championship built on culture

Super Bowl LX is where narratives end and legacies begin

By ANTHONY ANGELILLO Copy Editor

Eleven years after their last Super Bowl meeting changed NFL history, the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are back on the same stage with a new cast and equal stakes.

Super Bowl LX kicks off Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET in Santa Clara, Calif. with Bad Bunny headlining the halftime show.

A few months ago, it seemed impossible for either team to make it this far. Both started the season with 60-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, and New England’s odds went up to 120-1 after Week 3.

In September, both teams were projected to win 8-9 games. Their Super Bowl odds reflected doubt. New England was +8000, with Seattle holding a slight edge at +6000, suggesting neither was expected to even reach the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl.

However, the season itself revealed a different reality. Both teams played their best football down the stretch and carried that edge into January.

New England beat the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3, handled the Houston Texans 28-16 and then survived the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC title game. Seattle earned the No. 1 seed, crushed the San Francisco 49ers 41-6, then outlasted the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 to take the NFC.

Both teams couldn’t have arrived in Santa Clara any differently. The Patriots soared from consecutive 4-13 seasons to 14-3

behind new head coach Mike Vrabel and second-year quarterback Drake Maye. The rebuild was quicker than many expected.

Vrabel’s tenure with the Tennessee Titans ended abruptly, paving the way for his move to New England, where he could become the first to win a Super Bowl as both a player and head coach with the same franchise.

Seattle, on the other hand, feels like a team that decided to stop waiting for the “right” time.

Mike Macdonald took over as a firstyear head coach in 2024, replacing longtime Seattle head coach Pete Caroll.

Macdonald led the Baltimore Ravens to the league's best-ranked defense and has now transformed the Seahawks’ defense into the modern rendition of the Legion of Boom.

The quarterbacks have also taken opposite paths. Seattle signed Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million deal to replace Geno Smith after years of being labeled a bust. Now Darnold is one win away from changing that narrative.

On the other side, Maye has emerged as the new face of the Patriots. He has been calm under pressure, clutch in the playoffs and wise enough to trust his coaches rather than force perfection.

Both teams finished with top-five offenses and defenses. In the NFC Championship game, Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns, and Seattle won late with a red-zone fourth-down stop that matched the identity the team has built all season.

The Patriots have let their defense thrive

on chaos — from six sacks and 207 yards allowed against the Chargers to four firsthalf interceptions against the Texans.

In the AFC title game, New England won in ugly fashion. Its run game took over the offense in the snow, with no big passes needed. Then, the Patriots’ defense sealed the win with an interception that set up Maye’s game-icing scramble.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who tore his ACL in October 2024, signed with New England in 2025 and is now playing in his first Super Bowl. Young playmakers like wide receiver Kayshon Boutte have been clutch, including a one-handed 32-yard touchdown.

players who refuse to let plays die. Running back Kenneth Walker III doesn’t stay down and fights for every yard, including three rushing touchdowns in the divisional round.

finalist, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is arguably the best receiver in the game, turning short throws into first downs without needing a perfect play call. JSN delivered a 10-catch, 153-yard day in the NFC title game, making unbelievable catches to help send an unbelievable team to the grandest stage. History weighs heavily. These rosters bear no resemblance to 2015, but Seattle still remembers the 28-24 goal-line heartbreak. A win here delivers its second title and erases the ghosts.

New England has its own legacy at stake. The Patriots already have six Super Bowl wins, and a victory here would give them a record-breaking seventh, built around Vrabel

When words hurt and healing starts, family dynamics become a test of love

By ANTHONY ANGELILLO Copy Editor

I used to believe that family was something you either had or didn’t.

Now, I see it as something you shape, break, heal and rebuild.

Some days it’s laughter at dinner, other days, it’s a deep breath before answering a call, remembering how quickly words can become wounds.

Families carry history and habits. When stress hits, communication gets messy and emotions run high, making it harder to listen and easier to react.

That’s not an excuse, but it explains why people who love each other still fight in ways that feel personal.

My relationship with my dad has always been up and down. The hardest part wasn’t the arguing, but the realization that he didn’t understand how much his words impacted those closest to him.

Our fights sometimes pushed me into panic, with my body hitting a wall before my brain could catch up.

Health experts describe panic attacks as sudden bursts of intense fear with physical symptoms, matching those moments.

In 2024, I received a diagnosis after years of struggling with conditions related to focus, mood, physical sensations and trauma.

It didn’t solve my relationship with my dad overnight, but it gave me hope about what was happening and a way to separate feelings from identity. Progress was possible if we both worked on it.

An argument usually follows days of silence.

This past weekend, we got into a disagreement over how to handle the snowstorm.

He didn’t wait. He took responsibility after everything was said. Even when I said things I wish I could take back, he kept his composure.

I don’t pretend our relationship is perfect, but I am so proud of him for evolving and showing real change.

My mom has been the steady figure in my life. She’s the person I call when my mind runs too fast, because she knows how to slow the moment down. I am lucky my closest support is only a few doors down.

Research shows that frequent contact

We fought verbally and physically, and I know it hurt my parents.

After my recent struggles, I started doing my part differently. I stopped treating every disagreement like a battle and chose peace over being right.

Long-term sibling bonds shape well-being across a lifetime, making it worth protecting rather than feeding old patterns.

We still have different personalities, but there’s no more fighting. We haven’t had a true blowup in almost two years, which shows significant growth.

My grandparents formed my understanding of care. I knew six grandparents, and though two have passed in

recent years, those relationships still guide how I love people.

I’m especially close with my Nana, who's dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia.

Spending time with her brings me joy. I don’t do it just to keep her occupied, but because being present honors who she’s always been, especially as she adjusts to life without my Papa.

The Alzheimer's Association notes that meaningful activities improve quality of life and reduce distress. That is why moments like music, photos and common routines matter.

My grandparents on my mom's side have faced medical issues, but they keep fighting. Recently, they’ve shown improvement, which feels hopeful after seeing their struggles.

The passing of my Grandpa Louie pulled me closer to my Mar Mar. She’s easy to talk to, and though we don’t see each other as much, dinner with her brings life to the table. She’s calm, steady and makes a normal meal seem like something you shouldn’t rush.

My half-brother Josh and I have never been as close as I once wanted, but my four nephews keep that connection alive.

They show me that family bonds are simply attending games, holidays and a relationship that stays present enough to matter.

That’s why the best version of my family life is the one I keep building in real time.

With accountability, patience and love, nothing will stop me from caring about the people who raised me, challenged me and held me together, because no matter how complicated our story gets, they are still my family, and I will keep loving them.

Thanks to Courtney Cook ‘we're all just livin’

By

I genuinely believe you must be living under a rock if you’ve never seen or heard of the viral TikToker Courtney Cook.

This woman is pure joy to watch, and that’s exactly why people can’t look away.

Cook lives in Georgia with her husband and four kids and works as an English teacher. You probably know her for her crazy food combinations, and her unusual obsession with onion cups. If none of that rings a bell, chances are she’ll be popping up on your For You page very soon.

With 2.9 million followers on TikTok, Cook has built a massive and devoted audience.

And I can proudly say, I am part of said audience.

Beyond her unconventional food combos, there’s something about her that draws people in.

She’s chill, carefree and genuinely fun to watch.

Her most famous snack has to be her sweet potato. Often eaten right at her classroom desk for lunch, Cook will pull out an entire baked sweet potato, peel back the top

and shove a slice of butterkäse cheese down the middle and go to town. More often than not, she’s also topping it with a disturbing amount of mayo. But hey, she’s “just livin.’”

Onion cups are another of her signature obsessions. Most notably, she likes to pair her onion cups with soup dumplings. She lays the onion cup under the dumpling and then doctors it up like there's no tomorrow. Soy sauce, chili oil, Korean barbecue sauce and mayo.

I loved her earlier videos, too. For lunch at school, she’d make a ploughman's lunch, which is a British cold meal. It consists of bread, cheese, whole green onions and this British chutney called Branston Pickle,

which she so casually pulls out from her work fridge.

Cook has a clear obsession with British culture as well. She teaches British literature to high school seniors and has challenged herself to make a Sunday British roast dinner for a full year.

At first, it’s sort of shocking to watch a creator sit down at their work desk at 7:30 a.m., pull out a container of soy sauce marinated eggs, top them with a heap of mayo, dip them into crunchy onions and then wash it down with whole green onions.

But it’s also so alluring.

And yet, there’s so much more to why everyone is so captivated by her.

It’s three words: no food guilt. In a world fueled by food guilt, especially for women, being told to track your calories and to feel bad about the foods you eat is exhausting. I hate watching influencers' “What I Eat in a Day,” and it’s filled with absolute nonsense and food

It is so refreshing to see a woman online unapologetically eat literally whatever she wants. Piling

condiments onto her food? Eating her Weetabix dipped in chocolate at 7 a.m.? No commentary needed. She just eats and enjoys it.

Every time she takes a bite of her food, her eyes get so wide, she does a little head tilt and just smiles. She reminds us that food isn’t something to fear. It’s for comfort, for pleasure and for fuel.

Even when she piles a concerning amount of mayo onto her onion cup soup dumplings, she always follows with her classic line, “we’re just livin.’” And that is exactly what everyone should take away from Cook. Why live your life constantly worrying about what you eat, when you could just be enjoying the foods you love?

At the end of the day, Cook isn’t just entertaining because she eats weird food combos, but because she shows that it’s possible to live life guilt-free. In a world that tries to tell us how to eat, her videos are reminders to find joy in the simplest moments, like cheese-stuffed sweet potatoes. That’s the Courtney Cook effect: guilt-free, laid back and unapologetically real.

Honestly, the internet could use way more of that. So go get yourself some onion cups, sweet potatoes and mayo.

Who will take home football's most prestigious awards?

By COOPER WOODWARD Associate Sports Editor

As the calendar turns to February, a celebration of excellence begins for the National Football League. For one, you have the Super Bowl, an annual game between the National Football Conference and American Football Conference to determine who is the best team in the NFL.

A few days before the biggest night of the season, the league's best gather at a local theater to celebrate the greats of the past season in an event known as the NFL honors.

The 15th annual ceremony promises to do just that in a show full of star power, new faces and all the potential in the world.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

This year’s MVP debate quickly boiled down to a horse race between New England Patriots QB Drake Maye and Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford. Despite being nominated for the same award and having similar statlines, the two could not be more different.

Maye is in year two. Stafford is in year 16. Maye is 23. Stafford is 37.

Stafford’s year has been nothing short of electrifying. The former Detroit Lion led the league with 4,707 passing yards, and 46 passing touchdowns. He also has two pro bowlers to throw to. It’s a system designed by Rams head coach Sean McVay to succeed. If you put Maye into that system, the Super Bowl would be a foregone conclusion.

But Maye isn’t in that system, and he is in the Super Bowl.

Say all you will about the “easy” schedule the Patriots had in the 2025-26 season but in

his second season as an NFL QB, Maye led his team to the biggest stage in the game. If it weren’t for him, the Patriots would be long out of postseason contention. It’s for that reason I believe Maye to be the MVP.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

While the nominees are filled with greatness on the offensive side of the ball, one truly stands out amongst the field. Who?

The 5’11 brute anchoring the backfield of the San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffery.

With the 49ers attack being severely banged up and injured, head coach Kyle Shanahan made McCaffery the focal point of the offense. And it worked.

McCaffery not only recorded over 1,000 rushing yards for the second time in his career, he came 76 yards shy of 1,000 receiving yards for the second time in his career. Not to mention his 10 touchdowns led the team.

As much as I want to call this a forgone conclusion, the NFL loves to give awards to QBs, which this category is full of.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

While the offensive side of the ball is in question, the defensive side is not. Cleveland Browns defensive end taking home his second defensive player of the year award is all but certain. Why? He broke the single season sack record which was held for over 25 years by Michael Strahan. All due respect to the other men nominated for the award, but this shouldn’t be close.

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

In similar fashion to the previous award,

Season two of ‘ Percy Jackson and the Olympians ’ was golden

By LILLIAN CURTIN Opinion Editor

The second season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” exceeded my expectations to say the least. I didn’t think that was even possible with how the first one went.

Season one came out in my first year of college, I’m now in my third and final year and my love for the series clearly hasn’t changed. It’s the same love I had as a kid with the books and movies.

Yes, we all know the movies weren’t the best adaptations. But, sue me, I still loved them just the same. No matter how good the show is, it will never have the lotus flower scene that I think of every time I enter the casino or hear “Poker Face,” by Lady Gaga.

Luckily, they’ve already filmed the third season, and said it would be released this year. There’s an obvious gap between the two seasons out now, mostly due to reasons like the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

The jump between the first and second seasons is clear. Walker Scobell, who stars as Percy Jackson, was 13 years old when the first season was filmed, and 16 when the second one was filmed.

A lot changes physically for a teenage boy between those ages. So, when Percy

appears to be more like an adult, it’s a little hard to imagine the character as the 13-year-old he’s supposed to be.

It’s obviously not Scobell’s fault. He’s doing an amazing job and I can’t imagine Percy has anyone else anymore (sorry, Logan Lerman. No hard feelings. I’d still be your controversially younger girlfriend if you asked). It’s just hard for the audience to

understand the fact that a 13-year-old child is going through all of this.

It makes it that much more devastating. He’s constantly fighting for his life while also growing up. Plus, and maybe this is just because I’m a momma’s girl, but it makes me really sad thinking about the fact that he’s been separated from his mom, the only person who’s ever raised him and been there for him through everything, at such a young and vulnerable age for even a

I’m glad we actually got to see a bit of Percy’s anxiety about losing his mom again in the last episode. He has to talk his mom, Sally (Virginia Kull), out of going with him and the others to camp, right before the battle with Luke (Charlie Bushnell). He reminds her that that’s where he watched a minotaur nearly kill her. Little moments like this remind us that these demigods are also children of humans, not just the children of gods.

I do wish Percy was a little bit sassier than he was this season, like how he was in season one. With that being said, I go back and forth with this, because I think it’s a good representation of how this life has taken a toll on him, but I also

We see it in bits and pieces, like

when he rips the cloak off of Kronos (Nick Boraine), and being a little instigator to Luke. Honestly, no wonder Luke dropped his sword and beat the hell out of Percy. Percy’s personality is most likely only going to get darker. If you’re just a show watcher, I’d stop reading from here because I’m about to potentially spoil season three for you.

Season three is going to be an adaptation of the third book, “The Titan's Curse.”

Despite it being a slow burn, we saw that Percy is not messing around when it comes to Annabeth (Leah Jeffries) this season. If the scene where she’s hurt by the cyclops is any foreshadowing of how we’re going to see Percy when she’s kidnapped, everyone better duck and cover.

I know people weren’t happy with how the writers portrayed “Percebeth” this season, but they can all shut up, respectfully. I loved every minute of it. No, we didn’t get the hydrokinesis scene, but I don’t care. They made up for literally any miss from the book with the “I’d burn it all down” scene.

This season was everything I pictured and more. I’ll be sitting here rereading the books, rewatching movies and the show while waiting for season three. I have zero doubts that it’s going to be just as good, if not better, than the first two.

Max Kepler's PED usage benefits those kept out of the Hall of Fame

By CAYDEN STEWART Staff Writer

Max Kepler’s one year-long tenure with the Philadelphia Phillies was nothing more than a disappointment. After a promising start to last season, Kepler’s batting numbers fell off so far that most fans were calling for the typically reliable veteran’s release.

From May to July, the left fielder put up a sub-.200 batting average, sinking his avg. for the season to .200 flat after the first series in August.

Kepler had by far his best month of the season after that series, hitting .273 with a handful of RBIs and respectable metrics all around. Not great, but not mid-season release worthy either.

Most fans chalked it up to a veteran figuring out a problem, and maybe coming back to life. Nobody expected, or maybe even thought to consider the possibility he may have had some extra help.

On Jan. 9, Kepler was handed an 80game suspension for using Epitrenbolone, a prohibited performance-enhancing drug (PED). Many were shocked at this news revelation as Kepler had struggled to get going all season. Even after his August jump, he fell to a .228 average in September, begging the question of whether or not his steroid usage really benefited him all that much?

This is a question which has plagued MLB fans for years, and less than two

weeks later, a controversial MLB Hall of Fame class was released. Controversial because of the names left out, including 14-time All-Star and three-time MVP Alex Rodriguez.

The reasoning behind his absence in the HOF has been well documented over the last two decades, as it stems from admitted PED use from 2001-2003. Additionally, Rodriguez isn't even the most noteworthy 14-time All-Star missing from Cooperstown left out, as former left fielder Barry Bonds has also been kept out of the HOF due to steroid usage.

The problem with both of these absences, and others such as legendary pitcher Roger Clemens, stems from the misconception that steroids are an automatic GOATification option and that players weren’t HOF worthy before using.

In Kepler’s case, using steroids failed to get him even close to his career high totals in most metrics, including home runs (twice as many in 2019) and batting average (44 points higher in 2023). Kepler also struggled in the outfield and became a defensive liability, which may be attributed to a heavier mass with the muscle gain from PEDs.

On the other hand, Bonds and Rodriguez had some of their best seasons before ever coming into contact with steroids. Bonds earned three MVPs and finished runner up once years before he

is believed to have begun taking steroids; after the 1998 season.

MVP runner-up, four All-Stars, and four Silver Sluggers in his five full seasons with Seattle before beginning to use in 2001

It is also important to note that steroids don’t affect plate discipline, where Bonds shined the most. Bonds led the league in walks five times and intentional walks for six consecutive seasons before 1999, making him one of the most feared hitters of all time even

and Rodriguez also led the league in stats such as wins above replacement, hits, batting average and runs batted in in their confirmed years pre-steroids. Interestingly enough, Bonds especially sees a major decrease in defensive production after beginning his usage.

After being awarded eight gold gloves in his nine seasons leading up to 1999, Bonds failed to even earn one in the nine years that followed. Bonds’ stolen base totals also plummeted while using steroids, going from 38 per 162 games all the way down to 10 in the same 162-game average.

Max Kepler’s lack of real production while using steroids goes to show that the drug itself isn't what makes a player great while using them.

The players who are deemed not worthy of the HOF because of steroid usage almost always have proven track records before their years on PEDs. It is necessary for the misconception that steroids are an automatic career fixer to be thrown away, and for players like Bonds, Rodriguez and more to have their HOF cases revisited.

Felicia Frank records career high saves for second time this season

By CLAIRE FRANKLAND Sports Editor

Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey sophomore goaltender Felicia Frank has been red-hot for the Bobcats this season, recording her careerhigh in saves for the second time against Cornell on Jan. 24.

Last season, Frank only appeared in 10 games, recording a .947 save percentage. In only three of those matchups, she remained in the crease for a full 60 minutes of action.

The Falkoping, Sweden native first broke her career high in saves on Dec. 5 against the Cornell Big Red in a 3-0 Bobcat victory, recording 34 saves on the contest.

A little over a month later, the Big Red traveled down to Hamden, only for Frank to break her previous career saves record in a 4-0 victory, recording 39 on the night.

“Honestly, just go with the flow and stay calm. That’s all I have in my head,” Frank said after the win against Cornell.

This season, Frank has played in 30 games, as of publication, starting 29 of them, tallying 709 saves for a .945 save percentage. She leads the nation in shutouts with eight and was named ECAC Goalie of the Week twice.

‘We're really excited to get on the mat and show everyone what we've been working on’

Acrobatics and Tumbling ready to get things started ahead of the 2026 season

By CLAIRE FRANKALND Sports Editor

Quinnipiac Acrobatics and Tumbling has long been a dominant force in the world of Acrobatics and Tumbling, being one of the few universities in the nation to have a program.

This year is unlike any for the program and sport as a whole, as the Bobcats enter

ing the toss, tumble and team rounds. Despite falling out in the semifinal round, the Bobcats would take home two NCATA Individual Event awards in the six-element acro and trio tumbling events. Quinnipiac will see the return of its trio tumbling event winners this season, consisting of senior base/tumbler Emily St. Onge, graduate student top/tumbler Kathryn Cooker and soph-

same thing obviously we cared about detail but there’s an emphasis on it here.”

Entering her 29th year as head coach of the program at Quinnipiac, Powers has been a pioneer in the development of the sport at the collegiate level and Quinnipiac.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP STATUS

Yet, this season in Acrobatics and Tuming, as the NCAA elevated the sport to

ing it through, from beginning to end, right through, you know, a lawsuit and appeals and making sure that we did the best thing possible to provide opportunities, genuine opportunities, for women in this sport where

tics and competitive cheer, a lot of athletes didn’t have a place to go, and now versities

dreds of women a year to step forward and participate at the (Division) I, (Division) II

While the first championship won’t take butes part of the success of the sport to all the athletes who have pushed and adapted to change in the ing their way back to the mat

neered a sport, they saw it through many, many milestones,” Powers said. “Changes in game play, changes in scoring, changes in how they were scored. These kids stayed with the course. And I think what I love the most is that so many of the best coaches in Acrobatics and Tumbling are

The Bobcats den on Feb. 9 against the Gannon Golden Knights. The meet

“We’re really excited to get on the mat and show everyone what we’ve been

What to look out for with Quinnipiac men's ice hockey's final stretch of conference play

By CLAIRE FRANKLAND Sports Editor

The final stretch is sometimes the most important part of the journey, especially in sports. Teams can start off super strong, yet by the end of the season, begin to slip off their peak. Alternatively, teams can start a season horribly, getting repeatedly slammed, yet pull their game together to finish strong.

For Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey, in the final stretch of ECAC play, it needs to remain strong. How? The Bobcats must build on their strong points while cleaning up the weak spots in their game.

SCHEDULE

The Bobcats started conference play in quite an unusual way for head coach Rand Pecknold’s squad, coming up short against the Yale Bulldogs.

The Bobcats, who had a 17-game win streak dangling over the Bulldogs’ heads, would walk out of Ingalls Rink with a 4-2 loss, losing their opening game of conference play for the third consecutive season.

Since that loss, the Bobcats have held strong in ECAC play, posting a 11-2-1 record. Additionally, they hold an overall record of 20-5-3, dismantling several ranked opponents along the way, such as Boston College, Boston University and the University of Maine.

Quinnipiac ran on a seven game win streak in conference play before losing to Clarkson in a shootout, a squad it beat earlier in the season 4-1.

In the final stretch of play, Quinnipiac will face off against Brown, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Colgate, Dartmouth and Harvard.

While the Bobcats have had victories this season against the majority of the teams they will face off against, they need to seek revenge against

Yale in the infamous “Beat Yale” game to assert their dominance over the conference.

Additionally, the Bobcats are yet to face off against the nationally ranked Princeton Tigers, who currently sit fifth in the ECAC. Quinnipiac will play its two conference games against the Tigers on Feb. 14 and 15.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Quinnipiac has seen astounding production from its freshmen class this season, with three freshman landing in the top five point totals of the squad: forwards Ethan Wyttenbach, Markus Vidicek and Antonin Verrault.

Since stepping into Hamden, Wyttenbach has taken Bobcat hockey by storm. As of Feb. 2, he leads the team in points at 41, coming off 15 goals and 26 assists (a category in which he also leads the team).

The Roslyn, N.Y. native knows how to per form in college puck, with clean, sharp passing, quick decision making and readability of the play. Not to mention, he isn’t afraid to use his body to battle for the puck.

“There’s a lot of players at our level that create a lot of offense, create a lot of scoring chances. And then he’s got that next gear and has that abil ity to finish those chances,” Pecknold said on Jan. 23. “He’s just next level, not just with goal scor ing, but the passes and timing.”

Wyttenbach’s strong start at Quinnipiac has earned him Rookie of the Week three times and Rookie of the Month during November, while further earning a Hobey Baker award nomination. With the final two freshmen on fire, we have Vidicek and Verreault, both coming out of the CHL.

Vidicek sits third in points for the Bobcats with 27, coming off 16 goals (tied for first on the squad with sopho-

more forward Chris Pelosi) and 11 assists. The Montreal, Quebec native was honored as Rookie of the Week on Oct. 27. Verreault follows him with 27 points on nine goals and 18 assists.

Vidicek and Verreault share common characteristics in their play style, knowing how to generate play and finish at the same time. Their way of seeing the ice and speed at doing so makes them valuable assets to Quinnipiac’s squad.

SCORESHEET

Looking at the score sheets, there are a few outstanding aspects of Quinnipiac’s play worth noting.

ing Union, Harvard, Dartmouth, Sacred Heart, Merrimack, Boston University, New Hampshire and Boston College placing above them.

The Bobcats also average 3.6 penalties a game, a number that should drop slightly, but compared to their opposition’s 4.6 penalties per game isn’t horrible.

Moreover, looking at Quinnipiac’s ability to finish on the power play, it has only found itself finding the back of the net 27 times on 130 opportunities, opportunities the Bobcats need to capitalize on going forward.

With hopes of winning the ECAC for the first time in a decade and punching its

TYLERMIGNAULT/CHRONICLE

Planning for Lake Placid: How women's ice hockey can win the ECAC

By EMILY MARQUIS Associate Sports Editor

Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey returns to a familiar position in its final stretch of the regular season: fighting for the top spot in the ECAC standings. The Bobcats are pushing for more than just the highest seed in the conference tournament — they’re trying to win the ECAC championship for the first time since 2016 and return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2023.

However, with equally talented teams at the top of the conference, the Bobcats’ road to Lake Placid, N.Y., will be anything but easy. Success in the ECAC playoffs will be dependent on a few key facets.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Quinnipiac’s special teams are both the squad’s biggest weakness and its greatest strength.

On the offensive end, the Bobcat power play has faced its fair share of struggles in execution. Inconsistency has been the name of the game, with the Bobcats enduring many multi-game scoreless streaks on the man-advantage.

After a stretch of stability in the middle of January, it appeared the power play problems were beginning to subside. In a Jan. 23 contest against Colgate, head coach Cass Turner praised the development of the squad’s powerplay.

“There’s been a lot of games where they’ve created some really good chances,” Turner said.

But after the four-game scoring streak ended at the hands of Cornell the following night, the question remains. Will the Bobcats be able to find that special team stride in time for playoffs?

A strong power play has been a key to success

in the ECAC tournament, with each of the last four champions boasting a top five powerplay by the regular season’s end. As of publication, Quinnipiac’s powerplay percentage is 0.165, good for a mere ninth-best in the conference.

Conversely, the Bobcat penalty kill has been one of the strongest in the nation, only allowing seven goals on the opposing man-advantage.

Maintaining that 90% success rate on the penalty kill is essential for the Bobcats success. In games where Quinnipiac has allowed the opponents’ power play to get on the board, the Bobcats are 2-4. Comparatively, Quinnipiac is 19-2-3 when the op posing team fails to capitalize with the man-advantage.

“There’s real depth on our PK,” head coach Cass Turner said on Oct. 24.

Even three months later, the sen timent still rings true. The depth of the penalty kill, and its ability to swing momentum in the Bobcats’ favor with crucial stops, is an undeniable key to going far into this tournament.

Speaking of crucial stops, you would be re the Bobcats’ best penalty killer: sophomore goaltender Feli- cia Frank. The sophomore goaltender out of Falkoping, Sweden, has proved to be a standout this season. Her nationally ranked statistics speak for themselves, and there have been multiple

games where a well-timed flash of the glove has been the difference between going home empty-handed and squeaking out a game with a couple of points in ECAC standings.

“She’s been the backbone of our team this year,” sophomore defenseman Makayla Watson said on Jan. 23.

Her performance against Clarkson on Nov. 8 showcases how Frank can drag the Bobcats’ back from the brink of total defeat. Despite Quinnipiac not scoring a single goal through the entirety of regulation or overtime, Frank’s 32 save performance pushed the game to the unofficial shootout, earning 1.5 points in conference standings in spite of the abysmal offensive output.

“She has so much poise and confidence,” Turner said after the Nov.

Frank has been the workhorse for this team in more than just the magnitude of saves. She has the most starts of any goaltender in the conference at 29, starting all but one of the Bobcats games so far this season, and her stats back up choice to run the hot hand.

tory says the choice to keep Frank could be a fruitful one.

Out of the last four ECAC championship winning teams, two decided to run their starting goaltender for every game of the tournament, with a third only utilizing their backup once.

Her reliability in the crease opens the door for her teammates to make plays they wouldn’t otherwise try, which will become crucial for the Bobcats final key to winning the ECAC.

DEFENSIVE SCORING

It’s easy to see a team as talented as the Bobcats and gravitate toward the offensive flash. Quinnipiac’s leading goal-scorer, junior forward Kahlen Lamarche, is on the cusp of breaking the Bobcat’s single season goal record and is second in the nation in goal-scoring.

Her linemates, forwards graduate student Laurence Frenette and senior Tessa Holk, stacked the top line for much of the season. Quinnipiac’s offensive identity was clear — let the top-flight talent thrive together.

But running an offense through a single line is a recipe for disaster in the long run. Once teams begin to catch on, neutralizing top-scorers, no matter how talented, is just a matter of time.

The key adjustment here? Getting the defense involved in scoring. That comes with trust, both in Frank and the forward core, to cover for the blue line if they get caught in the offensive zone.

“I feel safe when I can go, and I trust that someone will cover back,” sophomore defender Ella Sennick said on Jan. 23. “(Which is) why we have so many D goals and D stepping up to contribute to the wins.”

Quinnipiac’s defense already shows up on the scoresheet. Watson, powered by the program’s first career hat-trick by a defenseman in 15 years, is tied for third on the team in points. Another defenseman, sophomore Anysley D’Ottavio, rounds out the top five point scorers. By spreading the scoring around and getting the defense involved, Quinnipiac can revitalize an offense that, as of late, is marred with inconsistency.

‘They were resilient’

How Quinnipiac women's basketball can replicate success against Fairfield

Over the last two seasons, the Fairfield Stags have had the Bobcats’ number. At nearly every turn, Quinnipiac just couldn’t figure out a way to get over the hump and take down its in-state rivals.

But on Jan. 29, Quinnipiac defeated Fairfield 72-58, its second-largest margin of victory in the last five years. How? By dismantling one of the best MAAC teams in every aspect of the game.

With seeding in the MAAC Tournament likely on the line, here is how Quinnipiac will prove its win was not a fluke.

PERIMETER DEFENSE

Fairfield’s offense has been historic for multiple reasons. The main reason is its lights-out accuracy from beyond the arc.

half of their 77 ppg average coming by way of the longball.

Against Quinnipiac, the longball was effectively neutralized, with the Bobcats swarming the Stags every time the ball crossed the three-point line.

The first half saw Fairfield make one singular three-pointer on nine shots. On almost every one of those attempts, a Bobcat was there to cover and contest the shot. In the second half, Fairfield began to crawl back into the game due to crucial conversions on long-ball threes.

“Our defense has been one of the best in the entire nation,” Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri said.

If Quinnipiac is to take down Fairfield again, it needs to keep the long-ball out of the offensive picture.

Jackie Grisdale and the rest of the Quinnipiac defense shut L’Amoreaux down by not leaving her side.

Without her ability to get open, L’Amoreaux’s impact was neutralized. Quinnipiac needs to do this again if it’s going to take down the Stags once more.

SPREAD THE SCORING

This season, the Bobcats have found their offensive identity all over the hard wood. Backcourt guards, such as Gris dale, freshman Ella Ryan and junior Karson Martin, have been nothing short of electric from range, netting 118 of 174 total Bobcat longballs.

On the other side of the court are forwards junior Anna Foley and senior Ella O’Donnell. Time in and time out, the two use their size to control the post and get to the rim quickly.

This offensive philosophy is per fectly captured in the Bobcats’ two leading scorers against Fairfield: Martin and O’Donnell.

In the first half of the contest, O’Donnell dominated the paint to the tune of 12 points and four rebounds. But like the champi onship team they are, the Stags began to find ways to lessen her offensive prowess.

With O’Donnell taken out of the picture on offense, Martin stepped up by doing what she does best: knocking down threes. Two crucial threepointers shifted momentum in favor of the Bobcats, lead ing to Quinnipiac’s inevita ble victory over the Stags.

It’s this kind of “next woman up”

mentality that has gotten Quinnipiac to the

PLAY A FULL FOUR QUARTERS

Early in the season, Quinnipiac had a habit of playing three quarters of a game really well, but falling apart in the last 10 minutes.

In their home opener against the St. John’s Red Storm, the Bobcats played a championship-level three quarters. But in the final five minutes, they collapsed, allowing the Red Storm to mount a comeback

“A tough game to lose when we had it in control,” Fabbri said Nov. 11 after the team’s

Two weeks later, against the College of Charleston, Quinnipiac would lose the game in near identical fashion. Playing a complete three quarters, but dropping the final 10 and losing the

But as the team entered conference play, it grew consistent, showing up for a full 40 minutes against the Stags. Despite momentum swinging to Fairfield multiple times over the course of the contest, Quinnipiac stayed calm, holding its lead for all four quarters. “We kept saying ‘we’re good,” Martin said. “We’ve prepared for this.” If Quinnipiac is to make noise in Atlantic City N., it needs to play a Quinnipiac will play it’s second and final matchup of the regular season against Fairfield on Saturday, Feb. 14. Tip-off from Hamden is