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President Nemec’s inaugural address continues the traditional disregard for diversity.
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THE MIRR R Independent student newspaper
Week of October 25, 2017
Vol. 43 Iss. 7
@FairfieldMirror
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Fairfield Inaugurates First Lay President
Alicia Phaneuf/The Mirror Former University President, Rev. Jeffery P. von Arx, S.J., welcomed Dr. Mark R. Nemec to Fairfield and passed on the presidential role by giving him the mace of the University and chain of office.
By Connor O’Rourke Assistant News Editor Ushering in a new era for both the University and the greater Jesuit community, Dr. Mark R. Nemec, PhD, the school’s first lay person was officially inaugurated on Friday Oct. 20, as the ninth president to be appointed to the position. Kicking off the series of events, Nemec spoke in the Tully Dining Commons as part of his student reception, where he made an effort to connect with students by talking to them at dinner. At the Tully on Wednesday, Oct. 18, Nemec expressed that “it’s really exciting to kick off this whole inauguration week here because this place, in many ways, represents so much of Fairfield’s future … if you look at this building, its core is the same as it
has always been, but around it is the modernization that makes it something exceptional.” Nemec also alluded to the notion that the Tully represents community and family, adding that he was grateful for all the University has done to welcome him and his family to the school. The official inauguration ceremony took place at 1:30 p.m. on Bellarmine Lawn, with representatives from several universities around the country and the world, such as Oxford University and Yale University, in attendance. The Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. Chair in Catholic Studies Dr. Paul Lakeland introduced the event, as well as the procession of the greater community of universities and spoke about the significance of the event as a whole. Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic
Affairs Christine Siegel was the Mistress of Ceremonies, offering introductions for each of the speakers and giving them the platform to send President Nemec their best wishes for his time as head of the University. The Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Rev. Frank J. Caggiano, was also in attendance after conducting the inaugural mass that morning. He also initiated a prayer to wish Nemec the best in his endeavors and to continue the University’s mission of “opening young minds to the truths of our world,” and prayed that President Nemec would be inspired “to lead with justice, prudence, humility, and wisdom.” Read President on Page
Alumni and Families Visit for Weekend By Juliana Sansonetti News Editor Students who suffer from homesickness were fortunate this weekend, as their families were able to come visit for the annual Alumni and Family Weekend. Some of the activities planned for the enjoyment of alumni and families were StagFest, Paint Nite at the Levee, the Mentalist Duo show, “Coffee with your Deans and Faculty,” Stags Pep Rally and family Masses. This year, about 600 families registered for Alumni and Family Weekend, and around 8,000 food vouchers for StagFest were purchased, according to Assistant Director of Student Engagement Colleen Wilson ‘11. “This year’s numbers are comparable to our 2016 AFW with the number of pre-registered guests,” said Wilson. Wilson added that many families participated in StagFest who did not initially buy vouchers. “I would say we had close to 800 families that participated, with the majority being families from the classes of 2021 and 2020,” said Wilson. According to Wilson, Paint Nite at the Levee, which was last brought to Fairfield in 2015, returned this year. “This year we had 60 participants that created an abstract Stag in a sunset,” Wilson commented on the Paint Nite. Prior to Paint Nite, on Friday evening the Mentalist Duo put on a family friendly show. Jeff and Tessa Evason, husband and wife duo, included psychic reading, levitation and hypnosis in their performance. Additionally, AFW had various events that catered to different majors, such as the Biology Reception which featured a panel of alumni speaking on what they did post-graduation and the White Coat Ceremony, where sophomore nursing Contributed by Assistant Director of Student Engagement Colleen Wilson
Read Beer on Page
Students, families and alumni gathered near Rafferty Stadium for the annual StagFest.
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THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
Students and Alumni Celebrate 70 Years of Fairfield’s Press
Jacob Buttiker/The Mirror Mirror editors, past and present, discussed the history of student press at Fairfield University and how journalism is shifting from print and moving onto a primarily online digital platform. The panelists, from left to right, are Tom Dunn ‘72, Melissa Campanelli ‘88, Allison White ‘18, Christina Hennessy ‘92 and Fairfield University’s Director of Digital Journalism Matthew Tullis.
By Jacob Buttiker Contributing Writer The student newspaper has always been a way for students to express their opinions and exercise their right to free speech. On Saturday, Oct. 21, Fairfield Mirror staff, both new and old, gathered in the Dolan School of Business for a panel to celebrate 70 years of student press at Fairfield University. The panel was held in a “interviewer- interviewee” fashion, with the University’s own Matthew Tullis, director of digital journalism, leading the event. The panel was formed in order to ignite a historical discussion of student press throughout the years at Fairfield University. Those featured on the panel included current Editor-in-Chief Allison White ‘18, along with former editors-in-chief, Christina Hennessy ‘92, Melissa Campanelli ‘88 and Tom Dunn ‘72. As for the structure of the panel, Tullis interviewed the alumni and current EIC for the majority of the event, with the panel opening up to questions from the audience for the last half hour. A highlight of the event was the discussion on journalism moving out of the age of print and into the digital era. Hennessy, who now works for Hearst Publications,
commented, “Employers today want to see more than just someone who knows how to write. In today’s world, even a general knowledge of video and audio software editing proves to be especially valuable.” Hennessy stressed that in the digital age, journalists no longer possess the luxury of focusing all their energy on the physical, printed newspaper. With so many different forms of social media available to the average person today, journalists now have to make sure all the news is available on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and other online platforms. The panel also utilized their experience in the field to provide tips to students in attendance on how to succeed in the journalism industry. “Every single story you do is a sort of entrepreneurial endeavor ... every time you pitch a story you have to sell it,” said Tullis. The theme of entrepreneurship in journalism continued to flourish as the panel touched upon topics such as freelance writing and starting your own columns. Panel Read Panel on Page
THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
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The Mirror Reflects on this Week in Social Media Compiled by Juliana Sansonetti Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety. Tuesday, 10/17 4:24 a.m.- DPS came across a car parked in the Dolan east parking lot that had a suspected firearm in the back. It turned out to be an airsoft gun owned by a non-student guest. The non-student was asked not to bring the gun back to campus and the student was referred to student conduct for guest violations. Thursday, 10/19 12:13 a.m.- In Gonzaga Hall, the smell of marijuana led DPS to a room and a cooperative student produced a small amount of suspected marijuana and has been referred to student conduct for violations. Friday, 10/20 2:25 a.m.- DPS received reports of a possible drunk driver on campus from concerned students. A non-student drove his BMW Sedan through the Barlow gate, causing significant damage to both the vehicle and the gate. The non-student then drove onto 95 where he struck another vehicle and his car subsequently caught on fire. He was arrested for drunk driving and evading. The student host was brought to student conduct for guest policy violations. Saturday, 10/21 1:44 a.m.- Residence Life notified DPS of the smell of marijuana in a townhouse on the 9 block, where DPS found fire detection equipment tampered with and two 30 packs of beer, one bottle of champagne, one bottle of vodka and eight mini bottles of fireball. 5:37 p.m.- A student reported that he believed that a blue and black North Face jacket was stolen from the Barone Campus Center Information Desk area. Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact Public Safety or the BCC Info Desk. Sunday, 10/22 1:57 p.m.- In Campion Hall, a female was seen taking a fall decoration off of a door. Anybody who knows who this female was is encouraged to contact Public Safety.
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Allison White, Editor-in-Chief Andrew DaRosa, Executive Editor Catherine Veschi, Managing Editor Editors Juliana Sansonetti, News Connor O’Rourke, Assistant News Lexi Thimble, Opinion Alicia Phaneuf, Vine Cara Lee, Assistant Vine Claire Monahan, Coffee Break Alfredo Torres, Sports Daniel Montgomery, Assistant Sports Online Bradley Nordstrom, Web Master Ariana Puzzo, Online Editor-in-Chief Pamela Kask, Online Opinion Editor Brendan Zimmerman, Online Vine Editor Kelley Ekert, Online Coffee Break Editor Business Department Email: info@fairfieldmirror.com Natalia Macchio, Director of Finance Phillip Sibert, Circulation Adviser Dr. Tommy Xie Contact Information Fairfield University 1073 North Benson Road, BCC 104 Box AA, Fairfield, CT 06824 General email: info@fairfieldmirror.com
Father Tells Touching Story of Son’s Passing By Connor O’Rourke Assistant News Editor In order to raise awareness about and bring attention to the inherently tough reality regarding childhood cancer, students part of the Fairfield chapter of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation hosted an event in the Barone Campus Center on Thursday, Oct. 18. The talk was given by one of the board members of the organization, Will Gerber, who had the chance to speak to students about his experience with childhood cancer concerning his son, Teddy, and his diagnosis and subsequent death from an undifferentiated sarcoma diagnosis. During the event, Gerber first discussed the feelings Teddy had around two months before being formally diagnosed with leukemia by noting, “We noticed he was acting a little depressed, so we went and talked to his teachers and thought maybe someone was bullying him. We went to the doctor’s a few times and there was nothing wrong with him, then all of a sudden he got really sick and he ended up in Yale New Haven [hospital].” They performed a scan at the hospital and found a large mass on his heart and lungs, which led them to conclude that Teddy had gotten a rare form of cancer known as undifferentiated sarcoma. One of the key points of his talk was that pediatric cancer does not get the same attention as cancer treatment in adults in the sense that “they [doctors and hospitals] tend to borrow drugs that they use on adults because of the markets … for pediatrics it’s a small market.” He further alluded that the forms of cancer experienced by adults are often based on the environment around them, as well as what they eat and the stress that they are under. Gerber explained that “pediatric cancers tend to be more spontaneous” in that they are not necessarily caused by the environment, but more so as a result of genetics and mutations in that regard. Teddy underwent a massive surgery for his heart and lungs and Gerber felt as though he was doing very well, but he further said that “the problem is that with sarcoma, if you leave one cell behind, there’s no drug that they can give you that’s going to kill that cell before it multiplies.” In Teddy’s case, the cell was left behind and he relapsed as a result. However, before Teddy’s death, St. Baldrick’s hosted a charity fundraising event which saw friends of his shave their heads
in order to show their sympathy with his chemotherapy causing hair loss. Gerber pointed to the fact that it made Teddy feel normal for once, knowing that everyone else had shaved their heads as well. Now, every year, St. Baldrick’s has an event called “Brave the Shave,” which sees people come out to remember and celebrate Teddy’s life by volunteering to shave their heads to act in solidarity with those who have suffered with cancer patients. One of the co-presidents of the Fairfield chapter of the organization, Brendan Hunt ‘18, said, “In my opinion, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is most notably known for its head shaving events.” In speaking about these events, “Often, head shaving events are organized by individuals or groups and people register and raise money personally to shave their heads. This is effective for the foundation because people are raising money for the foundation, while standing in solidarity with cancer patients who don’t choose to lose their hair.” One of the students who attended the event, Aidan Danaher ‘20, added, “I thought it was a really interesting and informative event. St. Baldrick’s is a great organization and I’m glad that they have a branch here at Fairfield University. Bringing in an outside speaker to enlighten the students was definitely a great insight into the world and how cancer affects everybody differently.” Gerber mentioned this in his talk, but Hunt further alluded on a recent breakthrough in the research of leukemia that involved “removing a child’s T cells, re-engineering their structure in a lab to attack leukemia cells and re-infusing them back into the child. Kids who would have otherwise passed away are now going into complete remission thanks to this.” In regards to the general purpose of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation as a whole, Hunt further explained that “the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is the world’s largest volunteer-powered organization for childhood cancer research. Worldwide, a child is diagnosed with a type of cancer every two minutes, resulting in more children being lost to cancer in the U.S. than any other disease combined.” Hunt said, “the St. Baldrick’s Foundation exists to change the realities of a childhood cancer diagnosis and works closely with pediatric oncology to determine the most promising research to fund and to make the greatest impact for cancer patients.”
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THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
News
President Nemec Commits to Core Jesuit Values
Alicia Phaneuf/The Mirror The newly appointed President Nemec addressed Fairfield University students, faculty, alumni and the greater community of higher education to emphasize a commitment to core Jesuit values.
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Offering their best wishes for President Nemec, many were given the chance to speak, such as Michael Tetreau, First Selectman of the Town of Fairfield, Kimberly M. Goff-Crews, Secretary and Vice President for Student Life at Yale University, John A. Pagano, President of the Alumni Board of Directors, as well as Cara Gibbons ’18, Fairfield University Student Association President, to name a few. First Selectman Tetreau said, “Dr. Nemec, we know you represent the finest qualities found in the Jesuit tradition for higher education. Your contributions to the Fairfield community may be just starting, but your service and dedication to this University and our community will most surely be outstanding.” Goff-Crews stated that “we depend on excellent leaders who are willing to serve and who understand the complexity of leading an institution that must focus on past, present and the future.” She also pointed out that “[Nemec] brings with him to Fairfield not only wisdom, but a sense of humor, [as well as] important leadership experiences that will serve him and Connecticut well.” Gibbons, representing the undergraduate student population at the University and speaking about the student experience at the school, said that “undergraduate education at Fairfield University has always centered around the ideal of men and women for others.” Gibbons also added “we, as undergraduates, excel in service to the community; our mission volunteer trips make a difference for us and others around the world… Our life at Fairfield is a balance of intellectual and social activity.” She emphasized that FUSA looks forward to working with President Nemec in order to improve the undergraduate experience for all students and to enhance the educational and social experiences at the University for all of us.
One of the students in attendance at the event, Jaclyn Cuculino ‘20, added that “I’m really excited that Fairfield has a new president and I think he’ll do great things for both the students and the whole community alike.” Glee club member Dana Saad ‘18 said, “it was a beautiful day, and watching the procession, and the ceremony, and all the faculty, it was nice … it’s like foreshadowing to graduation. And performing at such a historic event, and to be in the program, I felt honored.” Speaking toward the end of the inaugural ceremony, former Fairfield University President, Rev. Jeffery P. von Arx, S.J. also welcomed President Nemec to the Fairfield community by wishing him all the best in continuing the University’s Jesuit mission, in particular by citing the phrase “Ad maiorem Dei gloriam,” which is a foundational ideal of the Jesuit tradition and a Latin phrase meaning, “for the greater glory of God.” Fr. von Arx passed on the traditional mace of the University, which represents the symbol of the president’s authority and chain of the office, the symbol of the office of the president, to his successor. In President Nemec’s inaugural address itself, he expressed his goals for his presidency and called upon Fairfield to stand up to the challenges of the modern world in that, “the world needs the work we do, but we must also … be committed to remain relevant.” He added, “the modern Jesuit Catholic University must be committed to forming well-rounded men and women by educating through a commitment to ‘cura personalis,’ caring for the mind, the body, and the soul.” Lastly, Nemec said, “As steward of this great University, this is my one ask, my one prayer for all of us. That we as an institution, we as a community, we as a family continue to uphold our core values and commitments while embracing the challenge of being a model for the 21st century, so we may make the most of our blessings and so we may continue our rise, and that we do so for the greater glory of God.”
Beer Garden Attendance Peaks from Wine Addition Continued from Page
students were officially inducted into the clinical practice of their nursing studies. Sophomore Madison Ortiz commented on the Biology Reception. “I thought the event was a great learning experience and it helped me learn a lot about what to do after graduation,” said Ortiz. “They had a variety of different careers, so that was good to see. I didn’t expect that many so it was good to see that there’s a bunch of different stuff that you can do with a bio major.” Sophomore Olivia Piccoli, a nursing major, attended the white coat ceremony, as well as the blessing of the new School of Nursing building. “I thought the events were great, they were really well-planned out,” Piccoli commented. “I thought it was a really awesome weekend and great for my nursing career here at Fairfield.” Wilson discussed some of the changes that made AFW different this year from previous years, including StagFest moving from the Traffic Circle to the Rafferty Stadium parking lot, the beer garden adding red and white wine and the new event “Coffee with your Deans and Faculty” for the College of Arts and Sciences, Dolan
School of Business and the School of Engineering. “This event was incorporated after hearing a lot of feedback from families about the desire to have the opportunity to interact with the academic side of Fairfield University,” said Wilson. “Prior to the weekend we had 24 participants registered for Engineering, 101 for DSB and 124 for Arts and Sciences.” According to Wilson, adding wine to the beer garden was a definite success. “We had almost 450 more alcoholic packages purchased this year than last year,” said Wilson. Last year, 584 people bought alcohol vouchers, while this year, 1,040 people bought them. Piccoli said, “I think [AFW] is a great tradition. I know a lot of people who graduated in the past were here, and a lot of my friend’s families were here as well, so I think it’s a great way to bring the whole community together.” Wilson echoed this sentiment, adding, “Alumni and Family Weekend is an extremely unique weekend, as it’s one of the only times that we have current students, families and alumni together on campus for the sole purpose of being together as a community.”
Jacob Buttiker/The Mirror Alumni Thomas Moore ‘85 points to a need for entrepreneurship in modern journalism.
Panel Discusses Journalism Continued from Page
members stressed that in order to be a successful journalist, you must be quick thinking and able to adapt should the situation change. Alumni Thomas Moore ’85, a professor of journalism at York College in New York and a contributor to CBS news radio part-time, spoke with The Mirror over the phone, as he was unable to make it to the panel. “You have to be more entrepreneurial than ever because there are so many places on the web to produce news for; it’s a way to break into the business,” said Moore. Moore stressed the idea that journalists coming out of college today should, as well as being confident in their writing, have a general sense of how to form both
audio and video content, in order to stay relevant in today’s digital world. Seeing as attendance to the event was significantly lower than expected, everyone was given the opportunity to have their questions answered, with topics ranging from old school printing techniques to stories that shouldn’t have been run; students were encouraged to propose any questions or concerns they may have about a future career in journalism. The panel provided an opportunity for alumni to bask in their glory days, as well as allow students a glimpse into a newspaper experience that differs from their own. Because of the positive feedback the event received, Professor Tullis says he looks forward to organizing more journalism-related events like this in the future.
THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
Opinion
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Editor Lexi Thimble » opinion@fairfieldmirror.com
Getting Opinionated with The Mirror
Nemec's Address Neglects Diversity on Campus By Allen Brown Contributing Writer Last Friday, I caught a livestream of President Nemec’s Inaugural Ceremony. It was a beautiful ceremony filled with pomp, song and glee. Campus and community leaders gave congratulatory introductions that stressed the unique qualifications of President Nemec and the institutional importance of Jesuit values. The vast majority of speakers mentioned the University’s core mission of molding men and women for others. Most also mentioned the importance that the University places on diversity. Yet the choice of speakers seems to be incongruent with all this talk of diversity and molding men and women for others. The demographics of the student body also seem to contradict these tropes. Only 6 of the 17 of the inaugural speakers were women; and only 1 of the 17 inaugural speakers were people of the global majority. And although women make up around 60 percent of the student body, I think someone should remind the University that the concept of gender diversity includes women of color. Through these speeches, the Fairfield community seems to be saying, “Pay attention to any and every form of diversity, except racial because we clearly don’t have that.” Yet without racial diversity any and every conception of diversity is incomplete. Could there be an African Methodist Episcopal Church without Africans? Can you really claim to be geographically diverse if you don’t recruit from black ghettos? At Fairfield, we constantly hear about the value of diversity. We even have a diversity requirement in the curriculum. Yet when it comes to the University’s lack of racial diversity we only hear silence. It seems to me like we need a racial diversity requirement in the administration, student body and board of trustees. President Nemec’s inaugural speech did no better with respect to acknowledging Fairfield’s half-hearted commitment to racial diversity. This was surprising considering that the first major controversy of Nemec’s tenure involved parental objections to a speech given by Professor Kris Sealey on white supremacy and hegemonic power. Nothing quite screams “diversity problem” like a deluge of calls from irate white parents desperate to maintain the racial privilege they hold so dear. Besides making evident that Fairfield U isn’t diverse enough to sustain an open and honest dialogue around racial inequality, what does this incident say about our University? It says that Fairfield isn’t and probably has never been serious about its racial demographics issues. The president’s inaugural speech revolved around highlighting how the University’s continued commitments to lifelong learning, holistic formation and extensive and expansive partnership would lead to Fairfield’s transformation into the premier Jesuit university. His connection of these commitments to the Fairfield Rising campaign was a nice segue into expressing the University's desire to transition from a regional university to a national university. Obviously President Nemec has high hopes for the University. Yet how can the Universtiy be trusted to fully tap into the diversity of the nation when it’s clearly failed at tapping into the diversity of the region? Fairfield’s expanded tuition programs for Bridgeport’s high school graduates is just a small step in the right direction. This program could be expanded to include all Bridgeport residents. I know as a former Fairfield Prep student that there are a number of Bridgeport students at Prep who would give Fairfield a more serious consideration if it were more affordable. Hell, the program should be expanded to include majority-minority cities around the region if we’re truly
Editorial Board "These Damn Kids and Their Phones" Allison White Editor-in-Chief Andrew DaRosa Executive Editor Catherine Veschi Managing Editor
As college students, we’re sure most of us have heard complaints from our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles about their concerns of leaving the world in the hands of millennials. Millennials are constantly criticized for using our phones too often, having too much of a presence on social media, and being ill-prepared to enter the work world because many of us are considered “spoiled.” However, what many older generations fail to realize is that while these may be traits that define our generation, they don’t mean our generation is destined for failure — they just mean we’ll find success in a different way than our predecessors. Before we dig into the topic of “millennials,” it is important to understand the hesitation in using a word coined for our generation, specifically those individuals born between 1982 and 2000, to make sweeping generalizations about our priorities and technological upbringing. We constantly hear the term thrown around by our parents and
striving to become a national model of racial diversity. The University’s tuition remission program is another existing model that should be expanded to recruit a more diverse student body. Professors and University employees and their spouses and children currently have access to this program which, through University funding, allows them to return to school to finish or further their education. Yet the key detail in this program is that you have to be a University employee to qualify. Employees of subcontractors like ABM, Sodexo and Dattco don’t count. I doubt it's a coincidence that the occupational categories strongest associations with women and people of color would be excluded. If one conducted a racial headcount of the support staff and University employees at Fairfield, would you find many people of color? And how many of these folks already have college degrees? Aren’t Jesuit values supposed to extend to the University’s employment practices? As a former full-time campus worker at Sodexo, I am painfully aware of the tragic irony the University’s tuition remittance programs being aimed at the on-campus employees that need it least. From this experience, I also became aware that these issues go way back. Every May, we worked the 50th Reunion dinner. The event organizers would plaster these large poster boards filled with old portraits of the surviving graduates all over the hall and walls. I would always play the game of “Find The Black Person!” with myself to pass the time. It ended up being a very challenging game, as apparently the University didn’t accept many black folks in the 1950s and 60s; it didn’t accept many women either. In fact, most of the black graduates seemed to be studentathletes. Some stereotypes and funding patterns die hard, huh? This is a trend you see across the nation. Universities constantly complain about the difficulty they face when trying to find “collegeready” students of color — in this case, college-ready means qualified and with resources — yet whenever they need to fill a sports team, suddenly these funding and talent pool issues miraculously disappear. Silly me thinking it would Connor O'Rourke/The Mirror be easier to find college-ready students of color than it is to find college-ready, student-athletes of color. Black neighborhoods can no longer be mined for athletic taents, service opportunities and good publicity. Service and mission trips that lack genuine efforts to change the surrounding structural conditions must be exposed as utter garbage. They do nothing other than reinforce students’ white savior complexes. Half-assing outreach and assistance programs will get us nowhere except on the road to another ghetto party. When we tell folks that the University strives to mold men and women for others, I think we should ask, “Well, who exactly are these others? And how do they relate to our core mission and way of life?” A serious examination of these questions should lead to the conclusions that the “others” are generally people of color and our economic fortunes rest on their material deprivation. I write this piece in an effort to echo President Nemec’s “call to be deliberate about our future.” In this case, we must recognize before we deliberate. We must analyze before we approach. People of color make up the majority of the global population. Therefore if we are to become the modern Jesuit Catholic University, if we truly hope to “be national in scope, global in outlook, and unbounded in approach,” we must sincerely address the lack of racial diversity at Fairfield.
adult figures in our lives, perpetually belittling our “participation-trophy” generation for not doing enough to clean up the mess handed down to us from Generation X. To us, the best comparison we can come up with is that of former President Barack Obama in 2008 during the Great Recession, which was blamed on his inability to lead the country. Yet many forget the tremendous amount of debt his former, George W. Bush, placed onto the country. Furthermore, on the topic of social media, while our generation is certainly the most active on platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, this doesn’t have to be seen in a negative light. It simply means that we’re different consumers of information than previous generations. While our parents relied on newspapers to learn the current events happening in the world around them, millennials have taken to Twitter and the Internet in general to get their daily news. Due to this change
in media platforms, our generation is able to consume much more information on a regular basis than ever before, which has in turn caused us to become more skeptical consumers, because we’ve been taught to trust certain sources over others. With the growth of the Internet and social media, millennials are exposed to more sources, causing us to be more informed of today’s happenings. So while the argument that millennials are a very different generation than Generation X is valid, it shouldn’t be used to argue that our generation is destined for failure. Each generation prior to ours has been different than the one before it, so why should millennials be considered any differently? Ultimately, no one will know whether or not millennials will be successful for years, so why don’t we all stop doubting the fruitfulness of our generation and just see how this new herd of increasingly informed consumers will shape the world in the years to come?
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THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
Opinion
Creative Commons/Flickr and twitter.com
#metoo Campaign Misses the Mark By Alicia Phaneuf Vine Editor Were you too scared to publicly post #metoo? Yeah, me too. In theory, I think it was a really powerful idea. I understand where actress Alyssa Milano was coming from when she spearheaded this campaign, and I appreciate her desire to show the nation just how much sexual assault and harassment are present for (typically) women in today’s society. According to the Huffington Post, the #metoo campaign actually originated with a woman Tarana Burke in 2007. Burke explained that she wanted the campaign to reach sexual assault survivors in underprivileged communities. “It wasn’t built to be a viral campaign or a hashtag that is here today and forgotten tomorrow,” said Burke. “It was a catchphrase to be used from survivor to survivor to let folks know that they were not alone and that a movement for radical healing was happening and possible.” However, the campaign turned into a viral phenomenon when actress Alyssa Milano tweeted a call for sexually assaulted women to come out and share their stories. According to Global Citizen, after just 24 hours of Milano asking women to use the hashtag “me too” who have ever been sexually assaulted or harassed, more than 500,000 women had tweeted using the hashtag (not including other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.) However, what about those too scared to publicly announce that they’ve been sexually assaulted? What about women who didn’t feel the need to rehash their traumatizing past and put it on display for the entire internet to see? There are well more than 500,000 women who have been sexually assaulted or harassed, and I don’t necessarily think asking them to post it on their social media profiles was the best method to raise awareness – regardless of how good Milano’s intentions were. For me personally, it made me feel worse about myself when I didn’t have the strength to follow what my peers were doing. Why couldn’t I just type two simple words into my computer as my status? Why did I not want to be a part of this movement? The answer is simple: not all victims want everyone to know that they’ve been sexually assaulted or harassed – it’s embarrassing, traumatizing and far too personal to share with my 880 “friends” on Facebook. I know what you’re thinking, if I’m so scared of writing #metoo on social media, why did I decide to then write an article admitting that I’m a victim of sexual assault and/or harassment? To that, I have a few different answers: one, a solid 90 percent of the people that follow me on social media – who I didn’t want to see me write #metoo – probably will never read this article, and two, I would never have disclosed this information
to the world a week ago, but after scrolling through social media and seeing post after post admitting #metoo, I felt the need to write about my own experience with this campaign, in hopes of letting someone else who was too scared to write the hashtag know that they aren’t alone. It’s time for a little disclosure, I actually did post “#metoo” for a hot second – and if you’re one of the two people who reacted to it (shoutout to Zach Newman and Kayla Kay) then you were probably confused while reading the first part of my article. Yeah, I did post #metoo because I wanted so badly to be strong enough to say that I’m a victim. But after 22 minutes of agonizing regret, I decided to take it down. There are just certain people, family members, old friends, high school peers, that I really don’t want to know about what was perhaps the most vulnerable moment of my college career. I know I should want to be a part of this movement, and I should want people to know that I was hurt and disrespected, but that’s just not the way every woman feels. And so, I’m speaking on behalf of the other 500,000 women who couldn’t bring themselves to write #metoo, and say that it’s OK to not have posted about your past; there’s a reason why it’s called your past and sometimes it’s better to just not bring it into your future. Instead, what I think would have been a more beneficial move-
ment would have been to change the meaning behind #metoo to, “everyone who has ever been a bystander to sexual harassment to say #metoo.” Don’t pretend you haven’t heard catcalling or witnessed someone grab the ass of a girl at a townhouse, who clearly wasn’t expecting it. We’ve heard people be called “teases,” and at Fairfield I’m sure you’ve heard the line, “hey hottie, feel free to ride my Stag any day.” A statement like this is often times said while someone is simply trying to get an artsy photo for Instagram by climbing on top of Lucas, but instead was turned into yet another demeaning moment of being a girl on a college campus. Instead, maybe we should have asked people to say #metoo if they’ve ever accused someone of “over-exaggerating” their experience with sexual harassment or assault. Or maybe ask people to write a #metoo, if they’ve ever questioned how men could possibly be sexually assaulted. I scrolled through my Facebook and not only did I see women write #metoo, but there were also two men in my feed who decided to join the movement. In fact, men nationwide decided to respond to the #metoo campaign. There was a mass hashtag by men, saying #howiwillchange. This opened the conversation for men to announce how they will take more action against the sexual assault culture. There are so many different angles this hashtag could have taken, and I think by choosing the one where victims, yet again, had to identify themselves as a victim was disheartening. According to CNN, 23 percent of women report being sexually assaulted in college. As of 2016, there were 2,308 fulltime undergraduate female students enrolled at Fairfield University. That means about 530 of those 2,308 students have been sexually assaulted, or will be at the conclusion of their four years at Fairfield. You know someone who has been sexually assaulted, so why don’t we throw up a #metoo for knowing a victim. That would take the pressure off of victims, while still gaining the same impact of recognizing sexual assault and harassment as a major issue. In fact, it would probably give a more accurate description of just how present sexual assault and harassment are in today’s society, because people are more apt to admit they know someone who has been sexually assaulted, rather than admit that they themselves are a victim. Sexual assault is an issue, especially in today’s society on a college campus – but I think the #meotoo campaign may have missed the target. Let’s hear a #metoo if you’re tired of being too scared to walk from the library to your dorm room at night. Let’s hear a #metoo if you’re sick of asking “is this too slutty?” when wanting to go out in a cute outfit. Let’s hear a #metoo if you’re done accepting that “hookup culture” means allowing a random guy to walk over and start grinding on you. Let’s hear a #metoo if you’re sick of having people tell you that catcalling is a compliment. Let’s hear a #metoo if you’re so tired of identifying yourself as a victim, because let me tell ya, I am too.
Krugman's Remarks Villify Conservative Economics Paul Krugman, whose thinly-veiled partisanship cloaked in the language of science does much to undermine the collective trust in economics as a discipline, broke down President Donald Trump’s tax plan in a New York Times op-ed Monday. Departing from the attacks of traditional liberal economists on Republican tax policy — disputing the validity of the Laffer curve, for example — Krugman’s piece was much more a piece of moral consternation for Republican politicians and their unenviably duped constituents. The piece quickly devolved into a who’s who of conservative boogeymen: recipients of “so-called wingnut welfare” at conservative non-profits, shadowy “big donors” and the “top 1-percent” all made their way into Mr. Krugman’s recitation of progressive talking points. To read Krugman’s piece is to read 100 other partisan screeds just like it. Consider its tired story arc: Republican politicians are evil, the types of people for whom “depriving millions of health care was just a minor side benefit” of the tax cuts incurred from a potential Affordable Care Act repeal, and the voters who voluntarily elected these Satanic spawns are, by fiat, either dumb, duped or wicked. For a bit of hyperbole: those who support the GOP tax plan are “in effect [accomplices] to the most dishonest political selling job in American history.” Forget early Democratic leaders who sold slavery as a moral good — if you disagree with Paul Krugman on the top marginal tax rate, you’re forwarding the most pernicious lie in the history of the country. What began as a piece on tax analysis quickly became a Freudian exercise: “the question about this plan isn’t whether it favors the wealthy — it does, to an outrageous extent. The questions we should be asking instead are why Republicans are pushing this so hard, and how they can hope to get away with it.” For Krugman, it’s clear that his imagined proletariat aren’t the winners in this tax plan. So where’s the forced dispossession of the bourgeoisie? How can they “get away” with disagreeing with him on tax policy? The undergirding assumption that has lead to a number of vicious slanders on Trump voters — particularly those in rural or working-class areas — is that America is a nation of class warriors. Why would a middle income farmer vote against what the Liberal determines to be “his best interest”? It must be because he hates black people receiving welfare. It’s the only possible explanation — the redistributionist utopia Liberals promise is too self-evidently paradisiacal to be rejected on any other grounds than unabated evil, the progressive reasons. Anyone who has ventured to meet a conservative working on a farm or oil rig knows that they aren’t unilaterally racist or dumb — rarely, in fact, would you meet one whose worldly intellect and tolerance doesn’t surpass most of the chattering class who routinely impugn their motives.
In a Goodreads review, Ronald Wright’s tongue-in-cheek “temporarily embarrassed millionaire” definition of American exceptionalism can be a trite catchall, but it remains true as an explanatory driver of American politics. There are a number of Americans who don’t view the world in Marxist terms, in spite of a media whose native tongue is rife with references to what “class” will “benefit” from different policy prescriptions. Perhaps these Americans’ refusal to bow before the insatiable rotary of progress stems from their opponent's assertion that they are “complicit” in some profound moral crime by disagreeing with their ideological claims. For whatever their reason, the “40 percent of Americans” Krugman sneers at in his opening paragraphs for answering “no” to a slippery survey question about who the “tax plan favors” are indeed entitled to disagree with his partisan advocacy. The nation will be all the better for it.
Pictured is economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman.
arts, entertainment, features Editor Alicia Phaneuf alicia.phaneuf@student.fairfield.edu
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p S t e G : h t i w The Vine
Photo Illustration by Alicia Phaneuf Cara Lee/The Mirror CreativeCommons/Pexel
THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
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Sabrina's Style: Halloweekend Edition By Sabrina Musto Fashion Columnist
Halloween is the perfect holiday for creativity, because you can pick whatever or whoever you want to be and really put your own flare to it. I love Halloween because I think that dressing up once a year in a costume is super enjoyable and something that you can celebrate with friends. Whether you like to keep it traditional or go completely out of the box, here are some Halloween looks that you can’t go wrong with: A group costume is one of my favorite options because you get to dress up with all of your friends. Group costumes can include everyone wearing the same thing and can really be done with any costume, like a group of “fraternity brothers,” or be a group like the Spice Girls and each channel your inner girl group member. Aliens are a popular choice over the last few years, probably because of all the fun that you can have with makeup. While the costumes can be really different with their galaxy patterns, a lot of girls like the fact that they can use crazy eyeshadows and daring lip colors that they would not wear if they were being something more traditional. Unicorns are another popular costume and I think there is something definitely majestic about them. For unicorns, the makeup opportunities are endless, especially when it comes to the amount of pink eyeshadow, lipgloss and glitter you can include. Unicorn costumes are also fairly easy to make yourself, because once you have the unicorn horn, you pretty much only need an all white outfit. You can wear a dress, or maybe a white top and white pants, a white skirt or really anything white you can think of. Animals of any kind have a reputation of being a little over-
played, but there will still always be cats and bunnies at every Halloween party. My advice would be that if you are going to be an animal, try spicing it up with some cool accessories and makeup, not just throwing on the ears. For example, singer Madison Beer channeled her inner leopard last Halloween and her style touches, specifically her makeup and leopard jacket really brought the look together. Occupations again are another classic. Nurses, police officers and firefighters are the ones most commonly seen, and are a great choice for those who love to go for classic options. While they do not offer a lot of room for crazy makeup and galaxy leggings, who wouldn’t love to pretend to be a crime fighting cop or a heroic firefighter? Celebrities can be tricky, because sometimes it’s hard to get across who you are portraying, since, for the most part, celebrities dress just like us. However, you can make a great celebrity costume by targeting something iconic about that celebrity. For example, if you’re dressing up as Britney Spears, it might be helpful to dress up in one of her famous outfits, like from her “Oops! I Did it Again” music video. Athletes, specifically boxers, are some of the costumes I think are really cute, but also super easy. Most people have an old jersey lying around and so being an athlete like a football, baseball or basketball player can most definitely be a money saver for those who do not want to spend a ton of money on a costume for one night. Skeleton costumes give one the ability to be comfortable. I have seen many skeleton jumpsuits and long sleeve shirts, and so if you like to be comfortable in a costume, I would definitely recommend a skeleton. Party City has a large selection of reasonably priced skeleton costumes and they do get into the scary spirit of Halloween while still allowing you to look cute. A lot of people forget about the scary and only focus on looking fashionable, and a skeleton gives you the opportunity to stick to the roots of what Halloween is about and still look good. Wonder Woman is a great costume idea since the movie just came out this past year. Wonder Woman costumes are hard to DIY, but the costume will never be more popular than it is now. I’d say that the costume will be a big hit this Halloween. Something witty and creative goes a long way. People appreciate a funny costume that is not concerned about looking the most fashionable. For example, I once saw someone dressed up as Twitter, wearing an all blue outfit, blue lipstick and a blue wig, with the words “Twitter” written on their top. Another one of my favorites was a girl dressed wearing a pig nose, with a blanket wrapped around her — a pig in a blanket. These kinds of costumes give a good laugh and will be a big hit at any party.
Photos Taken from Madison Nina Instagram
Cara's Cuisine: Halloween Cake Pops By Cara Lee Assistant Vine Editor Forget about midterms, the crazy weather and homework — it’s Halloween on Tuesday! Halloween is a holiday based on various pagan historical traditions where some believed they could hide their children from evil spirits and others believed they were scaring the spirits away. Regardless of its origin, Halloween is now one of the most celebrated U.S. holidays. Fun decorations, costumes that each person can tailor to their own interests be they artistic, fans of all things horror or just wanting to look completely different than their “norm” for the night — and let’s not forget the free candy that will be given out everywhere. There are also numerous activities going on both on and off campus (where one could get that free candy), but sometimes it’s nice to just sit inside with some snacks and watch Halloween throwbacks like “Hocus Pocus” with some friends. To make these gatherings even more Halloween-centric, here’s an easy, themed recipe to make. Halloween “Monster Eye” Cake Pops Makes: 23 Cake Pops Ingredients: 1 box prepared 9x13 cake mix 4 tablespoons frosting 16 ounces white melting chocolate 23 M&Ms 1 small tube black and red piping frosting
your hands. 2. If you intend to use cake sticks, melt a quarter of the melting chocolate and dip the very tip of each stick into the chocolate before inserting it into the cake ball. 3. Let freeze for 20 minutes while melting the rest of the chocolate. 4. Remove the cake balls from the freezer and roll in the white melting chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Then place on a plate. 5. While the chocolate is still gooey, take an M&M and use a small dot of the black piping frosting to attach it to the cake ball to act as the “iris.” Then, use another drop of the frosting in the center to both cover the M&M symbol if it is showing and to be the “pupil.” 6. Repeat with the rest of the cake balls. 7. Use the red piping to make the eye’s “blood vessels.” Serve. What’s great about this recipe is that you can easily customize the cake pops. If you don’t want to make CreativeCommons/Flickr “Monster Eyeballs” you can get orange melting chocolate instead of white and make jack-o-lanterns. Alternatively, 1. Take the cake you have prepared and crumble if you want to be really creative you can double the amount it into a bowl, then add in the frosting. TIP: If you add too of white chocolate and replace the M&Ms with 23 mini Remuch frosting to the cake mix, the cake balls will not stay eses cups. If you unwrap and stab the Reeses through with together or will taste mushy and disgusting. Add the frost- the stick before placing it into the cake ball, then cover both ing slowly and stop adding when the cake is moist and can with the white melting chocolate, you can create a ghost hold the shape of a ball, but is still slightly crumbly. Because Cake pop. Stay safe, enjoy the treats and Happy Halloween! of this, it is easiest to mix the two ingredients together with
THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
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The Mirror Abroad: Sabina's Sightseeing By Sabina Dirienzo Abroad Columnist
It was hard for me to narrow down what to talk about this week, because this past weekend I was in London, and like most big cities, London is full of things to do. There’s incredible, massive museums, long-standing architecture and even Platform Nine and Three-Quarters for the Harry Potter nerds among us. (I’m one of the Harry Potter nerds among us.) Another topic I considered was “The Mirror Abroad: Hurricane Edition” after Ireland got slammed by Hurricane Ophelia, but I was lucky enough not to see damage at my apartment and ‘avoid going outside for a day’ is a less than interesting concept for an abroad article. So London it was. London is a massive city and with a popula-
tion greater than New York City — it’s easily the largest city I’ve ever been in. There were parts of it that reminded me really starkly of my native Greater Boston Area. St. Paul’s Cathedral is topped with a dome reminiscent of Faneuil Hall, and there were parts of the West End that looked eerily similar to Harvard Square. Obviously, I loved everything about it: London is amazing; there’s so much to do and anyone who’s studying abroad should try to visit it. This is as close to a straight-up endorsement as I’m going to give in any of my columns. One thing I really enjoyed was the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. It’s a massive art museum, with 2,300 paintings inside. It’s also free, which definitely helps out students studying abroad. Inside the National Gallery was a temporary exhibit of paintings by Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo. Two of the Michelangelo paintings,
“The Entombment” and “The Manchester Madonna,” were actually unfinished. When I looked at these paintings, with their large unpainted sections and sketched-out pieces, it reminded me that Michelangelo wasn’t just some superhuman who painted the Sistine Chapel: he was a real person and he left things unfinished, too. The Gallery also housed several paintings from Van Gogh, including one of his famous sunflower paintings. I’ve seen this in countless books, movies and TV shows — even an episode of Doctor Who — but it was another thing entirely to see it in person. I had a moment of “wow” because something so famous was actually right there, only a few feet in front of me. The painting was just as colorful in person as it is in fiction. Like every other art museum I’ve ever been in, the National Gallery has a very confusing lay-
out; we actually got separated and lost on the way out. Not for long, because I was also able to see the other famous London sights, including the London Eye, Big Ben (under construction, which is understandable but mildly tragic), Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. And the Fairfield University Student Association may be taking a trip to see “Wicked,” but so did we. A few days before we left, we purchased tickets to see “Wicked” at the Apollo Theatre in London. It was absolutely incredible, admittedly not very different from “Wicked” in the U.S., but obviously with more British accents and for the past week I’ve found myself humming “What is this Feeling?” or “Popular” without realizing it. So at the risk of being obnoxiously Bostonian and obnoxiously punny: London is wicked awesome.
Sabina Dirienzo/The Mirror
Sabina Dirienzo/The Mirror
'TURTLES' Review: All the Way Up By Alexandra Thimble Opinion Editor It’s been five years since John Green released his last novel “The Fault in Our Stars.” However, in his latest novel, “Turtles All the Way Down,” Green returns with what I consider to be his most honest and down-to-earth work yet. “Turtles” follows 16-year-old Aza Holmes as she works to solve a mystery, navigate a newfound relationship and most importantly, deal with the ramifications of her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Having read all of John Green’s previous novels, I had several points of comparison for this particular one and I can say unequivocally that it is his best yet. The majority of the criticism Green gets for his novels is his overall pretentiousness; his teenage protagonists speak in near constant metaphors, his storylines romanticize mental illnesses and the way he crafts his story is self-important and overdone. And yes, “Turtles All the Way Down” does feature quite a bit of that metaphorical dialogue, featuring high school students speaking about the complexities of personal identity in the place an average conversation without so much depth would reside. However, for someone who has read his books and even watched his YouTube videos, I can say that Green uses his various platforms to do the exact opposite of romanticize mental illnesses and those featured with them in his books. His first novel, “Looking For Alaska” and “The Fault in Our Stars” feature this theme quite prominently, discussing how one’s brokenness does not define them underneath admittedly flowery prose and “Turtles” is no exception. If anything, his latest work is his most successful attempt at truly parsing out this brand of brokenness that haunts Aza. This is what makes “Turtles” stand out from his other books; in his other works, Green has included details about himself and his life, from “Looking for Alaska” featuring the boarding school he attended to the protagonist of “The Fault in Our Stars” living in his current home of Indianapo-
lis. But in this work, Green gives Aza the same condition and fears that he himself lives with every day, trying to put the pain of his obsessive compulsions into words that would resonate with his readers. He said as much in an interview with The New York Times upon the release of the book, saying, “I want to talk about it, and not feel any embarrassment or shame … because I think it’s important for people to hear from adults who have good fulfilling lives and manage chronic mental illness as part of those good fulfilling lives.” Because of this direct and personal connection that he shares with the audience through Aza, this is undeniably his most honest novel to date. There is nothing romantic or pretentious about the details of Aza’s illness: she obsesses over a cut on her finger that she is convinced will become infected and kill her, she gets trapped in thought spirals that she doesn’t recognize as her own and cannot escape and mundane everyday activities like eating lunch cause her internal strife. “Turtles” is classically John Green; there are deep, beautifully worded one-liner quotes fit for a t-shirt placed in between quirky humor and a compelling subplot that drives the arc of the story. But it is also Aza and John Green’s story; it’s scary, heartbreaking and eye-opening for those who don’t have these compulsive, inescapable thoughts that control every part of their lives. Green lets the reader into this dark place, painting a mental illness such as OCD as one that is ever-present. As he states in the previously mentioned New York Times article, “It’s not a mountain that you climb or a hurdle that you jump, it’s something that you live with in an ongoing way … people want that narrative of illness being in the past tense. But a lot of the time, it isn’t.” And in that same John Green spirit, it is not to be looked at without a glimmer of hope. It gives a voice to those living with these same experiences and it gives readers who haven’t felt these things a better understanding and compassion for them. Green triumphs, both in storytelling and in significance in this latest novel, and has created a poignant piece for any reader. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
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Miss Saigon: A Must-See Broadway Show By Alicia Phaneuf Vine Editor
Broadway is buzzing with “must-see” shows such as “Waitress,” “Anastasia,” “Kinky Boots” and of course the classics such as “Lion King” and “Wicked.” However, Broadway has more to offer than just the widely-known shows and sometimes it’s the hidden musicals that leave a greater impact. On Sat. Oct. 21, my family and I went to the TKTS — discounted Broadway tickets — in search of seeing “Anastasia.” Of course, by 4 p.m. on the night of the performance, they were sold out. The only available option was to see “Miss Saigon,” which ended up being a blessing in disguise. “Miss Saigon” takes place toward the beginning of the end of the Vietnam War. Kim (Eva Noblezada) is an orphan, due to the tragic death of her family and community from events during the war. The engineer (Jon Jon Briones) finds the 17-year-old Kim and “saves” her by bringing her to work for him in “Dreamland.” It’s soon uncovered that “Dreamland” is essentially a brothel and because Kim is a virgin, she came at a high price for American marines who would attend the brothel each night, in hopes of getting “drunk, high and laid.” Each night the bar girls put on their sexiest performance in hopes of catching the eye of a marine who might take her with him to the U.S. This beginning, seductive scene was pretty graphic, as the performers danced sexually while only wearing a bra and underwear, and allowed the marines to handle them forcefully. Though some people may see this as vulgar or inappropriate for the stage, it actually captured the desperation of these Vietnam girls during such a difficult point in history. Every girl except for Kim, that is, who instead stood still with a white Vietnamese dress covering her body. Marine sergeant, Chris, was being pushed by his peer John Thomas to leave with a girl, and ended up buying a room for Chris and Kim. Though hesitant at first, Kim sees something different in Chris than the other marines and escorts him to her room. Chris makes love with Kim, not out of lust, but rather out of love for this girl he just met. During the song “Why God, Why,” Chris shows his true desperation and frustration with meeting Kim, just as he is about to leave Vietnam. Chris and Kim end up having a makeshift wedding ceremony, which was still beautiful to watch. Kim came in a new white garment and crowned herself with gold. Even though Chris was confused about what to do during the ceremonial prayers and traditions, he expressed his love for Kim all the same. The wedding was abruptly interrupted by Thuy (Devin Ilaw), the lost cousin of Kim, to whom she was betrothed at 13. Kim explained that both of their parents were dead, and thus their wishes die with them. Kim and Chris signed papers, stating that they plan to get married once back in the states. However, when it was time to leave Vietnam, the two lovers were separated in the chaos of evacuation, leaving Chris on the departing helicopter and Kim abandoned. The stage showed the iron gates separating common Vietnamese people from the U.S. marines. The Vietnamese were anxiously trying to show the marines their papers, trying to get a spot on the departing helicopter. All the while, Chris was trying to climb
over from the Marine side so that he could find Kim, but his friend John stopped him. Then, what began as a discrete helicopter noise slowly grew louder until a realistic-looking helicopter lowered itself through and down a ladder for the marines — a true show-stopper. Just as “Phantom of the Opera” will be known for it’s chandelier, “Miss Saigon” is sure to be remembered for it’s impressive helicopter display. It was at this point that the stage erupted into complete chaos. Vietnamese were screaming, crying and trying to desperately climb the fence. It was a scene that echoed the current happenings of refugees trying to enter America. These starving people, with no families and no homes have one goal: to become an American. It gave me goosebumps to see how these actors were able to embody the raw emotions of what it means to be so desperate to leave one’s home country. Throughout this chaos, Chris was looking frantically in the crowd for Kim — but it was too late. The show skips to three years later, after Vietnam has won. Not contributing anything to the plot of the show, the parade that takes place celebrating Vietnam’s victory cannot be skipped over. The performance of “Morning of the Dragon” pulled out all strong dancers from the ensemble. From gymnastics and acrobatics to prop-work and pirouettes, the ensemble truly puts on a show of celebration and profound talent. It is also during this song that the engineer has been captured and brought before Thuy, now a commissioner in the new government. Thuy ordered the engineer to find Kim, otherwise he will be executed. Always a character to look out for the benefit of himself, the engineer of course was able to find Kim — now a poor citizen, trying to cope and survive the aftermath of the war. The engineer brings Thuy to Kim, and Thuy demands for Kim to be his wife. Still awaiting the day when Chris comes to save her, Kim expresses to Thuy that she cannot change how she feels. Thuy becomes angered, showing Kim how much power he has by nearly shooting both her and the engineer on the spot. He calls her dumb for not realizing the life she could have with him. It’s at this moment that Kim shows to Thuy the reason as to why she cannot go with him — and a little nugget of a boy (Jace Chen) runs out of a broken down shelter to center stage — it’s Kim’s three-year-old son, a product of her affair with Chris. Thuy loses all patience with Kim and approaches the little boy. As soon as Thuy pulls a knife from his belt, about to kill Kim’s son, Kim takes out the gun Chris left with her and shoots Thuy in the back — killing him. Needing desperately to flee Vietnam, Kim, her son and the engineer set out on a boat to America in hopes of finding Chris. The engineer is thrilled to hear that Chris and Kim have a child, as this will provide them with the opportunity they need to be accepted into the states; he plans on going in on their journey by saying he is Kim’s brother. And here is where I will stop. I haven’t even covered one scene from Act II and that is because if I do, I will give away too much information. I haven’t discussed how I was sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how the show would end. I left the theater in tears, watching the beautiful, yet heartbreaking conclusion of the show. “Miss Saigon” is a performance that students should see during their time at Fairfield. Not only does it mirror similar political and cultural happenings of today, but it takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of laughs, cries, fear, frustration and everything in between. I felt like I made a friend through Kim and her journey became mine. Noblezada is an actress who displays beauty, grace and extreme commitment to her character, making the musical one to remember.
Photos Taken from MissSaigonUS Instagram
Post-Midterm Concerts By Andrew DaRosa Executive Editor
Students, rejoice! Midterms are done and we have officially kicked off the later half of the fall semester. While Halloween is slowly approaching, we often find ourselves thinking of plans that distract us from our papers and projects. Look no further than the Mirror’s list of upcoming concerts, guaranteed to please all music tastes and styles. Rap/Hip Hop 11/2 - Krewella - Toad’s Place, New Haven, Conn. 11/3 - Masters of Ceremony featuring 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes - Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11/7 - Flying Lotus in 3D - Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11/10 - Macklemore - Terminal 5 - New York, N.Y. 11/14 - Kodak Black - College Street Music Hall, New Haven, Conn. 11/26 - 11/27 - Jay-Z - Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. 12/06 - Action Bronson - Terminal 5 - New York, N.Y. Rock/Jam Bands 11/3 - Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, N.Y.
11/5 - Dirty Heads - Toad’s Place, New Haven, Conn. 11/10 - The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - The Outer Space, Hamden, Conn. 11/12 - 11/14 - Dead & Company - Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y. 11/24 - TAUKsgiving - The Bowery Ballroom, New York, N.Y. 11/30 - Pigeons Playing Ping Pong - Toad’s Place, New Haven, Conn.
Indie 11/2 - Grizzly Bear - Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11/12 - Slowdive - Terminal 5 - New York, N.Y. 11/18 - Silversun Pickups - College Street Music Hall, New Haven, Conn. 11/21 - Bleachers - Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, N.Y. 12/11 - Perfume Genius - The Bowery Ballroom, New York, N.Y.
Folk/Country 11/5 - The Shins - The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, N.Y.. 11/20 - 11/25 - Bob Dylan - Beacon Theatre, New York, N.Y. 11/29 - Deer Tick - Toad’s Place, New Haven, Conn. 12/1 - Angel Olsen - Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, N.Y. 12/7 - 12/8 - Hiss Golden Messenger - The Bowery Ballroom, New York, N.Y. 12/10 - Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, N.Y. 12/15 - Alone & Together - Music Hall of CreativeCommons/WikimediaCommonsPhoto Williamsburg, Brooklyn, N.Y. Madison Square Garden in NYC.
THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
The Vine
Inkwell Spotlight DEAR J.G.F, By Diandre Clarke Contributing Writer at The Inkwell It is not you who has wounded me. You are not the trigger of the earthquakes that erupt from my body. You are not the cause of my pupils dilating with horror. You are not responsible for the panicky, flinching of my lips in the midst of a kiss. It is not you. For you aren’t who to blame. It is He who has wounded me. It is He who causes my body to unpleasantly tremble, my lips to uncontrollably quiver and my eyes to widen as if it’s day, but sadly it’s night. He has such power, but he lies in the past whereas the consequences of the actions he has done, lay right here with me. The consequences they lay in this very bed, beside me. Closer than my pillows they lay beside me. Closer than the cotton pajamas on my skin, they lay with me. They lay with me closer than the thoughts within my mind. He has such power but He lies in the past, whereas the consequences of his past actions …they lay here presently.
By Cara Lee Assistant Vine Editor
Page 11 CreativeCommons/Pixabay Photo Illustration by Cara Lee
On Campus Halloween Events Jazz Your Jack-O-Lantern & Psychic Fair Wednesday, Oct. 25, 7-11 p.m. LLBCC; Fairfield University Student Association “It's that time of year for Fall Festivities! Come to Jazz your Jack-o'-Lantern with decorations or carve it to your liking! Take it back to your residence hall and show your Halloween spirit. Also get the chance to get your future told by any of the psychics at the Psychic Fair.” Halloween Dance Friday, Oct. 27 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Levee; Inter-Residential Housing Association “Get into the Halloween spirit at our annual Halloween Dance at the Levee. Enjoy a night of dancing and other spooky fun.” “Annabelle- Creation” Friday, Oct. 27, 10-11:45 p.m. Gonzaga Auditorium; Fairfield@Night “Come watch a late night movie in our on-campus movie theater with free popcorn, candy and refreshments.” John Zaffis-Ghost Hunter Saturday, Oct. 28, 9-10:30 p.m. LLBCC; FUSA “John Zaffis has 43 years of experiencing studying and investigating the paranormal. Learn about his story and travel with him as he explores campus to see if there are any ghosts hanging out at Fairfield.” Halloween Escape Rooms Monday, October 30, 7-11pm BCC Rooms 200, 202, 204, 206; F@N “An escape room is a physical adventure game in which players are locked in a room and have to use elements of the room to solve a series of puzzles and escape within a set time limit. Bring your friends for some Halloween fun as you attempt to escape from the BCC.” Halloween Movie Night: “Addams Family Values” & “Hocus Pocus” Monday, Oct. 30, 7-11 p.m. LLBCC; F@N "Free popcorn and candy for all in attendance. Plus, Halloween treats for sale to benefit the Proactive Investment Club. 6:40 p.m. - “Addams Family Values” 8:50 p.m. - “Hocus Pocus”
Heard It Through The Pumpkin Patch
Looking for some songs to add to a Halloween Party Playlist? Just want to get into the spirit of the week? Here are the Mirror Staff ’s top Halloween song picks: 1) “I Put A Spell on You” - Bette Middler It’s been 24 years since Disney released “Hocus Pocus,” and the film never once stopped being one of the most watched and most popular Halloween movies. Not only is the entire film centered around Halloween day, it also hits every Halloween image from talking black cats and witches to disappearing children and zombies. Yet, one of the best parts of the film is the creepy soundtrack. While all of the songs are very Halloween-esq, one of the most memorable is Bette Middler’s modified cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins “I Put a Spell on You.” Chilling and creepy, yet fun, this is a fantastic song to listen to when getting excited for, or on the day of, Halloween.
2) “Ghost Busters” – Ray Parker Jr. The iconic “Ghost Busters” theme was written and released in 1984. It ranked No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 list for three weeks and was nominated for best original song during the 57th Academy Awards. This song is more fun than creepy, but it has to do with ghosts and the original film is almost universally accepted as being fantastic. The 2016 remake of the same name, on the other hand, is a bit more controversial. 3) “This is Halloween” – “Nightmare Before Christmas” Cast This song is from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” which, to me, is about the scariest Halloween film. I’ve only managed to watch until a quarter of the way through the “Oogie Boogies” song, after which I left the room and never looked back. That being said, I love the soundtrack and this is one of my favorite Halloween songs. The song was created by Marilyn Mason and is sung by the entire cast.
It’s all about a town called Halloween where Halloween is celebrated and prepared for all year ‘round with the town’s inhabitants being all of the Halloween creatures from witches and zombies to animated skeletons and goblins. It’s funny, it’s creepy, it introduces the storyline of the film in a way that does not seem expository… and that’s how you know I’m a film major. 4) “Time Warp” – “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” Cast “Time Warp” is a song from the 1975 cult classic, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Fun, jumpy and with both a great beat and built in dance steps — this is a party song that is not exclusively played around Halloween. What makes it perfect for the holiday is the film itself which is horrifying, creepy and at times very uncomfortable. One of the main characters is also a “Sweet transvestite from transgender Transylvania” which is not only fun to say, but makes a great Halloween costume. In fact,
most of the characters’ outfits make fantastic costumes. They’re an odd bunch. 5) “Addams Family Theme” - Vic Mizzy “They’re Creepy and they’re Kooky, Mysterious and Spooky, They’re altogether Ooky, The Addams Family *Bah-Dah-Bah-Bah-SnapSnap*” “The Addams Family” is funny, a bit creepy and very odd and the theme perfectly represents this. It is also, like the rest of the Mirror Staff ’s favorite Halloween songs, more comedic than scary. This song was released with the original “Addams Family” television show in 1964, but has been re-done with different melodies for later versions such as the popular 1991“The Addams Family” movie and its 1993 sequel, “The Addams Family Values.” Along with “Hocus Pocus,” these films are among the most played Halloween movies during the Halloween season. Happy Halloween! CreativeCommons/freestockphotos-
THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
Coffee Break
Page 12
Coffee Break Editor: Claire Monahan
Which Halloween Candy Are You?
Start:
Visiting a Haunted House des! Hayri
Pumpkin Carving
Favorite fall activity?
Ghosts
Hell no
DIY or storebought costume?
You’re a Hershey’s Bar You enjoy the simple things in life. You’re a no muss, no fuss type of person who likes to hang with close friends.
You’re a Snickers You’re a perfectionist; your strengths include navigating the treacherous waters of planning in a group chat and keeping your squad together on a night out.
Rudolph F. Bannow Science Center: ghost closed heavy door at entrance of Bannow on person directly behind me
Paranormal Corner
Time for dessert: apple or pumpkin pie?
You’re M&M’s You’re popular; you can’t walk back with your food to your table in The Tully without stopping to talk to at least 10 people.
Townhouse 5 Block: ghost texted my ex
Pumpkin
Several phantom related events have been reported around campus. Arm yourself with knowledge and stay safe out there!
“Halloweentown”
Basement of DiMennaNyselius Library: ghost submitted incorrect answers to online math homework
Storebought
Apple
bold personality. You know what you want and you’re never shy about making that known.
Yeah, let them have it
DIY
You aren’t afraid of You’re a the spooky side of life. York You’re an adventurous You always make person with a hint of your presence mystery. known with your
“Hocus Pocus” or “Halloweentown?” “Hocus Pocus”
You’re Twizzlers
Salted Caramel Mocha
PSL
Your best friend wants to do a pair costume, will you be the football to their quaterback?
Bats
Bats or Ghosts?
Pumpkin Spice Latté or Salted Caramel Mocha?
You’re Candy Corn You are a fiercely loyal friend; those who are lucky enough to earn your friendship have it for life.
Sports
SPORTS
THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
This Week in Sports:
Sports Editor: Alfredo Torres » sports@fairfieldmirror.com
In Case You
Page 13
Stags' Weekly Awards
Missed It: Wednesday, October 18th -Men's Soccer defeats Manhattan, 1-0 -Monmouth defeats Women's Soccer, 2-0 Saturday, October 21st -Volleyball defeats Manhattan, 3-0 Sunday, October 22nd -Volleyball defeats Iona, 3-0 -Field Hockey defeats Temple, 1-0 Monday, October 23rd -Men's Basketball defeats Hofstra, 94-78
Photo Contributed By Sports Information Desk
On Saturday, Oct. 21 the men’s and women’s rowing squads traveled up north to Cambridge, Mass. to take part in the famed Head of the Charles Races. On the men’s side, the contingent of John Imor ‘19, James Mulhall ‘18, Casey Fuller ‘18 and Will Quentin ‘18, along with coxswain Matt Marshall ‘19, finished 23rd out of 52 boats in the men’s four. The Stags rowed a time of 17.51.5, a score good enough to qualify Fairfield for the same event next year at the Head of the Charles. On the women’s front, the eight person group of Ani Dennen ‘19, Christina Chalastra ‘19, Shelley Wilson ‘18, Allison Sloan ‘19, Morgan Connell ‘21, Sam Altomare ‘21, Chloe Boughrum ‘21, Bethany Gove ‘21 and coxswain Katherine Clark ‘19 finished the women’s eight with a time of 18.44.2 which slid the Stags into 32nd place. The men’s team returns to the water next weekend when they participate in the Head of the Fish meet in Saratoga, N.Y., while the women take on crosstown rival Sacred Heart in a dual meet.
Upcoming This Week: Wednesday, October 25th -Men's Soccer vs. Monmouth, 7 p.m. Friday, October 27th -Field Hockey vs. Siena, 3:30 p.m. -Men's Swimming at Holy Cross, 4 p.m. -Women's Swimming at Holy Cross, 4 p.m.
Photo Contributed By Sports Information Desk
This past week, five players from the Stags men’s tennis team hit the court for the ITA Northeast Regional Championship. Highlighting the action for the red and white was Brad Orban ‘18, who bested Harvard’s Grant Solomon 6-2,6-4 in singles action to move on to the next round of the tournament. In the second round, Orban ran into Timothy Wang of Columbia, falling 6-1,6-2 in the match. In the qualifying draw, Lewis Edwards ‘21 and Anthony Caputo ‘19 both fell in three sets in singles play, while Jeffery Rodgers ‘19 was also defeated in two sets. First-year William Townsend Font did garner a win for the Stags in consolation play as he won a 6-3,7-5 decision over Arturo Dell’Eva of Saint Francis (Pa.). Fairfield returns to the courts on Nov. 3 when they head to New Haven as they begin play in the Connecticut State Championships at Yale.
-Women's Volleyball at Quinnipiac, 7 p.m. Saturday, October 28th -Women's Soccer vs. Iona, 12:30 p.m. -Men's Soccer at Niagara, 7 p.m. Sunday, October 29th -Field Hockey at Sacred Heart, 5 p.m.
In this week's issue... - Women's Soccer Draws To Marist On Senior Day (Page 14)
- Stags Sweep Iona To Improve To 11-0 in MAAC Play (Page15)
- Astros & Dodgers Battle For Baseball Supremacy (Page 15)
- Gallagher's Game Winning Goal Edges Temple 1-0 In OT (Page 15) - Stags Defeat Hofstra 94-78 In Charity Game (Page 16)
Sports
Page 14
THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
Women's Soccer Draws to Marist On Senior Day
Contributed By Sports Information Desk The Fairfield seniors played their last game on Lessing Field this Saturday when the Stags battled Marist. Katherine Lynch, Faith Daley, Kelsey Burke, Katie Brady, Jackie Goudreault and Jenna Pike were honored.
By Patrick Getz Contributing Writer The Fairfield Stags Women’s Soccer team took the field this past Saturday, Oct. 21 against conference foe Marist with some bittersweet hearts. It was Senior Day for the Stags, the last time the seniors from the class of 2018 would be lacing up their cleats at Lessing Field before heading off to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament this weekend in Florida. Emotions were running high before the game while the seniors were honored with their parents. Head coach Jim O’Brien knows how to coach these emotional games well as he has been in this position before and knows what his players are feeling come Senior Week. “It’s always emotional. The pre-game ceremony is a bit of a drain. Once we got settled into the game, I thought we did a very good job,” said the head coach. Even though the Stags tied against Marist, the veteran head coach saw this game as a stepping stone for the upcoming
MAAC tournament. “You want to start going into the tournament with a proper ascent, on a positive note. It is a positive with the way we played. This team is taking it like a loss. I’m impressed with that,” said the winningest coach in Fairfield women’s soccer history. O’Brien is not afraid to admit the strengths as well as Fairfield’s weaknesses after seeing his team play the regular season finale. “We were better defensively during the game. But we were creating opportunities and now we are in a bit of a dry spell scoring-wise which wasn’t the case earlier in the season,” said O’Brien. “After you get that one, the momentum starts to build.” One key player competing in her last home game and being honored at Lessing Field was team captain Faith Daley ‘18. She felt that expected bittersweetness before and after the game. Daley left everything out there in her final game as a Stag. “I’m sad that it was my last game but we tied and we played well. I couldn’t be happier to be on the field with my teammates,” said the midfielder.
Weekly 4x5 Because we have witty things to say ... Allison White Editor-in-Chief
Alfredo Torres Sports Editor
Daniel Montgomery Assistant Sports Editor
Consistency is vital for the Stags’ success especially for the senior on the defensive side of the ball. “Everybody listens to each other and playing together really helps us defensively,” said Daley. After fours years in the red and white, Daley will never forget her team and there will always be a special place for her team in her own heart. “My team, that’s what I’ll remember. Just seeing how everybody cares so much and how close we are. Without my team, this experience wouldn’t be the same,” said the captain. On a day of joy and celebration for the seniors, the Stags were unable to record a win as they tied against a highly-regarded Marist squad this year, showing a major positive behind a 0-0 draw. They also finished 6-9-1 on the year and went 4-5-1 in conference play. Next, the Stags head to the Sunshine State down in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. as No. 7 to face No. 10 Iona on Saturday, Oct. 28 as they look to make a run in the MAAC tournament.
Your 2017-2018 4x5 Columnists:
Allison White, Alfredo Torres, Daniel Montgomery and Andrew DaRosa
The Houston Astros will face off With Halloween right around the against the Los Angeles Dodgers corner, what are your costume in the World Series? Predictions? ideas?
Women's Soccer competes in the MAAC Championship this weekend. How will they fare?
What has caught your attention thus far in the early NBA season?
Excited for college basketball to start up again?
Honestly, still sad that the Yankees I'm a barbie girl in a barbie world!! lost because it really killed everyone's mood at The Grape, sigh.
Best of luck to these girls! Do it for the seniors!
How much it distracts from the NHL ... gosh.
Basically only excited because I know Fredo and Dan will be in their prime of sports reporting. Have fun kiddies!!
I no longer like the Houston Astros anymore, they should have stayed in the National League. Can't wait to see the Dodgers take down Verlander and Altuve behind Clayton Kershaw.
The King Of The North!
It's my senior year and I want to see these girls get that ring. They have to take care of business one game at a time starting with Iona.
Well if you haven't heard there's a new team to watch out for and that's the Orlando Magic! We dominated the Cavs beating them 114-93, the young guys are looking good. Eigth seed is ours!
Can't wait, nothing like basketball on every channel on cable. Go Stags! Go Duke & Go Maryland!
I just hope for a lot of cuts to Kate Upton's face during the series.
Campbells Chuuuunky Soup gonna be big time!!
These girls turn it on when the lights are brightest. Bring home the hardware to Stag Country baby.
Giannis has be WHYLIN. Top three player in the league.
I cannot wait!! Stags are primed for a big year if their win over Hofstra is any indication of what is to come.
Been saying this since the playoffs
My apartment was supposed to do the interdimensional cable characters from Rick & Morty but I'll see how that one pans out.
I have all the faith in the world for Fairfield sports and Women's Soccer is no exception. Expect them to sweep the MAAC.
Andrew DaRosa began, the Dodgers win the Executive Editor
National League and of course, the World Series. Calling a six game series.
Gordan Hayward completely wrecking himself during game one. Glad the Celtics were able to rebound though.
I'll just be waiting for March Madness to come around so I can make more money off my bracket.
Sports
THE MIRROR | Week of October 25, 2017
Page 15
Stags Sweep Iona to Improve to 11-0 in MAAC Play By Christopher Lazazzera Contributing Writer Sunday marked yet another successful day for the Norma Pfriem Breast Cancer Center and the Fairfield University Volleyball team. The match between Fairfield and the visiting Iona Gaels was their annual Herd for a Cure match where donations were raised and pink t-shirts were sold. These types of special contests mean the world to head coach Todd Kress, as he lost his mother to breast cancer a year and a half ago. “The girls understand the importance of it and I think it’s great that we’re doing [cancer awareness events] on the national scene now. So many programs are participating,” said Kress. As mentioned, the Stags performed outstanding on the court. They swept Iona 3-0, upping their conference record to 11-0 on the season. It was the Stags’ 38th consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season victory – a streak that has been intact for two years. While the streak is quite impressive, Kress noted that the team tries not to put any added pressure on themselves because of it. “The streak is obviously there. Our pressure is to continue to push outside the box and get better every day in practice,” he said. The Stags were led offensively by the steady duo of Skyler Day ‘18 and Megan Theiller ‘18.
Each had double digit kills, 18 and 12, effortlessly seeming to place their returning shots anywhere on Iona’s side of the net. First-year Kaylie Butts and Luci Albertson ‘21 recorded five kills apiece, while Kaitlyn Fisher ‘19 and Mayda Garcia ‘20 had three each, respectively. Junior Manuela Nicolini dished out 39 assists on the day to go along with her two kills. An incredible .398 team hitting percentage showcased yet another one of Fairfield’s magnificent offensive performances on the season. Fairfield was steady on the defensive end too. Junior Taylor Rudeen was the backbone of the Stags defensive effort, coming up with 19 digs. Day and Theiller helped out defensively with nine and seven digs. Sophomore Sonja Radulovic made her presence felt with six digs from the back row. Up close to the net, Fairfield was blocking Iona returns left and right. As a team they had eight blocks and held Iona to a dismal .150 hitting percentage. A matchup with in-state rival Quinnipiac is next up for the Stags on Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. as they travel to Hamden to take on the Bobcats. Quinnipiac is currently 7-19 overall and 6-7 in the MAAC. The Stags look to continue their winning ways.
Alfredo Torres/The Mirror
It is looking like there is a slim chance that the Stags will drop a conference game at home this season.
Astros & Dodgers Battle For Baseball Supremacy By Joe Imbriani Contributing Writer The 2017 World Series begins this week in Los Angeles, Calif. at Dodgers Stadium as the Dodgers of the National League host the Houston Astros of the American League. There are many storylines that come to mind with the Dodgers and Astros facing off, but the biggest has to be how similar the two teams are along with how similar the two teams’ seasons have been. For each of these teams, there was a point in the regular season where they were far and away the favorites to win the World Series. The Astros started their season 42-16 and arguably had the best offense and pitching staff in all of the MLB. Then when they were decimated by injuries during the middle third of the season, they cooled off but still ended up with the second best record in the AL. The Dodgers had a decent start to the season going 36-25, but after that they went on a historically great run. Throughout the months of June, July and most of August, the Dodgers went 55-1, which is the best run over that many games in MLB history. But then they followed that up by losing 16 out of 17 games. They still finished the season with the best record in the NL, but they weren’t playing their best ball going into October. Another similarity these two teams have are their rosters in general. Both teams have great top end starting pitching. The Astros are led by Dallas Keuchel, newly acquired Justin Verlander and
Lance McCullers Jr., while the Dodgers are led by CY Young Winner Clayton Kershaw, newly acquired Yu Darvish and Rich Hill. Both teams also have amazing lineups. The Dodgers are led by Chris Taylor, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger and Yasiel Puig, while the Astros are led by George Springer, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa. Ironically enough, the Dodgers led the MLB this season in earned run average and the Astros led this season in runs scored. There are a few keys to this series. The first is how can the Astros’ pitching staff play away from home? The Astros are 1-4 this postseason away from Minute Maid Park and have let up 33 runs in those 5 games. For them to win the World Series, they are going to need to win at least one game at Dodgers Stadium. The second key to the series is how will the Dodgers’ left-handed pitchers fare against the righthanded dominant Astros lineup? Kershaw and Hill both don’t have great track records in the postseason and the first five hitters the Astros have are all right-handed in Springer, Bregman, Altuve, Correa and Yulieski Gurriel. Lastly, how will each team’s bullpen perform? Neither one of these teams have a particularly outstanding bullpen, but as we saw last year in the World Series and earlier this postseason, having a strong bullpen with good depth is pivotal to win it all. These two teams match up very well against each other, but I’m taking the Dodgers to win their first title since 1988.
Gallagher's Game Winning Goal Edges Temple 1-0 in OT By Alfredo Torres Sports Editor With just a couple of games remaining on the 2017 schedule, the Fairfield University Field Hockey team looked to finish the season on a strong note when they hosted the Temple Owls this past Sunday, Oct. 22 in front of a packed house at University Field. Both teams battled for the majority of the game, struggling to knock down a goal on the opposing defense. The game was scoreless in regulation until the overtime period, when Jaclyn Gallagher ‘18 knocked in the game-winning goal for the Stags. “In the last couple of games, our girls have been developing a lot of pride in the backfield making sure that we’re holding teams to little to no goals. The last two games have been 1-0 and that’s all on the defense,” said head coach Jackie Kane. “It’s just having faith and believing that the opportunity is going to come, which they did and that we’re going to finish when we need to, which Jackie Gallagher did then.” On defense, the Stags were not allowing any opportunities for Temple. In the first half of play, Temple struggled to get past the Stags’ defensive line as they were only able to connect on one shot, which failed to get past the goalkeeper. On the contrary, the Stags were more of the aggressor, finding themselves with several opportunities to score in the first half of play. Unfortunately for the Stags, Temple’s goalkeeper Maddie Lilliock had a say in all of Fairfield’s early shots, holding Fairfield scoreless through one period of play. The second half of play saw both teams get more comfortable on offense as they earned more opportunities to score, but the great play of both team’s goalkeepers kept the score tied at zero as both teams could not get a shot past the goalkeepers. With 10 seconds left in regulation, the Stags had an opportunity to close the door on the Owls when Andrea Soler ‘18 hit a shot toward the goal which forced Temple’s goalkeeper to make a diving stop. The ball would ricochet back to Sam Giordano ‘19 who gave her best swing but unfortunately for the Stags, the shot hit the post and time expired, forcing the game into overtime. Fairfield took care of business early in the overtime period, knocking down the game-winning goal just minutes after the start of the extra period when Gallagher scrambled to collect a rebound off the net and dribbled past the goalkeeper to knock in the shot that would send the Stags’ faithful home happy, edging the Owls by a 1-0 margin. “She played with a lot of resilience and a lot of heart,” said Kane on Gallagher. With the win, the Stags hold a season high three-game winning streak and currently stand at the top of the Alfredo Torres/The Mirror Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings, tied in the first slot with the Monmouth Hawks holding a record Senior Jaclyn Gallagher lifted the Stags to a dramatic overtime win as she found the back of of 3-1 in conference play. Fairfield looks to continue the momentum when they host their final home game of the net in extra time. Gallagher's goal gave the red and white their third straight victory and their the regular season on Friday, Oct. 27, a day where the class of 2018 will be honored in a pregame ceremony for sixth overall win of the year as they head into the final stretch of the season. their contributions over the last four years at Fairfield.
@MirrorSports Fairfield Mirror Sports Week of October 25, 2017
fairfieldmirror.com
SPORTS 16 Sports Editor: Alfredo Torres » sports@fairfieldmirror.com
Stags Defeat Hofstra 94-78 In Charity Game
Alfredo Torres/The Mirror Junior Jonathan Kasibabu (left) made his presence felt on the inside as he battled the Hofstra bigs all night. Senior Tyler Nelson (right) lived up to the hype Monday night as the veteran led all scorers with 30 points and six three-pointers.
By Alfredo Torres Sports Editor On Monday, Oct. 24 the Fairfield University Men’s Basketball team opened its doors to the visiting Hofstra Pride for an exhibition game at the friendly confines of Alumni Hall. Although it was only the first game of the season for the Stags, where they came out victorious by a final score of 94-78, the game had much more importance than that. It served as a charity game with all of the proceeds going to Save the Children, a Fairfield based organization whose main objective is to help those who are dealing with recent hurricanes and their aftermath for victims of hurricane Harvey and Maria. This exhibition game had a special place in the hearts of the Fairfield faithful most especially point guard Jerome Segura ‘18 and Jesus Cruz ‘21, as Segura hails from Houston and Cruz is from Puerto Rico. "We know that Jerome and Jesus have been personally affected. I think it is meaningful to these guys as we talk about being men for others. This team really wants to practice that,” said head coach Sydney Johnson. “I am proud how this team really embraced this by caring for each other and respecting each other and trying to extend this to those in need, especially their teammates Jerome and Jesus. I think this was important for all involved to show their desire to help people out there. Save The Children is going to help out a lot of folks and we are glad to be a part of that outreach." The start of the game saw both Fairfield and Hofstra’s potential on offense as both teams were clicking, with ball movement and efficient shooting from both the field and the three-point line. Fairfield would go on to shoot 50 percent from the field and 61.5 percent from beyond the arc, while Hofstra shot just under 45 percent from the field in just the first half of play. For the Stags, Tyler Nelson ‘18 led all scorers with 22 points, including 5-5 from beyond the arc in the first half. “Tyler’s really picked up a lot of things and is really committed to making this team better,” said Johnson of his senior’s early leadership. At the end of the first period of play, the Stags held a slim 5047 lead over Hofstra. The second half of basketball was all Stags as they controlled the tempo on both sides of the floor from the beginning of the half. Just three minutes into the start of the second half, the Stags increased their lead to 15 as Hofstra was struggling to contain Fairfield’s combined shooting of Nelson, Matija Milin ‘19 and rookies Ferron Flavors Jr. ‘21 and Cruz as they all scored over 10 points each. Fairfield would go on to dominate Hofstra for the remainder of the game as the Stags kept connecting on shots from the field while playing lockdown defense, limiting the Pride offense in the second half. The Stags would hold their largest lead of the game with two minutes remaining in the game when Hofstra trailed by 18 points. Fairfield would close the game out, coming out victorious by a final score of 94-78 over Hofstra. “We’ve worked hard, I think our team chemistry is as good as it’s ever been since I’ve been coaching. It says that they’ve bought into what we’re trying to do as a group and I think everybody’s all in,” said Johnson. For Fairfield, Nelson led all scorers with a total of 30 points, including six shots from beyond the arc. “He’s our it guy, he’s the one that we have a lot of confidence in offensively and defensively. He’s improved leaps and bounds,” said Johnson. Milin had himself a game as well as he finished with 22 points while grabbing eight rebounds. The fresh faces of the Stags also contributed to Monday’s win as Flavors Jr. finished with 16 in his first collegiate game while Cruz added 12 for the Stags in his debut. “Obviously they have a bit of an ability to put the ball in the basket, we certainly need that, that’s why we recruited them,” said Johnson on his rookies. “They knew exactly the role that they were here to play within what we do, I think they’re really good pieces. They’re really, really coachable and they want to be here.” Fairfield will continue to prepare for the beginning of the season as they host one more exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 3 as they welcome in-state rival, the University of Bridgeport Purple Knights, in Alumni Hall at 7 p.m.
Alfredo Torres/The Mirror Two Fairfield players were directly linked to the recent natural disasters. Senior Jerome Segura (top) is a native of Houston and Jesus Cruz '21 (bottom) hails from Puerto Rico. Both players showed why they are figured to be key contributors for the red and white this upcoming season.