Family weekend activities and insights

By Max Slomiak

Every year, the Student Programing Board (SPB) hosts Family Weekend. The weekend provides parents of Quinnipiac students an opportunity to visit their children and all of the resources Quinnipiac has available.

The Mount Carmel campus comes to life as families begin to arrive on Friday. Events on campus are held to spark conversation and interaction, such as the Quinnipiac Sustainability Farmers Market or sporting events.

It gives student’s a chance to see their families who have a major influence on their college success.

“Family plays a big role in my college success. They push and encourage me to be the best that I can. Family will always be important to me”, said Ryan Ditcham a junior.”

On Friday parent’s had the opportunity of going to the student performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream or they could head to the auditorium and take part in Night on the Boardwalk where students and their families can play games and eat food.

On Saturday is when the parents get to tour the entire campus. They get a full tour of the learning commons and have the opportunity to go into a classroom and hear from professors about the teaching style of Quinnipiac and what the students are learning in their classes.

There’s also a market held in the Burt Khan gym where local businesses set up tables for the families to shop. Saturday night is headlined by the Rocktopia performance. Which is a performance that puts together all generations of music for an experience that both parents and students can equally enjoy.

Family Weekend is also a great time for all friends and families to get together. College can change a family dynamic since a child is no longer living at home in most cases. So there is no longer the constant connection of seeing each other everyday.

Inge Ameer who has two children in college. One at Quinnipiac and one at Bay Path University. Talks about the changes that occur when your children go off to college.

“Some of the connections are weaker, like knowing what is going on in their day to day lives – their favorite hangouts, restaurants, etc. But some of the connections are stronger like talking about adult matters like their future and the coming choices they will have to make”

It also gives parents a chance to see their kids blossom and become independent.

Inge said, “When they leave for college, they are still young, just out of high school. But you watch them mature, make some mistakes and have some successes. You watch them fully move into adulthood and your relationship with them changes.

Family also plays a huge role in a college students as the relationship changes between a student and their family since they’re maturing and making decisions on their own.

“My relationship has changed for the good they trust me to make the right decisions and they’re more open about talking to me about family business”, said John Hughes.

One thing that every college student has to deal with is not having that support of your family all the time

Robert Weinfeld uses the Family weekend to visit his parents in Massachusetts.

“Since I’ve been in college my family still plays a major role in my life, but I’m not as close with them since I’m away and don’t get to talk often ”, said Weinfield a junior.

Family will continue to play a major role in students life even after college. Even if the relationship has some changes.

Sign Welcoming parents to the York Hill Campus

The climate of sexual assault and why victims find it hard to report it

By Aaliayah French and Randy Del Valle

Quinnipiac University’s most recent annual Clery report came out in the middle of the Kavanaugh hearings. The report documented two formal reports of rape on campus and one instance of fondling. But, the report doesn’t provide the full picture of sexual harassment and violence on campus.

The numbers documented in the Clery report are low, but there’s a reason why they’re are like that.

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“More students deal with cases of sexual harassment and intimate partner violence, but don’t formally report them to the school,” according to Megan Buda, Quinnipiac’s director of student conduct.

“I think students are concerned about coming forward for sexual assault for obvious reasons,” said Buda. “Sometimes we receive complaints about intimate partner violence maybe from their friend group or from their family and they’re too concerned to come forward on their on own.”

Senior Stephanie Martinez said going through the long, formal process is one of the reasons that stop people from reporting sexual harassment.

“Sexual assault can sometimes be traumatizing so maybe somebody doesn’t want to go through that again, live through that again,” Martinez said. “Going through that long process of being asked questions, ‘What happened?’ ‘Where did it happen?’ ‘What were you wearing?’ ‘What was he wearing?’ ‘What were you doing?’ It’s just something that people don’t want to go through.”

Researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia recently reported some of the biggest barriers people face when it comes to reporting rape and sexual assault.

According to the research, “Students rated ‘shame, guilt and embarrassment,’ ‘confidentiality concerns’ and ‘fear of not being believed’ as the top three perceived barriers in reporting rape among both men and women. However, students rated shame, guilt and embarrassment as a much larger barrier for men than women.”

Barriers that impact women than men were lack of resources to get help, language barriers to obtaining help and “financial dependence on perpetrator/perpetrator interference in seeking help.”

In light of the recent Kavanaugh hearings and the latest verdict convicting Bill Cosby of sexual assault and rape charges, the “#MeToo” movement and #WhyIDidn’tReport has given women the courage to come forward and speak out on their experiences, including women college campuses.

While many Quinnipiac students have not wanted to publicly share their stories about being a victim of sexual assault, one staff member at Quinnipiac shared on Twitter why she didn’t report her experience of being sexually assaulted in high school.

Courtney McKenna, Quinnipiac’s director of student affairs, was in high school when her relationship became “increasingly violent.”

“For me, it’s hard a lot of times to separate out the difference between where were the pieces interpersonally, emotionally and sort of physically the violence were and then also some of the sexual violence that was in the relationship,” McKenna said. “I can remember sort of snapshot pieces of it, but it’s not this like chronological movie of memories of specific things, because a lot of it for me was all entangled together.”

“I think for me some of those pieces were not listening in terms of boundaries. I think then the other pieces were going along with things further in some places because of fear of the physical violence on the other side if I didn’t move forward with certain different things,” McKenna said.

Reporting her situation was never something McKenna thought to do as she was focused about her safety.

“In a partner violent relationship there’s this cycle. There is this part of the relationship where its really good and it’s happy and then the tension builds and there’s some type of episode whether its some type of violence or emotional outburst,” McKenna said.

“Once that happens there’s usually some type of ‘I’m sorry’ pieces in whatever that looks like and then its happy and then it cycles. Looking back for me I was really focused on ‘how do I stay in that like really good part’ and ‘how do I make sure that I can be as safe as possible in those bad parts.’”

Another reason why McKenna didn’t report the behavior was because she wanted to keep what happened to her quiet.

“It because of that shame of disappointing others or not being the person who knew better,” McKenna said. “It was even until probably years later that I recognized some of the sexual violence in the relationship as pieces because to me its all together. Even at the time I categorized all as dating violence.”

Kayla McQuade, an alumna of Quinnipiac, thinks reporting something so personal like being sexually harassed leads people to not want to report.

“People don’t want to relive it again. They might be embarrassed that it happened so they would rather just hold it in instead of telling people,” McQuade said. “Then there’s also the issue of sometimes when you’re a victim of an assault like that, there’s a lot more questioning going into, ‘Are you sure that really happened?’, there’s a lot of victim blaming.”

“A lot of people are afraid of what people may say about them,” Martinez said. “Especially women being told ‘oh you’re asking for it’ just because of what they’re wearing or of the way they’re acting.”

Some organizations at Quinnipiac have been trying to educate their members by holding trainings, but also by making resources available to anyone who experiences an assault.

“Every organization goes through formal training where we have speakers come in, we have presentations,” President of Alpha Sigma Phi, Robert Martinez said. “A lot of it is the day- to- day interactions with your members on a personal basis.”

“When people talk about their private matters and things of this nature, I think it’s better to shut that down right away, because if you don’t tolerate it on a private basis then it’s not going to be tolerated with anyone. I think it’s should be taken more away from the formal training and a lot more just personal you know bystander intervention, just don’t tolerate that personally.”

Senior Kappa Alpha Theta member Hannah Meyer noted that her sorority has resources available to its members if something ever happened to them.

“I know that I have resources if a friend or I were to encounter a situation in which we needed help with an assault,” said Meyer. “My sorority has a hotline and crisis text line that I can reach out to. My sorority has been through sexual assault prevention awareness education which is the first step.”

“I do believe that the Kavanaugh hearing has struck a chord for many victims at Quinnipiac and in our community,” said Meyer.

Conversations about mental health in Hamden

By Sarah Russell and Amanda Perelli

Out of the Darkness Community Walk held in Hamden, Conn. on Oct. 7, 2018

For the last decade, Hamden residents have gathered to raise money and awareness for suicide prevention at the Out of Darkness Community Walk. On Oct. 7 participants met at Hamden Town Center Park and walked along the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in Hamden.

“[The event] also is a public memorial for people’s grief and a place they can share with others their grief, which is hard to come by in the society,” event director Sean Heather McGraw said.

Over 600 people registered for the event and McGraw estimates about 450 people showed up.

The $53,394 raised will help programming in schools, churches and the community.

The money is also used to help support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and support survivors.

Vice President of the Student Veterans Organization (SVO) at Quinnipiac, Michael Strahl, walked with members of SVO. As a veteran, he said he walked to help fellow soldiers who struggle with mental illness.

“I think it’s incredible,” Strahl said. “It brings attention to one of the most important tragedies we face. Most importantly, it shows people that they are not alone in their fight against suicide or in their grief of a loved one or friend they have lost to suicide.”

Suicide is a sensitive topic, but should still be talked about, said Stahl. Events like the Out of the Darkness walk let people know they have support in their community.

Signs at the Out of the Darkness walk in Hamden, Conn.

“[The walk] makes me think about the people that made it through multiple tours and survived just to come home and take their own lives because of their struggles that we aren’t aware of,” Strahl said. “If we can prevent just one suicide a month or year, we were successful in our efforts.”

Other than this event, Strahl believes it’s important that everyone knows the signs of and feels comfortable discussing mental health with peers.

“Just talk about it more,” Strahl said. “Don’t be afraid to bring it up and learn the signs so you can be there for someone contemplating suicide. I think Quinnipiac University did an amazing job with Fresh Check Day. More of that. Students as well as the community need to know it is alright to speak about suicide.”

For resources, people can refer to 2-1-1, an online and phone service available for those in need, concerning issues of housing and shelter, utilities, employment, healthcare, mental health and addictions.

“We are a free, confidential, information referral service that services people across Connecticut– 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Annie Scully, a research analyst and community outreach coordinator at United Way in Connecticut.

The service has 54 contact specialists, who have six weeks of rigorous training to be able to handle crisis situations from callers. 2-1-1 is funded by the state.

When looking at the statistics of calls in Hamden, callers reached out 1,126 times for mental health and addiction problems between Oct. 1, 2017 and Oct. 1, 2018. This is the second highest amount of calls behind those for housing and shelter.

Statistics of callers seeking help for crisis intervention and suicide from ct.211counts.org

Of mental health and addiction calls, 680 were about requests for mental health services and 382 were for crisis intervention and suicide.

While the ‘under 18’ demographic is the smallest in the mental health services category, it is the largest in the crisis intervention and suicide, with 237 of the 382 calls coming from those in high school or younger.

“While under 18 callers might represent one of the smallest percentage of callers across the state it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have the least amount of need,” Scully said.

Scully hopes that people in the younger age demographic will turn to their website for help, which has programs such as Mobile Crisis, which is a service that dispatches clinicians that are trained to deal with people under 18, who are dealing with emotional crisis at school, home or in the community.

“We hope that in 2018 there’s people under 18 that are much more likely to jump on a computer than they are to make a phone call, so we also monitor our web traffic,” Scully said. “So in [fiscal year] ‘18 we had almost two million visits to our website, www.211ct.org, which we’ve made some pretty big enhancements recently to make that as user friendly as possible and to replicate a phone call as much as possible so people can really find the help they need on our website.”

So, why is the number of calls for mental health services so low for this demographic? Scully says that if school-age people knew about their resources they might be able to receive better help when dealing with mental health. In the past they have tried different strategies, such as creating a page on their website geared towards youth and young adults in collaboration with a local youth group.

“I think that the more people who know that 2-1-1 is a resource and that more people that know the kind of help and referrals 2-1-1 can provide by either calling or visiting our website the more people that will use it,” Scully said. “So if there is a class or opportunity for us to talk about 2-1-1 or market 2-1-1 in school systems across Connecticut I think that would be a great way to get the word out.”

Incorporating mental health awareness in the public schools is something Scully thinks could benefit students. In New York, mental health classes have already been implemented, requiring public schools to educate students on the signs and symptoms of mental health issues. The new law mandates these courses in hopes to educate students about resources and better understand mental health as a whole.

Connecticut has not made public any plans of incorporating these mandatory courses into the public school system. HQ Press reached out to Jody Goeler, superintendent of Hamden public schools, but did not receive a response.

QNN Newscast – Oct. 11

On this episode of QNN, a look into how Quinnipiac University celebrated “National Coming Out Day.” Also, a story on the benefits of emotional support animals on college campuses, health and national news updates, and highlights from the American League Divisional Series between the Red Sox and Yankees. All that and more on this week’s QNN.

Raising money for Hamden’s rescue animals

The Where The Love Is Animal Rescue hosted the annual Hamden Fall Festival, on Oct. 6. This festival has been run for six years now.

The purpose of the festival is to raise money for the nonprofit’s animal rescue services. Since its creation in 2011, Where The Love Is Animal Rescue has saved over 600 animals, according to its website. The organization has no shelter and is run completely by volunteers.

The annual fall event had games, vendors, dogs and a K9 display by one of Hamden’s own K9 police officers, Peter Conti and his dog Maverick.

Interactive map: View the lack of sidewalks surrounding Quinnipiac’s main campus

By Amanda Perelli

The roads leading up to and surrounding Quinnipiac University’s main campus are lacking sidewalks. On Sept. 18 a Quinnipiac student was injured in a hit-and-run on Whitney Ave., which prompted HQ Press to investigate the safety of walking along these roads.

With a variety of bars and places for students to go, like Andale Mexican Restaurant, Odie’s Place, and Side Street Bar & Grill, there is an inconsistency of safe walking paths around them.

Click the interactive map below to watch GOPRO clips taken along the streets surrounding main campus.

QNN Newscast – Oct. 4

This week on QNN, we take you to the spot of Quinnipiac’s former president’s future mausoleum in Hamden. Also, a live report from Hamden police department to get to the bottom of the crime statistics in the area.

Black bears (still) roam land near Sleeping Giant

By Cullen Ronan, with reporting by Paige Meyer and Mackenzie Campbell

Quinnipiac University notified teachers and students of a bear sighting behind the human resources building around noon on Friday, Oct. 5.

This marks the second bear sighting at Quinnipiac in just the past month and the third this year. The last spotting occurred on Sept. 17 in the same location on Mount Carmel Ave.

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Before that, a black bear was seen this past May, as witnesses say it was near the Harwood Gate located on the university’s main campus.

Edmund Remillard, a human resources employee, witnessed the animal intruder in September.

“I was greeting a colleague at the HR House. Upon his arrival he pointed to the bear, which was walking on the grass along the back parking lot,” he said. “The bear walked by, stepped over the field stone wall and proceeded up Sleeping Giant.”

Despite seeing what he believed to be a “250 to 300 pound” bear in the wild, Remillard says he wasn’t phased, choosing to admire the the animal.

“It was beautiful and did not seem to notice or have any interest in us,” he said.

These frequent bear sightings haven’t only been isolated to just Quinnipiac University, however, as according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Connecticut has tallied 7,799 reports of black bear activity across the state within just the last year.

Hamden currently has 85 reported black bear sightings since September of 2017, and the Hamden Police Department took to its Facebook page advising residents of increased local bear activity.

According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, black bear sightings are becoming increasingly common in Connecticut as the population continues to grow and expand.

Wildlife Biologist Paul Rego wasn’t shocked upon hearing about the two bear sightings at Quinnipiac, also noting the yearly rise in population.

“I was unsurprised because we have a growing bear population that is expanding its range and it wouldn’t be surprising to have a bear in the area. The Connecticut bear population is increasing from 10-15 percent each year.”

Despite Remillard’s relatively tame interaction, Rego advises that residents take some precautions around their home in order to protect themselves and their pets.

“Residents should take time and prepare in order to reduce the chance of bears coming near their homes and around residential areas. My advice would be to move human waste sources such as garbage cans, trash bags and bird feeders from your front and back yards.”

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has also issued a list of black bear do’s and don’ts in order help educate residents on black bear safety, as well as a black bear sighting report form in order to further keep track of bear activity.

This story was updated on Oct. 5, 2018

UPDATE 10/6/18: Quinnipiac University has fired men’s lacrosse coach Eric Fekete, effective immediately

Quinnipiac University men’s lacrosse team suspended

By Sarah Foley and Giuliana Grosso

Quinnipiac University announced on Sept. 23 that it was suspending the entire men’s lacrosse team pending further investigation into student conduct violations. This is not the first team incident under head coach Eric Fekete.

“This suspension, which takes effect immediately, prohibits all team activity, including practicing and representing the university in competitions,” Lynn Bushnell, vice president for public affairs, said. “With the well-being of our students being our top priority, the university has zero tolerance for any behavior that endangers any member of the university community.”

A week after the suspension here is what we know and don’t know.

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The men’s lacrosse team has over a decade-long record of student conduct incidents ranging from player suspensions to recruiting players with criminal records.

According to the United States District of Connecticut Court, prior to the first day of competition in the fall 2008-2009 season, six players on the team were suspended after providing alcohol to minors at a party. Those players subsequently re-joined the team for the spring season.

Court records also state that in the fall of 2008, Storm Stockstill of Jupiter, Florida, accepted an athletic scholarship from Quinnipiac University to play on the men’s lacrosse team. Approximately three months after the offer, he was arrested and charged with aggravated stalking of a minor – a second degree felony that could result in imprisonment for up to five years – and battery.

According to the United States District of Connecticut Court, Stockstill admitted to police that he and a fellow student at Jupiter High School “fake raped” a younger male student in the gym locker room. Stockstill testified that the incident occurred over the course of three days, and that other students and coaches observed and laughed.

Quinnipiac later rescinded Stockstill’s acceptance for the spring 2010 semester. As a result, Stockstill attempted to file a lawsuit against the university, but it was denied.

Less than two weeks after the team’s recent suspension, head coach Eric Fekete was fired. According to the Quinnipiac Chronicle, Assistant Coach Mason Poli will act as the interim coach. The university also announced that the entire team will remain suspended until December 31, 2018.

Vice president for public affairs Lynn Bushnell said that in addition to the extended team suspension, “Disciplinary action has been handed down to individual student athletes on the team.”

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Quinnipiac’s Athletic Director, Greg Amodio, has not issued any statements regarding the recent conduct violations and university spokesman, John Morgan, declined further comment on Sept. 24, regarding the specific allegations involved.

In light of the current incident with the men’s lacrosse team, Quinnipiac students are taking measures to prevent and raise awareness about hazing. Last week was National Hazing Prevention Week and Quinnipiac student organizations such as sports teams and greek life participate in activities that raise awareness about the dangers of hazing college students.

The length of the suspension and investigation are not known at this time.

Checking in: the importance of mental health on college campuses

Six weeks into the academic semester, it was time to check-in on the Quinnipiac student body.

Quinnipiac is just one of 180 campuses around the country that participates in Fresh Check Day, a signature program of the Jordan Porco Foundation.

The Jordan Porco Foundation’s mission is to prevent suicide, promote mental health and create a message of hope for young adults.

In 2011, Ernie and Marisa Porco lost their son, Jordan, to suicide when he was a freshman in college.

Within their grief they were able to learn about the high level statistics surrounding mental health and suicide in young adults.

Fresh Check Day, campus wide, includes uplifting mental health promotion and suicide prevention that provides students with interactive booths, peer-to-peer conversations and a chance to communicate with campus departments and groups.

There is a lack of dialogue about mental health, Fresh Check Day works to bridge the gap between students and mental health resources available to students on campus.

Mary Pellitteri, a university counselor, became involved with Fresh Check Day after hearing Jordan Porco’s mother speak at a conference.

Students were asked to write motivational thoughts on the mirrors to remind them that they are more than their insecurities.

In 2015, Fresh Check day was held for the first time on the Quinnipiac campus, starting slowly with a few tables and progressing later into a large event.

“Fresh Check Day is something that students look forward to every year,” said Pellitteri.

“The real main point, other than the education, is to help people feel comfortable when they speak about mental health issues, anxiety, depression or suicide because a lot of times people don’t do things because they feel uncomfortable.”

Pellitteri hopes that Fresh Check Day will educate students on the Quinnipiac campus about mental health and come to an understanding that they do not stand alone.

“There is some shame people feel and we want to take that away,” said Pellitteri. “There is too much shame and that keeps people quiet. When people address it, they see what improvement can be made and it is worthwhile.”

During Quinnipiac’s fourth annual Fresh Check Day, Bobcat lawn was full of informational tables encouraging students to unwind for a moment and focus on their mental health.

A student wrote, “Smiling and laughing all the time so she must not be depressed.”

The elephant in the room table, which the Psychology club ran, encouraged students to express secrets or stigmas that they carry around with them every day that others may not know about. Paper elephants were provided for students to anonymously share what was on their mind.

Angela Walker, professor of psychology, shared the importance of reminding students that they do not have to face their burdens alone.

“We are hanging the elephants up so students can see how many people have these secrets and it becomes visible that we all have burdens,” said Walker.

Among the many informational booths stood Gender Sexuality Alliance, a club on campus providing a safe space for LGBTQIA+ students.

Members of GSA, such as John Ferraro, spoke to students at Fresh Check Day about what it means to be an ally on the Quinnipiac campus.

“We are focusing on promoting positivity between all communities,” said Ferraro. “We are inviting students to write positive messages and what it means to them to be an ally on pieces of paper and linking them in a chain to show how everyone is connected in our community.”

On college campuses, there is a stigma that follows around the topic of mental health. That stigma promotes an environment of fear and shame, and groups on the Quinnipiac campus such as NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, help to combat the stigma.

Celina Carreiro, President of NAMI at Quinnipiac, works to put on events that celebrate everyone’s differences and share mental health awareness on campus.

With the Porco family in mind, Quinnipiac students were invited to sign the 9 out of 10 pledge. Senior Residential Assistant, Emma Downes, tabled to encourage students to be the change and to know the warning signs of suicide on college campuses.

“Each year, one out of ten college students contemplate suicide,” said Downes. “That means nine out of ten students have the opportunity to help and learn the warning signs of suicide.”

Whether students spoke about their insecurities, stuffed bags full of supplies for the homeless or took a moment to meditate, they were spending time focusing on their personal mental health.

As Fresh Check Day drew to a close, Senior Resident Assistant Cynthia Clement emphasized why mental health awareness is so important on campus.

“People are away from home for the first time and as you progress throughout college the stress of everyday life begins to build up,” said Clement. “Fresh Check Day provides students with the education they need to realize it is important to take care of themselves and always realize that they are never alone.”

Students are encouraged to reach out to the counseling center at Quinnipiac for help managing difficult time or if you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800- 273 TALK (8255)