Connecticut lawmakers aim to improve animal shelter conditions


Lyn Johnson and one of her rescue dogs. 

Lyn Johnson and one of her rescue dogs. 

When Lyn Johnson first walked into the Almost Home Animal Rescue in Plainville, Connecticut, she saw that it wasn’t like other shelters where she had volunteered before. The smell was overwhelming and there were cages stacked on top of each other with minimal room for the animals to move.

Johnson left and didn’t want to come back.

But then she thought her previous experience could help make the place a little better. And so she went back. 

“I volunteered twice a week and even after the first two or three times, I knew it was a bad place,” Johnson said. “But she [the owner] didn’t seem too concerned for the animals.”  

Johnson gave Meda Talley, the shelter owner, ideas and even researched types of cages that would benefit the animals. Talley didn’t budge. But there were others trying to help, too. 


An example of poor structure of animal cages in an animal shelter sent by Connecticut Humane Society.

An example of poor structure of animal cages in an animal shelter sent by Connecticut Humane Society.

Plainville animal control officers came in regularly and noted urine and feces in the cages, according to police documents. But because there are no state regulations on how to run a shelter properly, the officers were unable to take legal action to shut this one down. The officers first had to collect evidence proving the animals were in near-death conditions to arrest Talley under Connecticut’s animal cruelty statute. 


Susan Linker and one of her dogs. 

Susan Linker and one of her dogs. 

Johnson, the volunteer, also brought in a friend. Susan Linker, CEO of Our Companions Animal Rescue, told Johnson to get as much photo evidence she could.

“We started building this case and I went to the police,” Johnson said.  

With the evidence Linker and Johnson provided, local police were granted a search and seizure warrant and rescued twenty dogs and twenty three cats. Talley, the owner, was arrested. See the full arrest warrant here.

“It was an extremely long process that took a year and a half before anything really happened,” Johnson said.

In the wake of these and other cases, Connecticut law makers are trying to make shelter regulations more strict.

There is no Connecticut statute that requires animal shelters to be licensed or inspected, which leaves room for them to run in unexceptional conditions –for example, with feces and urine in the cages – while giving law enforcement no recourse to take legal action.

Under a new law, officers will be able to take legal action sooner rather than later.  

There are around 50 animals shelters in the Hamden and New Haven area. Shannon Rose, an animal control officer at the West Haven Animal Shelter, says the problem is that there are a lot of animal hoarders that are keeping the animals in terrible conditions and there are no rules on how people should run a shelter.

 

No one wants to see an animal suffer, so what is being done to help them?  


Matt Spilka's (North Haven, CT) three month old fostered German Shepard.

Matt Spilka’s (North Haven, CT) three month old fostered German Shepard.

On July 7, 2017 Governor Dannel Malloy signed House Bill 6334, an act requiring the registration of animal shelters. The bill, which took effect October 1, requires all persons who wish to operate or maintain an animal shelter to pay a $50 fee to the commissioner for registration/license. The license can be renewed after two years.

An animal shelter can be defined as any private entity that operates a building or facility that is used solely to house homeless animals for the purpose of rescue or adoption and that is not operated within a private residence.

During this period of time, any law enforcer may inspect any shelter, kennel, pet shop or grooming and training facility and if in their judgement the place is not being maintained in a sanitary and humane manner, the officer may issue a fine of $500. If the owner of the facility fails to comply with the regulations or the orders of the officer, he or she may have the license suspended or be arrested.

“The goal is to avoid it escalating to an animal cruelty level,” Linker said. “If there’s a complaint, an officer can go in and enforce something or the owner(s) can lose their license or be arrested.”

The legislation stems from years of work by State Representatives Themis Klarides and Brenda Kupchick, who brought it forward after a number of animals died at a private animal facility that was run by a repeat animal abuser, Fred Acker. Klarides witnessed first-hand the need for the legislation after trying to adopt a cat at an animal shelter in Monroe that was run by Acker.

“We went to the shelter on a hot summer day and outside were a bunch of dogs in cages,” Klarides said. “When we got inside the owner wasn’t there but it was very dirty and disgusting, all of the conditions seemed very bad so we left.”


Connecticut State Representative Themis Klarides.

Connecticut State Representative Themis Klarides.

When Klarides and her sister left the shelter they decided to call the Department of Agriculture and the state representative of Monroe. They found out the owner wasn’t there because he was being sentenced on an animal cruelty charge in another town.

“Once he was sentenced we knew we needed to change the language of our statutes and make a Connecticut statute in regards to animal cruelty and who is allowed to actually maintain a commercial kennel or shelter,” Klarides added.

Klarides has been fighting to push a lot of legislation forward and, she says, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but she keeps fighting. After encountering the horrible conditions at the animal shelter, Klarides called up all of the animal advocates she knew to get this legislation pushed.

“I believe things happen for a reason and you keep fighting for them even if they don’t happen the first time,” Klarides said.

Klarides did just that and the bill was signed and put into effect on October 1, 2017.

Some are thrilled with this action and think it will help keep the animals safe. Susan Wollschanger of Connecticut Humane Society wasn’t aware of the bill until recently and thinks anything that’s going to prevent animal cruelty is a step in the right direction.

“As long as people are working together and collaborating, it’s great. It’s always great to have multiple voices,” Wollshchanger said.

Brenda Kupchick, CT State Representative, continues to be an advocate for animals. She is currently fighting for a new bill to be passed regarding the standards of shelters during weather conditions. If passed, it will establish certain requirements for what constitutes adequate shelter for a dog during different weather conditions.

In this clip you can listen to Kupchick’s opinion in favor of the animal shelter bill.


Nancy Bowman's (Cheshire, CT) rescued three-year-old yellow labrador, Hadley. 

Nancy Bowman’s (Cheshire, CT) rescued three-year-old yellow labrador, Hadley. 

With the bill being the new law, Plainville animal control officer Donna Weinhofer is hoping it will weed out all of the shelters run by those who don’t have good intentions. She also hopes it will professionalize those who mean well and may not know how to properly run a shelter.

“I think it can only help the animals in other people’s care. I think it’ll make it easier for me to make a bust that is necessary, but I also think these rescues are going to start hiding,” Weinhofer said.

To prevent rescues from hiding or closing down information is set up on CT Humane Society’s website so people can understand what the signs of neglect or abuse are. In addition, information on how to properly treat an animal and run a shelter is provided. 

The Department of Agriculture can and will inspect any shelter at anytime to check up on the standards and conditions the shelters are in.

“We have something on our website telling you what the signs are and if you think something is going to happen we want it to be a reminder to people to report anything to the officers,” Wollschanger said.

Wollschanger and Linker think it’s important to educate those who want to run shelters so they know how to take care of the animals and keep up with veterinarian exams and medication.

“No person wants to see an animal suffer so we try to empower people to do something and make a difference,” Wollshchanger said.  


Noelle Esposito's (Northford, CT) rescue dog Riley.

Noelle Esposito’s (Northford, CT) rescue dog Riley.

According to Wollschanger, the CT Humane Society have training every day on how to handle, treat and care for the animals, because not every animal has the same needs. There are specific crews during different scenarios, such as for a winter weather event.

“We have a specific crew that is trained and ready to care for the animals during a snowstorm,” Wollschanger said.

The legislation is to not shut down the shelters but to professionalize them and help the people that run them learn how to properly care for the animals.

“They mean well, they just don’t know what they’re doing. It became clear that private organizations need a set of standards,” Linker said.

To learn more about what Connectciut is doing to prevent animal cruelty, go to CT Humane Society  or Our Companions Animal Rescue website.

Let’s get physical: A first hand look at the fitness program at Quinnipiac

By Joe DeRosa

Many people will look to the gym, or even at-home workouts to try and get healthier. However, it’s important that people know the different types of fitness classes they can also take to get fitter for the summer time. Some of these classes are readily available on college campuses and Quinnipiac is no exception.

Over the course of the past week, I have participated in three different fitness classes available at Quinnipiac to show how they can positively affect your health.

My first class was a meditation class taught by Taryn Nelson, a junior at Quinnipiac. In this class, we lied down on mats and listened to a 10 minute recording of an instructor giving breathing exercises.

After 15 minutes, I was feeling extremely relaxed. The deep breathing exercises that I was performing had calmed me down greatly and had made me feel a lot more balanced for the rest of the day.

Next up was the spinning class. For this session, we all sat on exercise bikes which had built-in resistance knobs. For certain exercises, we had to adjust these knobs to increase the resistance we faced on the bike. We also spent a lot of time alternating between sitting and standing on these bikes, which was an extremely fun workout to follow.

My original plan for a third course was Zumba, but due to an underestimation of how sore my legs would be following spinning, I made the decision to sit that one out.

Last but certainly not least, I attended a Bootcamp session instructed by Erin Haft. Bootcamp is an hour-long class which incorporates body-weight exercises in short, intense intervals. Unfortunately, I was the only one in attendance, making the session much shorter. However, Haft still made sure that I was still able to walk away feeling accomplished.

 

After getting to experience all of these classes, it is evident that the fitness program at Quinnipiac is fine-tuned to make sure that the students achieve fulfilling workouts. Tami Reilly, the director of fitness classes at Quinnipiac, speaks highly of the classes that she oversees.

“There’s always room to improve,” said Reilly. “We’re always looking to bring new programs to campus, or just getting students certified and experienced.”

Reilly hopes that the fitness programs at Quinnipiac can continue to flourish, and that all new additions to the program continue to encourage a welcoming environment.

“My greater goal, if I had to pick one, is to get more (students) to continue to teach when they leave here.”

After experiencing these classes firsthand, I have learned how beneficial fitness classes can be for one’s health. I’ve also found the environments that I was in to be extremely welcoming. Reilly agrees that this is the goal, and has advice for the student that may be intimidated by partaking in these classes.

“Don’t be nervous,” Reilly said. “There’s no such thing as a bad student in our classes and everybody has to give it a shot. You don’t really know what you love until you try it.”

Just Let Them Play

By Andrew Weiss

Connecticut sports fans see April 13, 1997, as the day pro sports died in the state. It was the final time the NHL’s Hartford Whalers would play before heading south to North Carolina.

But that perception is wrong, Pro sports are thriving in Connecticut, just not in the way a casual sports fan may see.

Women’s professional and collegiate sports teams have leapt up to fill the gap left behind. From the history of the Raybestos Brakettes to the growth of the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team to the expansion of hockey, soccer, and basketball in the state has proven that Connecticut is growing women’s sports.

So how has this passed by some fans? Pro sports evolved as a largely male activity in the United States, with the role of women restricted to sideline activities such as cheering, even though they participated in leagues of their own.

An act of the United States government was the first step in growing sports for women. In 1972, the United States Congress sought to provide steps forward in the battle for civil rights. As part of a larger bill, Title IX was given power to prevent discrimination based on sex. This law was not enacted with sports in mind, but has since grown to assist participation among women in sports.

Per the National Women’s Law Center, “There is no shortage of interest by women and girls in participating in athletics. Since 1972, when Title IX first opened up opportunities for women and girls, female participation in high school athletics has skyrocketed by almost 900%, disproving claims made by opponents of Title IX that the lower numbers of female athletes are due to lack of interest as opposed to lack of opportunities.”

Since the law was passed in 1972, female participation in high school sports has grown an astonishing 1,018 percent, compared with 23 percent for men.


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However, despite the growth, women continue to look for equal footing among the sports world. The NWLC has found that “women in Division I colleges, while representing 53 percent of the student body, receive only 45 percent of the participation opportunities, 34 percent of the total money spent on athletics, 45 percent of the total athletic scholarship dollars, and 32 percent of recruiting dollars.”

That bottom line? Equality in sports is within reach, yet continues to be pushed to the side. The fault, however, is traced among many lines.

Laura Burton, an associate professor at the University of Connecticut, linked growth issues in women’s sports to the very top of the ladder.

“There are very few women in leadership positions in sports organizations across all domains, from interscholastic, intercollegiate, professional or international sport. Women are really underrepresented in leadership,” Burton said. “Half your participant population is women, or girls, (so) why don’t we have an equal number of people at the leadership table?”

Burton believed the connection between sports and masculinity created stereotypes that hold women back from administrative roles.

“We don’t perceive women to be capable of and/or do we want them in leadership positions in general. In sport organizations, because we think it’s a real male domain, we don’t think that women can run a football program or an athletic department. There’s a lot of stereotyping that’s influencing women, both trying to get into those positions and how we evaluate them when they’re in it.”

The presence of women’s sports in the media also plays a role. Per the University of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, women’s athletics receive only about 4 percent of all sports media coverage.

Amanda Ottaway. a former college basketball player at Davidson and now a journalist, delved into that study. Her work with women’s sports has seen publication in The Washington Post and ESPNW among others. She pinned the issue solely on media portrayal.

“Other studies have put television time as low as 1 percent,” Ottaway said. “Yet, 44 years after the passage of Title IX, women and girls in the United States are playing and following sports in unprecedented numbers.”

The numbers, Ottaway says, backs that thought.

“40 percent of all sports participants are female, according to the Tucker Center, and roughly a third of fans of major sports are women. The evolution of women’s sports over the last four decades has been dramatic; the media coverage, not so much. All these statistics beg the question: Would we have more reporting on women’s sports if more sports reporters and editors were women? And would the quality of that coverage be better?”

Rebecca Carlson, a three-time national champion as the women’s rugby coach at Quinnipiac University, uses a trip to the ice cream parlor to best describe the issue. Picking a sport to watch on television is like picking a flavor, and every sport with men is just another bowl of strawberry ice cream.

“I have two choices for you, and I want you to try them and then you tell me which one you like more,” Carlson said. “Here’s some strawberry ice cream, and then also some strawberry ice cream. If I’m not given anything else, I guess I’ll take the strawberry.”

Carlson explained that data shows viewers prefer to watch men’s sports, but only because they are given more men’s sports than any other option, including the women.

“If you hate it you’re not going to watch it, but there’s going to be people that will be like ‘It’s what’s on, I’ll watch,’ or ‘it’s there, I’ll eat it.’ How do we change that? (Connecticut) gives us a clean slate because the airwaves aren’t cluttered with (mens sports). That opportunity is there… because of our state. What else do they talk about in Connecticut?”

Carlson joins a handful of coaches that face a unique situation in Connecticut. A lack of men’s professional sports, combined with a hungry fan base, has given women’s sports open ground to thrive. Given the state’s history with women’s sports, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

In 1947, before Title IX or most of the half-hearted attempts to grow women’s sports emerged, William Simpson had an idea. The chairman of Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc. founded a fast-pitch softball team, sponsored by his factory. The team, named the Raybestos Bracketts to publicize the company’s motor vehicle brake linings, set the standard for women’s sports in Connecticut. Donna Lopiano, a national champion with the Brakettes, joined in 1962 when she was only 16 years old.

“Prior to the 1970s, prior to Title IX, girls sports were relatively nonexistent,” Lopiano said. “If they existed at the high school level, a high school’s idea of a girl’s basketball team might be five or six games in the season. It might not even be head to head competition against another school. It might be four or five schools getting together and having a play date with two kids from every school on each team.”

Lopiano lamented the lack of opportunities for young female athletes.

“There were no scholarships. Postseason play was nonexistent. Those things didn’t exist. As a result, if you were good at something, you had to turn to open amateur sport, or be satisfied with terrible opportunities at the high school or college level.”


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Open amateur sport was the only option for Lopiano, who wanted to prove her skill years after being kicked out of Little League baseball for being a girl.

“Fortunately, the Raybestos Brakettes were a nationally successful women’s softball team,” said Lopiano. “They had the same reputation of being at the top of the game.”

With that history in mind, Lopiano claimed Connecticut was ready for professional women’s sports.

“There was a fertile garden for (women’s sports in Connecticut) to grow, and a lot of it was whether or not there were competing plants. (There are no) weeds that will take over. It’s still true today.”

In the 1970s, the Brakettes went on to form the core of the Connecticut Falcons of the international women’s pro softball league. The Falcons played in Meriden, Connecticut, and drew over 2,000 fans per home game. The team featured one of the greatest athletes of all time in pitcher Joan Joyce, who once faced Ted Williams in an exhibition game in Waterbury, Connecticut. The Falcons were owned by Joyce, Billie Jean King and Jane Blalock, and helped grow recognition of both the sport and the athletes, all women.

The Brakettes prepared the ground for an even more popular team, one that is now considered to be a dynasty in women’s sports.

The rise of the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team from obscurity in Storrs, Connecticut, to national prominence stands as an example of how state fans stood ready to rally behind women’s sports. The UConn men’s basketball team was earning its national reputation at the time, but the UConn women had something the men’s team did not have: local television coverage. UConn women’s basketball drew record ratings and would dominate the local market when it played, eventually leading to higher volumes of fans at the games.

“In 1989,  the University  of Connecticut’s  women’s basketball  team played before just  287 fans in the front half of a doubleheader shared with the men. During the 2009-10 season, UConn women set the NCAA record for invincibility by earning a 90-game winning streak, supported by a total of 357,627 fans attending Connecticut’s 39 games,” the NWLC stated.

Amber Cox, the vice president of the Connecticut Sun, has a special name for it. Her Sun play in the Women’s National Basketball Association, and find their home in the Mohegan Sun casino.

“I think what’s interesting about this state— and specifically what I would call the ‘UConn effect’— is that there is less bias when it comes to women playing basketball,” Cox said.

“You don’t get as much resistance when you call somebody up and say ‘Hey, would you like to buy a season ticket to the WNBA, (to) the Connecticut Sun.’ The resistance is never that it’s women playing basketball, and I think it’s accepted in this state, probably more so than other parts of the country.”

Her colleagues with the Sun agree, and the attendance figures support that perspective.

The WNBA attracted a record attendance of 1.5 million in 2017, with teams averaging 7,716 fans per game, the most since 2011, according to Ben York of the Connecticut Sun. The Sun’s attendance grew 15.3 percent, he said. On social media, the WNBA broke records with more than 679 million impressions, a growth of 59 percent, and over 140 million video views, which was a growth of 233 percent.

The reach of the “UConn effect” extends beyond basketball. Connecticut harbors growing amounts of women’s sports teams, at both the collegiate and professional levels. The National Women’s Hockey League features only four teams, including three in major markets such as Buffalo, Newark, and Boston. However, they also found a home for a team in Stamford, with the Connecticut Whale.

Kelly Babstock, a forward for the Whale, set a Quinnipiac record with 203 career points before joining the NWHL.

“Personally, playing professional sports in Connecticut connects with me more because I went to school at Quinnipiac,” Babstock said. “I have had fans that followed me at Quinnipiac who follow the Whale now. I think that is amazing to have their continued support.”

“Connecticut has become my home away from home and I love every minute playing in this state as it provided me with great memories. It was a perfect fit to continue my professional career.”


Babstock is prominently featured on social media with the Whale, including this gif here.

Babstock is prominently featured on social media with the Whale, including this gif here.

Soccer has found a way into the Constitution State as well, with growth at youth levels reaching its way into a team with United Women’s Soccer. The impact of having professional players nearby to serve as role models is not understated to JP DiTommaso, the head coach of the Connecticut Fusion in the UWS.

“This is an opportunity for girls who have worked tirelessly over the years, putting in work to perfect their trade,” DiTommaso said. “(Young female athletes can) go on to play in college and have (soccer as) an outlet in college. After college they can showcase the hard work and dedication they’ve put in (by going pro).

“It’s a great opportunity for these young girls to look up and say ‘Hey, I want to be there some day’ and it would be at this next stage. For the girls, they can say this is possible, this is achievable.”

DiTommaso also serves as a coach with youth soccer for girls, working with a club in Farmington. He sees the UConn effect growing in his backyard.

“You have people of all ages and all backgrounds coming out to support (UConn women’s basketball). I think that’s a tremendous trickle down effect to not only other schools and other programs across Connecticut, but down to all ages. It’s helped to create an environment that can foster growth in women’s athletics.”

Work remains in creating equality for women in sports. At Quinnipiac, Carlson has hurdled through media hoops repeatedly trying to get attention for her team, which has set an example across the nation for how to grow a women’s rugby program.

Like many coaches in women’s sports, she has faced challenges head on. She founded TheFearlessCoach.org after dealing with Title IX issues herself, and lends support to other coaches facing discrimination or lack of administrative support.

Connecticut’s history with women’s pro sports that started with the Raybestos Brakettes in the 1940s will persist as the 21st century deepens, giving the state a unique place in modern sports history as one whose fans love a winner regardless of gender.

“You change (women’s sports) by the next generation being exposed to it where it becomes the norm,” Carlson said. “(Any) little girl has access to watch women on television. That exposure, now you see it.”

“Women’s sports” are on the way to becoming, deservedly, just “sports.” Soon, the casual sports fan will see it, too.

UPDATE FROM NORTH HAVEN: Human remains found in burned structure


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By Grace Manthey, Thamar Bailey and Mary Rose Bevins

Contributions by Rob McGreevy and Samantha Prevot

NOTE: Updated 6:15 p.m., May 3.

North Haven Police rushed to 385 Quinnipiac Ave. on reports of a “barricaded subject,” on May 2 at around 8 p.m., according to the North Haven Police Department Facebook page.

Later reports emerged that a large explosion set fire to the area, injuring first responders and leaving one unidentified person — possibly the homeowner — dead.

Doctors are still treating the nine injured first responders at Yale New Haven Hospital, said Public Information Officer for Connecticut State Police Kelly Grant this morning. These officers came from three different counties and were all a part of the South Central Regional SWAT Team, according to Grant and Deputy Chief for North Haven Police Johnathan Mulhern.

Conflicting reports from witnesses and neighbors make many details hard to confirm, but a White Pages address search listed John Sayre, Jr., owner of Sayre Plumbing Inc., as a resident. His wife Deborah was also listed.

According to Grant, Deborah went to the police department around 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Mulhern said in a press conference Wednesday night that his department responded to a domestic violence incident.

“During the course of this investigation (police) had reason to believe that a tactical intervention or a SWAT team was needed to take the subject into custody.”

At about 8:15 p.m., witnesses say a garage exploded, which injured the first responders.

Sayre has not been apprehended, but Grant confirmed that investigators found unidentified human remains in the carnage. Grant said the coroner will identify the remains.


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Four dogs were in the building when it exploded, according to a police officer on the scene, and are presumed to be dead.

Kenny and Nancy Mahoney live next door. They said the blast shook their house and public utilities shut off power for three hours Wednesday night. The Mahoneys got their power back at around 2:15 a.m. Thursday morning. 

“We looked out our door and you could see the flames and the smoke. The smoke was unbelievable,” Kenny Mahoney said. “There were a lot of other blasts after that, smaller blasts.”

According to Grant, parts of the structure are still burning.

As of 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, police reopened Quinnipiac Avenue near Orient Lane.

 

North Haven resident Francisco Garcia said he moved to the North Haven area just six months ago, and noted that the incident was “crazy and just sad” and the smell of smoke was “overwhelming.”

More fire trucks arrived after the first wave, and Connecticut State Police sent an armored vehicle. 

Quinnipiac University sent out an email at around 9 p.m. Wednesday telling students to “avoid the area of Quinnipiac Avenue in North Haven, near Orient Lane, because of heavy police activity.”

Follow @HQPress for photos and videos.


A glimpse into Quinnipiac’s 2018 commencement speakers

By Thamar Bailey

Quinnipiac University announced its 10 commencement speakers on April 24. The docket includes people ranging from an ESPN sportscaster who had two life altering diseases to a lawyer that devoted his life to human rights issues. 

Hover over the pictures below to learn more about each of the speakers.

Undergraduate School of Nursing commencement speaker

Undergraduate School of Nursing commencement speaker

Victoria Arlen now an ESPN sportscaster spent four years “locked” in her body after being diagnosed with two life altering diseases at 11 years old, according to School of Nursing Dean Jean Lange. Arlen would go on to lose her ability to speak, eat, walk and move. While from the outside it appeared she was in a vegetative state, on the inside she was fully aware of what was going on. Now, 12 years later, Arlen has regained all of her abilities and has gone on to be a professional athlete among other things.

While Lange didn’t have a hand in picking this years speaker, she said Arlen is “going to be our best speaker yet.” Lange hopes, after listening to Arlen, her graduates will understand the importance of not giving up hope.

“I hope that our nursing students will take away from this the incredible power of the human spirit and that (Arlen) really is a wonderful testament of why we care so much about our patients and to try to help them achieve their best potential,” Lange said.

Arlen will speak at the undergraduate School of Nursing commencement ceremony on May 20 at 1 p.m.

School of Law commencement speaker

School of Law commencement speaker

Stephen Bright, a visiting lecturer at Yale University and former director of the Southern Center for Human Rights, has made a career of fighting for human rights, according to School of Law Dean Jennifer Brown. Bright’s litigation focus include capital punishment, legal representation for poor people accused of crimes, and prison condition, according to schr.org. Bright has argued before the Supreme Court four times, his most recent case in 2017 McWilliams v. Dunn.

Bright will address the School of Law graduates on May 13 at 9 a.m. After listening to Bright, Brown said she hopes her graduates will see how powerful the law can be and how much of an impact one can have when truly serving the public interest.

“He has given up his life to do the right thing in his legal practice and not everyone is going to rise to that level,” Brown said. ”But if people can do even a tenth of what he has done (by) just putting aside his own interest, his own comfort, his own material wealth and just giving his life and his career.”

Undergraduate School of Health Sciences commencement speaker

Undergraduate School of Health Sciences commencement speaker

Denise Fiore, COO of L+M Healthcare, will address undergraduate health science students on May 19 at 5 p.m. Fiore, a QU alum, received a bachelor’s degree in technology and returned to get her masters degree, according to School of Health Sciences Dean William Kohlhepp. Kohlhepp believes Fiore is a “shiny” example of what the School of Health Sciences aspires to accomplish with its graduates, creating leaders in their field.

“Many times when people are in health care professions they look at serving their patients or serving the being part of the science behind the healthcare profession, but we want them to think about being leaders and shaping the world of health care and health sciences down the road,” Kohlhepp said.

Kohlhepp said he believes Fiore is a role model of progressive leadership.

“I think she is someone who along the way has had opportunities and she’s embraced those opportunities and said ‘yes I can do that I believe I am confident enough in my education and experience that I can do that,’” Kohlhepp said. “ She said yes to other roles along the way, built her expertise and now has really moved up in a very important organization.”

School of Engineering commencement speaker

School of Engineering commencement speaker

Jonna Gerken, program chief manufacturing manager for Pratt & Whitney and president of the Society of Women Engineers, will address the School of Engineering graduates on May 19 at 5 p.m. Gerkin is adamant in her belief of inclusion in the engineering field, and Justin Kile, dean of the School of Engineering, follows her sentiment.

“Engineering is about solving problems from very diverse ways of thinking the people that use things that engineers design come from a lot of backgrounds and abilities,” Kile said. “So someone who is focusing on that makes a lot of sense, because that’s the world our graduating students are going to go off in work in.”

While the School of Engineering population is mostly male, Kile said he believes the schools’ commencement speaker choice shows their commitment to thinking about diversifying the schools’ population and “bringing in a more broader scope of the population.”

“As a planet we need engineers,” Kile said. “We need people that can solve these problems, we need creative people, we need hard working people. That has nothing to do with your gender.”

School of Medicine commencement speaker

School of Medicine commencement speaker

Frederick Kaplan, a dear friend of Frank Netter — the namesake of the Quinnipiac School of Medicine, will be the school’s 2018 commencement speaker, according to School of Medicine Dean Bruce Koeppen. Kaplan collaborated with Netter on a book focused on the muscular skeletal systems. While working on the book, the duo became close. Kaplan would go on to give Netter’s eulogy in the 1990s.

Kaplan studies fibrodysplasia progressiva, a disease that essentially turns people into living statues, according to Koeppen. While the disease is rare, Koeppen notes that Kaplan’s work on fibrodysplasia progressiva has helped the science community understanding bone formation.

Koeppen hopes graduates will leave commencement inspired by what they can accomplish in their own career.

“(Kaplan) was involved in discovering the defective gene and now is working on therapies that may be able to help these patients,” Koeppen said. “So it’s a remarkable career and I think that if he just tells his story to show what’s possible in a career in medicine that should inspire each and everyone of our graduates.”

Graduate College of Arts & Sciences and School of Health Sciences and Nursing commencement speaker

Graduate College of Arts & Sciences and School of Health Sciences and Nursing commencement speaker

This year the College of Arts and Sciences chose the commencement speaker for graduate students in the college of arts and sciences and schools of health science and nursing. Robert Smart chose Scarlett Lewis, founder of the Lewis Choose Love Movement. Lewis created the movement after her son was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Lewis aims to change the “mental frames” that people use to understand the world we live in, according to Smart.

“What I hear her saying is that we have worked from such a limited set of frames ‘you’re either with us or against us’,’’ Smart said. “ ‘You’re either on this side of the issue or that side of the issue’ that we sometimes end up acting in ways that if we had a chance to step back for a moment would find appalling.”

Smart said he hopes the graduate students will leave commencement inspired to think outside of the normal bounds of society.

“This is a woman that has brought herself past the point of forgiving because of the love she bore her son,” Smart said. “And when you hear her story you realize she has made something really transformative out of a really incredibly powerful tragedy.”

Lewis will speak at graduate Arts and Sciences, Health Science, Nursing commencement ceremony on May 12 at 9 a.m.

School of Communications commencement speaker

School of Communications commencement speaker

Jarl Mohn, CEO and President of NPR, is a multifaceted news junkie, according to School of Communications Dean Mark Contreras. Mohn has a strong background in radio. From there he spring boarded to MTV and would go on to be the head of E! entertainment. Along the way, Mohn ran newspapers, served on board of digital start up companies and volunteered for non-profits. Mohn takes no salary as president and CEO of NPR. It’s this sense of selflessness and commitment to the industry that Contreras believes makes Mohn stand out.

“He’s a good example of somebody who believes strongly in giving back to the industry where he came from,” Contreras said. “He casts a very wide and bright light across the media world.”

After listening to Mohn come commencement day, May 20 at 9 a.m., Contreras hopes his undergraduate graduates walk away with pride in their industry.

“I hope that students and their families are left with a sense that news in America in 2018 matters,” Contreras said. “ Hard hitting investigative news still is important, the news media is not an enemy of the people and in fact is the foundation and bull work of which democracy stand or fall.”

Undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences commencement speaker

Undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences commencement speaker

Tracy Smith, U.S. Poet laureate and director and professor of creative writing at Princeton University, will address the undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences on May 19 at 9 a.m.

Smith, with the help of local historian and gospel groups, is working to bring the “power of poetry” to rural communities throughout the American south, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robert Smart said.

Smart explained that Smith has a voice that is “driven by something that you don’t often find in a poet.”

“I wanted that voice speaking to our graduates and saying now that your horizon of understanding has suddenly been lifted, you have a responsibility,” Smart said.

Smart said he hopes his graduates walk away from commencement with confidence in the power of language.

“All of us should have (a voice),” Smart said. “ And if her work and words can provide my graduates of a sense that the world is waiting for their voices then I’m done. I’m happy with that.”

School of Business commencement speaker

School of Business commencement speaker

Louis Ursini Jr., vice president of enterprise information technology at Aetna, will address the undergraduate School of Business on May 19 at 5 p.m. Ursini, a QU Alum and former QU hockey player, has remained close to the business school, according to School of Business Dean Matthew O’Connor. Ursini has served on the School of Business Advisory Council for more than ten years.

While at Aetna, Ursini has provided opportunities for not only School of Business students, but students from Quinnipiac as a whole. O’Connor noted that various students have had internships and went on to obtain careers at Aetna.

Come commencement O’Connor would like his students to note Ursini’s commitment to giving back to his community.

“We would like to think that students that not only graduate from the business school, but graduate from Quinnipiac do graduate with a sense of being engaged as a citizen,” O’Connor said. “(With) whatever they choose to do that they remain engaged in their communities and give back to their communities.”

School of Business, Communications and Education graduate commencement speaker

School of Business, Communications and Education graduate commencement speaker

This year the School of Business chose Joe Natarelli, construction services leader for Marcum, as the commencement speaker for the graduate School of Business, Communications and Education. Natarelli, a QU alum, has spent much of his time giving back to the community, according to School of Business Dean Matthew O’Connor.

“Not only is (Natarelli) a great example of a School of Business alum,” O’Connor said “He’s a good example of remaining connected to not only the university but the School of Business. Remaining connected to the accounting program (and) remaining connected to our students.”

Natarelli serves on the School of Business Advisory Council and has provided various internships for Quinnipiac students.

Natarelli will speak at the School of Business, Communications and Education graduate commencement ceremony on May 12 at 9 a.m.

Undergraduate School of Nursing commencement speaker

School of Law commencement speaker

Undergraduate School of Health Sciences commencement speaker

School of Engineering commencement speaker

School of Medicine commencement speaker

Graduate College of Arts & Sciences and School of Health Sciences and Nursing commencement speaker

School of Communications commencement speaker

Undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences commencement speaker

School of Business commencement speaker

School of Business, Communications and Education graduate commencement speaker

MiKro Beer Bar moves to a new and improved location

By Rob McGreevy

There’s a familiar face in a different location in Hamden, once located at 3000 Whitney Avenue, MiKro Beer Bar has now moved to 0 Depot Avenue.

Tucked neatly into the space behind Amity Wine and Spirit, and nestled cozily into an old railroad building, MiKro’s new location brings all of the quaint craft beer bar feel of its former location into a bigger and bolder space.


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General Manager Greg Vayneris says one of the main reasons for the move is space. “People have loved MiKro for years but our space was so small that people couldn’t come in. They’d drive by and see that it’s full and they’d go some place else,” Vayneris said.

The new location, which holds over 120 compared to the former location’s 53, sits right on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, which is something Vayneris emphasized as a major reason MiKro chose the location. Not to mention the historic background at the rail depot which is a spot Vayneris says his partner, Mike Farber, has been eyeing for years.

The interior, which Vayneris describes as “kind of industrial yet homey at the same time,” appears to be made almost entirely of wood and accented with metal. Some of the materials that were used to build the structure came from the location itself.

“We used a lot of reclaimed wood, we used 200 year old chestnut that we found in the building,” Vayneris said. “The railroad tracks that were in the ground when we took the space, we used those railroad tracks on the bar as foot rails. The rail spikes that were here, we used those as tap handles.”

The bar offers 20 draft beers which are in a constant location. “There’s always a couple IPAs, double IPAs, there’s always a couple Belgian beers, there’s always a couple stouts or porters, we always have a cider on that’s gluten free,” Vayneris said.


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The bar is fully stocked, but don’t try to order a shot. “We have a full bar but we don’t have everything, we don’t want to have everything. You can’t come here and order a shot, we don’t want people to drink shots, we don’t want people to get drunk here, we want people to have a great experience.”

Vayneris emphasized the culture, or what he calls the counterculture, of craft beer and it’s something MiKro emphasizes from top to bottom. The move forced Vayneris and Farber to toe the line between continuing to cultivate the image they had already established while trying to freshen their style in a brand new location.

“The concern for a lot of the regulars is they didn’t want it to lose the feel of MiKro. So we didn’t, we painted the walls the same color as the old place, the music selection is very similar, the lighting is very similar,” Vayneris said.

The culture growing around craft beer is something that makes Vayneris hopeful for the future of his business. “People drink more craft beer and we want to continue that legacy.”

MiKro Beer Bar is now open at 0 Depot Avenue in Hamden, it’s former location at 3000 Whitney Avenue has reopened as TexiKo Tequilla Bar.

Student Government Association budget increases after 2016 budget cut

By Thamar Bailey

After a two year battle for a budget increase, on April 25 Quinnipiac University Student Government Association President of Public Relations Victoria Johnson announced the SGA budget will be increased to $725,000 for the 2018-2019 academic year.

In 2016 the university announced it would cut the SGA budget to $600,000. This figure was based on SGA’s historical spending pattern. The organization, on average, was only spending that amount, according to SGA President Ryan Hicks. Hicks also noted the lack of checks and balances and fiscal responsibility among the student organizations were also factors in the universities’ decision to the limit funding.

Now, SGA will receive a $125,000 increase for the upcoming academic year.

The budget increase comes a week and a half after SGA had its “Spring Finance Weekend,” when the organization distributes its budget among the student organizations that requested money for the upcoming academic year. While the organization now has over $700,000 to work with, that wasn’t the case when SGA made its budget breakdown for next year.

Based on the budget cut that was first implemented in the 2017-2018 academic year, SGA only had $600,000 to distribute among the 79 different campus organizations that requested money, and they went over.


Graphic by Thamar Bailey

Graphic by Thamar Bailey

“The process we did [that] weekend, we went through and we heard every single organization and allocated all the money as if it was in-line with policy and came in way over our $600,000 mark,” Hicks said. “So then we went through and cut all conferences and competitions to get that number down and then we cut all that off-campus travel and then all the growth.”

As a result various student organizations took hits to their requested budget. In the projected 2018-2019 budget Public Relations Society of America was set to lose 91 percent of its budget. Last year, the first year the budget cut was implemented, PRSSA requested less money and still lost 91 percent of its budget.

The budget cut decreased the groups presence on campus as well as its members chances of gaining professional experience, according to PRSSA President Samantha Nardone.

“For my group this meant we weren’t able to attend the National Conference in October, where students got to network and attend workshops focused on specific areas of public relations,” Nardone said. “We also weren’t able to go on agency tours, which in the past has been a great way for students to get internships.”

PRSSA is just one of the various academic groups that have taken hits to their budget. The Global Affairs Association, Entrepreneurship Club and Pre- Physician Assistant club among others have lost more than half of their budget.

Academic groups are integral in preparing students for their careers, according to Nardone.

“Academic groups give students the opportunity to get real world experience in their field in ways the classroom can’t,” Nardone said. “ In any field that has a professional group for college students, employers will expect that you have been a member.”

Cultural groups were also affected. The Black Student Union and Italian Cultural Society were among those that lost 50 percent or more of their budget.

Major campus events like the Big Event and Relay lost a quarter or more of their funding.

Even the Student Programming Board, which was allotted 65 percent of the SGA budget in the current academic year, lost a minor percentage of their budget.

However, even though a majority of the SGA funded student organizations lost funding they were still able to receive additional funding through the special appeals process.


Graphic by Thamar Bailey

Graphic by Thamar Bailey

This year 81 special appeals were made and 51 were approved for additional funding. The special appeal approval ruling is based on the purpose of the appeal made by the student organization. The event has to be aligned with the organization’s mission, and SGA needs to have available funds.

The special appeals process was one piece of evidence Hicks used to request a budget increase. Since special appeals allow for off-campus travel, competitions and conferences, Hicks used the appeals process as evidence to note the valuable experiences students were able to have.

Hicks delivered multiple proposals to the university hoping to show the university that additional funding was necessary to facilitate better student experiences.

“The majority of the student experience is surrounded by what you get involved in and we hear that preached so often ‘Get involved in student organizations because they help you develop these qualities that you need in the field, they help you develop professionally, they allow you to network,’” Hicks said. “But if the money’s not there and they don’t have these opportunities then that limits their student experience.”

While the money is now available to benefit student organizations there is no set plan as to how SGA will allocate the funds among the student organizations, according to Hicks.

Quinnipiac women’s tennis wins MAAC championship for fifth straight year

By Bill Ruocco

For the fifth consecutive year, the Quinnipiac women’s tennis team is the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions. The Bobcats defeated the Marist Red Foxes 4-1 on Sunday to seal their fifth title in as many years as they’ve been in the MAAC.

After shutting out Niagara University yesterday 4-0, Quinnipiac was able to hold on to beat Marist in New Jersey at Mercer County Tennis Center.

Although dominance has become a normalcy for the team, Paula Miller, the director of Quinnipiac tennis and the women’s team’s head coach, says it never gets any easier.

“Everyone always talks about the success,” Miller said. “But every time we come out here to play I feel the nerves and every year the teams actually compete harder against us.”

Miller added that nerves aside, she will always believe in her team.

“I’m always worried but I have the faith in my girls to come out and win,” Miller said.

For this team, faith and trust is a necessity due to the youth of the roster since all of the starters were either juniors or freshmen.

The younger teams came through today when the team needed them most, even after a tough start.

“Payton (Bradley) at number three was down five-one in the second set and ended up coming back and winning the set so my freshmen are tough,” Miller added.

However, the success was not held to only one freshman.

“Two of three (freshmen) ended up winning singles matches for me that so that tells you right there how they are under pressure as freshmen,” Miller said.

Without one senior on the roster, it is important that you build a foundation for a team right from the bottom.

For Quinnipiac, the future looks bright.

“You always think its something you’re gonna have to build,” Miller said. “But then they come in and they grow. But to have that coming as freshmen, I think they’re just going to get tougher and tougher as the years go on.”

Add success, subtract recognition: women’s athletics continue to compete for equal opportunity


Image via Quinnipiacbobcats.com

Image via Quinnipiacbobcats.com

By Bill Ruocco

On Thursday, December 1, 2016, Quinnipiac women’s rugby players were celebrating their second consecutive national title in the cafeteria of Quinnipiac’s main campus. Joy filled the room-they had done it again with a victory over Central Washington to bring the title back to Hamden. Everything was good, except for one thing: John Lahey, current president of Quinnipiac, was nowhere to be seen.

“He said he shook hands with us and everything but he wasn’t actually present,” said Flora Poole, a senior at Quinnipiac who played four years of rugby. “It’s [President Lahey’s support] that is like one extra thing we haven’t gotten or accomplished yet.”

President Lahey’s office could not be reached for comment.

Hillary Haldane, an anthropology professor with a focus in gender studies, echoed this same sentiment.

“All the things that women do and get no credit for, it’s no different with sports. You hold up and value what the people in power hold up and value,” said Haldane. “The fact that our president goes to the men’s games and doesn’t go to the women’s games is appalling. Your job as the president his to simply act like you care about something.”

Other female athletes say they feel the same way –  regardless of success or accomplishment, the lack of recognition for women’s athletics at Quinnipiac will continue.

“In my almost four years of being here there has definitely been a blind eye to the success of the women’s teams,” said Mackenzie Merkel, a senior member of Quinnipiac women’s indoor track and field. “There have been national champions, records broken, huge upsets, but the cycle continues as none of it gets the recognition it truly deserves.”

Despite the victories and consistent success inequality prevails when it comes to women’s athletics at Quinnipiac. There is an argument to be made that women’s rugby is the most successful sport at the school. However, the exposure the team gets and the following it attracts do not reflect that.


Image via Quinnipiacbobcats.com

Image via Quinnipiacbobcats.com

“The coverage of the sports are different,”  said Taylor Schussler, another senior who has played her last rugby game for Quinnipiac. “I think if you’re breaking down coverage it shouldn’t be based off of what’s the most popular sport.”

What Schussler is saying is that although the women’s rugby team is more successful than most sports here, it does not get the coverage that the others do. Lack of recognition and support for women’s athletics is not limited to Quinnipiac, it also extends to the rest of the NCAA.

This inequality stems in part from a lack of opportunity to compete in the first place. Without the opportunity to play, a lot of these women athletes do not even get the chance to earn support.

“Even though female students comprise 57 percent of college student populations, female athletes received only 43 percent of participation opportunities at NCAA schools which is 63,241 fewer participation opportunities than their male counterparts,” according to an NCAA publication cited by the Women’s Sports Foundation from 2014.

 


Graphic by Bill Ruocco

Graphic by Bill Ruocco

Even with Title IX in place, there is still a vast discrepancy in the opportunities that men get in sports in comparison to women. And even when women get the opportunity to play, the amount of financial aid granted to men and women athletes remains unequal.


Graphic by Bill Ruocco

Graphic by Bill Ruocco

“Although the gap has narrowed, male athletes still receive 55 percent of NCAA college athletic scholarship dollars (Divisions I and II), leaving only 45 percent allocated to women,” the 2014 NCAA publication stated.

Title IX implies that men’s and women’s athletics will receive the same opportunities both financially and substantially. That is not what the report reveals.

According to Attorney Felice Duffy, a New Haven attorney specializing in title 9 suits, it is not uncommon for schools to not fully comply with Title IX.

“I don’t think any school has ever had to fully comply with what Title IX needs, they just come up with some type of settlement. I mean, you’re familiar with the situation at [Quinnipiac],” said Duffy.

Back in 2009, a lawsuit was filed by members of the women’s volleyball team after Quinnipiac announced that it would eliminate the team in favor of competitive cheer, which since has been renamed acrobatics and tumbling. Quinnipiac ended up settling after the judge ruled competitive cheering to not be a sport and the school agreed to spend more money on facilities and equipment for women’s “sports of emphasis.”

Differences in finances for men’s and women’s sports, Title IX or not, have always been a problem.

“There is no clause in Title IX that says ‘except if one gender generates more revenue than the other,’” Andrew Zimbalist pointed out in a 2016 New York Times article.

A very good example of gender disparities in athletics is a comparison of the University Of Connecticut men’s and women’s basketball programs. The women’s basketball program at UCONN is one of the best, if not the best, women’s basketball team ever, winning four consecutive national titles from 2013 to 2016 and 11 altogether. The women’s program also owns the two longest win streaks, irrespective of gender, in college basketball history.

The men’s program has won four national titles total in its existence. Nevertheless, the men’s team still attracts about 2,000 more fans than the women’s program to every home game.

In the 2014-2015 season, the UCONN men’s basketball program averaged 10,687 fans at every home game. The women, on the other hand, averaged 8,216 fans per home game.

All together, in the 2016-2017 season, NCAA Division One women’s basketball had an average attendance of 1,538 per home game. NCAA Division One men’s basketball had an average of 4,633 fans in attendance per home game. The disparity is not lost on women athletes.


Graphic by Bill Ruocco

Graphic by Bill Ruocco

 

“It is obvious that there is a big difference in attendance between men’s and women’s sporting events,” said Mackenzie Merkel, a senior on the women’s track and field team at Quinnipiac.

Haldane compared the difference in interest in men’s and women’s athletics to the attitude of the restaurant industry.

“I look at sports as no different. Women are good and competent.. can make a mean stew, but it doesn’t come out of that five-star restaurant,” Haldane said.

Though the difference in attendance is glaring, the female athletes here have learned to focus on the task at hand rather than dwell on the negatives.

“We get a lot of support from the people that we care about,” Schussler said. “In my time here I have learned to not put a lot of emphasis on the outside support of the people that we don’t care about.”

Attorney Duffy believes that no matter how much we worry about attendance or financial attention, the problem is deeper with women’s athletics.

“All these things you’re talking about, we don’t pay as much attention, we don’t need a new stadium because of lack of attendance, is all putting the cart before the horse because if they actually supported them the way they supported men’s, it would change the culture and people would look at them the same way,” Duffy said.

This inequality is a problem that players say still bugs them. But some players say that hope is on the horizon for their beloved sport and women’s athletics in general.

“You can see the following grow, even how small it was, incrementally over the years,” said Tricia Fabbri, head coach of the Quinnipiac women’s basketball. “With the platform that social media has, it has allowed us to grow our fanbase … At each home game it has gotten better and better.”

Even locally the support has picked up, with someone noticing this billboard on 91 this past November.

Haldane believes that journalism is a great starting point to attack this problem.

“I think student journalism can help a lot, you create the news that’s fit to print,” said Haldane. “If women’s lives and stories and women’s sports gets printed, it sets a tone for what people are going to think is normal.”

Women athletes are waiting not only for steady attendance, but also the attention and support from their school that they think they deserve. Incremental growth in both attendance and support is key for women’s athletics at Quinnipiac, according to women’s athletes and coaches. It is on it’s way, but just at it’s own pace.

“There has definitely been a great improvement this year with getting the other sports event out there via Instagram,” Merkel said. “I just think its not much of an interest to the students who come out to those things because there isn’t as much hype around it … I hope [recognition] happens sooner rather than later but I do think it will take some time.”

The importance of theater in the Hamden school district


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By Nicole Kessler

There was an electric buzz that amplified throughout the 600-seat theater at Hamden High School on March 25, as parents, friends, students and teachers all shuffled into the theater talking intimately, waiting for the lights to dim and the show to begin. They had gathered for a musical performance of “Beauty and the Beast,” put on by 38 teenagers, 11 staff members and the Hamden Department of Fine Arts.


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The diverse and rich sounds of the clarinet, flute, violin and cello filled the room as the students took the stage and the infamous classical introduction began to bounce off the walls, mixing with the robust harmonies of the performers.

The spring musical is one of the most elaborate and talked-about performances put on by Hamden High each year – and it’s the most expensive.

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Photos courtesy Robert Dauster. 

The show cost around $25,000 for the four performances including $4,500 to license the Broadway material, according to drama teacher and director, Marydell Merrill.

Despite the cost, organizers say the experience is invaluable.

“We don’t expect most of our kids to be professional actors and they would be silly too because it’s very hard to make a living,” said Eric Nyquist, who is the director of fine and performing arts for the Hamden School District.

“Theater gives the confidence to speak, to stand up and connect their body and voice,” Nyquist said. “It also teaches them how to problem solve, articulate, improvise, memorize lines in a script, learning how to make a scene believable to an audience and learning how to work as a team.”

The program is also preserving despite statewide budget cuts. Other Hamden High elective classes, teachers, programs and other services are at risk for the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

“As an advocate for the educational needs of our children, I have done my best to acknowledge our continued fiscal challenges while seeking to move Hamden Public Schools forward,” Superintendent Jody Goeler said in a statement.

If there is a budget crisis, the town is going to have to make some decisions.

“No one wants to see any of it go, but I’m hoping theater still continues to play a major role,” Merrill said. “This school has a large list of amazing elective classes for the kids so I don’t want theater to be cut, but I wouldn’t want some of the other amazing opportunities for the kids to be cut either.”

The Board of Education approved a budget of $88,520,334. This budget reflects a 4.76 percent budget increase from the 2017-2018 school year. Mayor Curt Leng’s recommended education budget was $86,350,000, but the shortfall between the mayor’s recommended budget is $2,170,334 less than the Board of Education’s approved budget.

“As we have done in the past four years, my budget proposal includes a significant reduction in staff in response to declining enrollment,” Goeler said. “With these strategic reductions, we are able to continue to support initiatives and programs that promote success both in school and in life after graduation.”

So how has this affected Hamden so far?

“Everyone is feeling the effects of the economy especially the state of Connecticut. (It) is a bit of a mess right now with the economy,” Nyquist said. “I can’t speak for this year yet because this is a scary budget year.”

Even though this is considered a scary budget year, Hamden High has a solid well- rounded theater program and Mr. Nyquist said he has faith that the arts won’t be asked to take more of a cut than any other program.

“If we cut the theater teacher that would be the end of the program,” Nyquist said. “They try to not cut programs. They try to figure out ways to slice the budget here and there, but at some point, we may have to make harder decisions. I hope not.”  

Nyquist doesn’t see the program going anywhere, though.

“Hamden has always believed that the arts are valuable,” Nyquist said.

This is all thanks to the town’s vocal advocates and passionate students.


Photo courtesy Robert Dauster. 

Photo courtesy Robert Dauster. 

“(Hamden) would definitely be dry,” Ava Purdue, who played Babette in “Beauty and the Beast,” said. “(Theater) brings life not only to the department but to the school. The support and everyone feeling excited is great.”

Freshman Cristian Castro is brand new to the theater department. This was his first audition ever and first time performing on a stage. He played Lumiere and said that the musical changed his life.

“It’s a very strong program,” Castro said. “The director is amazing, Ms. Merrill, she’s amazing. Our choreographer, she’s very driven. We would have to (do the steps) a million times until we got it right.”


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He said the community is also great.

“There’s so much support for this program,” Castro said. “There are certain expectations that the audience has when looking forward to our performance. Ms. Merrill pushes us and Ms. Gannon is in full support. She knew what we could do and she supports us the entire time.”

This strong foundation starts at the top and filters down from the superintendent to the mayor to the director.

“We have a very supportive superintendent whose daughter (Emily Goeler, executive assistant to the managing director) works at Long Wharf Theater and he’s a musician,” Nyquist said. “He gets it. He really gets that the arts are valuable not just as a bonus but as an integral part.”

The mayor even brought his family to see “Beauty and the Beast” for the Saturday night performance. In his eyes, the show was a success. He loved the performance so much that he texted Nyquist showing his excitement.

“Thanks for everything. The show was amazing. I want to support performances. I don’t want to miss any more shows at Hamden High. Make sure I am kept in the loop,” said Nyquist, while reading a text message between himself and Leng from his cell phone.

In order to keep producing these types of grandiose shows, the department obviously needs financial support. A few years ago, Nyquist was able to increase the production budget.

“They were still working on budgets from 25 years ago when you could do a show for $4,000,” Nyquist said. “We weren’t getting much at all. I was able to a few years ago increase that a little bit. I think it’s something like the middle school gets $7,000 to do their shows the high school gets $10,000 to put on their two shows.”

The musical gets its budget from three different sources. The Hamden Board of Directors, a ‘theater club’ checking account within the school-wide account for Hamden and different sponsors who put ads in the playbill.

One of the sponsors, for example, is Quinnipiac Internal Medicine’s Edward Ripple. Merrill said he donates $2,000 per season — $800 for play and $1,200 for the musical.

There are also some contractual stipend positions for the professional staff. These include Merrill’s directing position, choreographer, musical director, orchestra conductor, costume designer and lighting designer. These positions work one-on-one with the students after hours, mentoring and teaching them during the regular school day.

The investment is well worth it.

“Theater is very important for me now,” Castro said. “That’s what’s on my phone, musical after musical after musical. It’s all that I think about now.”

There’s also a social factor, as well.


Photo courtesy Robert Dauster. 

Photo courtesy Robert Dauster. 

“It has made me friendlier,” said Kevin Cathey, who played Gaston. “I’ve made more friends and I’m much more social. It’s very beneficial.”   

The success from this theater department also spans far past the confines of Hamden.

Some legendary alumni include Hamden’s Blessings Offer, a songwriter and musician who graduated from Hamden High in 2007.  Offer, who is blind, competed on Season 7 of NBC’s “The Voice.” He had four chair turns and ultimately chose Pharrell Williams as his mentor and coach.  He now resides in Nashville.


Photo courtesy Linedy Genao's Instagram. 

Photo courtesy Linedy Genao’s Instagram. 

There’s also 2009 graduate Linedy Genao.

Genao is a triple-threat performer who sang, acted and danced her way onto the Broadway stage.

“Here I am working at my first post-collegiate job, this bank job in New York City, and on my lunch break I went onto Broadway World and saw an open-call audition for the developmental lab for ‘On Your Feet!’ They were looking for Latino singers, dancers and actors,” Genao said.

“I thought to myself, I don’t have to pretend to be anyone else. So I went and was literally shot out of a canon.”

But in 2014, after Genao auditioned four times, she was chosen to take part in the month-long developmental lab for “On Your Feet” Oct. 27 to Nov. 22 in Chicago.

“I received a call from our casting director, it was like a week before Christmas in 2014,” Genao said. “I was outside of my bank job, on my lunch break, walking around New York City and I received that call and I just started bawling my eyes out.”


Photo courtesy Linedy Genao's Instagram. 

Photo courtesy Linedy Genao’s Instagram. 

The director then offered Genao not just Chicago, but also New York City — as in Broadway.

“That was incredible because they could have only offered me one,” she said.

Genao was a featured member of the ensemble and served as the understudy for the lead role of Gloria Estefan, Ana Villafane. She was the first person to step into Villafane’s shoes.


Photo courtesy Linedy Genao's Instagram. 

Photo courtesy Linedy Genao’s Instagram. 

The musical, which tells the life story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, first opened on Broadway Nov. 5, 2015 with preview performances beginning Oct. 5, 2015, at the Marquis Theater in New York City. The show closed on Aug. 20, 2017.

In total, Genao performed on Broadway as Gloria more than 70 times from March 31, 2016 to August 6, 2017 and was a part of the ensemble since day one.  


Photo courtesy Linedy Genao's Instagram. 

Photo courtesy Linedy Genao’s Instagram. 

“You don’t have to go to a fancy theater school to pursue what you love,” Genao said. “If it’s in you, meant for you and the right opportunity is there, the right doors will open for you. You can achieve your dreams with little experience.”

Even though Genao has been singing for her entire life, starting off in church, she wasn’t introduced to theater until she entered the Hamden school system, specifically in middle school, but then later in high school with Nyquist.

Before becoming the director of fine and performing arts, Nyquist was the theater teacher and director for 10 years at Hamden High School. He started in 2002 and had the opportunity to watch Genao grow as a person and performer while nurturing her raw talents along with other influential teachers she had at Hamden High.

“That was when I really discovered my love for theater.” Genao said. “Mr. Nyquist is an incredible teacher, even for kids who just do it for fun, he just sees whatever potential you have. He pulled out whatever potential he really saw in me, thank god and it really changed my life.”

Broadway changed Genao’s trajectory.

“The level and caliber of the Hamden Arts are just way higher than anyone would expect,” Genao said. “The Hamden High School theater department isn’t just a high school theater department, it’s so much more than that.”

Nyquist has inspired countless other students and also plays a big factor in the program’s success to this day.  

This year for the first time, any student enrolled in Hamden public schools would be eligible to audition for “The Voice of Hamden,” a vocal competition featuring great singing in Hamden.


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“We had 60 kids audition and 10 students were chosen,” Nyquist said.

Ten students from the middle and high schools took part in the Jan. 25 production in front of more than 400 audience members. The show raised $4,000 that went back to the program.

This competition was a Hamden Educational Foundation Event, which builds a brighter future for Hamden’s children. Since 2001, HEF has donated over $590,000. This money benefits Hamden’s students.

The HEF has also awarded 189 Innovative Grants totaling $117,000, which support teacher driven initiatives in all subjects.

“They fundraise all year for the sole purpose of putting it right back into the school,” Nyquist said. “It’s a great, great cause.”

Offer, the competitor from NBC’s “The Voice,” put on an intermission concert for the audience and let the kids sing on stage with him.

Eighth-grader, Mae Valerio, who attends Hamden Middle School, performed “Never Grow Up” by Taylor Swift. She played the guitar and ended up taking home the grand prize.

“Oh yeah, she’s ridiculous. I cried during her song,” said Genao, who helped judge the competition along with Stacie Morgain Lewis and T. Sean Maher.   

“It was so cool and such a fun night full of love and joy!” Genao said. “I’ve been back to Hamden High a couple of times beforehand but being back here for this was just awesome. Just knowing that there are other things that Hamden is doing to encourage kids and just expose them is incredible.”


Photo courtesy Linedy Genao's Instagram. 

Photo courtesy Linedy Genao’s Instagram. 

The students in Hamden have the rare opportunity to do what they love with full support from everyone.

Even though practicing and performing could be stressful, most students and parents are eternally grateful, especially those who were given the opportunity to perform in “Beauty and the Beast.”

“I enjoyed it being very strict and focused,” Castro said. “Sometimes it was a little much. Sometimes it was a long day. We would have a five-hour rehearsal and they would be a little hard on us, but it did push us. They did everything the right way. They knew what they were doing.”

Others say it was stressful due to the number of snow days Hamden had.

“We missed eight or so rehearsals including our final dress because of the snow,” Cathey said. “We had field trip days and missed classes to rehearse until 10 p.m. to catch up sometimes. But, it’s a positive thing because the community helps you get through the day.”

Overall, the end result always seems to be worth it.

“(Merrill) is a very serious teacher,” said Corinne Castro, mother of Cristian Castro who played Lumiere. “She demands a lot. It’s a big commitment and you can’t go halfway, but she really pulls fantastic performances out the kids.”  

Castro now feels woven into the multi-faceted fabric of Hamden High.  

“It’s definitely not normal to say that someone who is on an athletic team who is a guy to be doing musicals as well,” Castro, who plays soccer at Hamden High, said. “I definitely had to ignore people who were saying some stuff on my soccer team, but once I got into the theater program, it was like a whole new family. We aren’t just friends. They take you in and you can’t leave them because they are there for you. It’s truly the greatest thing.”