Quinnipiac University informed all students staying in on-campus housing to move out by March 18, due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus shutdown.There are, however, still some students prevented from returning home.
International students like Son Nguyen, a second year student from Vietnam, do not have the luxury of going home.
“I mean I’m pretty good right now. The school is giving food to everyone for free. They cleaned everything in my building.The only problem is, I only have a few toilet paper rolls left. I wish school would supply that,” said Nyguen.
Quinnipiac’s dining is open, offering free food to those stuck on campus.
What would normally be a bustling campus with dorms full of students is now home to but a few, who can’t return home. These few include international students. Photos by Son Nyguen.
“Public Safety doesn’t let anyone in if you are not on the list, which makes me feel safe. Otherwise, I feel comfortable living in this situation.”
“I just want to share my experience, and say that Quinnipiac is doing great,” said Nguyen.
Students still residing at the university will be moved to another area of campus, into one collective residence hall. “By moving students to one area of campus, the university is best positioned to ensure student safety, while still complying with the CDC recommendations for social distancing and limiting large group interactions,” the Department of Residential Life said in an email.
“I can confidently say that Quinnipiac is handling this super well, especially compared to other colleges in the area,” said Mahlet Sugebo, an international student from Ethiopia who had also been prevented from returning home until just recently.
“They’ve provided as many necessities as they could, like food and toilet paper. The empty campus is eerie but the staff that you run into, like facilities and the guys over at QU dining, definitely help bring your spirits up,” said Sugebo.
Students on campus are recommended to pack immediately so the process of moving into a different residence hall will be, “efficient and simple.”
Students can expect more information about the relocation process, as well as regarding dining and health services, “in the coming days.”
People’s United president, Jeff Tengel, spoke in the Lender School of Business. Tengel is one of several speakers in People’s United Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Speaker series. Photo credit: Peter O’Neill
May 18 will be the two year anniversary of the partnership between People’s United Bank and Quinnipiac University, announced back in 2018. Since then, Quinnipiac and People’s have presented a variety of opportunities to connect entrepreneur students with bank executives.
“It’s been two years almost, and [this relationship] has wildly exceeded our expectations in terms of the collaboration and the partnership,” Jeff Tengel, president of People’s United Bank said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Tengel spoke in the Lender School of Business to bankers and students alike. He was one of several speakers in the weekly People’s United Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Spring Speaker series, running from February to April.
“[The Speaker series] is probably less important than some of the other things we do that are maybe more personal, like the mentor-mentee thing we just did, which is a chance for [students] to talk one on one with a bunch of executives,” Tengel said.
Students were given the opportunity to have a discussion with professionals working in the field.
Tengel’s audience consisted of Quinnipiac students, investors and bankers. Quinnipiac’s Fred McKinney, director of People’s United Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, hosted the event in the School of Business. Photo credit: Peter O’Neill
Last September, People’s United Center invited students to pitch their business ideas for monetary prizes to help get their entrepreneurship ideas off the ground. The center awarded $5,000 in cash prizes to three Quinnipiac students with the best pitches.
“We had 60 Quinnipiac students participate in that pitch competition…People’s played a very instrumental role in that,” Fred McKinney, director of People’s United Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship said.
“I think any way that we can get out and interact with the students, it’s gonna be a good thing,” Tengel said. “And so I think as we go forward, it’s going to be more of the same. I don’t see any reason why that would change.”
The next guest speaker for the People’s Speaker series will be Will Ginsberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, held on March 18.
Justin Farmer, a current Hamden legislative council member running for state 17th district senate, is seen with one of 110 Hamden residents who attended his rally. Courtesy: Peter O’Neill
Over 110 Hamden residents came to Keefe Community Center to show their support for Justin Farmer, a Hamden legislative councilman. Farmer is running for the state 17th district senate.
Several local speakers from the area came to endorse Farmer.
“[Justin] is bringing the most energy, the brightest and boldest ideas, and the most grass-roots support to social justice in this race. Every political campaign I care about, Justin is there,” said Ben Leven, a member of the Yale endowment justice coalition.
“Accountability is measured with ‘where are you?’ and we know [Justin] is there,” said Seth Poole of New Haven.
“It doesn’t make any sense to be the person running for higher office if I can’t hold down my community,” said Farmer.
Miriam Kahn, a Hamden global-youth activist, is seen endorsing Farmer. Her and several other community members endorsed farmer at Keefe community center. Courtesy: Peter O’Neill
During his speech, Justin talked about the current issues he would like to tackle. He referenced the objective of establishing plausible public transportation, overcoming the opioid crisis, and using funds to fight climate change.
“The best thing about Justin is that he inspires us to continue fighting. Justin is hope for an equitable future,” said Miriam Kahn, a Hamden global-youth activist.
Farmer would be representing the towns of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Naugatuck, Derby Hamden, and Woodbridge.
“[This] is a diverse community, but I don’t think it is a challenge that we can’t surmount,” said Farmer.
Justin gave a speech following several Hamden residents who endorsed him. Farmer chooses to focus his attention on public transport, the opioid crisis, and climate change. Courtesy: Peter O’Neill
On Friday, Feb. 14, Mayor Curt Leng announced in a press release that former New York fiscal director, Curtis Eatman, has been hired as Hamden’s new Finance Director.
Eatman was a former deputy director of finance for the city of Schenectady, New York.
Additionally, Rick Galarza will be returning as the town’s Deputy Finance Director.
Galarza served as deputy finance director in late 2017 and took over the department for two years following the departure of the finance director, Salvatore DeCola.
The hiring of a financial director and deputy financial director has been on the agenda for some time.
Curtis Eatman – Finance Director
(Courtesy: Schenectady, New York’s website)
The previous audit for the 2017-2018 financial year noted that the report, along with important financial information, had not been released on time and delayed several days. This was due to the two senior positions in the town’s finance office becoming vacant after the fiscal year ended.
With the recent release of the 2018-2019 audit, Mayor Leng stated he felt the results were “excellent,” as he stated in the most recent town of Hamden newsletter.
He additionally noted that the budget was balanced and even came with a surplus of $500,000.
“This is great news for Hamden,” Leng said.
Despite his optimism, some residents feel as though the mayor is only putting the problem off further.
“The problem with this analysis is that the budget was balanced by underfunding the pension by $6.7 million,” said Christian McNamara, a Yale lecturer in management.
“That is, our actuarially determined contribution was $22.6 million, but we contributed only $15.9 million.”
McNamara is one of several residents to host a series of community discussions about the budget across Hamden.
Hamden’s finance department took the money for the pension fund, and instead, put it toward balancing the year’s budget.
“This is the equivalent of kicking the can down the road, and [it] increases our future financial burden,” McNamara said.
A graphic of Hamden’s employer pension plan for the last ten fiscal years. There is a $6,679,996 difference between the actual contribution into the pension fund and the estimated contribution.
Mayor Leng and the new hirees have met earlier this week to begin planning for the years ahead.
Meanwhile, Hamden residents are meeting amongst themselves to discuss their financial stake in the town’s financial progression.
“Mr. Eatman must start on the right foot,” says Stockton Clark, a Hamden resident deeply involved within the community discussion.
Since the role of the Finance Director became vacant, a disconnect became apparent between the mayor’s office and the Hamden legislative council. With the hiring of Eatman, Clark and other residents hope the council will now be clued in.
“The legislative council should have monthly reports on financial status. Secondly, there should be a clear three to five-year financial plan going forward,” McNamara said.
Hamden’s next hire is likely to be for chief assessor, a position vacant since November.
Christian McNamara presents his multi-slide presentation on the climbing expenses of Hamden. McNamara spent months compiling data from audits and financial reports. Courtesy: Peter O’Neill
Hosted by Yale lecturer Christian McNamara, concerned Hamden residents gathered at Books & Company late Tuesday evening to discuss the drastic financial debt Hamden has found itself in.
“A few fellow Hamden residents and I have put together a presentation on our town’s precarious financial condition,” Christian McNamara said in a mass email.
Other Hamden residents like McNamara that are taking action are Judy and Stockton ‘Stocky’ Clark. McNamara and the Clarks, along with others, started the months-long project of compiling data into a multi-sheet pamphlet to illustrate the scope of Hamden’s financial debt. It includes graphs and projection charts using older data received from Hamden’s audits and financial reports already available to the public.
“I spent hours and hours reading everything I could get my hands on about the town’s financial situation,” McNamara said. “It was an enormous amount of work, but work that we felt was very important.”
The group simplified pages of numbers and figures into a series of straight-forward graphs.
“The charts are meant to show people, graphically, what is going on,” Stocky Clark said.
The bulk of the presentation makes obvious the immense financial debt taken by Hamden. Despite being the sixth most taxed town in the state as of 2017, Hamden is having severe difficulty making ends meet.
“We owe $1.1 billion…that’s how much the town of Hamden owes right now,” Stocky said.
In 2019, Hamden’s Moody’s municipal credit score lowered down to Baa3 status, neighboring with Sprague and West Haven. This rating is just one notch above the worst municipal score, Ba1, referred to as ‘junk status.’ The term refers to junk bonds, a bond which borrowers take when they have no other option, and are taken when the borrower is subject to substantial credit risk.
“Under junk bond status, it is going to be extremely expensive to take out bonds,” Hamden Legislative Council Member Brad Macdowall said.
There is skepticism that with Baa3 status comes the possibility of the Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB) taking over financially. The board provides financial accountability for municipalities experiencing various levels of fiscal distress.
“If the MARB did come in, we would see slashed and gutted services, and no benefits to taxpayers for it,” Macdowall said.
The big picture, however, is lost to many Hamden residents.
“Often times when we point out these challenges, people say, ‘Well okay it’s one thing to point out that we have a problem but what’s your solution?’ To me it’s difficult to have a conversation about it until you’ve defined the scope of the problem,” McNamara said.
“That’s what we hoped to do tonight,” he continued. “[We are] getting the information out there, so that we can collectively define the full scale of the problem. And then use that as the basis for fostering a community-wide discussion about what to do.”
Over 40 Hamden community members were present for McNamara’s presentation. This has been the largest number as of yet, for residents to attend a residential meeting assembled by McNamara and the Clarks. Courtesy: Peter O’Neill
McNamara has reached out to legislative council members and the mayor’s office in hopes of his presentation creating a town-wide dialogue.
Of the Hamden Legislative council, three members were present at the meeting. Council members encouraged attendees to speak up about their concerns, sooner rather than later.
“In order to make the best decision, we need you all to make your opinion known to help us better serve you,” Hamden Legislative Council Member Justin Farmer said.
An average of 40 community members showed up to Books & Company for the presentation that evening.
“There were a good number of people there tonight,” Macdowall said. “It’s a low number, but it’s a bigger number than we’ve ever had before. I’m glad this conversation is beginning, and gaining traction.”
“Residents need to be aware, and they need to be involved in the conversation,” he continued. “Otherwise, it allows people to keep doing the same reckless things, just to kick the can down the road. I do not believe the average voter, or the average resident, is aware of how difficult a situation we are in. People are starting to wake up and see it, but it’s still early.”
To read Christian McNamara’s full financial presentation, click here.
