CT Colleges And Universities Face Budget Deficit| Page 3 WWW.CENTRALRECORDER.ORG Family Feud With CCSU | Page 6 @TheRecorder on Twitter CCSU Softball Player Helps Tests Students On Move-In Day | Page 10 Central Connecticut State University The Recorder February 4, 2021 Volume 123 | Issue 1 CCSU’s New Testing Plan BY RYAN JONES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF entral Connecticut State University will be increasing the amount of weekly testing done for COVID-19 thisC semester. The university is once again partnering with Griffin Health to administer tests to students. Each week, Central Connecticut will be testing all resident students, student athletes, students in work study, residence hall staff and commuter students with on- ground classes. Julia Moran If all goes according to plan, there will CCSU President Zulma R. Toro said she does not Central Connecticut has 700 students returning to live on be more than 1,000 tests administered each campus this spring, down from the 997 that lived on campus in expect these numbers to return to normal this fall. the fall. week. Though some things could be subject to change, the plan is to have two days a week Spring Housing Numbers For -currently Monday and Thursday- where everyone can get tested. The school will be using an application called Bookings for CCSU Decline scheduling purposes. Interim Chief Facilities Officer Sal Cintorino, one of the people spearheading this BY RYAN JONES for quite some time. number could fluctuate if any students new plan for the spring, said that “this whole EDITOR-IN-CHIEF “I am anticipating that [fall enrollment] decided to enroll in housing or leave. thing does not work without the compliance will not be back to the level that we saw Toro said that if the school is allotted [of the students.]” he number of students living on in fall 2019. I guarantee you that we will money through another government While the cooperation of CCSU students campus this semester at Central not be at that level yet. I am anticipating stimulus package, the budget can be is a necessary part of the university’s plan, Connecticut State University has the effects of COVID-19 will be with us balanced. Central Connecticut has there are “additional suspenders in place” this Tdropped nearly 30 percent from the fall, semester to monitor things, Cintorino said. through the next two academic years,” Toro already received two stimulus packages, according to CCSU President Zulma R. said in an interview with the Recorder. as well as reimbursement from the state One suspender Cintorino noted is keeping Toro. Before the COVID-19 pandemic sent of Connecticut for new COVID protocols, a more watchful eye on the symptom survey. During the fall semester, 997 students CCSU students home on March 12, there according to Toro. Each day, students are sent a symptom survey were living on CCSU’s campus. As the were 1,990 students living on campus, The decline in students living on to their emails where they can report any spring semester gets underway, only 700 according to Central Connecticut’s Office campus has made the university reconsider irregular symptoms. have returned. of Institutional Research and Assessment’s what its housing model might look like During the fall semester, Cintorino said Though Toro is hopeful for an increase semi-annual report. moving forward. that the list of students completing the survey in both enrollment and the number of These reports are collected and filed “This is an opportunity for us at Central was only being checked once per week. This students living on campus next fall, she after the first three weeks of the semester, to take a close look at what we are doing,” spring, residence hall directors will be sent an said that she does not expect them to be so their official count for this semester has Toro said. updated list every day of who did or did not at the levels they were before the pandemic not yet been published and thus the 700 complete the survey in their buildings. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Elmer’s Place Recieves Aid From Barstool Fund And GoFundMe BY SAMANTHA BENDER When they heard about the movement, NEWS EDITOR owners Kenneth Cook, his wife Melissa lmer’s Place, a popular bar among and their son Michael Cook applied by college students and New Britain filming a video to submit to The Barstool residents located on the edge of Fund. ECentral Connecticut State University, has Shortly after, the Cook’s received a recently received aid from Dave Portnoy, Facetime call from Portnoy announcing owner of Barstool Sports. Elmer’s Place had been selected to Portnoy launched a fundraising effort, receive aid from the fund. “The Barstool Fund”, with $500,000 of The bar, which has been operating for his own money on Dec. 17 in an effort 40 years, is set to receive $20,000 a month to support small businesses across the for the next three months. To qualify for nation impacted by the COVID-19 money from The Barstool Fund, small pandemic. businesses like Elmer’s Place must still pay “I don’t care how I get the money. their employees. Beyond that, the money If I need to raise more money, if I have can be used toward whatever necessary, to pay it myself, whatever it is, I’ll get whether it be rent relief, tax relief, etc. creative,” Portnoy said in a video on The The donation from Barstool came Barstool Fund website. “Once you are shortly after CCSU student, Emily in our program, we will pay whatever Bowtruczyk, created a GoFundMe page to you need, the necessities you need, the help save the bar she refers to as a “second money you need, to get through this home.” Owners of Elmer’s Place Mike, Melissa and thing and give you a fair chance to run @elmersplace Instagram Kenneth Cook (from left to right) celebrate post your business.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 their donation from Barstool Sports 2 February 4, 2021 NEWS THE RECORDER THE RECORDER Naugatuck Students React To Racist Statements From Police Chief’s Daughter Student Center BY MOLLY INGRAM at Naugatuck feel unsafe, when the racist statements feel safe. Community-wide, I 1615 Stanley Street STAFF WRITER unvalued and uncomfortable.” were made public. think that Chief Hunt should Students immediately “[There was] a side who step down from his position as New Britain, CT 06053 tudents at Naugatuck began planning events to was supportive and empathetic w e l l .” 860.832.3744 High School (NHS) denounce racism in their and then a side that wants In speeches made during participated in walkouts community and show support to label us as ‘rebellious’ and the rallies, students also editor@centralrecorder. andS rallies this week after for their black peers. Williams ‘overreacting’ while ignoring expressed their disappointment photos of a student captioned said that the events have the racial slurs and threats with the school’s current org with racist remarks were made facilitated “more conversation bestowed upon the black curriculum. Siggars said she centralrecorder.org public. about these issues with white community,” Siggars said. envisions “a curriculum that The student in question students as well as teachers.” The main goal of the includes more than just slavery is the daughter of Naugatuck “In our library, for two community action events was for our black ancestors.” Police Chief, Steven Hunt, days we had an open forum to spread awareness about Besides the curriculum, and Naugatuck High School where students were able to the injustices that people Williams also pleaded for, Assistant Principal, Joanna speak publicly to the principal of color continuously face. “black staff in our schools, Editor-in-Chief Hunt. The content of alleged as well as the superintendent,” Many community members to hire black leaders in our Ryan Jones the messages, paired with the Williams said. “The students additionally called for the community, to implement a [email protected] student’s relationships with are angry and I feel like this did replacement of the assistant no-tolerance policy for racism/ town officials, has sparked give white students more of a principal and police chief. hate speech and teach empathy fear and outrage amongst the Managing Editor look into the struggles that the The messages posted by in school at a young age so that Naugatuck community. black community faces.” the daughter of high ranked students understand the power Kellly Langevin Naugatuck High School However, there were members of the Naugatuck of their words and how much [email protected] sophomore Ayana Williams members of the Naugatuck community have led some they can hurt people when spoke out about the current community who were not black students to fear for their used wrongfully.” News Editor climate at her school. supportive of the students safety both in and out of school. The parents of the student “Overall the black efforts to denounce their “Children are not born who allegedly posted the Samantha Bender community [and their allies] classmate’s actions. racist, racism is taught,” messages were not reached for [email protected] are outraged,” Williams said. Naugatuck High School Williams said. “If Mrs. Hunt comment on this story. Ryan Brooks, Assistant “The posts are threatening senior Alexis Siggars said that continues to represent NHS, [email protected] and make the black students there were two groups of people our black students will not Lifestyle Editor Julia Conant [email protected] Housing Numbers Decline Sarah Wall, Assistant CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 [email protected] One idea that Toro mentioned was a change in the way Sports Editor meal plans were set up for resident students.