Quinnipiac versus Yale game scheduled for Thanksgiving recess

By Katherine Koretski

An uproar has taken place at Quinnipiac University, and it’s coming from all of the Bobcat hockey fans. The university’s longtime hockey rival, Yale University is set to play in Hamden on Saturday, Nov. 18. This is during the mandatory Thanksgiving vacation for Quinnipiac students.

Screen Shot 2017-10-25 at 9.30.47 PM.png

Students should not be discouraged until they know the outcome of the online ticket portal, which is known to be a high-intensity moment for most student fans. The Quinnipiac Bobcats’ ticket office releases a hyperlink to students that leads them to an online queue. From there, the student is prompted to generate a ticket for the game. Due to the popularity of the event, tickets go quickly. This also becomes an issue for some students due to the high traffic on the website, while using the same WiFi network.

This year, students will be sent a link in the evening of Nov. 5. According to Quinnipiac’s Assistant Director of Residential Life Mike Guthrie, students with a valid ticket will be able to file a late-stay request. They will be able to submit a plea to stay for the game taking place during the start of the break period. Requests must be made on the My Housing portal through the Quinnipiac student website, no later than Friday, Nov. 10. The late-stay request sign-up form will be released on Monday, Nov. 6.

A Quinnipiac issued ticket must be presented to one of the 20 volunteer resident assistants that are completing the room checks on Friday evening. The number on the ticket must match the student’s name that has requested to stay. Student’s will not be able to sell their tickets to others. That tactic has been popular amongst fans on campus in the past.

In a poll posted on HQ Press’s Twitter page, presented some potential results of involvement.

Do you plan on staying at school for the Quinnipiac-Yale game on the first weekend of Thanksgiving break?

— HQ Press (@hq_press) October 24, 2017

Some students might also be sticking around campus for the game set to take place on Friday night. The Quinnipiac Bobcats will be playing Brown University in Hamden. A late-stay request is also available to students with a valid Quinnipiac generated ticket. Students granted permission for just this game must be out of the dorms no later than noon on Friday.

Another event that could potentially impact attendance is happening right down the street. One of the biggest rivalries in Ivy League history will be held at the Yale Bowl in New Haven. The Harvard vs. Yale football game is set to take place on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

According to Guthire, the Eastern College Athletic Conference, ECAC, had made the hockey schedule far in advance. No changes would be made due to the university’s recess.

Interview with Hamden mayoral candidate Salman Hamid

By Anna Sackel

On November 7 the residents of Hamden will head to the polls for the mayoral election. In the running is current mayor Curt Leng and underdog Republican candidate Salman Hamid. HQ Press sat down with Hamid, a public school teacher and Quinnipiac alum, to discuss his run for office and what motivated him to do it.

Why are you running for mayor?

I got up and I was like I’m going to run for Mayor one day, and it’s been a series of things over time. It’s not just one in particular but the focal point it got to, I was at a bank and the banker goes ‘so I heard you’re running.’ And this was someone before the word really got out so I’m like ‘okay.’ And she’s like ‘why are you doing it?’ and I was like ‘great question.’ People didn’t really ask me in the beginning what is it that you’re doing this for and I said I’m not in it for the glory or the fame, I’m a public school teacher. What I really am doing it for is my kids and future generations of Hamden so I need to leave behind. I can’t sit in the sidelines anymore. I need to leave behind a sustainable Hamden for my kids and future generations to come. So I’ve always been about the idea that life is about service…and it got to a point where I’m like the taxes are too high, there’s blight all around town, traffic congestion is out of control it’s ridiculous, and it’s all reactive now instead of being proactive. So someone’s got to come in from the outside and clean up. And if it’s going to be me, then so be it. I will be happy to do it.

I’ll always seek opportunities to educate and to combat hatred with compassion. Thanks @kateramunni for this piece. https://t.co/44bMVQCYUM

— Salman Hamid (@HamidForHamden) September 14, 2017

What is your opinion of the town’s relationship to Quinnipiac?

This is a college town, and I get that, but there also has to be a relationship between the college entity and the town and the residents there. You probably heard over and over of residents complaining about Quinnipiac student housing and so on and so forth. And this is what I’m talking about. That situation wouldn’t have happened if taxes were sustainable in town, because people have either foreclosed on their property or they rent it out to students because there is no other option because they can’t sell their homes. Unfortunately people have gotten more and more negative interpretations because there’s always a few bad apples who are out partying on Fridays and Saturday nights, hanging out on their lawns, and people have kids and you know they don’t want any of that. It’s got to be a sustainable relationship. So with the incoming president I plan to meet with him or her and work with them to develop more of that housing moving forward. But I also plan on having events, town events, at Quinnipiac also. People have to understand it’s a two-way street and Quinnipiac is aware of that and ready to own up to their end.

What is the first thing you would do in office if you were elected mayor?

Reestablish communication. There has been a major lack of communication between the top entity in town, which is my opponent, and the residents. The communication only seems to happen when it’s an election season, but beyond that I hear constant complaints as I’m knocking on doors that the town has just stopped listening to our issues and concerns.

If you were to become mayor, what is the biggest thing you want to change over the next 4 years?

Can I say two?

Sure!

Well they go hand in hand. Refine the spending and bring commerce back into town. That will hopefully bring more people, more families back into town. I want to build a small business advisory council of existing shop owners here as well as ones that want to come in and do business as well because there are too many empty lots.

How do you deal with the racist comments directed towards you?

Being Muslim in a post-9/11 society has not been pleasant. Prior to that my race was rarely an issue, my religion was rarely an issue. Kids at my school would be like ‘fight me,’ and I was just like ‘why would I fight you, I don’t get it?’ and they would say ‘well your people blew up the twin towers,’ and it’s, oh my goodness. Yeah, there’s been a lot of stigma and that’s a lot of the reason I created American Muslims United. But at the end of the day I can’t get angry about this stuff. I love living in a country, as people don’t understand, I love living in a country where people can voice their opinions and not get killed over them. My family is from Pakistan and if you speak out against government you just go missing. I’m thankful to live in a country that people can voice their opinions. And I love it and if that’s what you have to say then say it. I appreciate your comment, thank you. But I also let people know that as an educator it is my job to inform people of what my faith is and how we act and interact in this community. And I mean, how many Muslim candidates have you seen run period? The state of Connecticut has probably had one Muslim mayor but beyond that, crickets. I’m also letting people know that Muslims are here, they’re active, and we’re part of the solution, not part of the problem. But I can’t get angry. As mayor I will represent everyone in town, even the people that write not so nice things, I will still represent them.

Thanks @SenGeorgeLogan and #MarjorieBonadies for supporting @acesConnecticut‘s first annual #WIMSapalooza! pic.twitter.com/mTBlsAO43H

— Salman Hamid (@HamidForHamden) September 9, 2017

Why should the people of Hamden vote for you to be their Mayor?

I plan on committing and following through with the items that are spoken about on my platform, building an animal shelter, a business advisory council, getting a citizens council so we can hear their voices, reduce traffic issues and develop commerce back into town. I have never been part of the problem. I have not been in political office for 20 years. I have always been part of the solution in the background doing stuff. I’ve been given this opportunity to run and I plan on doing an effective job. I mean, I have to have morals and ethics. I’m a public school teacher, right? You know I have to teach future generations. My goal has always been to try and improve my community, and if this is the best way to do it, in this platform and this avenue by running for mayor on the republican ticket, then so be it.

What we are watching …

Season Two of Stranger Things to Premiere This Friday

By Jenelle Cadigan

It's coming. #StrangerThings pic.twitter.com/A9sTjZcBJg

— Netflix US (@netflix) October 13, 2017

Netflix is releasing season two of its original series “Stranger Things” on Friday, Oct. 27. The show, which takes place in the 1980s, is about a boy who disappears in a small town, and the dramatic chain of events that follows while his family and friends search for him. The newest trailer for its highly anticipated season features all of the essential characters from season one, including Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), and picks up right where it left off.

According to a Wired article, “In one month, Netflix users in 190 countries watched Stranger Things, and viewers in 70 of those nations became devoted fans. A handful of people tuned in from Bhutan, and from Chad. In a first for the streaming service, someone watched Season 1 in Antarctica.”

Netflix’s quarterly earnings report shows that roughly 109 million people are subscribed to the streaming service worldwide, with just under half of those (52.8 million) in the United States.

Mann Packing Listeria Recall

By Jenelle Cadigan

National, Connecticut, Hamden, Quinnipiac

Mann Packing of Salinas, California, is voluntarily recalling dozens of products sold at stores like Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and Aldi due to possible listeria contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The company is recalling these products “out of an abundance of caution” because of “a single positive result found on one of our products during random sampling by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.”

The recalled products were distributed throughout the United States and Canada with “best if used by” dates between Oct. 11. and Oct. 20. The full list of recalled products can be found here.

According to the Center for Disease Control, about 1,600 people get listeria each year and approximately 260 people die from listeria each year. Listeria has more serious effects on pregnant women and newborns – sometimes leading to miscarriage, stillbirth or premature delivery – as well as people over age 65. Common symptoms of listeria are fever, diarrhea, muscle aches, fatigue, stiff neck, headache, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. Symptoms usually appear between 1 and 4 weeks after eating contaminated products.

Most of Puerto Rico still without power

By Michael Brennan

Puerto Rico, which was hit with a category 4 hurricane nearly a month ago, is still mostly without power. According to the Puerto Rican government, the U.S. territory has only restored electricity for 23 percent of its citizens as of Oct. 23.

Quinnipiac School of Communications secretary Rosa Nieves has a lot of family that lives in Puerto Rico. Since Hurricane Maria hit the Caribbean three weeks ago, she has been collecting donations to send to the island for relief efforts.

Knowing that the territory is missing basic needs has prevented more tragic necessities, such as the burial of one of her family members.

“People have [been] burying family members in their backyards because they have no idea when help will come. We didn’t hear that one of our family members died during Hurricane Maria until almost three weeks after the hurricane hit Puerto Rico,” said Nieves.

In addition to the donations she collects from students, she also participates in family-run donations to the island in other states like New York.

“My aunt in Brooklyn started an initiative to collect basic supplies to send to families in the southwestern part of Puerto Rico once post offices started to open… I got so much in donated supplies I couldn’t bring it all with me to Brooklyn in one trip,” said Nieves.

Kelsey Bombon, the President of the Latino Cultural Society, is still spearheading efforts to raise money for relief efforts at Quinnipiac. She is “in the process” of organizing more fundraisers for those affected.

Yankees fall to Astros in ALCS game seven

By Michael Brennan

The Houston Astros handily won game seven of the ALCS 4-0 on Saturday night, which dashed New York Yankees fans’ hopes of a coast-to-coast World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ratings are expected to be down nationwide for the World Series. Last year’s Series had the highest ratings in 25 years and are considered to be an outlier for the MLB according to Business Insider.

The Yankees are one of Connecticut’s two primary baseball teams, according to The New York Times. The other favorite team, the Boston Red Sox, were already eliminated earlier in the playoffs.

“My Culture is Not a Costume” campaign at Quinnipiac

By Dorah Labatte

The “my culture is not a costume” campaign was first introduced to Quinnipiac University in 2014 by the Department of Cultural and Global Engagement (DCGE.) The campaign was inspired by the “we’re a culture, not a costume” campaign by the Students Teaching About Racism in Society (STARS) student group at Ohio University. Some of the cultural costumes in the campaign include the Native American costume, Mexican costume, costumes involving black face, geisha costumes and gay/lesbian costumes. Many of these costumes are still sold at Halloween costume superstores like Party City and Spirit Halloween.

The campaign aims to raise awareness on cultural appropriation during Halloween in hopes students will stop buying these costumes.

Over the years, many universities in different states in the the nation have recreated the campaign on their campuses. The Quinnipiac “my culture is not a costume” campaign included costumes that mock those who suffer from a mental illness, in addition to those that mock races, religions and ethnicities.

Photo courtesy of Abbie O' Neill — Photo courtesy of Abbie O’ Neill

Quinnipiac’s Latino cultural society president, Kelsey Bombon, was involved in the campaign. Bombon held a photo of an individual in an anorexia costume.

“Once the photo was published I felt no one understood it,” said Bombon. She added that the campaign in 2016 was rushed and the photos were marketed too late.

“My freshmen year, when they did it for the first time, it was was more impactful because orientation leaders were a part of it…many people knew who the faces of the campaign were,” she said.

“It started as students holding images of costumes that are not appropriate. The view on it was one of three things. Either students walked by and knew nothing of it, they saw their friends in the images and made fun of them or students would see it and recognize that they couldn’t wear the costume but didn’t understand why,” said Abbie O’Neill, DCGE director of student engagement.

O’Neill said this year she aimed to make the campaign more active than passive. DCGE alongside the student government association hosted various events to provide a space for students to tell their stories and have a discussion about cultural appropriation. The most recent was “your voice at Quinnipiac” on Oct. 20 in the piazza, where students volunteered to tell their personal stories related to cultural appropriation and discussed with others why it is wrong.

“I feel like there are still people who have a lot to learn…there are people who are aware of the campaign but don’t understand the deeper meaning of ‘my culture is not a costume,” said Yadley Turnier, student leader on the multicultural council.

Turnier attended “your voice at Quinnipiac” where she participated in discussions about cultural appropriation during Halloween.

“It happens all year round, but we only notice it around Halloween,” said O’Neill. Students face bias related incidents and hate crimes throughout the year.

Megan Buda, Quinnipiac director of student conduct, said the data student affairs has in relation to bias-incident reports does not reflect an increase in inappropriate Halloween costumes.

“Don’t remember having any reported bias incidents related to Halloween costumes that was reported to us,” she added.

Although there isn’t an influx of reports during the Halloween holiday, there have been more reports on bias-related incidents over the years.

“I think there’s more conversation around it now than when we first started,” said O’Neill.

Screen Shot 2017-10-28 at 2.38.15 AM.png

“Bias, Harassment and Discrimination policy” is defined in the student handbook. If you experience or witness such actions taking place, report it to Quinnipiac’s office of student affairs.

One condom to fit them all?

By Ryan Chichester

“One size fits all” has been a staple among headwear for years, using “flexfit” technology to make hats comfortable for multiple head sizes. Now, ONE condom company is scrapping that approach to make safe sex more feel like less of a burden.

ONE condoms are turning the industry on its head with 60 different sizes of condoms to make sex safer and more enjoyable. Between 30-35 percent of males complain of condoms that are too tight and cut off sensation during sex, while another 15-20 percent claim their condoms are too long, causing the condom to be pulled off during intercourse, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data was originally compiled by TheyFit condoms, a similar company that ONE bought at the end of 2016.

Since the acquiring of TheyFit, ONE condoms has been on a mission to keep the discussion of safe sex going by creating a fitting chart for males to determine their size. Customers can find their appropriate size with a process as easy as “print, get it up, measure and BAM!”

The company isn’t stopping there. ONE condoms have also encouraged consumers to get in on the creative process by holding contests for best condom wrapper designs as well as take photos with their ONE condom, or a “ONEselfie,” and submit the photo to the company website, who will donate five condoms in return. So far, the company has donated over 8,000 condoms through this promotion.

While the discussion of safe sex is usually met with an eye roll or awkward silence, students at Quinnipiac University are expressing a sense of excitement with a potential new option for practicing safe sex.

<br />

“There’s a lot of cool designs here,” said Quinnipiac student Michael Reilly, as he shuffled through a stack of various ONE condom designs, with colorful wrappers labeled “Lucky One,” “One Bright Idea,” or this student’s personal favorite, “Don’t Forget One.”

“That’s clever, I like that. You definitely shouldn’t forget one if you want to avoid pregnancy,” Reilly said.

The most important question, and the mission of the company, would be if the fancy designs and sizing statistics will increase the chances of having safe sex.

“Oh, absolutely,” another student, Tom Conley Wilson said. “It makes it much more interesting. The biggest issue I’ve heard with condoms is that it’s boring. With all the different variety, I think this would encourage people to have safe sex more often. I think this is sick. I’m about to try these later.”

While students at Quinnipiac are intrigued by the uniqueness of ONE condoms, they will have to venture off campus to stock up, according to Nancy Hunter, Associate Director at the student health center.

“The state provides our condoms,” Hunter explained. “We have two or three brands currently, but we don’t have ONE condoms yet.”

Despite the absence of ONE condoms on campus, these bright and colorful hats can be found in numerous pharmacies around the Hamden area, as well as WalMart. However, for the most accurate sizing options, the company suggests you do your shopping online.

New Haven county is among the highest rates of reported Gonorrhea, Syphilis and Chlamydia cases in the state of Connecticut among people aged 15-24, according to a 2013 study by CDC. More than two million cases of these three STDs were reported in the US in 2016, the highest number ever according to the CDC.

Hamden has been especially vulnerable to Chlamydia, according to a 2015 study that found the city’s rate of reported cases to be in the top 15 in the state, with the majority of cases being in young adults.

For students at Quinnipiac, their draw towards ONE condoms can be through fun or fear. To loosely quote “A Cinderella Story,” “If the condom fits, wear it.”

Quinnipiac’s response to sexual assault news

By Jenelle Cadigan

After Harvey Weinstein, the 65-year-old American film producer and former film studio executive who allegedly sexually assaulted and raped multiple women, was fired, victims all over the world came forward with their stories.

Alyssa Milano, an American actress, activist, producer and former singer, started a trending hashtag that went international: #metoo.

Although not many Quinnipiac students opened up about their stories, they did react to the news and the resources available on campus.

<br />

Quinnipiac University provides multiple resources for victims of sexual assault and rape.

Confidential resources on campus include health services, counseling services and clergy. Any information shared with people in these departments is not required to be reported.

There are also “responsible employees” on campus – also known as mandated reporters – who are required to report incidents of sexual violence, harassment or discrimination to the university Title IX coordinator immediately. People in this category include all faculty, administration, athletic, human resources, public safety, student affairs and student paraprofessionals (resident assistants and orientation leaders while they are still under contract).

According to the student handbook, “prompt reporting of such incidents makes investigation of the incident more effective and enhances the ability of the university to take action on a complaint.”

Quinnipiac’s Title IX coordinator is Terri Johnson. The Deputy Title IX coordinator for incidents involving faculty, staff and vendors is Stephanie Mathews, and the Deputy Title IX coordinator for incidents involving students, visitors and persons who are not affiliated with Quinnipiac is Seann Kalagher.

If a victim wants to open up a Title IX investigation, they can choose to end the investigation at any point. The coordinators will only share information on a need-to-know basis throughout the investigation, but it’s important to note that these investigations can sometimes take a very long time – weeks or even months.

If a victim chooses to go to the health center, they can be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia and given medication for both. The health center also provides plan-B medication. The health center will go over the options with the victim, should he or she want to report it to the Title IX coordinators or to the police, or go to the hospital.

The hospital can provide a few things that the health center can not– a rape kit, HIV testing and HIV post-exposure prophylaxis, which is medication taken so that the infection does not develop.

Christy Chase, director of student health services at Quinnipiac, is one of three sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) that works in the health center. SANE nurses are registered nurses who have completed specialized courses related to medical forensic care of sexually assaulted or abused patients. She says the Title IX coordinators and police officers have a job to get information out of the victim as soon as possible, but she tries to shelter them from that.

“We’re very protective of the student in that moment,” Chase says. “Our first priority is finding out medically if this person is okay. That’s gotta be the first thing.”

Since the situation can be overwhelming, Chase tries to protect the privacy of the victims as much as possible.

“I don’t want it to become a circus with students and staff,” she says. “We need to keep the perimeter, and when I was on nightside I would almost throw people out of the waiting room.”

Chase says many students choose not to go to the health center because of the misconception that it will immediately start an investigation.

When it comes to sexual assault, investigations are only started when a victim goes to a non-confidential resource, and parents are only contacted by the health center if a student is transported to a medical facility by ambulance. But, health services does not have to say why the student was transported by ambulance.

Chase used to work in an emergency room as a sexual abuse examiner. She stresses the importance of getting a rape kit done, saying it’s vital to collect the evidence right now even if one doesn’t want to press any charges. If a person is to change their mind in the future, the hospital will be holding onto the kit.

The #metoo movement has empowered many victims to come forward, but Chase says if anyone feels triggered by the posts, confidential counseling services are a great resource as well.

“I don’t want there to be barriers for students to not come in and get the help that they need,” Chase says. “We don’t want them to be afraid.”

What we are watching this week …

Mayor’s Night Out

By Dorah Labatte

Hamden Mayor, Curt Balzano Leng will be hosting a “Mayor’s Night Out” event next Monday, Oct. 23. Mayor Leng will be available to citizens to informally discuss neighborhood and town wide issues. The goal of Mayors Night Out is to enrich the Mayor’s relationship with Hamden residents. The event will take place at the Board of Education Health Quarters from 6 to 8 p.m.

Culture is not a Costume

Screen Shot 2017-10-16 at 10.28.52 AM.png

By Dorah Labatte

“My Culture is not a Costume” campaign by the Department of Cultural and Global Engagement will be hosting a kickoff event Monday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. in SC120. The event is an open discussion with students, faculty and staff to talk about Halloween costumes that appropriate different cultures.

Construction on Merritt Parkway

By Katherine Koretski

Motorists will continue to experience delays while traveling on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut this week. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) is hosting an event on Tuesday Oct. 17 to discuss the Route-7 project. The plans are to improve safety, and overall access for users. Each roadway redesign has been put under environmental scoping and screening, according to Connecticut DOT. Scoping is the first part of the process required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Tuesday’s public scoping meeting will take place in the Norwalk City Hall Auditorium, 125 East Ave. Drop-in times are between 4 to 8 p.m., and the meeting will be an open house format with informational presentations at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Scoping Meeting is next Tuesday! Join us! #publicoutreach #transportation #planning #norwalk #connecticut pic.twitter.com/mmOFQHsGVH

— Route 7-15 Norwalk (@715norwalk) October 11, 2017

Trump chooses new secretary

Embed from Getty Images

By Katherine Koretski

President Trump has chosen Kirstjen Nielsen for his pick to be the next secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Nielsen served as General John Kelly’s chief of staff at the DHS, as well as worked as a member of the Resilience Task Force of the Center for Cyber & Homeland Security think tank. Nielsen joined the White House team in September shortly after Trump named Kelly as DHS Secretary. President Trump announced his pick for the position on Wednesday Oct. 11 at the White House.

“I promised that my highest priority would be to secure America’s homeland. I pledged to protect our country from the many threats we face from all around the world, to keep our people safe and secure at home, and to give our full support to the men and women of law enforcement,” Trump explained in a statement released by the White House.

DHS was formed in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, according to NBC News. Its purpose was to bring multiple agencies into one place. Nielsen’s final decision will go to the Senate for final confirmation.

QUINNIPIAC’S INSIGHTS ON NFL KNEELING

By Dorah Labatte

Screen Shot 2017-10-16 at 11.33.09 AM.png

The Quinnipiac Polling Institute released results on Americans’ approval/disapproval rates on NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. Some 43 to 52 percent of American voters surveyed say that they disapprove of NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem. Although most voters surveyed said that they disapproved of the kneeling, 34 to 58 percent of voters say that Trump’s comments on NFL protests were inappropriate. More details on the results can be found on the polling institute’s website.

Photo Courtesy of Quinnipiac University Polling Institute

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES (AS OF OCT. 16, 11:42 EST)

By Camila Costa

In case you missed it, California continues to suffer from wildfires. Fire fighters are battling against 17 fires in the state, with a total death of 40 people. Three of those fires have been added to the list of the top 20 largest California wildfires.

Tubbs Fire

Embed from Getty Images

Date: Oct. 2017
Counties: Napa & Sonoma
Acres: 35,270
Deaths: 18

Atlas Fire

Embed from Getty Images

Date: Oct. 2017
Counties: Napa & Solano
Acres: 50,383
Deaths: 6

Cascade Fire

Date: Oct. 2017
Counties: Yuba
Acres: 10,171
Deaths: 4

Source: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)

adidas remains silent in communications with Quinnipiac

By Ryan Chichester

The adidas brand can be seen scattered around most college campuses, its three-tiered triangle logo carrying a sense of prideful omnipresence. The company saw an 18-percent increase in sales in 2016 as it continues to be a pillar in the sports equipment industry, embracing their motivating slogan “Impossible is nothing.”

Most were shocked to hear the adidas name dragged through a groundbreaking controversy as news broke in early October about deals with multiple prominent schools that were being investigated by the FBI. National powerhouses like Louisville, USC and Miami reportedly accepted thousands of dollars from adidas to sign certain coveted recruits, which has resulted in a major shakeup in the college basketball world, and more dark corners of the sport figure to be exposed as the investigation rages on.

The national saga also has the potential to hit close to home for students and athletes at Quinnipiac University.

Quinnipiac recently announced a partnership with adidas, and teams began sporting the logo in July. The current partnership is expected to last through the 2023-2024 season.

“adidas has a phenomenal reputation and a long history of providing an excellent product to college and professional teams,” Quinnipiac director of athletics Greg Amodio said back when the partnership was first announced.

However, the reputation of adidas has taken a massive hit due to the recent scandal, and leaves the company’s relationship with Quinnipiac in question. How is the school handling the massive blemish on its new athletic apparel provider? Could the adidas logo next to the cursive Q turn from a badge of honor to a scarlet letter?

According to school officials, the shockwaves of the national scandal don’t reverberate onto Quinnipiac campuses, and there has been no contact from the company since arrests were made.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Associate Athletic Director Ken Sweeten said of any contact with Adidas since the scandal hit social media two weeks ago. “The Athletic Director hasn’t heard anything. I haven’t received any statement from adidas. If we haven’t by now, I don’t think we will.”

Sweeten’s sentiments are echoed elsewhere on campus, particularly in the Office of Residential Life, where student Resident Assistants (RAs) are now also sporting the adidas logo on their uniforms, although some students have taken to using their name tags as a mask to cover the iconic logo on their chest.

“I have not heard any comments or seen any change in attitude from RAs regarding the adidas logo on their staff shirts.” Director of Residential Life Mark DeVilbiss said.

Players haven’t noticed any change either, aside from a slight annoyance of having to store away all of their previous non-adidas gear that is now off limits when it comes to any Quinnipiac-related activities.

Quinnipiac is on a much smaller scale than schools like Kansas and Louisville in terms of academic prominence, but even many of those schools like have not heard from the company, or the FBI.

“I think that’s probably a good thing.” Sweeten said about the silence from the adidas offices.

While there seems to be a lack of concern on campus, men’s basketball head coach Baker Dunleavy acknowledges the magnitude of the situation.

“It’s an earth-shattering investigation,” Dunleavy said. “It’s one of those things that make you focus on yourself even more. You have to make sure your own house is good, and you’re doing things the right way, and compliantly.”

adidas did issue a brief statement shortly after the news broke, saying they were “unaware of any misconduct and will fully cooperate with any authorities.” The lack of conduct with the school is seen as sign of business as usual for Quinnipiac, although it is clear the early stages of the partnership are off to an interesting start.

Why is it so hot and humid in mid-October?

By Michael Brennan and Ariana Spinogatti

Embed from Getty Images

The fall season is officially here, and just by looking outside it seems to be pretty similar to years past: leaves are on the ground, people are wearing sweatshirts, and football is on every Sunday.

The only thing missing is a cool autumn breeze. Instead, we have temperatures close to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and high amounts of humidity.

People are asking themselves: why is this happening?

Many Quinnipiac students say they do not know why the temperature is so high, and a few feel thrown off wearing shorts and flip flops like they would in the summer.

<br />

“I think it’s abnormally warmer in the fall than it typically would be… I’m from just outside Boston and I’d be wearing sweatpants and jeans by now,” said freshman Brendan Basich.

“It’s really sticky. Back home where I live [in Los Angeles], it’s like a toaster… it being super humid it’s a little different. My room gets really groggy, I don’t know if it’s the right word, but yeah, it’s been uncomfortable,” said junior Justin Cait.

Quinnipiac professor of biology Don Buckley says that the heat is yet another sign of man-made global warming.

“This past year was the warmest year on record and it’s not going to go away” he said. “20 years ago if I was walking around in a tee shirt and flip flops, people would tease me that I was still enduring the weather. The heating is very impressive.”

Diagram used with permission from Don Buckley

Despite there being some naysayers, global warming’s existence is heavily supported by NASA and various other American scientific societies.

According to the EPA, the greenhouse gas effect occurs when gases on Earth trap the heat the sun is transmitting and holds onto it, affecting the planet’s atmosphere and melting the polar ice caps. The gas that causes the biggest problem is carbon dioxide.

The majority of fossil fuel burning isn’t because of humanity’s transportation needs, it is because of a myriad of things such as burning coal for power and creating products with wood. The gas stays in the atmosphere because plants, which absorb carbon dioxide, can only absorb so much.

Buckley says that global warming is why there has been such a large amount of hurricanes this season. Notably, he says hurricanes are not the cause of the heat in the area, but quite the opposite.

Graph used with permission from Don Buckley

“[The] hurricanes aren’t a cause of the heating, they are a product of it. What turns a normal big storm into a hurricane is a lot of conditions, but it’s mainly because the oceans are really hot,” Buckley said. “The storms originate on the African coast and are blown towards North America.”

On the Quinnipiac campus, there had been a rumor of the heat and humidity causing the fire alarms to go off in the residence halls. That myth has been quickly dispelled by Quinnipiac’s fire marshall Richard Hally, who believes the alarms are set off by many other factors.

“We found that the ones in Mountainview were faulty, they could go bad maybe because of dust. They are temperature controlled… Dana happened one time this semester, it was one night and it never happened again,” Hally said. “Spiders get in there, dirt, dust, a lot of things activate smoke directors but it’s not because of the recent weather.”

Regardless, Buckley thinks that the heat will create more weather problems in the future.

“It’s not going to be warmer everywhere but the signals are extremes in relationship to weather and that is also due to the large number of hurricanes. I think I just read an article that we will have 10 hurricanes by the end of the fall,” Buckley said.

It is too early to tell whether this warm autumn season is a part of the “New England weather” that is so temperamental, or if it is yet another sign of humanity’s role in climate change.