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Year in Review: Top stories of 2011
Posted on Jan 11, 2012 by The QU Chronicle-
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2011 was one of those years that didn’t seem too eventful upon its exit, until we looked back through the Chronicle archives and realized 2011 was actually action-packed. Check out Quinnipiac’s top stories of 2011: from January through December, from concerts at The Bank to construction at Mount Carmel, from arrests to Irene, it’s all here in our new gallery.
–Compiled by Michele Snow, Christine Burroni, Kim Green, Nicole Fano, Sarah Rosenberg, Katherine Rojas, and Meghan Parmentier.
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QU students get out of Egypt just in time
In January 2011, QU 301 students got more than they expected out of a trip to Egypt when rioters filled the streets. Citizens were protesting President Hosni Mubarak’s regime, their dwindling economy and their lack of political freedoms. QU students, who left 10 days after the riots went into full swing, reported that they weren’t surprised to see the riots, but they were surprised by the immense scale of them. For the next, most recent trip, the QU 301 class that was supposed to go to Egypt was rerouted to Italy and Greece. -CB
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Student center construction
Student organizations were removed from their offices in the Carl Hansen Student Center in the spring of 2011 when construction began on a new student center. In the interim, student media groups were relocated to a trailer in South Lot and Greek life organizations have not had a home. The building was originally set to open for the spring 2012 semester, but the completion date was pushed back to September of 2012 because the removal of hazardous materials on site caused unexpected delays. -MS
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Law School registrar caught for bank fraud
Quinnipiac Law School’s registrar and assistant dean of academic affairs, Mary Ellen Durso, was sentenced in a New Haven court to three years probation for bank fraud and conspiracy in early March. Durso pleaded guilty in December 2010 to one count of conspiracy and five counts of filing false tax returns after she refinanced a Weston, Conn. couple’s Florida villa under her name. The result was a government loss of $46,000 in taxes, according to court records. Durso was not dismissed from her position at the university, but she spent the first six months of her sentence in home confinement. -KG
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Toad’s Shooting
March 23, 2011 might not ring a bell for many QU students, as the Wednesday night shooting at Toad’s Place didn’t affect their plans for the following Saturday night. The shooting occurred during a local hip-hop concert. Convinced that the Saturday night crowd was different from the Wednesday night concert crowd, the weekly club-goers didn’t think twice when getting on the shuttle to New Haven. -CB
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Ke$ha Comes to QU
On Saturday, April 2, Quinnipiac females flocked to the TD Bank Sports Center scantily clad in fishnet stockings and copious amounts of glitter to welcome Ke$ha, who stopped at Quinnipiac during her sold-out “Get $leazy Tour.” According to SPB’s mainstage chair Jamie Kloss, 2,462 tickets were sold. Some students proved they couldn’t handle Ke$ha’s party, as Quinnipiac security and Hamden Police escorted several students out of the arena on stretchers and in wheelchairs due to severe intoxication. Chances are those students didn’t wake up the next morning feeling quite like P. Diddy. -NF
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Eastview
After months of planning and construction, the Eastview residential area on the York Hill campus finally opened for business this past August. The residence hall features 34 dorms equipped with air conditioning, a kitchen and a common room. All Eastview residents have access to the 120 parking spots located next to the building. While this parking privilege has its perks, Eastview residents were not expecting the surprise $10 parking ticket left on their windshields on Nov. 29. The tickets were distributed on account of “vehicles parked in prohibited lots,” according to Chief of Safety & Security David Barger. While it may have been the start of the holiday season, this was one present from security students wished they could return. -NF
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Hurricane Irene
Like a vengeful ex-girlfriend, Hurricane Irene stormed (literally) through New England right on the brink of the fall semester. She left no power line behind, and despite the delay of classes, Quinnipiac students struggled without electricity and withstood harsh weather that kept them indoors the first weekend back. But Irene’s presence came and went faster than expected, and she became more of a one-night stand than an ex-girlfriend–all she left us with was a few bad hair days and postponed athletic events. -SR
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Sleeves at the Rec Center
Who knew that the greatest gossip around campus would stem from the Recreation Center’s reinforced dress code? In September, students were told that sleeveless workout shirts, halter tops and sports bras were no longer acceptable in the gym. The change was made to prevent the spreading of viruses, diseases and infections, such as MRSA, throughout campus via the machines. Students were unhappy, complaining about heat while working out and the new-found difficulty in lifting weights. -SR
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Dayglow
On Sept. 9-10, Quinnipiac students partied hard along with nearly 4,000 other Dayglow attendees at the XL Center in Hartford. Decked out in neon and white, Quinnipiac students showed off their painting and partying skills at Dayglow, “the world’s largest paint party.” In addition to musical performances by electronic dance Deejay’s Cedric Gervais, David Solano and R3Hab, the hyped-up event also featured paint blasts, contortionists and acrobats. With no transportation provided by the XL Center, many Quinnipiac students traveled by bus, car and train in order to play with paint. -NF
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Basketball players arrested
Five Quinnipiac men’s basketball players were arrested on assault charges after an on-campus fight on Sept. 18 that left four students injured. James Johnson and Ike Azotam were arrested on third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace charges and pleaded not guilty at their Sept 26 arraignment. The other three players admitted their involvement in the incident to Hamden Police on Dec. 1. All five players were sanctioned by the university for their involvement, said men’s basketball coach Tom Moore. Johnson was suspended from the team’s season opener vs. Fairfield at Mohegan Sun. James Johnson and Jackson both applied for accelerated rehabilitation in mid-December, while Dave Johnson, Azotam and Nate Gause requested continuances. The players will return to court Jan. 17. -KG
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Greek Orgs
In response to the growing interest in Greek life at Quinnipiac, the 2011 school year brought two new Greek organizations to campus: Pi Kappa Phi, a new fraternity, and Pi Beta Phi, a new sorority. The Greek organizations already on campus have welcomed them to the community. As the percentage of Quinnipiac students involved in Greek life continues to increase, plans to bring in two more sororities are already in the works. -MS
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Sam Adams, 3OH!3 and Hoodie Allen
A triple act lineup invaded the TD Bank Sports Center during Student Programming Board’s annual fall concert. Boston-based rapper Sam Adams, 3OH!3 and Hoodie Allen took the stage separately and showcased their respective musical styles to more than 1,500 students. Adams proved to be the crowd favorite, but 3OH!3 performed to an impressive light show and sang some of their radio hits. While Hoodie Allen, Sam Adams and 3OH!3 may not have much musical continuity, each act made the stage its own. -NF
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The Ratt reopens
The Bobcat Den, better known as the Ratt, was another campus location to face renovations this year. While Chartwells officials expected the Den to reopen this past September, that date was pushed back nearly three weeks due to construction and rain delays. Seven and a half weeks into the semester, the Ratt reopened for late-night business on Oct. 19. The Ratt underwent changes in layout, appliances and menu plans. -NF
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Fornication in the Forest
The walk through Pine Grove to CAS used to be like a nature walk. Now, it’s a burgeoning museum. Itzik Benshalom’s $75,000 “Facing Couple” statue was placed near Mount Carmel’s New Road entrance in October after being donated by the Lender family. Some students saw the depiction of what potentially happens after a night at Toad’s; others looked a little deeper and saw meaningful art. But, either way, you should have been questioning what the statue means and what place it has on our campus. Call it fornication or an expression of love, but Quinnipiac’s image was tested after our campus’s experiment with modern art. -SR
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Whitney and Mt. Carmel intersection finished
New turning lanes at the corner of Whitney Avenue and Mt. Carmel Avenue were completed on Oct. 21, making the journey to campus a little less hectic for commuters and York Hill residents. The new lanes helped to ease traffic congestion, which had often caused backups on Whitney Avenue. After all the construction was completed in mid-November, the intersection became much safer not only to vehicle traffic, but also to pedestrian traffic, according to Connecticut Department of Transportation project engineer Steven Hebert. -KG
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Halloween Blizzard
Always full of surprises, Mother Nature really threw the Q a curveball this Halloween. An unexpected snowstorm brought power outages, unreliable and dangerous transportation and freezing temperatures to a coveted college holiday weekend that is supposed to be all about getting incoherent and baring as much skin as possible. Seniors were especially upset that their last Halloween of college had been effectively ruined. You won this round, Mother Nature. Stick to weekdays in 2012. -MS
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Threats to stop DATTCO shuttles to New Haven
In November 2011 the Student Government Association was falsely informed by administration that DATTCO had threatened to end its contract with Quinnipiac University because of numerous Quinnipiac students receiving urination citations in New Haven. Vice President and Dean of Students Manuel Carreiro met with SGA, encouraging the organization to inform the student body that they were “one bad weekend away” from losing their shuttles. With its “Respect Your Ride” campaign, SGA reminded students that “shuttles are a privilege, not a right” with fliers, posters and a university-wide email. According to Vice President of Public Affairs Lynn Bushnell, the threat was false. DATTCO Chief Operations Officer Cliff Gibson said DATTCO’s contract with Quinnipiac University is “fully intact and stands very well.” -KR
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Junior Parking Gets Restricted
In order to solve the overcrowding of the North and Hogan lots that plagued commuters and York Hill residents for the better part of the semester, security began limiting juniors from parking on campus prior to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays. Special stickers were issued to seniors to allow them parking privileges, and to give security a way to find and ticket violating juniors, beginning Nov. 14 According to many students, the solution has not solved everything, as there have been complaints that the now crowded shuttles are even slower and more unreliable, leaving them still unhappy. -MP
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Mo Jr. attends QU and transfers
Mariano Rivera Jr. drew a small crowd when he toured the Quinnipiac campus in December 2010 and generated even more buzz when he confirmed in April that he would attend the university and try out for the baseball team. Though he “believed” he made the team, he announced in December of this year that he would be transferring next semester, citing his parents wanting him home as his reason for leaving. -MS
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One hundred reasons to stay
Juniors Lauren Taylor and Michelle Brandow’s video supporting suicide prevention went viral with responses from the outside community, including being featured in one of Perez Hilton’s blogs. Taylor and Brandow created the video as a final project for their QU 301 class, Global Perspective on Death and Dying, with Professor Joan Kreiger. The goal of their project was to “teach the public something and make a change,” Taylor said. The video posted to Vimeo shows Quinnipiac students holding up index cards of 100 inspiring reasons to keep living. -KR
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