Public Safety is tracking a significant snowfall that will be arriving in our area late Sunday morning (Jan. 25). It will snow heavily throughout the day and evening eventually tapering off Monday (Jan. 26) with 10-14 inches expected statewide. A sleet and freezing rain mix is also possible along the shore. Temperatures will be in the teens and twenties.
Due to this significant winter storm and the extensive campus clean-up operations that will need to take place, all in-person day and evening classes scheduled for Monday, January 26, 2026 have been cancelled. All scheduled in-person classes will transition to being held online or remotely. Additional information on the virtual format for each class will be provided by your instructor.
Faculty have been asked to prepare for Online or Remote sessions in the event of in-person meeting cancellations. These options will be determined by the Faculty member and all questions should be directed to the Faculty teaching each course section. Faculty also have been asked to be very understanding and accommodating of the individual situations of their students who may have difficulty managing these alternative online or remote class meetings on short notice.
Please note that only essential employees, as previously determined by their respective department leaders, should report to campus. All other employees should fulfill the requirements of their role remotely.
Campus operations for residential students, unless otherwise noted, will operate as scheduled, though hours may be modified or changed based on the conditions. Separate messages will be sent from the Peterson Library, the Beckerman Recreation Center, and Dining Services regarding any changes to their normal hours of operation. The Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation will remain open for residential students to use for study space and to participate in online classes.
Off-campus students that live in the City of West Haven should abide by the city’s parking ban during inclement weather to avoid having their vehicle tagged and towed. Please check the City of West Haven’s website for further information on their snow parking ban.
The Charger Blog
Communications major Gabriella Pinto ’26 shares how an extra-credit assignment became an award-winning piece and a personal turning point.
July 1, 2025
I recently won first place in the column category for the Connecticut Society for Professional Journalists’ (CT SPJ) Writing Contest. The win was for a piece that I wrote called “Cardinal,” which was about me feeling the presence of my deceased loved ones whenever I saw that type of birds.
I wrote it for extra credit in my interpretive and editorial writing class. I didn’t have to write it, but I felt as if I needed to. It was cathartic for me to write about my family members because telling this story was a way for me to keep the memory of them alive.
The win was a shock for me. I knew my professor told me that she would be submitting my pieces into contests, but I never thought I would win for an extra-credit assignment.
When I found out that I had won the category, I was on a walk with my mother at the All Saints Cemetery in North Haven, Connecticut. We recently started a tradition of going for weekly walks over there. We would order a pizza, and, in the meantime, we would walk about a mile around the cemetery.
Our starting point is always at my grandfather’s grave. My grandfather dying was the origin of my belief in cardinals representing my loved ones. I feel it must mean something that I found out I won the contest while I was visiting him. To me, it could be a sign that he’s watching over me or that he is proud of me. It feels as if it’s a full-circle moment.
Writing is something that I’ve always loved to do. Part of that comes from my mother loving to write as well. Growing up, I always volunteered to read what I had written for different English assignments in school. When I was given a ukulele on my 13th birthday, I started writing songs while learning how to play. I also have a bunch of journals filled with poems about how I felt in middle and high school.
While I’ve always loved writing, I never knew if I was good at it, or at least as good as the other people in my classes. I gradually became more reluctant to share my work as the doubts I had about my writing grew over time. Discovering journalism in college changed that for me.
The recognition that I received for this piece reinforces the idea that I am on the right track in my life and my career pursuits. Additionally, it makes me feel as if people care about what I think and that my experiences should be shared with the world.
Other writers have such interesting experiences to talk about, and I never felt that way about my own writing. It is with this win that I learned that not every story has to be unique. There are times where relatability can sometimes be more important than originality.
While writers should always strive to produce content that discusses something new, I think there’s also a place for writing that is nostalgic and that expresses universal feelings. It can be even more impactful to just have a reader finish your piece feeling understood.
Gabriella Pinto ’26 is a Communications major and editor of the Horseshoe Magazine.
University News
New University-wide council will advance strategic partnerships, immersive student opportunities, and innovative research, supporting the University’s strategic plan the development of its pioneering Center for Innovation and Applied Technology.
The Charger Blog
Entrepreneur David Sussman, Pompea College of Business Advisory Board Member and chief visionary officer of The Family Security Plan®, is collaborating with University of New Haven students, faculty, and staff to create a program and app that helps Chargers support each other to achieve academic, personal, and professional goals. It’s called Uccountability.
University News
Vice President for Innovation and Applied Technology Paul Lavoie will serve on the Board of Directors and as America’s Chief Manufacturing Officer for the newly launched American Manufacturing Futures Institute.