Pat Hickey – HQ Press

Social distancing remains a top priority

With the COVID-19 outbreak, one of the many precautions that needs to be taken in order to eliminate the virus is social distancing. Social distancing is a measure taken to prevent the spreading of highly contagious diseases, in which people need to maintain a physical distance from one another to prevent mass-spreading.

In order for social distancing to be effective, you need to stand at least six feet away from each other and not participate in any physical gestures; as in handshakes, hugs, etc. Some examples of tactics would consist of working at home, closing schools or taking classes online, cancelling meetings and events, and video-chatting instead of physically meeting up.

As of March 30th, President Donald Trump announced that social distancing will be extended until the end of April. Originally, Trump wanted to ease the guidelines by Easter, but with the increase in cases of COVID-19 in the United States it’s making that goal virtually impossible. This announcement comes as a shock to some considering that Easter is on April 12th. All churches are currently closed and families will have difficulties having an actual easter celebration due to social distancing.

After speaking with several students here at Quinnipiac University regarding plans for Easter, it is clear that normal plans have been altered in a negative way due to COVID-19. Tyler DeGenennaro, a senior studying computer science, is resorting to a different celebration than usual.

“ This year for Easter my family will not be doing our usual tradition. Every year friends and family come to our house to celebrate, but this year it will just be my family and I,” DeGennaro said. “It’s sad that we can’t celebrate how we usually do, and I really hope that things start to get better soon.”

Another Easter tradition of many families is going to a restaurant with their family members and due to social distancing and other precautions, all restaurants can only do takeout or pickup. Avery Hayes, a senior management major, is also having a different easter this year compared to past years

“My family usually goes out to eat at a restaurant every Easter,” Hayes said. “ Because of Coronavirus, we have to do Easter dinner at my house now with just myself, two brothers, mom and dad.”

Another alternative to this year’s Easter would be re-scheduling to a different date, which Senior Jessie Sorebella’s family is doing.

“My whole family is postponing Easter,” Sorebella said. “ This decision came about because it’s not worth risking the health of my grandmother and others.”

COVID-19 quarantine impacts graduating class

Students like the graduating seniors, who have had their schedules thrown into chaos by the quarantine.

By Pat Hickey

Colleges and universities around the nation are forced to move their classes and activities to virtual for the remainder of the school year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Not having to physically go to class may seem like an advantage. However, for some seniors, the disadvantages that come along with this are much more detrimental than imagined.

Whether it’s dealing with the technical difficulties in Zoom meetings, or having to pack up your belongings and go home, these issues are making the quick end to senior year worse. After speaking with a few seniors here at Quinnipiac it’s obvious that this “extended spring break” is no fun and games, and for some it means some serious re-planning and structuring.

The current seniors have every right to be upset with how their final semester has ended, according to Quinnipiac seniors Steve Fitzpatrick and Hannah Harris, who say this situation isn’t as good as it may sound. “This just really sucks,” Fitzpatrick said. “I have friends in my classes that I won’t be able to see, possibly ever again.”

Harris feels similarly with Fitzpatrick’s statements, but with all the other extras that go into graduating college she feels as though we are getting robbed out of what we deserve.

“I understand that it seems easy and fun to have online classes for the rest of the semester, but combined with working from home, pressure of graduating soon and finding a job, having our senior year cancelled feels like we did all this work for nothing,” Harris said.

Clubs and organizations on campus have been negatively affected as well. Senior Justin Marin, President of the Marketing club here at Quinnipiac, gives a glimpse of how clubs are affected by the pandemic.

“It sucks for all of the members because we had some really exciting events and field trips planned for the remainder of the semester, which we can no longer do,” Marin said. “We also lost out on a whole lot of revenue opportunities and had to return over $300 to businesses we planned on working with because we can no longer deliver what was promised.”

For Emily Eichholtz, a senior studying psychology, using her remaining credits on art classes turned out to be a lot more frustrating than expected. “ I purposely took two art classes this semester to utilize the supplies and studio art time,” Eichholtz said. “Now I have to go out and not only buy my own supplies, but also have to re-design my projects.”

Students like Julian Rigi don’t have the luxury of being able to drive home, and having to pack up your belongings and re-adjusting to the new semester is trickier than what most students have to deal with. Rigi is from Idaho, and the time zone difference makes his earlier classes a lot more difficult to make.

“It has been hell on earth,” Rigli Said. “ So my 8 a.m.’s are now at 5 a.m., and my 9 a.m.’s are now at 6 a.m.”

New restaurant sprouts up in Hamden

HAMDEN, Conn.- A new health food establishment opened its doors to the Hamden community on Jan. 13. Fresh Greens & Proteins, located at 3450 Whitney Avenue, distances itself from the other greasy food establishments located around the Mount Carmel Campus.

*Interior View of Fresh Greens & Proteins | Photo by Pat Hickey*

Fresh Greens & Proteins mission statement is to create healthy options so you can eat better, which allows you to feel better and live better. This mission statement is achievable with the wide variety of healthy options, which include a fruit smoothie, shakes, specialty salads, rice bowls, acai bowls, wraps and parfait.

The menu is tailored towards the customers’ needs with the options to create your own of any of the categories listed above. One ingredient that Fresh Greens and Proteins offers that you don’t see too often is CBD. CBD can be added to any smoothie, shake, açaí bowl or parfait.

“I have been waiting for a restaurant that serves healthy food like this to open around main campus for years,” said Quinnipiac University senior Avery Hayes (‘20).

*AJ Cooney blending a Cinnabunn Smoothie | Photo by Pat Hickey*

The location of Fresh Greens & Proteins is not only close to many local businesses, but it’s also within walking distance from Main Campus and a quick shuttle ride from York Hill to the polling institute. Part-owner AJ Cooney is familiar with the area, and is happy the way that business is currently going.

“Students love the smoothie shakes and the açaí bowls,” Cooney said. “People usually have to go into New Haven to get this stuff.”

What makes this establishment stick out compared to others on Whitney Ave. and in Hamden is the mentality of not only focusing on Quinnipiac students, but the people of Hamden as well.

“I’ve seen a lot of repeat Hamden locals, obviously the students are apart of it, but they aren’t the majority yet,” said Cooney.

If you’re looking for some popular choices, the Rice Bowls, Acai Bowls and the PB&J Protein shake are a must.