After more then three months of negotiations and eleven days on strike, Stop & Shop workers have reached a tentative agreement with the Supermarket chain and went back to work this past Sunday. The employees at more then 240 Stop and Shops across Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island reached a deal with the Super Market chain which gives them better pay and health care coverage.
Quinnipiac student Alex Bernstein said that he believes that full time workers should be given benefits. “I definitely think that they deserve full time rights I mean right now they work them like thirty-nine and a half hours a week so they don’t get the forty hours so that way they get the benefits so it’s just kind of corporate greed.”
Super market chains such as Aldi, Costco, and Shop Rite offer their employees health insurance, dental insurance and more, causing potential competition in hiring. During the strike there was more then just competition with employees but also with shoppers. Students say they chose to shop at Aldi and Shop Rite during the strike forcing Stop and Shop to loose business.
“I usually shop at Stop and Shop to get my groceries,” said Quinnipiac student Emily Dryzgual. “But because they were on strike last week I went to Shop Rite which I guess is bad for their business because all the students are shopping at their competitors now.”
Shop Rite offers more then just health insurance coverage to their employees and includes a competitive 401 (k), auto home and pet insurance and tuition reimbursement. The Stop and Shop workers on strike included cashiers, stockers, bakers, deli clerks and butchers. During the strike, Stop & Shop employees argued that the chain’s parent company, Ahold Delhaize, reported profits of more than $2 billion to its shareholders last year, and could afford to compensate workers better.
Democratic presidential candidates including Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren supported the workers through out the strike. Warren tweeted out saying “Congratulations to @UFCW and the 31,000 @StopandShop workers who are back on the job today after striking to secure fair wages, health and retirement benefits for workers. When we fight together, we win.”
The union said in a statement: “The agreement preserves health care and retirement benefits, provides wage increases, and maintains time-and-a-half pay on Sunday for current members.” Details of the proposed three-year agreement will not be made public until the 31,000 union members across five locals ratify the contract. Voting will begin this week.
A group project at the University of Hartford went horribly wrong this past Sunday when two students were stabbed. University of Hartford student Jake Wascher has been accused of stabbing two classmates in a dorm room while practicing for a drama class assignment. After stabbing the two students Wascher then ran into the campus woods but was later found by police.
courtesy of University of Hartford
Lieutenant Paul Cicero said in a statement, “One of the victims, a 21-year-old male suffered one punctured wound to the chest and four to the back. A second victim, 19-year-old male suffered from a single puncture would to the chest as well as the back.”
courtesy of CBS News
Students although shaken by this incident are taking it well-said Hartford student Matt Frasier. “Students seem to be very relaxed I don’t mean accepting but more safe and secure then they would after something like that,” said Frasier.
The university sent out an email to students saying that if they need counseling or assistance the university is providing services to help the campus community. The university stated, “While there is no ongoing threat to campus, we recognize that this isolated incident is frightening and unsettling.”
According to court documents, when Wascher was found he told police that we was just interested in what it was like to stab someone and that he was not provoked or endangered.
Quinnipiac student Rob Tammaro said there should be more focus on mental health in college campuses to permit events like this from happening. “I think mental health is an issue amongst college students whether it’s at Uhart or across the country and I think colleges could change the stigma of it by maybe sending emails or making it more accessible for students to access help”.
Uhart commuter, Jake Wascher is now being charged with two counts a criminal content to commit murder and two counts of assault first degree. His bail is being held at $1 million dollars.
Debt in America has reached an all time high of $1.5 trillion, forcing people to put their lives on hold. Of course, the more known debt is credit card debt but what is the real underlying reason for this crippling debt in our economy? Student loans.
There are more than 44 million Americans with student loan debt, owing a total amount of about $1.5 trillion. Americans owe almost $600 billion dollars more in student debt than in credit card debt.
Quinnipiac University marketing professor Maxim Polonsky says that this debt is due to students being uninformed about student debt while picking the school that they want.
“It is unfortunate that student are in this situation. A lot of students don’t know what they are signing up for,” Polonsky said. “So, there can be a lot more blame put on the consumer for not knowing what they are signing up for. Students are financially illiterate and they think it can just be dealt with tomorrow.”
There are many different types of loans that students can apply for if they are looking at a school that is out of their financial reach. Yet, of course these loans come with interest rates which can seriously change the amount expected to pay after graduation.
Last July, the Federal Board of Education decided to increase the interest rate on federal student loans from 4.45 to 5.05 percent this year.
To put this in perspective, say a student owes an average student debt of $30,000 after graduation. This debt will become an extra $3,195 instead of $2,800. To calculate your loans, click here.
Interest rates are rising because the Federal Reserve has been increasing interest rates on the Federal Funds rate. This influences the interest rates on other major loan indexes, especially Treasury rates and the LIBOR index. The interest rates on most private student loans are based on the 1-month and 3-month LIBOR indexes.
Federal student loans come in many forms to fit different needs.
These loans consist of:
Financial guru Mark Kantrotwitz, a writer for Private Student Loans, said, “Since we are in a rising interest rate environment, you can expect the interest rates on student loans to continue increasing by about 0.5 to 0.75 percent per year.”
Federal education loans increase their interest rates once a year — on July 1 — based on the last 10-year Treasury Note auction in May. Private student loans, on the other hand, can change their interest rates as frequently as monthly.
Private Student Loans.guru provides unbiased and objective information about private student loans. Private student loans are offered by private lenders such as Citizens Bank, College Ave, LendKey, Sallie Mae. Private student loans can be fixed or variable.
Students are well educated about needing to take loans out for college but the concept of interest rates usually flies under the radar. Students are delaying life decisions such as purchasing a house or car, furthering their education and getting married.
Although this is a huge struggle for most graduates there are ways to reduce this financial burden. Sofi is an online loan company that offers student loan refinancing options to students suffering from debt.
“We found over 60 percent of respondents reported that student loan debt is one of the top two financial concerns in their lives. While student loans are clearly a stressor for millennials, there’s a way to prevent them from causing students so much anxiety,” said a Sofi representative.
The loaning company holds events such as cocktail parties, cooking classes and yoga classes to help their clients feel more comfortable speaking out and connecting with others suffering from student loan debt. Sofi is the leading student loan provider refinancing over 250,000 people and has spent $18 billion in refinanced student loans.
Graduates can also qualify for student loan deductions through taxes but these deductions come with limitations. Loans can only be deducted if they were loaned from a qualified source, such as federal loans and private loan lenders. It is possible to deduct interest on student loans even if you don’t itemize your deductions.
This is helpful especially since grads are unlikely to own a house right away.
Offered to all is Public Student Loan Forgiveness. The program offers full student loan forgiveness to anyone who works in the public sector, which includes non-profit employees, Peace Corps volunteers, public school teachers and staff. The Pay as you Earn forgiveness program allows those struggling with student debt to make 240 payments of $65.92 a month. Once those 240 payments are complete, the rest of the debt will be forgiven.
Golden Financial services, a debt settlement company warns that, “thousands of qualified consumers won’t be getting student loan forgiveness on the public service program even though they believe they will because they forget to submit the form for it.”
The company blames this on the Department of Education and loan services for not clearly disclosing this to students. The application for student loan debt consolidation is here.
Working with a student loan attorney can be a serious next step when suffering with student debt. An attorney can help a grad navigate the complicated world of student debt and shed light on the concept of fixing it. They can help grads get out of default and on to a better repayment plan.
Student debt attorney Kevin McCarthy says he has seen an exponential growth of graduates coming for help.
“Most people come to us when they are living off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, not being able to help themselves whatsoever. Credit card debt allows people to to go bankrupt while student loan debt has to be paid off. This is causing a lot of pain for families and isn’t allowing people to live a better life,” he said.
An attorney can provide guidance regarding your legal rights and options, represent your interests by negotiating with your student loan holder, help you resolve defaults and apply for a discharge, and handle credit disputes. Attorneys can only help if the loans are from a private student loan lender. They cannot help if the student loans are federal.
Being well educated about loans and their interest rates can allow avoidance of crippling debt. Families struggling to understand student loans can hire a college funding adviser to help them work through the finances.
Central Mass college funding advisor Dave Landry said, “Many families feel overwhelmed with the college financial aid system. In my view, the system can also be unfair – especially if you make mistakes while navigating through the process.”
These advisers will stay with you throughout your time at school and help assist applying for loans to find ones that fit you best.
Although student loan debt sounds intimidating to most, it is also considered “good debt” because of its importance. Without an education, people struggle to increase their income opportunities. A recent study from Georgetown University found that those with a college education earn over $1 million in earnings in a lifetime compare to those without an education.
Although a college education is crucial to living a better life, it has also been damaging not only those in debt, but also the economy. Attending school is beneficial, but students need to be more aware of their financial abilities when attending school.
Polonsky noted it is possible to deal with this debt when keeping on top of it.
data-animation-override> “It is possible for people to live in this developed economy which allows people the basic level of survival to create debt. That’s the beauty of capitalist economy. The blame is on college here. College is very expensive and causes a very debatable proposition. The idea that a $60,000 private college is going to lead you to a better degree then a $30,000 public school is just a marketing technique used by the university.”
Student loan debt will always be an issue, and will worsen with the rise of interest rates. Students aren’t surprised about this debt until they are exposed to it after graduation.
The town of Hamden is home to around 61,000 people, but during the school year, Quinnipiac University adds about 10,000 more to the population of Hamden.
Many of the vehicles owned by Quinnipiac students are registered out of state, causing Hamden to take a loss on motor vehicle taxes.
Connecticut Conference of Municipalities has noticed that many out-of-state vehicles are not registered within towns and has been a problem throughout the state. Towns such as Waterbury, Bridgeport, Danbury, New Haven and Stafford have also tried contacting companies to help track down tax invaders.
A study done by the city of Waterbury in 2016 uncovered more than 4,000 vehicles registered out of the city. The study estimated that the cost of those lost registrations approached nearly $450,000.
Chief Assessor, John Gelati, said the tax is being put in effect to have equalization in the town of Hamden and it will include students who live off campus and drive cars with out-of-state plates.
“This is a part of a comprehensive revenue initiative that we are launching which includes an audit of personal property and real estate as well,” said Gelati.
The assessor’s office is currently selecting a request for proposal to implement car registration in Hamden under the law. The assessor’s office is hoping that this will be done at the end of the month and hopefully be put in effect for this coming year. Gelati believes the implementation of this tax will be a slow process but hopes that everyone will be in compliance with it
Gelati said the tax will not affect any specific motor vehicles in particular, regarding students in the Quinnipiac community, it requires notification to the vehicles insurance. Gelati said that the process would be much easier if everyone contacts their vehicle insurance company to register their car in Hamden.
Not only out of state cars will be taxed but students that reside in a different part of Connecticut will also need to register their car with Hamden.
If a car is seen in the same area for a couple of months, that car will need to be registered in Hamden. The assessor office will be monitoring theses cars that are out of state and are seen on a lawn or driveway for a few months.
“The tax will affect students who reside in Hamden or have moved here after college and have not yet registered their car in the town,” said Gelati.
Depending on how long the car stays in Hamden will determine whether or not the car needs to be registered. Those who are here for a visit will not be taxed but for students living in off-campus housing, this may create a problem.
The town and assessor’s office have an obligation to discover taxable property in the town. They are allowed to scan license plates over a period of time if they suspect a person to be living in Hamden with an unregistered vehicle.
Gelati said that he has received positive feedback from residents of Hamden and believes that this might even bridge the gap of Quinnipiac students and Hamden residents. He believes that it is a positive move for the university and the students to be in compliance and pay their appropriate taxes.
Gelati is not sure how this would affect on-campus residents because Quinnipiac is private property but he is sure that students living in off-campus housing will be affected.
“I would like to add that, should the university students want to have more information about this process we would be more than happy to attend a meeting and help students learn more about the process to register their cars in Hamden,” said Gelati.
Gelati understands that the process of registering a car can be quite intimidating and is happy to speak with the school and students to makes the process easier for all.
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.
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.”
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.
