29-year-old James N. DeLoma passes unexpectedly

Twenty-nine-year old Jamie DeLoma passed away.

The following factionalized obituary was written for a journalism assignment.

Today is a sad day on the Quinnipiac University campus, following the death of 29-year-old James N. DeLoma, an alumni and the assistant director of public relations of social media at the university.

The incident leading to his death occurred while on his trip this past weekend to the Times Union in Albany. DeLoma fell on one of the steps within the building and when putting his hands down for support, he cut his hand on a paper clip that was lying around on the ground.

Two days later, he was rushed to the hospital due to a bacterial infection. It was later found that DeLoma had been in contact with rough meat containing bacteria that got into his cut.

DeLoma was born on September 10, 1985. He had one younger brother.

DeLoma’s Aunt Betty who passed away on January 9, 2013, had a powerful impact on his life. He wrote about her on his personal blog after her passing earlier this year.

“Aunt Betty was my best friend. She was my parent. She was the rock on which I leaned,” DeLoma wrote.

DeLoma’s favorite holiday was Christmas followed by Halloween, and up until 2009, DeLoma did not know how to swim.

DeLoma graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and later returned to complete a master’s degree in interactive communications.

While at Quinnipiac, he was the Editor of the Chronicle, a student newspaper on the campus.

In his media careers, he also worked with the Connecticut Post, NBC New York, Fox News Channel and was currently a freelance copy and page editor for the Hearst Connecticut Newspaper Group.

DeLoma also taught as an adjunct professor of journalism at both Quinnipiac University and Southern Connecticut State University.

DeLoma is remembered for his passion in journalism.

“Jamie was one of the most creative journalists to come out of Quinnipiac,” current senior managing editor of the Quinnipiac Chronicle, Matthew Eisenberg said.

Some engage in different snow activities

February 2014 in Rhode Island

With high snow accumulations over the past few weeks, many take part in various activities, however most of them consist of staying indoors.

“My favorite things to do on a snow day is to dress cozy and spend time with my friends,” Mackenzie Dunphy said.

Others had similar thoughts about staying warm.

“I stay in my PJ’s and watch movies with [my kids],” Tammy Parrillo said.

Now with hundreds of movies and shows, Netflix is also common way to spend snow days for some.

Sophomore at Quinnipiac University Sarah Anne Harris usually spends her snow days catching up on her work load, but some days she is luckier with her free time.

“On snow days when I don’t have much work I will watch Netflix,” Harris said.

Some students would be surprised that when school is cancelled teachers will do the same.

“Nextflix, a glass of wine and correcting,” is how history teacher Lisa Johansen spends her snow days when school school is canceled.

While most did say they stay inside to keep warm, some do take full advantage of the snow and its activities.

Sophomore at the  University of Vermont, Robin Davenport says she spends her snow days going snowboarding.

Boston College soccer player McKenzie Meehan too, takes advantage of the snow.

“I like to go sledding and make snowmen,” Meehan said.

Sustainability initiatives at QU

Wind Turbines sit atop the Quinnipiac University York Hill Campus.
Photo Courtesy of quinnipiac.edu

Students and professors alike are working to improve sustainably on Quinnipiac University’s three campuses.

This semester the Students for Environmental Action, hired a group of people to come to campus and assist in helping make the campus green.

Senior and president of the Students for Environmental Action club, Johanna Berton feels that this will be a great way to start green initiatives.

“They are going to look into things like solar panels, wind turbines and all that stuff to work on and take note of what the students will respond to,” Berton said.

Berton feels over the last few years sustainably has improved a great deal, but knows there is still a long way to go as far as sustainability on Quinnipiac University campuses.

According to The Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs, Karla Natale, sustainably is a topic which is becoming more important to people.

“Right now we are using resources faster than we can actually replenish them,” Natale said. “Ultimately more and more companies are realizing that if they put the cost in initially they will see benefits in long run.”

Natale works with the university and the Students for Environmental Action club to promote and maintain sustainability on the three campuses.

Last year single-stream recycling was introduced to the university, which allows students to put everything that is recyclable in the same place.

“I think recycling is extremely important,” sophomore Rebecca Castagna said.

Castagna feels that the university does promote sustainability, however she says it is difficult to recycle in the dorm rooms.

“It is annoying because there is really no place to put recycling unless you bring it down to the student center area,” Castagna said.

Junior Briana Fountain says the university is doing and okay job of promoting and teaching students about sustainability.

“I don’t really hear much about it within the university,” Fountain said.

Natale says the university does have a recycling video right now, but they are working to create a new video for students about recycling.

“I definitely think we can do better and do more. There is definitely room for improvement,” Natale said.

Preparing for life beyond

Nick Solari, CLNS radio

Nick Solari differs from most students at Quinnipiac University, with an ambition that he hopes will land him a great future.

Solari is a sophomore print journalism student, and associate sports editor of the Quinnipiac Chronicle.

But his academic and Chronicle workload were not enough to keep Solari occupied while at school. Solari also finds time to write for CLNS radio, an independently owned Boston sports radio station. He was hired to write for the website as a Celtics reporter in October of 2013.

“I watch every Celtics game as it is,” Solari said. “So this was something I knew I would enjoy doing.”

Solari applied for the internship, with high hopes, but still keeping it in the back of his mind that he was only a sophomore in college. Soon after sending them his resume and sample pieces of work, Solari learned that he got the position.

“I was pumped, it’s a resume builder,” Solari said. “Sometimes I even get paid depending on if I meet a certain quota for that day.”

Solari says the internship allows him to network with people in the industry. Additionally, he had the opportunity to fill-in for people on the radio show.

Despite the many late nights writing in his dorm, Solari knows that in the end all of the hard work will pay off.

 

Back into the game

Brianna Siravo is a sophomore midfielder and defender for Quinnipiac’s women’s soccer team

In October of 2011, Brianna Siravo thought her soccer career may have been coming to a close when she was diagnosed with compartment syndrome in both of her legs.

“I would be playing in a game and my legs would go numb,” Siravo said. “It was scary because I really didn’t know what was wrong and most of the time I kept playing through it.”

Siravo was a senior at Smithfield High School, in Rhode Island at the time of her diagnosis. She was captain of her high school team, and played on the FC Stars of Massachusetts, a premier team based out of Massachusetts.

A life-long dream of hers had been to play soccer in college, but with her new prognosis she questioned if she would ever get there.

In November of 2011, Siravo went into surgery. Siravo says she was nervous the doctors would not be able to fully fix her.

After hours of surgery and several months in two full-length casts, Siravo was back on two legs moving around and soon after back on the field.

Now a sophomore at Quinnipiac University, a division I college soccer program, Siravo wears a bobcat jersey.

“It is great to be part of a team here in college. When everything happened with my legs I was nervous my college soccer dreams would be down the drain,” Siravo said. “I look forward to playing here for the next few years as I continue on with my soccer dreams.”

Back into greek life

Murphy holds up her Alpha Chi Omega letters.

With a few months of unanswered questions and a great deal of wishing and praying, Kiera Murphy was informed on Monday, Feb. 3 that her sorority chapter will be allowed to continue on Quinnipiac’s campus.

With this news, Murphy is more than ecstatic she says. Now a sophomore, admission into the Alpha Chi Omega chapter at Quinnipiac University during the spring of her freshman year brought positive changes to her college life.

“I became way more outgoing,” Murphy said. “At home I am known for being an introvert, and now here, people always tell me how friendly I am.”

Murphy has been able to meet new people that she shares many likes with upon her admission into the chapter. Some of her best friends have come out of  her experiences with Alpha Chi Omega.

“I was so scared when I thought the chapter might be discontinued because I spent so much time doing different activities for the chapter,” Murphy said.

Murphy is the website chair of the committee of public relations and marketing for the Alpha Chi Omega chapter. She had recently been informed about her new position, when she found out the university needed to put a hold on the chapter while it was being investigated.

“I am just glad to be back and wearing my letters again,” Murphy said. “I look forward to many memories with Alpha Chi this semester.”

A new collection

 

Egan cuddles with the largest of her collection.

Some people collect stamps, others figurines of their favorite animal or postcards from various travel locations, but for Casey Egan, its pillow pets.

The four that nestle on her dorm bed at Quinnipiac University are not the only pillow pets Egan owns. Over the past two years, Egan has collected more than ten pillow pets, ranging in size. 

Her first two, a frog and ladybug, were given to her by her boyfriend of two years. He put them on her doorstep with a short note and box of chocolates. 

“I had always said how much I wanted one, but never wanted to buy one for myself,” Egan said. 

At the time, Egan says she thought those two would have been plenty, but she continued to receive them. 

Her latest, and largest of the collection is a giraffe, which she was surprised to open on Christmas morning this past year. 

“I pulled it out of the box and couldn’t believe it. I had never seen such a big pillow pet before,” Egan said. “It’s almost like a body pillow; which is awesome.”

Despite the overflow of pillow pets currently hanging off her bed, Egan hopes to collect more, and perhaps pass them down to her nieces, nephews and children of her own. 

Taking on sports photography

 

Sarah Anne Harris takes photos at the Quinnipiac basketball game.

Having  different types of skills within the communications field allows you to be more marketable, according to Sarah Anne Harris, sophomore print journalism major at Quinnipiac University. 

Harris is the associate arts and life editor of Quinnipiac’s student newspaper, The Chronicle. Although she is able to write and edit a variety of stories within the arts and life section of the newspaper, she wants to become more versatile. 

With the help of the sports editor and other upperclassmen, Harris purchased a Nixon 3200 camera and began to explore photography as she shot a Panic of the Disco concert at the Oakdale Theatre and a the Quinnipiac men’s basketball game against Canisus on Jan. 30 at the TD Bank Sports Center. 

“You are right there, right on the edge of the court, you feel their sweat on you,” Harris said. 

Harris said her experience taking sports photos was one she will never forget. 

” I don’t usually like basketball, but after taking pictures at the game I wouldn’t mind going to more basketball games and just watching” Harris said. “Taking pictures was really fun because I was able to capture some dunks and they were really cool.”

Although she has only covered one game thus far, she has already planned to attend more games and take pictures for the Chronicle. Harris looks forward to seeing her photos printed in the paper for the student body to see.