Saving face: Why the NCAA mandates full face shields in hockey

By: Justin Cait

Chase Priskie exercised his patience and waited for his name to be called at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

After going undrafted in his first two years of eligibility, Priskie, a college hockey defenseman from Pembroke Pines, Florida, felt his nerves settle in the sixth-round of the draft when he was selected by the Washington Capitals.

A freshman at the time, Priskie watched his name pop up on the draft board from his home in Hamden, Connecticut and with his Quinnipiac teammates by his side. Suddenly, he had to make quick and drastic changes to his summer plans.

Read more at Shorthand.com

Timeline/Graphics: How a QU professor got caught in a sex sting

By Nora Scally, Cullen Ronan and Aaron Robinson

Screen Shot 2018-11-15 at 2.50.02 PM.png

Following the incriminating video of a Quinnipiac University finance professor who appears to be looking to have sexual relations with a 14-year-old boy, an online sting operation has been brought to light.

The sting netted Dr. Thomas Coe, an associate professor and chair of the finance department.

Coe, who has been suspended pending an investigation, but not arrested, began teaching at Quinnipiac in 1999.

After extended online conversations posing as a minor, the head of an organization known as “PopSquad (Prey on Predators Squad),” who goes by “Incognito,” lured Coe into meeting up with what he believed to be an underage boy, only to greet Coe with a camera upon his arrival.

Leading up to the interaction, he had canceled his classes after November 1 due to travel and out of town conferences.

Above: An e-mail Coe sent announcing his travels.

He sent out an e-mail hours before his interaction with “PopSquad” as well.

Above: An e-mail Coe sent before his confrontation with “PopSquad”.

“PopSquad” is dedicated to luring and exposing child predators in Connecticut, in an effort to help protect children and “raise community awareness around the issue in hopes of toughening laws and legislation” according to the “PopSquad” website.

The videos taken of unsuspecting predators, including the one featuring Coe, are then posted to the “PopSquad” website, where they join the ranks of the other 129 individuals that Incognito has caught on camera.

Incognito told Fox 61 that the mission of “PopSquad” is to change Connecticut legislation regarding how the state handles sex offenders.

“Technology has outgrown our laws and that’s a huge loophole that a lot of the guys I catch get,” Incognito said. “If they go online and they talk to your child and they don’t say anything sexual, they technically aren’t breaking a law,”

HQ Press reached out to Incognito regarding “PopSquad”, who says he has stopped talking to news outlets because he feels as though they are also part of the problem, but did not elaborate on the issue.

“PopSquad's” Instagram direct message to HQ Press — “PopSquad’s” Instagram direct message to HQ Press

The “PopSquad” method of exposing sexual offenders bares a resemblance to Dateline NBC’s “To Catch a Predator,” a program aired from 2004 to 2007 that used similar means of convincing offenders to meet up with underage boys and girls through online chat rooms.

However, those who were caught by the operation would leave in handcuffs after the executors of the sting were temporarily deputized by the local police department throughout the length of the sting.

Despite not having an affiliation with law enforcement, the efforts of “PopSquad” have gained plenty of traction online, tallying thousands of views and leading to 14 arrests, nine pending trials and five convictions throughout its two-year history.

However, questions still remain about the future of the 104 other predators caught in the “PopSquad” sting.

Above: Timeline of the events surrounding Thomas Coe.

Mass shootings are affecting communities coast to coast

By Paige Meyer

“It was very much the spot of my town and is a very laid back, happy environment to hang out, dance, party and just let loose with your friends,” Quinnipiac University freshman and Thousand Oaks resident Lauryn Yarnall said.

“Everyone around my age absolutely loves Borderline,” she added.

The Borderline Bar and Grill located in Thousand Oaks, California was known as a popular spot for nearby colleges. On Wednesday, the bar was hosting line-dancing lessons for college students ages 18 and up when gunfire stunned the crowd. A night filled with celebration quickly turned to a night of heartbreak.

“I just felt so bad for those kids. The shooter totally knew Wednesday nights were a big night for Borderline,” Daniel Madnick, Borderline regular and Thousand Oaks resident, said.

“It had to be very planned out at least that is what I think because Wednesdays are a huge draw for young kids,” he said.

At about 11:20 p.m., a veteran of the U.S. Marines tossed a smoke bomb and began to open fire. The shooter was a machine gunner in the Marine Corps and has had recent run-ins with the law. In April, officers had to respond to an incident reported at his mother’s home, where he lives.

“My brother was supposed to go to the bar that night and at the very last minute his friend bailed and he didn’t go, he very well could have been there last night and not have made it like the rest of them,” Madnick said.

As bullets flew, terrified patrons and community members fled the scene as fast as possible. According to the Los Angeles Times, the shooter was found dead on the scene and is suspected to have committed suicide, but due to the amount of blood in the Borderline Bar, it is unclear to whether he took his own life or was shot down by officials.

“There are always big bouncers who throw out drunk kids but none that are ready to take on smoke bombs and a gun. I have only seen police activity maybe once at that bar and I go all the time. For the most part it is a very secluded little spot and I can see why he targeted it,” Madnick said.

Sometimes the security at bars, clubs and events can only do so much.

“There are times where I walk into an environment and can smell the tension in the air and I just can tell that something is going to happen,” said Jared Allen, a protection specialist, high profiled celebrity bodyguard and Connecticut club security guard.

“While providing security I have been sliced, shot at, had bottles broken over my head, and attacked. This only comes once in a blue moon,” Allen said.

After the Sandy Hook shooting back in 2012, there have been 1,895 mass shootings affecting people and communities around the world.

Below are some of the hotspots in Hamden where many Quinnipiac students spend their free time. The fear of a possible invasion is setting in close to campus for many students.

screen_shot_2018-11-13_at_11.24.39_am.png

“I didn’t go out in Hamden or New Haven this weekend and I tried to convince my friends not to go out either. It was too soon for me and it is still too soon for me. Unfortunately, it is very unlikely that I will be able to go to a club or bar again without thinking of the shooting and considering the possibility that I could die,” Yarnall said.

Yarnall set up a vigil on the Quinnipiac University Quad to honor the lost lives in the Thousand Oaks shooting. She set up 12 candles with the name of each victim on them in front of the student center on Quinnipiac’s main campus.

“I set up the vigil for a lot of reasons,” Yarnall stated. “The main one was to help me feel not so useless, all the way on the East Coast. I’ve wanted nothing more than to go home and be with my family and stand with them to help my community.”

A catalyst for the arts

Hartford’s Webster Theater lacks the storied musical history of Toad’s Place, or the sparkling renovations of College Street Music Hall, but it remains one of the only places in Connecticut that is consistently home to crowds of feverish metalheads and punk rockers…

Click Here to read the full article

Cabrera holds rally in Ansonia, calls for voting transparency during recount

On Monday evening, Jorge Cabrera, Democratic candidate for Connecticut’s 17th state senate district, stood on the steps of Ansonia City Hall and spoke anxiously to a few dozen supporters, calling for more integrity and transparency in the voting system.

Last Wednesday morning, Cabrera found out that he won the state senate race. He spent the rest of that day into Thursday night celebrating with his friends and extended family. It was at the celebration luncheon on Thursday, however, that he learned something had gone wrong.

“Immediately, we didn’t know what had happened,” Cabrera said at the rally. “We knew that the city of Ansonia had resubmitted the numbers and all of us were left scratching our heads.”

Officials are currently recounting votes after a mistake was made. What the mistake is specifically, officials don’t know for certain.

“It appears it was a mistake made in reporting from the Registrar’s office to the Secretary of the State,” Ansonia City Attorney John Marini told WTNH News 8’s George Colli. “Essentially, from what we’re being told, it was a data entry mistake.”

The latest count has Incumbent Republican George Logan earning 18,513 votes compared to Cabrera’s 18,448 votes, according to Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill. The slim 65-vote margin calls for a recount, but the reporting error further complicates the situation.

Here was the scene before the rally last night in #Ansonia. @Cabrera4Senate and his family and supporters gathered to discuss #voter transparency and the integrity of the #electoral system. The #recount for CT's 17th senate district continues. pic.twitter.com/nznkmz4vP4

— HQ Press (@hq_press) November 13, 2018

“There’s something bigger at stake here. It’s not about the candidates, and it’s not about a political party. It’s the principle of making sure that every single vote counts; making sure that every single person that took the time to vote on Election Day knows that their vote was counted,” Cabrera said. “Nothing lessens the integrity of our election system than what we’re looking for.”

State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, who stood next to Cabrera during the rally, said that the voting system loses integrity when numbers are misreported.

“When you have confusion in the electoral system, like what we’ve seen on Thursday, that takes people’s confidence away from the electoral process,” said Duff. “We’re actually seeing that throughout this nation right now.”

In Florida, the results of the U.S. Senate race between Governor Rick Scott (R) and incumbent U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D) are being recounted. Brenda Snipes, Broward County Supervisor of Elections, has come under fire from republicans since Election Day. Some republicans claim that the delays in the counting process may suggest Snipes’s office was part of an election fraud scheme. Former Florida Republican Gov. Jeb Bush on Monday called for Snipes to be removed from her position in office, while President Donald Trump said last week that Snipes has a “horrible history.”

“An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night!” Trump tweeted.

Quinnipiac University organizations assemble care packages for Homes for the Brave

By Scott De Bell

Community Assistant Cynthia Clements making a care package for Homes for the Brave

Several organizations at Quinnipiac came together on Sunday afternoon in honor of Veterans Day to help homeless veterans for Thanksgiving by assembling care packages fro Homes for the Brave.

Quinnipiac’s Residential Life, Residence Hall Council and Student Veterans Organization came together to host an event where students could bring non-perishable products and make their own care packages.

The organizations raffled off a Quinnipiac hockey jersey, hosted trivia with prizes and provided pizza for anyone who came and donated goods. The event also gave students an opportunity to talk to student veterans.

Chidi Nwuneli is one of the community assistants that organized this event. This is the second year that Nwuneli has run this event and this year he was striving to make it bigger.

Hector Alicea from his time in the Marine Corps

“Last year we had a smaller scale event and this year we tried to work with Residence Hall Council and Student Veterans themselves to make it a bigger event and we’re just trying to help on a bigger scale,” Nwuneli said.

One thing that the coordinators of this event tried to offer the students was the opportunity to talk to student veterans. Hector Alicea was one of those veterans in attendance at the event. Alicea is a veteran of the Marine Corps. He served for seven years and completed two tours. As a veteran, Alicea is very appreciative of events like this, as well as being able to help out.

Junior Kathryn Lees writing a note to put in her care package

“The fact that people are willing to come here and donate and raise money for those service members who are still serving, or those service members who returned who are still trying to integrate back into society, it means something to us. So the Student Veterans Organization, we’re going to support that all the way,” Alicea said.

Thomas Perry, a junior at Quinnipiac, came and donated goods and assembled a care package for Homes for the Brave. Perry has quite a few connections to military veterans, so this event really pushed him to give back.

“I have a lot of family who were in the Armed Forces and it is the little things like this, and it is nice to be able to give back and it all goes to our troops,” Perry said. “I think it’s awesome to give a little something to make a soldier’s day that much better.”

Quinnipiac’s first ever pub night

By Charlene Torres & Sarah Foley

The line was out the door on Thursday night for Quinnipiac’s first ever Pub Night on campus. The senior class cabinet hosted the event on York Hill’s Rocky Top to initiate building a pub on campus for students 21 years or older. Senior Vice President Allison Kuhn said that she has been working on this proposal since January.

“We planned this Pub Night in September. It was originally only going to be beer and a two drink limit, but we wanted to have the effect of a real pub so we added wine and mixed drinks,” Kuhn said.

SGA hosted the event in the Rocky Top Den with a line leading almost past the cafeteria.

Students said they were excited to come out and see what SGA could put together. They came for the drinks, games and free food. SGA handed out refillable plastic cups that said “Pub Night” to the first 100 students who arrived. Beers were $4, wine was $5, mixed drinks were $6 and drinks on the rocks were $7. There was no tipping allowed for the bartenders.

SGA decided to cap the event at 300 people, because of limited space in the Rocky Top Den. Students recommended finding a larger space to make it easier to dance.

“I think the event is pretty successful so far,” senior Caroline Accardi said. “I just wish there was more room to move and a shorter line for the bar. I saw the line and decided to just not get a drink.”

Others came to see if the event would go smoothly.

“I came to see how tonight would go and if SGA would do a good job and if it got out of control. So far I’m having a great time,” senior Maggie Sweeney said.

To make sure this event didn’t get out of control, SGA invited public safety officers and police officers, and patrolled the event themselves.

“We are trying to prove to administration that students not only want a pub, but are also responsible enough to have one,” Kuhn said.

Schools such as UConn and Fairfield University have campus bars for students to drink responsibly. If it follows certain protocols it is possible that Quinnipiac will be able to have a bar on campus too.

“On campus bars are just a guaranteed great time. You don’t have to worry about the bar getting shut down and you’re safe. I can literally walk down the street to my dorm whenever I’m done for the night,” said Anynha Phelmetto, a junior at UConn.

Huskies Restaurant and Bar is an on-campus bar at UConn that hosts college students all week long. Many students spend their weekends there, including weeknights for a quick bite.

“We’ve been the preferred bar on campus for more than 20 years and have more space and better specials than any other bars in the area,” general manager, Kevin Lavallee said. There are a few other bars on campus like TEDS and Grille 86, but UConn students prefer Huskies.

“If you are looking for an upbeat vibe and all around good time, Huskies is the place to be, especially after a stressful day full of classes”, Tyvonna Bradley, a senior at UConn, said.

Many students from around Connecticut want on-campus bars because of its benefits. These bars keeps students safe, and students are more inclined to spend their time on campus on the weekends.

“Our goal is to keep our students safe. We always have Public Safety officers patrolling the area and on guard. I think students would rather come here than wander the different areas of Fairfield, especially when students aren’t from around here,” said Todd A. Pelazza, Director of Public Safety at Fairfield.

Similar to UConn, The Levee is Fairfield University’s on-campus sports bar that is located across the main entrance of the student center. This bar hosts many events like concerts, dances, comedy shows, etc. that provide a variety of gatherings for students.

Catherine Ruiz is a senior at Fairfield University and enjoys going to the bar on campus.

“I think more schools should invest in on-campus bars. Students don’t want to spend money on ubers and always watching over their shoulders late at night. I want to be in a safe place that will bring more students together,” Ruiz said.

Like many schools, Quinnipiac’s first ever Pub Night on campus could be a fresh start to safe drinking and partying for students. The night was short, but many students came out to support in hopes of this on campus bar becoming permanent.

“I hope the university appreciates the turn out and really makes this a thing for students. I’d love to see what it could become before I graduate in May, “ Stephanie Martinez, senior at Quinnipiac, said.

Hamden voter evolution: what the midterms told us

By Aron Fried

Six years of Hamden voting: By the numbers

Go to the story

Photo by Max Slomiak

Popularity of rugby: Why is it not translating to Hamden, Connecticut?

By Scott De Bell

Rugby is gaining attention all over the United States at a rapid rate. However, that is not trickling over to the Hamden area and Quinnipiac student body. The Quinnipiac women’s rugby team is working towards a fourth-straight national championship. New Blue Rugby is a club team for males at Quinnipiac and they have a rich history as well.

In this podcast, people who are rich in the game of rugby at Quinnipiac talk about the popularity of the game here at Quinnipiac and how we can grow it here in Hamden, Connecticut.

Voices of the Podcast

Ross Lager

Senior. Member of New Blue Rugby.

Rich Hanley

Professor of Journalism at Quinnipiac University.

Allison Koenig

Freshman. Quinnipiac Women’s Rugby.

Photo Courtesy of Quinnipiac Athletics

Ben Mahon

Junior. Captain of New Blue Rugby.

Becky Carlson

Head Coach of Women’s Rugby at Quinnipiac University.

Photo Courtesy of Quinnipiac Athletics

Emily Roskopf

Senior, Captain of Quinnipiac Women’s Rugby.

Photo Courtesy of Quinnipiac Athletics

Quinnipiac president, People’s United Bank EVP give lessons from top

The People’s United Center for Women and Business hosted an inaugural event, Women in Leadership: Lessons from the Top, on Nov. 6. This event showcased two intelligent leaders: Judy Olian, president of Quinnipiac University, and Sara Longobardi, senior executive president, retail banking at People’s United Bank. Women and men from the town of Hamden and the university came to learn from the experiences and wisdom of these two leaders.

Olian and Longobardi shared many personal stories about their journeys to the height of their careers. Many attendees thanked them personally for sharing their stories.

Olian and Longobardi have worked together to bring The People’s United Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship as apart of the 10-year agreement between People’s United and Quinnipiac, where the bank has donated 5 million dollars to the center and women in business. This agreement has been put in place to help bridge the gap of resources for women pursuing careers in the business world. Some of these resources provide advisory services, workshops in legal, finance, research, marketing, design, business plan development and startup mentoring.

Both People’s United and the university have high hopes for the centers ability to help students from all majors and disciplines. “We want women from all different backgrounds and areas of life to bring their skill sets to the same table and create a diverse community,” said Judy Olian. Olian, as the ninth president of Quinnipiac University, is motivated to bridge different cultures of women together to leadership.

She touched on 10 important skills to have that will ensure one’s success in the business world as a women, including: “Saying yes to assignments that intimate you, Finding your own brand, and knowing when you fail and being honest with oneself about it to get right back up.” These were a few statements Olian made in her pursuit to abide by “the obligation to help young women pursue their dreams and goals.”

Olian states that dreams and goals start to flourish just by saying “Yes.” “You just say yes to stuff that people dump on you and say ‘would you do this?’ If you can bring yourself to say yes it is probably a career development opportunity because you are learning new skills and you are becoming visible in new ways to people, and you become known as a can-do person.” In doing so, Olian became more aware of her own skills that she probably never knew she had by just

saying yes

Olian encourages students to be very self-aware when saying “Yes” to different opportunities as as part of their leadership development. “You’ll be a much better leader, and will understand what your passionate about and what you love doing which makes work so much more fun.”

Sara Longobardi agrees with Olian in which students and women in leadership should take advantage of every opportunity, because those numbers have potential to bring diversity. “Culture and diversity is what brings strength. Celebrating differences will be a source for strength for future women leaders,” said Longobardi. Longobardi gave many motivating words about what diversity means to her and this partnership between the center and Quinnipiac. Many students and faculty aim to see this change as this partnership grows.

“Diversity is a business partner, and women from all walks of life bring that. It’s great to have these two exponential women feel such a gratitude in their careers to want to share those passions and experiences in what they learned with other women,” said Gail Gilmore, Director of educational leadership at Quinnipiac University.

This event brought many different leaders, educators, and students together to bring new insight to what Quinnipiac represents and supports. Longobardi and Olian look forward to having more events like this to continue to motivate and cultivate women in leadership. “Always remember that together we are a stronger force,” said Longobardi.