Fairfield Mirror 10/7/2015

The Dead Weather

Binge Drinking Opinion

Men’s Soccer Sports

Vine

Binge drinking concerns should not be ignored.

Men’s soccer scores late goal to edge Canisius 1-0.

Jack White’s blues rock giant is back and more raucous than ever.

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THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper

DPS not surprised

by Clery Report

Week of October 7, 2015

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Vol. 41 Iss. 6

Students react to new Prez Ball date

By Catherine Veschi News Editor In keeping with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security and Campus Crime Statistics Act, also known as the Clery Act, the Department of Public Safety recently released the statistical report for crime on the Fairfield University campus for 2014. This act requires all colleges and universities, both private and public, to release crime statistics and summaries of security policies annually.

We expect to see an increase in [the numes on campus], just because people are more comfortable with their options.

-John Ritchie Assistant Director of DPS

The Clery Act was named in memory of Jeanne Clery, a student who was raped and murdered in her residence hall at Lehigh University by a fellow student that she didn’t know on April 5, 1986.

According to Assistant Director of DPS John Ritchie, this year’s crime statistics included in the Clery Report contained few surprises as compared with the statistics of past years.

The report reads that nine cases of sexual offenses occurred during 2014, an increase from the four cases which occurred in both 2013 and 2012. Ritchie noted however that this is not all that substantial of an increase, attributing the seemingly high number to other causes.

“We expect to see an increase in this, just because people are more comfortable with their options,” Ritchie said, referencing the way in which the university has recently begun to inform students more frequently of the ways in which they can report a sexual offense and the resources that are available to them, such as bystander training and Step up Stags training for freshmen.

Ritchie went on to say that stuREAD

CLERY ON PAGE 2

Contributed by FUSA Last year, students took to Bellarmine Lawn to dance the night away with their friends and classmates.

By Britta Gunneson Assistant News Editor Students who had been hoping for a night of glitz and glamour atop the Bellarmine Lawn opened an email Thursday, Oct. 1, informing the Fairfield community that the Presidential Ball was to be rescheduled to Thursday, Oct. 8.

According to Colleen Wilson, program coordinator for Fairfield

@ Night and the Fairfield University Student Association, the move was considered a last-resort due to safety measures.

“The predictions of high speed winds and significant rainfall led us to decide it is best to reschedule for our safety and to maintain the success of the event.

This was a collaborative decision between FUSA, the Department of Public Safety and key campus

partners,” stated Wilson in a letter to students published via Facebook on Oct. 2.

Junior Brianna Tancredi, FUSA chair of programming, said that FUSA hopes that student excitement for the event is still high after the change.

“We acknowledge this new date cannot accommodate everyone’s schedules, but we have received feedback from many stu-

dents saying they are still excited for next Thursday,” said Tancredi.

However, student responses were not as positive.

Sophomore Allison Devaney was frustrated that fewer of her friends can now attend the event.

“Even though I can still go, a lot of my friends have major conflicts with it that would all be avoided if READ INCLEMENT ON PAGE

2

Fairfield alumna talks college majors and careers

By Meaghan Kirby Staff Writer

Meaghan Kirby/The Mirror

Returning to Fairfield to speak on her life after college, Christine Short ‘06 spoke to students at the Aloysius P. Kelley Center on Wednesday, Sept. 30 in an event put on by the International Studies department. An English and International Studies double major, Short spoke about how she ended up in the financial sector as the senior vice president of media and public relations for the financial estimates firm Estimize, when she had no previous business background.

“My job search began after my mom called me after holiday break,” Short told the audience of her late start on looking for jobs. Short admitted to the audience that she graduated at a very opportune time, just

a year before the financial crisis began.

After submitting her resume on Fairfield’s job network website, Short began getting calls from all industries looking for employees, something she said, was not the case for students graduating a year behind her.

“What you’ll find is, large corporations don’t care what you majored in. They just want to find people that they think they can train,” Short said, on navigating the post-graduation job search. Despite hoping to enter the journalism field, Short joined Thomson Financial as a global sales associate, through a Fairfield alum.

“Use the Fairfield University network and once you’re in your career, pay it forREAD

SHORT ON PAGE 2

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

News

Inclement weather hinders Prez Ball date Continued from page 1

it wasn’t a Thursday,” said Devaney.

Others like Marla Walton ‘19 have guests that can’t make it due to the date change. “My boyfriend was coming from Rhode Island. Luckily he doesn’t have classes on Friday so he can come next Thursday night. But I have a midterm the next day at 8 a.m. so Prez Ball is going to be very stressful for me,” Walton said.

Walton’s fears are not unfounded. President of Fairfield Fr. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. wrote in an email to the student body that students attending Prez Ball must also be sure to attend classes the following day.

“FUSA does not normally schedule events like this on a night before classes, so I want to make sure all students plan to attend class on Friday and honor any academic commitments they have,” he stated.

Senior Taylor Rosello echoed Fr. von Arx’s statement: “I feel the change is necessary due to safety concerns caused by the inclement weather. However, I feel Oct. 8 is a highly inconvenient date due to the fact that it’s during the week and people have classes that day/night as well as the next day. Not to mention it’s right before the Columbus Day weekend and people may want to go home that night” In response, FUSA issued a statement explaining their decision to postpone the dance to a later date.

When asked about FUSA’s response to upset student, Tancredi stated, “We believe The Presidential Ball on October 8th will be as much of a success as this event has been year after year. Due to the harsh weather forecast for this weekend, we postponed the event until next Thursday to not only ensure the safety of all students and staff but also to uphold the traditions everyone loves about Prez Ball. We hope students recognize how difficult this decision was, but understand that we had everyone’s best interest in mind.”

I’m upset - this ruined my weekend.

I’m glad - the weather was a concern for me.

I don’t really care - I’ll have fun either way.

I wasn’t planning on going either way.

Clery Report 2015 Notable Statistics Sexual Offenses 2014 – 9 incidents 2013 – 4 incidents 2012 – 4 incidents 2011 – 0 incidents

Drug Abuse Violations 2014 – 45 incidents 2013 – 94 incidents 2012 – 69 incidents 2011 – 38 incidents

Liquor Law Violations 2014 – 642 incidents 2013 – 1,270 incidents 2012 – 1,072 incidents 2011 – 1,153 incidents

Clery Report 2015: increases in sexual offenses, decreases in drug violations Continued from page 1

dents and faculty should not be concerned about this statistic, as nine sexual offense cases is still a relatively low number, despite it being more than what was reported in recent years. He added that the increase in number doesn’t necessarily mean that there are more cases of sexual offenses on campus, but that more of these cases are being reported.

“I don’t think the climate is changing and there are physically more offenses happening, but that the climate is changing in sense of comfort level in reporting these cases,” Ritchie said.

Ritchie also noted the new categories of statistics that came out in 2013: dating violence, stalking and domestic violence, and said that it’s difficult to decipher any trends in those areas given that we only have statistics from 2013 and 2014 to go off of.

One hate crime based on race and one based on sexual orientation were reported in 2014, a slight increase from zero in both categories in 2013. Both crimes were in the form of vandalism, according to Ritchie.

The number of disciplinary referrals and arrests for drug abuse violations both experienced significant drops from the 2013 numbers. 642 disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations occurred in as compared to 1,270 in 2013, and the number of arrests for drug abuse violations decreased from 52 in 2013 to 33 in 2014.

While many may view this substantial change in statistics to be a result of less drug and alcohol use on campus, Ritchie says that this change is actually at-

tributed to the fact that DPS and the Dean of Students office have recently updated their system of distributing referrals to students for alcohol possession.

As Ritchie pointed out, “the reality is, you only have to refer those people who are actually in violation of state law.” Thus, Ritchie went on, only those students actually in possession of alcohol receive referrals now, rather than simply anyone who is consuming alcohol.

Ritchie explained the reasoning behind this change in tactics, primarily on the part of the Dean of Students office, saying “we don’t want to over report statistics.

You don’t want to over report — you kind of want to get as close as you can.”

“The Dean of Students office has a new system in place so as we go forward, we’re going to get much more accurate numbers with less research,” Ritchie continued.

Ritchie acknowledged the possibility that there could have simply been fewer disciplinary referrals documented, but cited the major reason for the decrease to this new system.

According to Ritchie, nothing in the 2015 Clery Report was particularly alarming. He mentioned that in the past ten years, the statistics have remained relatively consistent, noting that in 2004, there were 62 larceny incidents, whereas in 2014, there were 60 larceny incidents.

This he added is “remarkable” considering the fact that the student population has increased in size drastically over the last ten years.

“We believe The Presidential Ball on October 8th will be as much of a success as this event has been year after year. With the threat of a hurricane the university along with DPS and FUSA, would not feel completely comfortable with putting on an outdoor event with severe winds and rain while being underneath a tent the entire night. The switch to this Thursday was to not only ensure the safety of all students and faculty but also to uphold the traditions everyone loves about Pres Ball.

We understand this new date cannot accommodate everyone’s schedules, but we have received feedback from many students saying they are still excited for this Thursday. After considering all options, we took into account the fact that a large population of students go home on Friday for the Columbus Day Weekend/Fall Break.

The Presidential Ball is one of the university’s most popular events and a night in which the entire Fairfield community celebrates. We are very excited to still be able to continue this wonderful occasion and are looking forward to seeing everyone there!”

-Anif McDonald ‘16

FUSA Student Body President

Short returns to Fairfield to discuss work at Estimize Continued from page 1

Sophomore Nadra Al-Hamwy found Short to be a motivating exward,” Short said, of the benefits perience, prompting her to reevalof having a university that con- uate her own networking skills. nects students with alum and has “I really enjoyed Christine’s alumni events in various cities speech because it opened up my across the country. eyes to the number of possibiliDespite her reluctance to ties awaiting me after graduation,” work for a large corporation, Al-Hamwy said.

Short began working at Thomson Al-Hamwy is still exploring Financial and believed that the potential majors and careers and company gave her training oppor- believes that speaking with Fairtunities she would not have had field alumni gives her a better perat a small company. It also con- spective of her future. tributed to her success during the “Alumni are great resourcfinancial crisis. She es when it comes told the audience to telling college that while working students what they during the financial is large corposhould be doing now crisis was scary, in and how that could many ways, it benbenefit them in their efitted her, as she care what you future,” she said. was cheaper to keep As students than many of the sewere filing out of the nior staffers. room, Al-Hamwy “The funny people that they approached Short to thing about being think they can thank her for speakyoung and undering to current Fairpaid is that they train. field students and -Christine Short ‘06 ended up having can’t justify firing Senior Vice President of another insightful you,” Short said.

Media and Public Rela- conversation about Throughout the tions at Estimize the future. talk, Short gave advice to the roughly 25 people sit“Following her presentation, I ting in the audience. She reflected had the opportunity to speak with on things she wished she had done her personally. She comforted me and gave tips on how to be a mar- by letting me know it is not your ketable employee. Short credits major that matters at the end of the being able to take risks, such as day, rather, it is your willingness to taking her first television appear- be open-minded and ambitious,” ance, for her present success.

Al-Hamwy said.

THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

News

News: In the United States

Compiled by Austin Wesolowski Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety.

Wednesday, 9/30 12:44 a.m. – An Uber driver complained to DPS while arriving through the University’s main gate when one of the two student passengers in the car had thrown up on the side door. The individual who produced the vomit was referred to student conduct.

Friday, 10/2 1:03 a.m. – A group of individuals were found in the wooded area near the softball field. Five students were found along with drug paraphernalia and a green, leafy substance.

One of the students was arrested by Fairfield Police, along with all individuals being referred to student conduct.

Saturday, 10/3 3:29 a.m. – A student slammed into the stone pillars, damaging the flower bed at the main gate while operating a University Zipcar. The collision caused the airbags to deploy, but there were no major injuries. The driver admitted to driving faster than the posted speed limit, and also had six individuals in the Honda Civic. The driver is being referred to student conduct.

Sunday, 10/4 2:07 a.m. – A non-student reported that a male student had been making threatening comments to her and her male friend that he was going to kill them. The student has been identified and the matter is under investigation.

6:30 p.m. – A GoPro was taken from a townhouse on 7 block during the night. Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact DPS. Monday, 10/5 1:37 a.m. – A fire alarm led DPS to a room in 47 Mahan Road and determined that someone was using a vaporizer which set of the alarm. The smoke detector was covered in plastic and there was a green leafy substance found to be in the possession of the individual. DPS believes that he was smoking marijuana out of the vaporizer. The individual was referred to student conduct.

11:12 a.m. – DPS received reports that on Sept. 18, a male student was streaking through Mahan exposing himself to female students. The individual has been identified and referred to student conduct.

4:57 p.m. – An unauthorized purchase on Sept. 20 was reported to have occurred in the Levee worth $16.50. The matter is under investigation by DPS, and anyone with any information is encouraged to contact DPS.

CAU TTIO N O I N U CA

By Catherine Veschi News Editor

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1. Roseburg, Ore. – A gunman opened fire on Umpqua Community College in Oregon on Thursday, causing at least 15 deaths and less than 20 wounded. The gunman has been identified as 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer, who was killed during a shootout with officers.

5. Pittsburgh, Penn. – Alexander Hribal, a teenager charged with attempting to murder 21 people in a stabbing spree at his Pennsylvania high school, was transferred to an adult lockup on Thursday, his 18th birthday, while his lawyers sought to have him tried as a juvenile.

2. Little Rock, Ark. – A U.S. district judge on Friday ordered Arkansas to continue payments to Planned Parenthood for its treatment of three women, identified in court papers as “Jane Does,” who challenged Governor Asa Hutchinson’s directive cutting off Medicaid reimbursements to the organization.

6. Denver, Colo. – The body of Colorado teenager Joshua Vernon Maddux who vanished seven years ago was found stuck in the chimney of a mountain cabin within a mile of where he went missing, authorities said on Wednesday. An autopsy revealed no signs of physical injuries such as broken bones or gunshot wounds.

3. Missouri – Kimber Edwards, who was convicted of hiring someone to kill his ex-wife in 2000, had his death sentence commuted by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday, after a newspaper reported that the murderer now says he acted alone. Edwards had been scheduled to die on Sept. 29 for his involvement in the death of Kimberly Cantrell.

4. New Orleans, La. – Benjueil Johnson, 32, a convicted killer who was accidentally released from jail last week in Louisiana, has been captured in Georgia. Johnson was arrested at a motel in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross just after midnight. He was in custody in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

7. Atlanta, Ga. – A grand jury has indicted Atlanta police officer Christopher Blaise, who struck and killed a pedestrian with his cruiser. Blaise has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular homicide in the death of 62-year-old Bernard Moore on March 6. Moore was hit and killed as he crossed the street.

8. Evergreen, Wash. – Kenney Bui, a football player from Evergreen High School, has died from injuries sustained in a game, the second game-related fatality in just over a week. He was “critically injured” during their game on Oct. 2.

He underwent surgery at Harborview Medical Center, but died the morning of Oct. 5.

THE MIRROR Incorporated 1977

Patrick Kiernan, Editor-in-Chief Meaghan Conlon, Executive Editor Angela Sammarone, Managing Editor Editors Catherine Veschi, News Britta Gunneson, Assistant News Ariana Puzzo, Opinion Andrew DaRosa, Vine Juliana Sansonetti, Assistant Vine Allison White, Coffee Break Alfredo Torres, Sports Nicole Funaro, Chief Copy Editor Gabriela Piatek, Assistant Copy Editor Meaghan Kirby, Staff Writer Online Michael Genovese, Web Master Business Department Email: advertising@fairfieldmirror.com Christopher Lapone, Director of Finance Albert Rosica, Director of Advertising Matthew Lazicky, 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

News: Around the World

By Britta Gunneson Assistant News Editor

Palmyra, Syria – Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militants recently destroyed the Arch of Triumph, a revered cultural site that has stood for over 1,800 years. ISIS has been quite vehement in their attack on this historic Roman site. In addition to destroying the ruins, they beheaded the antiques expert who was in charge of the area. The UN’s cultural organization has labeled this as “war crimes” against Syria.

New York, USA – High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein denounced the airstrikes that happened in Kunduz, Afghanistan at a local hospital. The U.S. was carrying out airstrikes in the area at the time of the attack. The UN commissioner is urging for further investigation into the incident. Twelve staff and patients were killed at the time of the event, with 36 more critically injured.

El Cambray, Guatemala – After a major landslide hit a Guatemalan town on Oct. 3, 55 people have died. Dozens of houses were buried in the aftermath. The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction has announced that over 600 people are currently missing, and the search continues for many of them.

Gothenburg, Sweden – The Swedish government is currently dealing with controversy after new data came out surrounding racial incidents in the Scandinavian country. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, hate crimes against Swedish people of African origin have increased by 40 percent since 2008. Some groups have come out opposing the social attitudes of the greater population against African-Swedes, saying that more work needs to be done to improve that anti-racial movement of Sweden.

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

News

Students for Life participates in Pro-Life Cupcake Day

By Zachary Durso Contributing Writer Cupcakes for Life, a movement designed by anti-abortion groups, has designated Oct. 9 National Pro-Life Cupcake Day in the U.S. for the purpose of celebrating life and remembering unborn children.

According to their website, the aim of National Pro-Life Cupcake Day is to “stand up for life with an approach that opens the door for conversation and education in a loving, warm, non-hostile way” while also commemorating the birthdays of unborn babies lost to abortions.

On Thursday, Oct. 9, the Students for Life club at Fairfield will be joining in this mission.

Students for Life, a student anti-abortion organization, will be selling cupcakes this Thursday for $1 at a table near the Barone Campus Center Information Desk. All of the money that is collected will be donated to the Hopeline Pregnancy Resource Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The funds will be used to provide young and disadvantaged mothers with the assistance they need to take care of their born or unborn children.

This assistance will come in the form of pre-natal ultrasounds, OB-GYN referrals, survival baskets for the first few weeks of life and support for pregnant and parenting women trying to escape any form of abusive relationship.

This event was held last year as well, but the cause is slightly different. Last year, proceeds went to funding for a student trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the March for Life, an annual demonstration that has taken place since 1973 to bring awareness to abortion and the anti-abortion movement.

Vice President of Students for Life Brianna Cocuzzo ‘17 will be in charge of the event while the group’s president is studying abroad.

“We will be baking in campus ministry on Wednesday night from 5-9 p.m., and selling Thursday from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.”

Junior Anthony Iorio, secretary for Students for Life, spoke about the event: “We are always excited about exploring the most effective ways to let proceeds that are generously donated make the most impact.”

Iorio proceeded to explain that the group thinks that, “donating the money to Hopeline will be a good way to allocate funds raised from this event. [They] are an invaluable resource for many women in a crisis pregnancy in this area, and we have seen firsthand the important work that they do in assisting these women with financial, moral, adoption and post-pregnancy services. Their team of registered nurses and healthcare professionals are the best in the area, and we are proud to support them in their life-changing efforts.”

Last year, Students for Life took part in an event sponsored by the Students for Life of America, which many viewed as highly controversial. The event included a field of 915 pink crosses placed in rows on the BCC green to indicate the 915 abortions that happen in the United States every day. Many students dubbed

Contributed by Students for Life

this the “baby graveyard.”

Many students were outraged last year at this display, regarding it as offensive and inappropriate. Students Michael LeBoeuf and Riley Barrett spoke out against this event in a letter to the Fairfield Mirror last year, saying “This display [was] offensive in appearance, [and] insensitive toward any woman who has had to undergo an abortion procedure, quite frankly, it’s an affront to all women.”

Iorio explained, “As for last year, a lot of people got upset about seeing crosses made by women that had an abortion and later regretted it. There were also signs that directly called out Planned Parenthood on their deceptive practices.

A lot of the folks who were upset about the whole ordeal were impassioned prochoice supporters, many of whom didn’t even show up to the event. I wrote a re-

New health studies minor unveiled in College of A&S

By Juliana Sansonetti Assistant Vine Editor Students at Fairfield will now have the opportunity to help shape the future of the healthcare system with the introduction of the new health studies minor to the College of Arts and Sciences.

The minor, which has already been declared by a number of eager students, focuses personally, professionally and societally on health and healthcare issues.

According to Fairfield’s website, the purpose of the minor is to “develop a broad understanding of the impact of health and healthcare delivery issues ... appreciate the breadth of issues impacting health and healthcare in the world from the perspectives of the science & technology, social sciences, and traditions, delivery & ethics, take an interdisciplinary approach to thinking critically about health and healthcare, [and] apply an interdisciplinary approach to investigating a specific healthcare issue.”

Students who have already declared the minor come from all different academic disciplines.

Sophomore Kerri Beine, an international studies major, spoke on the versatility of this new mi-

nor. “I recently declared the minor because I hope to one day pursue something along the lines of global public health. I am very excited that Fairfield has added this minor because I think it can help students, like myself, open doors to various occupations in the health field.”

Dr. Shelley Phelan, professor of biology, said in an interview with News @ Fairfield: “We are so excited to see the immediate and significant amount of interest in the health studies minor. It is attracting students from a variety of majors, with a diversity of academic and career interests.”

Phelan also spoke on the amount of students already signing up for the minor. “Because the minor is designed as interdisciplinary, with a goal of preparing and distinguishing our students for a myriad of health-related professions, we believe we are moving quickly along the right path. We expect another burst of declared minors soon among our current first-year students.”

The health studies minor is an interdisciplinary minor which requires 15 credits and includes courses such as anatomy and physiology, abnormal psychology, biological anthropology and

health communication in its curriculum. These courses educate on diverse topics from the human body to the human brain and how it works.

Junior Morgan Walton, a psychology major who has declared a health studies minor along with her educational studies minor, believes that the new minor is a great opportunity to learn and that it will be very useful, especially in her field of study.

Walton said to News @ Fairfield, “Based on my interests and future career goal of becoming a child life specialist, I thought that gaining a more integrative background on the nature of the field would be extremely beneficial to me. I wanted to develop a better understanding of the impact that health has on us personally and within our society.”

Nursing major Rebecca Quillard ‘18 added that if she could, she would declare the minor: “I think healthcare is an essential part of everyone’s life, so this is great to hear this is a new major/ minor at Fairfield. I think students could really benefit from learning about the current healthcare system and even help in reforming and improving it in the future.”

sponse to their unfounded accusations in the Mirror [published online].”

Iorio continued, “Unfortunately there will always be someone to take offense to something, so while we will take into account the feedback we received … we remain undeterred in our efforts to disseminate accurate, helpful information.”

Students voiced their opinions on National Pro-Life Cupcake Day. “I feel that it is an appropriate way to deal with raising awareness. It is a very ‘touchy’ subject and selling cupcakes is approachable and helps raise awareness on a sensitive matter,” Nikki Seiler ‘19 said.

The cupcakes will be available for sale at the BCC info desk starting the morning of Thursday, Oct. 8. Students for Life members will be available to answer any questions regarding the fundraiser.

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

Opinion

Opinion Editor

Responsible drinking must be taught earlier

By Ariana Puzzo Opinion Editor

The flashing lights of DPS vehicles on the weekends are enough to make anyone’s blood run cold. Oftentimes, when we see these lights, we figure that another transport is happening, and we move on with our lives. As students, we have become desensitized to the larger issue that plays a role on so many college campuses, and alternatively, people of all ages have become focused on the wrong issue.

Too often, when we look at drinking culture, we focus on the fact that our country prohibits drinking under the age of 21, which results in many adults and educators telling underage students that they should not drink under any circumstances. While I am not advocating that students should ignore the law, the reality of the matter is that the desire to do anything often increases when someone is told not to do it.

Drinking is no exception and the increased desire directly plays into the larger issue at hand: binge drinking. Rather than solely reprimand underage students who drink, people should be better educated at a young age on how to drink responsibly and also be made more aware of the tragic impact that binge drinking can have on their lives and the lives of others.

Every parent worries when their child goes off to school that they will be introduced to the dangerous side of the drinking culture. Everett Glenn was a well-known and regarded student that I knew from my New Jersey high school, Montclair Kimberley Academy.

Although I never spoke directly to him, Glenn was one of the funniest and friendliest people at MKA and he always wore a smile on his face. Everyone knew his name, and you would probably be hard-pressed to find someone who had anything negative to say about the scholar-athlete and student leader.

He entered his freshman year at Lafayette College when I was still a sophomore at MKA and he received the nickname “Mr. Mayor” for his ability to easily make friends with others.

I can still remember the affect it had on our community following the news of Glenn’s death on May 5, 2012 after accidentally over-drinking on his 19th birthday.

His death helped me realize that the issue of someone not knowing his or her limit is severe.

Excessive drinking is a topic that must be addressed as early as middle school, just like sex education. Many parents would pre-

Editorial Board It's Not Just Us? Patrick Kiernan Editor-in-Chief Meaghan Conlon Executive Editor Angela Sammarone Managing Editor

fer to believe that their child would know better than to over-drink, but how could they possibly know when no one has been there to educate him or her? Drinking is not a topic that should be skirted or dismissed as something that “can be addressed down the line.”

It needs to be discussed both at home and in an academic environment so that more lives are not unnecessarily lost. That is why I believe that sharing Glenn’s story can save lives.

Alcohol consumption is present on almost every college campus and is looked upon by many as an integral component of their higher education experience. While many students have drinking habits that began as far back as middle school, the college environment often accelerates the habit.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest reports that the National Advisory Council for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that college presidents find that binge drinking is the most serious problem on campuses. The Center reports binge drinking as “[Having a blood alcohol] concentration (BAC) to 0.08 or above.”

The definition continues, “For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more drinks (female), in about 2 hours.” During my first year here at Fairfield, I frequently saw the people in my dorm excessively drinking on the weekends and the uncontrollable things that the amount of alcohol they consumed would make them do.

Although Fairfield students are required to complete programs now such as AlcoholEdu, it is not enough. I remembered hearing many people talk about how they just clicked on the answers they knew that the program wanted them to select so that they could finish it quickly.

Although it may be harsher, colleges need a more hands-on approach to show us the true impact of over-drinking because it seems like people are either unaware or forgetting.

One did not have to be a personal friend of Glenn’s to be devastated by his death. He touched so many lives, including those of my closest friends, who were teammates of his on the fencing team. The life he lived, and the endless possibilities that seemed available to him only magnified the tragedy.

During my freshman year at Fairfield, I could not help but think of Glenn every time I saw or heard of a student transported for over-drinking, wondering if his or her family and friends would receive the same

The production crew of “The Martian” must have been unhappy to hear that NASA discovered water on Mars the same week that the blockbuster movie (focused on surviving on the foreign planet without food and drink) was slated to premiere.

But, it is official. Present-day water has been found on the planet Mars, an area NASA has been probing for quite some time now.

Though this water is not drinkable by any means and is completely filled with salts called perchlorates that are toxic to humans, this discovery is a fascinating testament to just how far we, as human beings, have come.

Just last year, the previous editorial staff wrote about the Mars One project, an endeavor in which four people will embark on a one-way trip to Mars

devastating news that the Glenn’s family did. Not drinking responsibly can truly have a terrible impact and no parent should ever have to worry about getting that call in the middle of the night.

Glenn’s mother, Joanne, came to speak to my class during my senior year of high school and had a particular affect on me.

What I believe stood out to me the most was how forthright she was when attributing her son’s death to him drinking excessively.

She spoke of her faith and of her desire to share with all of us the knowledge that we need to not make the same mistake. We need more people like Joanne Glenn, who despite the severe loss that she and her family suffered, is advocating for greater awareness.

Speaking about personal experiences is the best way to get the point across about how drastically binge-drinking can ruin a person’s life. I think that we can only truly raise awareness and better inform young people by speaking through experience, rather than statistics that are not relatable.

We are at a time in our lives when most people around us drink. Learning how to drink responsibly is not solely an issue for those who are underage.

Binge drinking should be seen as a serious concern for people of all ages because one’s alcohol consumption not only affects that person, but every person that he or she encounters. Just ask anyone who knew Everett Glenn.

I 'dislike' online bullying

By Alexa DeBlasio Contributing Writer When it comes to the relationship that exists between the Internet and bullying, there exists a lot of controversy. Teens and young adults have the choice to participate or be bystanders to bullying. Now, it is even more of an issue because this choice can occur right at their fingertips.

Facebook users have been requesting a “dislike” button for years now as an alternative to the “like” button. But recently, it has been announced that their wishes may become a

in 2024. Their family and friends will say goodbye to them for a final time as they prepare to spend the rest of their lives on a planet inhabited by just the four of them and any traveling astronauts.

Really — think of how far we have evolved as a race up to this point in the field of astronomy and space travel.

First, it was “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” when Neil Armstrong touched down on the moon in 1969.

Since then, we have made massive advances in spacecraft, sent rovers to Mars and traversed the planet that borders our home in the hopes of finding something other than rubble.

This is as close to a sign as we’ve ever had about there being life on Mars.

And who knows what’s next in store for

reality.

According to CNN, Facebook is planning to test the dislike feature, though no further details are available at this time. I think that if the dislike button were to happen, it would only enhance and facilitate cyber bullying.

In our society, there is already so much room for negativity and cyber bullying as is.

There are always people who will comment something to hurt someone’s feelings online, rather than just vocalizing that in person. The

the brave astronauts roaming the desert-like plain of a planet?

More importantly, what does this mean for us as Earthlings? Are we suddenly to expect that all those awful (or not so awful) alien movies are going to come true? Will there be an invasion, or will these creatures to be welcoming and peaceful?

Humans have been obsessed with extraterrestrial creatures since before the first movie featuring aliens, “A Trip to the Moon” was released in 1902. Not only does this silent, black and white film deal with space travel and unfriendly alien creatures, it shows that even before the space race began, humans have been intrigued by the idea that there could be life on other planets.

And now with the promise of water, there has been a constant question

READ CYBERBULLYING ON PAGE 6

pervading the media about the question of life, one which some still doubt given Martian water’s high salt concentration.

To those who doubt, Forbes writer Ethan Siegel has one word: saltbush. On our very own planet, plants like the saltbush that inhabit desert-like environments have adapted to taking in larger quantities of salt, which they then use to retain moisture. So who is to say the same can’t happen for Mars?

However the outcome of this discovery may turn out, it is an accomplishment of its own worth given the abundance of pop news that overshadows intellectual achievements like this.

We only hope that by next year, we can happily read another editorial reflecting on the advances we have made in extraterrestrial life.

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THE MIRROR |

Opinion

Stag-gering Opinions How do you feel about the Fall Concert being held on the same weekend as Alumni & Family Weekend?

“I never knew that it was on the same weekend as Parent’s Weekend until now. But now that I think about it, I’m cool with it because I don’t think that my parents are going to stay that long and hang out with me.”

Jack Crowley ‘18

“I don’t know if this is answering the question, but I feel like the concert could’ve been something else, but they made it The Temptations because it was Alumni/Family Weekend.

So that kind of stinks because I think there were other options.”

Karyn Ryan ‘17

“I think it’s OK. I think it’s a good way to meet up with my parents and spend some time together. They enjoy music too, so I think

Monica Willson ‘18 hashtag #StagsConcert.

Cyberbullying poses a greater threat CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 evolving, there is becoming an even greater disconnect between people when it comes to face to face interactions.

Communication as a process is completely warped as a result of the various advances in technology that have taken place over the last decade.

Furthermore, getting rid of

addition of a dislike button will only feed into this type of anonymous bullying that takes place behind a screen.

Some people are arguing that users would use the dislike button when things “aren’t good,” as mentioned by Jessica Guyunn of USA Today.

If something isn’t “good,” why not just either choose not to like it, or to post a comment stating how you feel?

Wikimedia.org/ It isn’t worth it Creative Commons when you consider the potential harm and toll that this may end up taking on those the idea of a who experience bullying Facebook dislike online. button altogether The implementation of a would certainly aid “dislike” button may seem like a in lessening the pogood idea to some adults in order tential for more cruto have a distinction from when elty amongst Internet users. things posted are “not good.”

Technology isn’t going to This is seen when there is a post about something sad or bad stop progressing; that’s inevitable. that may have happened to some- However, as consumers and users of it, we shouldn’t facilitate the one.

However, the people who are implementation of something new in support of a dislike button are that will only bring negative reperfailing to consider that preteens cussions in the end.

How many more suicide stoand teens would be the group most ries as a result of cyberbullying do likely to misuse the feature.

At this point in time, kids we have to read about in order to don’t even have to leave their realize this?

Facebook is already a dangerhouse in order to destroy someone ous vehicle for cyber bullying as it else’s reputation.

Due to smart phones and all is.

According to The Daily Mail, of the various social media apps that are constantly emerging and a report from March 2013 found

87 percent of teenagers reported cyberbullying from Facebook.

The fact that some people, particularly teens, rely so heavily on how many likes their posts and photos get, is very scary.

While liking is positive, people still use that in a negative way by always striving to have the most. It is almost becoming a competition for some people.

I’ve seen guys and girls alike who will delete a post if it doesn’t receive a certain amount of likes during a specific time frame of being posted.

We can’t continue to rely on such an intangible sense of affirmation in order to feel good about ourselves.

If we add a dislike button, what will happen next? There is nothing positive about publicly stating that you don’t like someone or something that they post.

If you don’t like someone, the best thing you can do is let it be and leave them alone. Don’t go on their Facebook page and take the effort to dislike their posts and photos.

Facebook should seriously consider the issues that will arise if they do end up choosing to create a dislike button.

Do they really want their new social media tool to be the cause of the next cyberbullying case that can lead to depression or worse?

We must keep things positive and by doing so, we will avoid unnecessary negativity in our lives on the Internet.

Censoring material interferes with learning

By Lisa Fischer Contributing Writer Imagine that you are sitting in your English class, discussing the latest novel your class will be reading.

In the midst of the conversation, your professor mentions that the text include a rape scene, and consequently offers students the opportunity to leave the classroom if the subject makes them uncomfortable. Would you take the opportunity to leave if you knew the scene would bother you?

Oftentimes, the material that is discussed within the walls of a college classroom can be sensitive in nature.

Subjects that include racist undertones, sexual assault, abortion and more may resonate negatively with students who have experienced trauma closely associated with these topics, inspiring some professors to issue trigger warnings before bringing up the material in class.

A trigger warning lets students know what kinds of potentially uncomfortable material they may be exposed to and allows the student to decide whether or not they want to be a part of the conversation.

However, encouraging students to remove themselves from uncomfortable discussion may be damaging to their learning experience by limiting the authenticity and effectiveness of an open debate on controversial issues.

For many, the purpose of a college educa-

tion is to allow oneself to be exposed to new experiences and diverse viewpoints. If a student decides to remove him or herself from the conversation because a topic has the potential to be uncomfortable, then they are denying themselves a valuable learning opportunity.

Additionally, the student who is likely to abstain from the conversation may have the most useful outlook for a class discussion.

Students who have experienced triggering situations firsthand are likely to be able to add unique value to these conversations by driving controversial issues closer to home for their peers.

If someone who has experienced racism in his or her life decides to sit out on a discussion of current racist behavior, the students who are participating will be unexposed to the realities of that aspect of society, having not experienced it themselves.

The one person who is most able to have a measurable effect on the viewpoints of their fellow classmates has therefore lessened the quality of classroom discussion and is unintentionally perpetuating the existence of the behavior that made him or her uncomfortable to begin with.

Topics like sexual violence and the like may bring up traumatic memories for students, and they should have the option to prevent any negative memory recollection.

But as educator Felicia Ackerman of Providence, Rhode Island wrote in The New York

The Mirror welcomes the opinions and contributions of its readers: Letters to the editor must be timely and submitted by email to info@fairfieldmirror.com or Box AA. All letters to the editor that are appropriate will be published either in print or online. The Mirror reserves the right to edit letters and articles for content, length and grammatical error. Letters should be free of obscenities and personal attacks and should contain correct and factual information not exceeding 500 words.

Times, the range of triggers can extend beyond the expected for a variety of students.

Young adults can experience negative emotional effects after viewing a couple in love after they have just experienced a breakup.

Therefore, they can be triggered in the same way that a rape victim may be affected by images of sexual violence. At that point, it becomes difficult for a professor to draw the line without appearing like some students’ values are favored over others.

Professors should undoubtedly challenge their students to extend beyond their comfort zone and deal with important issues head on.

The notion that certain topics that trigger an emotional response highlights the need for

those problems to be brought to the public’s attention.

Rather than encouraging students to leave the room, college communities should instead be looking for ways to ensure that students feel safe and respected among their classmates.

By having those affected persons participate in the discussion and their fellow classmates genuinely listen and respond, those sensitive topics have a better chance of being effectively addressed on a larger societal scale.

If classroom discussions have been an emotional trigger for you or someone you know, please feel free to take advantage of the Counseling & Psychological Services available on campus.

The Vine

arts, entertainment, features Editor Andrew DaRosa vine@fairfieldmirror.com

The Dead Weather give blues rock a new edge

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The Dead Weather plays with fire on 'Dodge and Burn' THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

The Vine

By Andrew DaRosa Vine Editor Jack White is a man of many hats. He’s fronted the legendary alt-rock band, The White Stripes, led the seminal indie rock supergroup, The Raconteurs and has even had time to establish one of the most reputable solo careers in blues rock. Now, White has reconvened the blues rock giant, The Dead Weather, from its grave since their hiatus in 2010.

With their first album out since their roaringly delirious sophomore effort, “A Sea of Cowards,” The Dead Weather has stormed the blues rock scene once again with “Dodge and Burn,” a momentous celebration of how far these four talented musicians have come since their last outing more than five years ago.

A supergroup in their respective element, the band is comprised of White on percussion and lead vocals, Alison Mosshart from The Kills on lead vocals, Jack Lawrence from The Raconteurs on bass and Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age on guitar. Though seemingly reaching common ground on this record, White leads his troupe through a voyage into sonic architecture that has many twists and turns.

The opening track off “Dodge and Burn,” “I Feel Love (Every Million Miles),” opens the listener to a heavily distorted blues rock progression that takes us back to where they left off in 2010.

Mosshart’s enigmatic vocals provide the backbone for the number as Fertita’s rhythmically enticing lead guitar fills in in all the right places. Also notable is White’s drumming, of which would certainly give Meg White a run for her money.

One thing that makes this album remarkable is the extreme

vocal prowess of Mosshart that almost sounds like Joplin in space, sending shivers down the spines of her contemporaries, hell, even her own band members. Look to “Open Up” and “Too Bad” that boast vocal heights that are rare amongst female vocalists this day and age. “Open Up,” especially features Mosshart responding to the erratic playing of Fertita’s chord structuring in one of the most bewildering pieces off the al-

bum that sounds like someone crammed Modest Mouse and Geddy Lee of Rush into one bombastic package.

Back to White for a moment. His progression from 2014’s “Lazaretto” is astronomical and one can hear the influence from this insightfully chaotic record in this attempt, especially in the orchestral ballad, “Impossible Winter,” which plays with the bluesy piano-

driven rhythm similar to many pieces on “Lazaretto.”

What I find notable in this record is that White steps back from the mic in most of the selections, only shining for a few pieces. But when he sings, he hollers. In “Three Dollar Hat,” White confuses everyone, including himself, as the piece sounds like a hodgepodge of folk, hip-hop and alt-rock while boasting eclectic lyrics like “And I will stand before I surrender / I'll fall back but I won't be the one to say / Wait up! Where you at? / I'm so much better than that / Three dollar hat.”

While each individual member shines exclusively on their own, their energy becomes combustive when they come together to blow our expectations. On one of the best songs off the record, “Buzzkill(er),” Lawrence’s bass provides the backbone for the other band members to dance around with their tone; Mosshart snarls the chorus like nobody’s business, Fertita allows his guitar to scream with an overdriven delay that drives the song like a maniac bus driver and White beats the skins so viciously that John Bonham and Keith Moon would be proud.

As a whole, “Dodge and Burn” is head and shoulders above any altrock contemporaries and emits a sound that has come to re-define how White has become the insane Willy Wonka of music we have come to know and love. With Mosshart and White taking the wheel of this mind-numbing expedition, who knows where The Dead Weather will lead us next.

Jesse Journeys Abroad: Oktoberfest

By Jesse Erickson Sports Editor Emeritus

For those of us that are abroad, we are missing out on one of the best weekends at Fairfield Beach that Stag nation is preparing for: Oktoberfest. But I, who have spent the last month in Florence, was lucky enough to attend the well-known event in Munich, Germany. And let me just say, I would experience that horrible hangover every weekend for the rest of my life if it meant I could spend more time in one of the huge tents of Oktoberfest, or known to the locals as “Wiesn.”

I don’t want to be one of those people who comes back “all cultured” as I’ve been called already, but America is not doing Oktoberfest right.

The event, which originated in 1810, began as a celebration of the marriage of King Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The people of Munich were invited to celebrate this event that eventually concluded with horse races. These horse races continued to occur in the years to come, eventually giving rise to Munich’s Oktoberfest. Now in 2015, the horse races have been done away with, but have been replaced with 14 enormous beer tents and your classic hometown fair (just 10 times the size) with over 140 restaurants.

The beer tents have to be one of the most impressive aspects of the fest and it’s where I started my Friday morning at 8 a.m. after being on a coach bus for 10 hours traveling from Florence to Germany. Unless you’re a true Oktoberfest champ, arriving anywhere between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. is virtually the only way to get into the tent and find a table. The tables can be reserved a year in advance of the event due to its popularity, so while the locals stroll in when they want, the Americans crowd the tents hoping to get one of the few open tables. Unfortunately, sitting at the table is the only way to get served, so it’s either a table or a sober sad self.

Luckily, the 8 a.m. arrival scored us a table at the Hackerbräu-Festhalle, the tent known as the Heaven of the Bavarians. Although I was caught up in the hustle of the event and maybe one of my three beers, there was apparently close to 9,300 people packed in there and I’m pretty sure 8,000 of them were sporting the traditional Bavarian clothing. I heard German, Italian, English, maybe

something else, but we all had the same intention in mind.

The one piece of advice I was given was “Do not try to keep up with the locals.” No problem, I didn’t try to keep up — I got ahead. And with my breakfast of only half of the traditional German pretzel, I was winning the game by 10 a.m., but losing by 1 p.m. The beer served in my tent is a traditional Oktoberfest beer called the Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest. It’s nothing like our American beer or “water” as the Germans call it. It’s about 6 percent alcohol and in each liter stein of beer, it’s the equivalent to four American beers or eight shots of the German liquor Schnapps. Two liter steins in an hour and a half was probably too much, but when everyone is screaming and chanting and cheering on the brave who stand up the tables to chug the entire liter stein, why not?

By 1 p.m., I personally had purchased a 12 euro flower crown, a 4 euro gingerbread cookie and two beers that go for about 11 euro each. I had zero cares in the world and from the amount of pictures I had taken, I did not regret my outrageously-priced flower crown. Just sitting in the tent was an experience in itself. We had made German friends who came straight from high school to enjoy the festivities (not something you can do in America). We watched the locals snort some white powder and we questioned when coke became legal in Germany. Our local friends soon informed us that it was not cocaine, but rather a flavored tobacco, which just wasn’t as shocking anymore.

As I finished my roommates’ only liter stein, the waitress came walking over and politely informed us that if we were no longer drinking, we were no longer staying. Balling on a budget, we decided that it’d be best if we headed home, which the next day, ended up being a horrible idea since we couldn’t find a seat on Saturday. Before we stopped at a Starbucks in Germany — a real treasure when you’re in Europe — I waved goodbye to probably the best day of my life as I finished (as I was told later on) the best cinnamon bun I have ever eaten.

Although I’ll probably never be able to experience that cinnamon bun for the rest of my life, I’ll always have my 98 pictures of myself and of course, the sheer memory of sitting in a tent at Munich’s one and only Oktoberfest.

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

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Osianna prepares authentic Mediterranean cuisine

By John O'Leary Food Columnist

If your parents are in town and you are looking for “the place” to have a quiet sit down meal or a relaxing lunch, Osianna may be just the place you are searching for.

Osianna Mediterranean Taverna is located on 70 Reef Road, just off Post Road near Firehouse Deli.

The cuisine is comprised of Italian and Grecian dishes, and the restaurant specializes in local seafood. The main indoor dining area is small, classic and well-decorated with three decadent vases illuminated in the wall.

By the time the crowd of students waiting to buy Oktoberfest tickets outside of the Grape had dispersed on Wednesday, my roommate and I were overtaken by our hunger and began looking for a place to duck into.

When we saw the red building with outdoor seating and the bright blue awning, we stopped the car to go explore.

Once seated, it was apparent we were underdressed, but we shrugged it off because it could have meant we were in for a great meal. The waiter was patient as we decided on our orders, and a steady supply of pita and hummus kept us busy.

We decided to share the fried calamari for an appetizer, and I ordered hanger steak while my roommate decided on the Greek risotto and scallops.

For students who are 21 and up, there was an entire menu of martini selections.

Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Osianna offers brunch along with bottomless champagne, Bellinis, mimosas and bloody marys for $18 a person.

The fried calamari arrived with lemons and tasted as it should: fresh, crispy and simple.

Our entrées were full of flavor; my steak was succulent and pink while my roommate's scallops were well-balanced with his risotto. Overall, the meal was satisfying, but the atmosphere wasn’t as casual as we expected.

By the time the dessert menu came along, I was too full of pita to order anything further, although many of the selections were appealing.

I give this restaurant 3.5 out of 5 only because it is not a reasonable choice for your average Fairfield student. Most students are under the legal age to drink and under budget to dine.

After the meal, I felt pleasant and satisfied. If you are concerned with feeling out of place, I would recommend dining here when your parents come to visit or when you need to impress a date.

Pixabay/Creative Commons

De Niro suprises audiences in 'The Intern'

By James Della Rocca Contributing Writer

SPOILERS

It was refreshing to see Robert De Niro cast as another character aside from Mafia bosses like Vito Corleone in “The Godfather Part II” or hardened everyday men like Jack Byrnes in “Meet the Parents.” The Sept. 25 release of “The Intern” showed De Niro portraying a retired widow, Ben Whitaker, who wants to do more with his life.

After travelling for a few months after his wife’s passing, things got boring around the house so Ben chooses to take up an offer for a senior internship at a fashion web company called About the Fit, run by Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway).

At first, Jules is reluctant since she is used to making all her decisions on her own and only having help from her assistant.

But, eventually she warms up to him. The movie explores their relationship from what begins as strictly boss-employee to what morphs into a sort of father-daughter complex.

At one point when Ben is looking out the window of the office, he sees Jules’ driver drinking from a flask and confronts him to not drive her anywhere.

As the film progresses, he gets more involved in her life, offering her advice when investors want to move her out as head of the company and hire a CEO to legitimize the business, advice that she does take into consideration.

De Niro and Hathaway had excellent chemistry that showed when they spoke with one another; it was as if they actually cared for one another and the relationship and bonding that they had was real.

The comedy was well-paced, having no dry spells where there was just a silence in the audience or move so fast that it seemed like a forced string of needless jokes, none of which went by without a chuckle from the audience.

De Niro’s constant blinking when one of his coworkers told him that Jules doesn’t like it when people don’t blink or when De Niro and some coworkers break into Jules’ mother’s house to delete an email when the alarm goes off and all but De Niro panic in the situation are just two of the prime comical highlights of the movie.

Though primarily a comedy, there were some serious and tender moments when dealing with the characters’ personal lives and their stresses, such as the revelation that Jules’ husband has been cheating on her with a mother from their child’s school and her breakdown to De Niro

when they talk about how she’s known for a few weeks.

Even though the few serious tones felt odd at first in the movie, they worked well to develop the characters.

One other gripe that I had was when Jules took her cheating husband back.

The movie was, on the whole, empowering for women, as Jules ran her own company while her husband stayed home to take care of their child. So, her taking her husband back right away without putting him on a kind of “probation” or just taking him back in general somewhat defeats that sense of empowerment.

Even though “The Intern” isn’t a perfect movie, it is a good watch. It makes up for any of its shortcomings with its heart and its genuine feel-good attitude.

Cooking with Colleen:

By Colleen O'Connor Nutrition Columnist Growing up, my family always had big Sunday dinners.

My parents would spend hours in the kitchen cooking whatever meat and potatoes combination they could come up with.

Whether it be beef stew, steak tips and mashed potatoes or the ever-famous boiled dinner of corned beef and cabbage, all were delectable. But, of all the combinations, shepherd’s pie was always my favorite, mostly because it incorporated two of my favorite vegetables as a child: peas and corn.

I’m a sucker for traditional Irish meals, especially when they have the healthier aspects that this one does. Shepherd’s pie easily captures three of the four main food groups in one meal. You get servings of carbohydrates from the potatoes, protein from the meat and vegetables from the corn and peas in one easy-to-make meal. Even though my family’s recipe says it serves 6-8, we definitely end up with a few days’ worth of leftovers at the end of the day.

Shepherd’s Pie Servings: 6-8 6 potatoes, sliced and peeled 2 tablespoons butter, divided

Shepherd's Pie ½ cup skim milk 1 lb ground beef ¾ cup beef broth 16 ounces canned corn 16 ounces defrosted peas paprika pepper

the remaining butter, the beef broth, and some pepper to the skillet with the heat on low, stirring everything together for about 2 minutes. Then, return the beef to the pan and stir to combine.

4. Spread the meat mixture in a 9-inch rectangular pan and top it with the peas and corn. Then, spread the mashed potatoes and sprinkle a dash of paprika on top.

1. Cook the potatoes first. To do this, rinse the potatoes, place them in a large pot, and cover them with cold water.

Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and boil gently for 15 minutes. Then, drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the milk, then mash. For added flavor, you can also add a few slices of American cheese while mashing the potatoes.

5. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes or until bubbling, then place the pan under the broiler and broil until it is flecked with brown.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. While waiting for the oven to warm up, I suggest cooking the beef. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Crumble the beef and cook it, breaking it up with a large spoon, until it is browned. Remove the meat from the pan, but leave some of the juice. Add Pixabay/Creative Commons

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

The Vine

ashionably

by Nicole Funaro

Although trends change seasonally and new styles are brought to the forefront of the fashion industry, every year plaid remains a fall staple.

Filled with warm reds, browns and even yellows, this traditional pattern is reminiscent of the changing colors of the leaves, which perhaps explains why we oftentimes equate fall with plaid.

What’s great about plaid is its universality — men and women can easily incorporate the print into their wardrobes in similar ways. Take the classic plaid shirt, for example. Guys can dress it down by wearing it open over a T-shirt paired with jeans, but they can take that same shirt and wear it under a light sweater with dress pants for a more dressy-casual look.

Ladies have similar options. They can style their plaid shirt more casually with leggings or jeans while pairing it with a combat or riding boot, or they can dress it up by wearing it under a sweater with a statement necklace fixed under the collar, dark wash jeans and trendy ankle boots.

If you’d rather wear your plaid in small doses, guys and girls alike can opt for a plaid scarf.

Adding a pattern such as plaid to a fairly neutral, solid-colored outfit will instantly add a bit of per-

sonality to your look, while also injecting your outfit with some seasonal colors.

But, if traditional plaid isn’t your thing, never fear; there are other iterations of the classic pattern that are equally as fashionable for the season. Glen plaid, for example, is a smaller, finer version of the pattern that usually only incorporates two, often tonal, colors as opposed to a traditional plaid’s two or more contrasting colors.

Since the pattern reads as a solid, neutral color from far away, glen plaid is a great option for men’s and women’s blazers and coats.

Another great alternative to the traditional plaid is windowpane. This pattern is a much more modern, streamlined version of plaid, featuring a wide, box motif throughout the garment in only two colors. This pattern can be worn in everything from blouses or button-down shirts to trousers or coats. And, depending on its size, this pattern can also appear to be a solid color when viewed from far way.

Now that you know how to incorporate not only traditional plaid but also its more chic alternatives into your fall wardrobe, you have no reason not to try plaid this season.

Pixabay/Creative Commons

Wickimedia/Creative Commons

Tim Gunn to kick off 2015 Open Visions Forum season

By Nicole Funaro Chief Copy Editor From mentoring aspiring designers on the set of “Project Runway” to advising the students of Fairfield, Tim Gunn will take the stage of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on Wednesday, Oct. 14 in the 10th Annual Students Forum as part of the Open Visions Forum series.

According to Dr. Philip Eliasoph, professor in the department of visual and performing arts and moderator of the OVF, Gunn’s talk, called “Fashion Today & Designing Your Future Lives & Careers,” will provide students with insight on how to “dress for success,” while also learning how to become a valuable colleague in a variety of competitive work environments.

Gunn is certainly an authority in both areas.

In addition to his work as a co-host, mentor and producer on the hit Lifetime show, “Project Runway,” Gunn was also the chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne, Inc. and fashion dean at Fifth & Pacific, a company that designed and marketed for brands such as Kate Spade.

He has also served as an administrator and faculty member at the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York City — a job he held for 29 years.

Beyond his work in the fashion industry, Gunn is also a New York Times best-selling author, with his recent title, “The Natty Professor: A Master Class on Mentoring, Motivating, and Making it Work!” delivering lessons on mentorship and teaching.

Eliasoph explained that while Gunn’s talk will stem from this book, Gunn will also “offer us a timely presentation from his wide range of expertise in terms of professional styling, design and how to make a difference in your workplace or social networking teams.”

Because this is the Annual Students Forum, Gunn will be sharing the stage with a panel of student leaders from Fairfield’s major clubs and organizations who will get the chance to ask Gunn questions succeeding his talk. The student panel will consist of Brittney Wright ’16 of the Fairfield University Student Association, Angela Sammarone ’16 of the Fairfield Mirror and Pejay Lucky, the assistant director of Residence Life.

Gunn is scheduled to appear on the Quick Center stage at 8 p.m. Student tickets are available online for $5 on the Quick Center’s website, or, according to Nicole Heller, free at the Office of Student Engagement in the Barone Campus Center 094.

Blogspot/Creative Commons

THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

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Baron Wormser shares inspirational poetry with Fairfield community

By Erin McElwee Contributing Writer

Erin McElwee/The Mirror

When Baron Wormser isn’t teaching, listening to music or walking his dog, he is reading or writing poetry. A member of Fairfield University’s Masters of Fine Arts program since 2009, Wormser read from a collection of poems from his new book, “Unidentified Sighing Objects,” at Fairfield University's Downtown Bookstore on Wednesday, Sept.30. This is Wormser’s ninth book.

Dr. Michael C. White, a professor of English at Fairfield, introduced Wormser and identified poetry as Wormser’s true calling. “He is first and foremost a poet,” White told the audience.

The Johns Hopkins’ alum moved to Maine in 1970 with his family, and it was there that he found ample inspiration for his poetry. In 2000, he was appointed Poet Laureate of Maine. The Governor of Maine chose Wormser to fulfill the honorary position for a five-year term. Wormser has received many awards, including the Frederick Bock Prize for poetry and the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry.

There were 50 eager listeners at the bookstore to hear Wormser speak, including Fairfield students, professors and admirers of his work. Junior Theresa De Palma attended as part of her creative writing classes, and said she enjoyed his poems and enthusiasm.

“It was interesting to hear the poetry read aloud as opposed to reading and analyzing it.

I’m not a fan of poetry, but I’m very open to it now,” she said.

Throughout the evening, Wormser read poems and explained his motivation behind each one. He told the audience that he makes some things up, but also attempts to write true descriptions of others.

The topics of his poems range from movies, relationships, history, role models, places, etc.

He also explained that his style can be different with every poem he writes. “My poetry is a conversation between two forces throughout my career. There is formal and informal poetry,” he said. Wormser does not have a writing discipline, and he believes that at any moment, something could create a poem. “Everything is an experience in life. Language is even an experience. I might just see something, it could just be glimpse, and that could mean something,” he said.

Wormser had the audience in hysterics while reading one of his poems, “Ode to the DC5.” The audience also nodded their heads in agreement, as he read his poem “Ode to the Ghost Dancers,” a poem based on the Native American ghost dance ceremony that was representative of everything that had been taken from them.

“There was such emotion with every poem he read. It was great being able to hear him read his own words aloud,” Brynne Bartiromo ‘17 said.

Wormser wrapped up his reading with a final poem entitled “Leaving.” Before he read his poem, he told the audience that a former student who had worked in hospice had read the poem to one of her patients, and he was visibly touched that his poem had perhaps reached someone in that capacity.

After a night of poetry, there was a feeling of ease in the air. Wormser engaged the audience of all different ages and seemed to enjoy it just as much as the people in the seats. “For my poems, I am always in pursuit of perfection. But I know that just doesn’t happen. I will always be revising,” he said.

Inkwell Spotlight 'Raindrop Disco'

By Bridget Belfiore Assistant Editor for The Inkwell We’ll dance tonight Beneath the Yellow birches that Line the earth like Large light bulbs, Illuminating streets in ways Only something so beautiful And natural can.

Contributed Photo

Large raindrops will fall Through the leaves To the beat of a Stumped novelist at a typewriter And we’ll follow the rhythm As our feet clumsily splatter in a Puddle of Earth’s tears.

Nature’s song Is all we need As we hustle to the Raindrop Disco, Artwork carefully crafted by the Universe herself.

Let’s shimmy to the silent shower of Bright lights and spin to Soulful music erupting from Within, Our bodies dormant volcanoes Ready to awaken.

As we jive, We’ll inadvertently form our Own rendition — A raindrop disco only We know.

Wooloo/Creative Commons

WVOF DJ of the Month Name: Jack Crowley Year: 2018 Major: Mechanical Engineering Hometown: Holmdel, N.J. Name/Time of show: “Fletchy a Tunes” - Tuesdays at 10 p.m.

What do you do/play on your show: I play mostly coun try, but I throw in some rock and other genres upon request.

Favorite artist/song/album: My favorite song is a tie be tween “Dirt Road Anthem” by Jason Aldean and “Country Boy” by Aaron Lewis.

Best Concert: My favorite concert would be between Jason Aldean, or surprisingly, Linkin Park.

Best WVOF moment/Best Show: My favorite WVOF mo ment would have to be my first show on the web. It was such a cool experience being on the radio, and I can't see myself not continuing to do it in college.

Best Musical Experience: Picking my favorite musical experience is tough. I'm not sure - I played the trumpet once, but I was never good. I just looked at the guy next to me and did everything he did, just a millisecond after him.

Coffee Break

THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

Page 12

COFFEE BREAK Editor: Allison White

... As Overheard in Barone Compiled by Allison White Coffee Break Editor

Scan the QR code below with a smartphone to read more of this week’s overheard quotes!

“Assert your dominance by chasing the turkeys.”

“World Smile Day ... I hope you brushed your teeth.”

“Until next week, Prez Ball…”

“Did everyone else’s weekend completely fall apart from this storm?”

“My Monday/Thursday classmates have no idea who I am on Tuesdays and Fridays.”

“I set a world record this weekend for how long someone could stay in bed.”

Tweet us your #OverheardBarone comments @FairfieldMirror and be featured next week!

Stags Trivia 1. What baseball stadium did Lucas the Stag visit?

2. How many undergraduate majors are at Fairfield?

3. Who is performing at this year’s Fall Concert?

DM us on Twitter @FairfieldMirror with the correct answers to these questions to win an exclusive Mirror giveaway.

Play some...

Sudoku

How to play: Complete the puzzle by filling in numbers one through nine (with no repeats or missing numbers) in each column, row and 3 x 3 square.

Sports

Page 13

THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

SPORTS

Sports Editor: Alfredo Torres » sports@fairfieldmirror.com

MLB's best square off for championship glory

By Conor O'Brien Contributing Writer The opening round of the National League playoffs features two teams not used to playing October baseball. The Cubs and Pirates have been franchises stuck in the wilderness for many years.

The Pirates set a record for futility with 20 losing seasons from 1993-2012. The Cubs enjoyed their first winning season since 2009. After finishing last in the NL Central four out of the last five years, Cubs fans are finally seeing the fruits of General Manager Theo Epstein’s analytical approach to team building.

The Cubs and Pirates finished with two of the three best records in baseball. Despite being stuck as wild cards, both of these teams have a legitimate shot at winning the World Series. The two teams have been seeded to play each other in the wild card for much of the

season, so the coaching staffs have been able to rest their better players in preparations.

Two of the best pitchers in the NL will square off: Chicago’s Jake Arrieta and Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in wins by starting pitchers by the major league this year. The Pirates have played some of their worst baseball against the cubs this year.

Pirate’s center fielder Andrew McCutchen, one of the best hitters in the major leagues, has managed just a .222 average against the Cubs this year.

Unlike the Cubs and Pirates, which has been in the making for months, the Yankees and Astros matchup was not finalized until the final day of the regular season.

Houston had Dallas Keuchel on the mound against the Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka started the game striking out the first three batters he faced, but the Astros

would connect in the following inning on a first pitch homer off the bat of Colby Rasmus.

The Astros would strike again in the fourth as Carlos Gomez connected on a pitch by Tanaka for the second homerun of the game.

Houston added another run to seal off the 3-0 win. The Yankees bats were no match for the pitching of Keuchel as he pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and striking out seven. The Astros will now advance to face off against the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series.

The Mets and Dodgers should be a low-scoring affair, as it features two of the best pitching rotations in baseball. Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey will start the first three games respectively for the Mets, with either veteran Bartolo Colon or rookie Steven Matz ready for game four.

The Dodgers will start Clayton

Kershaw for game one, while most likely playing Zackary Greinke for game two. Kershaw and Greinke both played phenomenal for the dodgers this year. Greinke managing to top Jake Arietta for the lowest earned run average is the majors.

The x factor for this series will be the play of Dodgers’ outfielder Yasiel Puig. Puig has only played in 77 games this year due to injuries. Dodgers’ management had previously expected him to be out for the year. However, he played in the Dodgers’ final series of the year against the San Diego Padres. Puig is a dangerous hitter, and has a big arm to help the Dodgers in right field.

It has been a very quick turnaround for the Rangers. They have become just the fifth team in majors history to go from last place in their division (67-95 in 2014) to first place the following year.

Cole Hamels, the Rangers best

pitcher, will likely not see action until game two of the series after pitching a great game in the regular season finale. The Rangers will need their pitching staff to be at the top of their game during this series, as the Blue Jays are by far the best offensive team in Baseball.

The Blue Jays are in a win-now mode. They aggressively traded for David Price and Troy Tulowitzki this summer in hopes to increase their playoff chances. Price is a free agent after this year, and outside of players such as Marcus Stroman and Dalton Pompey, they are a very old team.

The Rangers will rely on the play of third baseman Adrian Beltre to lead them at bat. The Rangers bullpen simply isn’t deep enough to handle Toronto’s explosive batting order. The Blue Jays have sold the farm to try and win a world series this year.

Highlights from the past week: The Fairfield field hockey team traveled to Harvard on Sunday, Oct. 4, but failed to pick up the victory as they were held scoreless 4-0. Seven minutes into the start of the game, Harvard’s Hannah Wellington connected to score the first goal of the game to give them the early 1-0 lead. Fairfield’s Ruth Smallbraak ‘19 managed to get a penalty corner where she set up Julie de Paeuw ‘17 for a shot at the net, but Harvard’s goalkeeper was there to save the shot. Harvard scored yet another goal, to give them a 2-0 lead heading into the half. Harvard’s offense kept striking as they connected for two more in the second half to give them the 4-0 shutout victory. Stags will be back at University Field on Saturday, Oct. 10 as they host Monmouth at 2 p.m.

The Fairfield University men’s tennis played its first dual match of the fall and started Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, Oct. 7 as they hosted MAAC rival Rider. Fairfield triumphed past Rider for the 6-1 win. Fairfield swept the doubles point from Rider and the top five singles player all won in straight sets. In doubles, the duo of Brad Orban ‘18 and Jeffrey Rodgers ‘19 finished at No. 1 followed by Anthony Caputo ‘19 and Ofir Solomon at No. 2, Dylan Appel ‘18 and Peter Colliard ‘17 rounded out the order at No. 3. to give the Stags the early advantage. Fairfield returns to the court as they travel to New Hampshire for the Dartmouth Invitational this weekend.

The Fairfield University women’s tennis team started Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play as they cruised past Rider for a 6-1 win. The Stags jumped to an early start with three double wins, thanks to the duos of Sarah Stuhlmann ‘18 and Nicole Aragones ‘18, Meghan Zimmer ‘18 and Karen McKeough ‘17, Courtney Connors ‘19 and Cecilia Parla ‘19. Stuhlmann and Aragones were also victorious in the top two singles spots. Stags will continue MAAC play as the host Providence on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 3 p.m.

The Fairfield golf team battled off against in-state rivals Central Connecticut State and Sacred Heart on Sunday, Oct. 4 at Great River Golf Club. Fairfield’s Olivia Brooks ‘16 shared the day’s best round, with a score of 80 tying with CCSU’s Sarah Boden and Ellen Nighbor, but it was not enough as the Stags were edged by both teams. The Stags were separated by seven strokes as Michelle Applegate ‘16 finished with an 82, Jackie Schofield ‘17 carded an 84 and Molly Hair ‘18 with 87 on the par-72 course. Fairfield finished with a 333, enough for third place. The Stags will be back on the course for two rounds at the New Haven Country Club for the Quinnipiac Classic between Oct.12 and Oct. 13.

Photos contributed by Sports Information Desk

In this week's issue...

- Mets baseball: more than a game (Page 14) - Rider ends Fairfield's home winning streak (Page 15) - Men's soccer scores late to edge Canisius 1-0 (Page 15) - Stags tie 1-1 against Manhattan (Page 16)

This week in sports: Wednesday, October 7 Men's Soccer at Iona, 2 p.m.

Women's Tennis vs. Providence, 3 p.m.

Women's Soccer vs. Iona, 7 p.m.

Friday, October 9 Men's Tennis vs. Dartmouth Invitational, TBA

Saturday, October 10 Rowing vs. Head of the Houssatonic, All Day Cross Country vs. NEICAAA, TBA Women's Soccer vs. Marist, 1 p.m.

Volleyball at Siena, 1 p.m.

Field Hockey vs. Monmouth, 2:30 p.m.

Monday, October 12 Men's Golf at Connecticut Cup, All Day Women's Golf at Quinnipiac Classic, All Day

Saturday, October 17 Men's Soccer vs. Monmouth, 7 p.m.

Sunday, October 18 Field Hockey vs. Columbia, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, October 21 Women's Soccer vs. Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.

Sports

THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

Mets baseball: more than a game

By Phillip Iervolino Contributing Writer The Monday after the Mets did the unpredictable and clinched the National League East crown, I was at Grand Central heading back up to school after a long day at my internship.

As I was making my way through a railroad car filled with plugged-in passengers winding down after a typical Monday, the only seat open was next to a middle-aged man with scraggly hair and a face filled with experiences both good and bad.

As fate would have it, he was sporting an old Mets cap and we began to talk baseball, exchanging stories of where we were in pivotal moments in Mets history, as well as talking about the challenges the team now faces in the upcoming postseason.

I learned that the scraggly haired middle aged man went by George, and he was a 58-year-old Brooklyn born and raised carpenter/locksmith for the Empire State Building, currently living in Norwalk with “his girl.”

For the next hour and 10 minutes, he let me into his world and I let him into mine. He began to tell me about his Brooklyn Dodgersupporting parents and how when the franchise left for Los Angeles, there was no baseball in the house for five years, as they refused to root for the Yankees. He told me about his daughter’s enormous crush on pitcher Ron Darling when she was younger and how even though she now resides in Chicago, she still stays true to the orange and blue.

Like most Mets fans, he stays optimistic even though he’s learned

the hard way to never get his hopes too high. Newspaper clippings from ’69 and ’86 are still in his possession and he hopes to add 2015 to that collection.

As the MTA worker was punching our tickets, he took a look at George’s cap and with a clenched fist stated “Go Mets.” When we arrived at East Norwalk, one of the best conversations I ever had was put in the books with George disappearing into the crowd of the station, his worn out Mets cap being the last thing visible to my peripheral vision.

For those of you who know me, you know that being a Mets fan is just as much a part of my identity as my blue eyes and my last name.

I’ve been blessed (or cursed depending on your perspective) with rooting for the New York Mets from my dad, when he and the rest of my family took me to my first game at Shea Stadium when I was three years old.

I came home with a Mr. Met plush toy that still sits on my dresser to this day, a foam finger that’s long been buried at the bottom of my now abandoned toy chest and an initiation into a group of sports fans known for being too loyal for their own good.

In the consistent flow of self-inflicted torture year after year, things began to change. I began to change.

I went from receiving foul balls from compassionate strangers to being that compassionate stranger giving up the foul ball to the wide-eyed kid sitting two rows in front of me.

I went from falling asleep in the back seat with WFAN’s post-game recap as my personal lullaby to sitting up front ranting with my dad about a tough loss, or talking pas-

sionately about a great win.

Pepsi turned into Bud Light.

Shea turned into Citi Field. Players and managers have come and gone while ownership has sadly stayed put. And yet things have remained the same. I still clap along to “Lazy Mary” at every seventh inning stretch, eventually picking up on the Italian lyrics much to the delight of my grandpa.

I still scream at the top of my lungs when the home run apple in centerfield rises from its resting place and I hear Gary Cohen shout “It’s outta here!” And my heart still fills with joy whenever I hear the radio voice of the Mets’ Howie Rose enthusiastically exclaim “Put it in the books!” after every Mets victory.

When you go to at least 30 games a year, the team eventually becomes a part of you and moments in Mets history coincides with your own.

My 22-year tenure as a Mets fan has been one mostly filled with misery, disappointment, heartbreak and more misery.

I sat up in the nosebleeds in Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series and watched Carlos Beltran look at an Adam Wainwright hammer for a called strike three, hearing nothing but the Cardinals celebrating a World Series berth on the field below and the sound of my own sobs.

In disbelief one year later, I watched Tom Glavine give up seven runs against the Florida Marlins in the final game of the regular season, capping off one of the worst team collapses in baseball history. Add in crazy injuries, clueless owners and the fact that they share the city with arguably the best franchise in sports history, and I think the point

is brought home that to be a Mets fan is to be an embodiment of Murphy’s Law. But just like Matthew McConaughey states in “Interstellar”: “Murphy’s Law doesn’t mean that something bad will happen. It means that whatever can happen, will happen.”

And while the Mets and their fans have spent a majority of their lives on the wrong end of that statement, once in a while, destiny decides to throw us a bone. While I sadly wasn’t alive to witness the 1969 “Amazins” or the ball getting by Buckner in ’86, the Mets came through at times in my life that I needed to know that magic existed in the world.

On Sept. 21, 2001, I was at Shea Stadium in the days following 9/11 and saw Mike Piazza crush a dramatic game-winning home run, lifting an emotional crowd who desperately needed a reason to smile again. While I was still too young to fully comprehend the severity of the situation, I’ll never forget the deafening sound of the crowd as No. 31 ran around the bases.

On June 1, 2012, the night before I was to graduate high school, I sat in my family room with my dad and grandpa, witnessing Johan Santana, who just a few months prior was thought to never be able to pitch again, throw the first no-hitter in New York Mets history. In that moment, three generations of Mets fans witnessed something together that we thought we’d never be able to see in our lifetimes.

But between the tearful trade that never was, “A Cespedes for the Rest of Us,” rally raccoons and parakeets, what I’ve been witnessing over these past two months from

Page 14

the 2015 New York Mets has been nothing short of a fairy tale.

About two months ago, right around the time that the Mets were beginning their Cinderella run, Jerry Seinfeld tweeted: “When the Mets get hot, it’s different from the Knicks, Yanks or Rangers. It feels like something crazy is happening.”

Rooting for this team this year has been unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my life not just as a Mets fan, but as a sports fan in general. This is different from 2006.

Back in ‘06, we knew how good this team was. We knew the Mets would make the playoffs way back in July and it was smooth sailing until the bitter end.

But this year has been an emotional roller coaster filled with incredible highs, soul crushing lows and things that simply haven’t made any sense. No matter what happens in these next couple of weeks, there will be an overwhelming flood of tears when it’s all over, whether they get swept by the Dodgers in the National League Division Series, or they do the unthinkable and win the whole thing and George gets to add a new year of newspaper clippings to his collection.

Rooting for this team this year has been the epitome of why I am a Mets fan. As I am one month into my final year before entering the real world and the fear of the unknown that comes along with that, now more than ever, I need to know that miracles can exist. And while they’ve probably taken at least five years off of my life, the New York Mets are my proof of the existence of those miracles. Just like they always have been. And just like they always will be.

Your 2015-2016 4x5 Columnists:

Patrick Kiernan, Alfredo Torres, Meaghan Conlon and Jesse Erickson Because we have witty things to say ...

Patrick Kiernan Editor-in-Chief

Alfredo Torres Sports Editor

MLB playoffs start this week, any Any plans for Columbus Day favorites? weekend?

Prez Ball on a Thursday?! Yay or nay?

Rafferty Stadium hosted its first soccer games this past weekend, did you fight the cold and cheer?

Yankees, of course. Rob Refsnyder is going to emerge as both playoff and World Series MVP. Yes, I said Rob Refsnyder. And C.C. will drink himself into depression that he didn't pitch in the postseason ... too soon?

Going home for the weekend to catch up with the fam. Mom promised me a lot of good cooking, and my grandma is giving me my 21st birthday (which is Nov. 2, write it down folks) present early, so I can't complain.

Even though he's far from my favorite, as an aspiring journalist, I have to defend Stephen A. Smith.

Kevin Durant doesn't realize that you can't just blindly bash the media with no repercussions. Might curse your health this season KD.

I wasn't going anyway, so I don't really have a comment. I will say, though, that they had to do something rather than have it in the midst of an impending hurricane. But hey wouldn't that be something?

Lol no. I actually haven't attended a Fairfield sporting event since I left my post as sports editor. Goes to show how much school spirit I have.

Yankees all the way! We're going to start by taking down the bearded Dallas Keuchel and from there just take down anyone who steps in our way. A-Rod wants another ring, he's going to get it.

There's some magic in the Bronx.

Nothing better than going back home to the Bronx and seeing a nice plate of food waiting for you (except if it's Barone). Probably should get a haircut, but I'll wait till next year.

Who doesn't love KD? But really bro? Stephen A. Smith? Here's a warning from The Mirror, don' get on the media's bad side but most especially not on Stephen A. Smith's bad side. This is worst than Lil B's curse.

Friday's going to be a loooong day.

Let's go Stags! You know I was there, fighting the cold and snagging great pics. Nothing like taking in the view of empty seats.

Obviously the Mets. I just gotta believe that this is their year.

I'll be immensely enjoying myself at New York Comic Con. Yes, you're all insanely jealous of my geeky self, I know.

Going to have to go with Stephen A. Smith, just because I went to his talk here at Fairfield three years ago.

Going right from my turbo ending at 9 p.m. to Prez Ball. Thoughts on if I should go to class in my dress ... ?

Nope. It was cold, I was fighting off a cold, and it's a trek from my nice warm apartment to Rafferty.

But go Stags!

Every week I forget I have to answer these questions. Every week, I wake up at 12 a.m. in a panic, and this week I actually thought the Red Sox were in the playoffs.

Uh, unfortunately, Columbus only discovered America (so legend says) and being in Europe, no one cares about that.

I don't know who Stephen is but I have heard of Kevin, so I'm going to have to go with Stephen on this one.

I read that email and literally laughed because how is that a good idea and how are Friday classes going to happen? Just cancel Friday's classes too, I mean, it's Prez Ball and Columbus did find America.

Ugh I miss Rafferty and soccer so much. Also, another shoutout to Katie Sirna who reads my 4x5 every week! I hope Katie Stern would too!

Meaghan Conlon Executive Editor

Jesse Erickson Italian Spy

Stephen A. Smith vs. Kevin Durant?

Sports

Page 15

THE MIRROR | Week of October 7, 2015

Alfredo Torres/The Mirror

Rider ends Fairfield's two-game home winning streak

By Alfredo Torres Sports Editor A day after sweeping Saint Peter’s University in the Dig Pink Match at Alumni Hall, the Stags looked to add another win to their home stand. This would be no easy task as Fairfield was set to host Rider University, who was coming into the competition 5-0 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play.

“It’s only the first week of October, but we knew it was a big match. And the fact that Rider was coming in undefeated and we didn’t start off conference play the way we wanted to up in Buffalo,” said head coach Todd Kress of his mindset before the game. After a slow start to the match for Fairfield, they found a way to battle back, but it was not enough as Rider picked up the 3-1 win on Sunday, Oct. 4.

Both teams started the game slowly as they struggled to knock shots down. They eventually settled and began scoring as Rider scored first, followed by Fairfield. With the score tied 5-5, Rider began to feel comfortable and drop kills on the Stags. The Broncs now increased their lead to six as they held a 13-7 lead.

Fairfield continued to struggle as they had a hard time getting the ball through Rider’s lineup. The Broncs held a 22-16 lead, but the Stags battled back as they scored on three consecutive possessions to

cut the lead down to four. Rider held off Fairfield’s late run to take the first set 25-20.

“I thought we came out a little flat, a little tight which has been our M.O. [method of operation].

We’ve done that a lot since the beginning of the season. We’re very young, but we don’t make excuses and we shouldn’t have been as tight as we were. [We] really didn’t find our stride until the second set,” said Kress.

Fairfield started the second set hot as they were knocking down shots left and right. “Just a different mindset, a different aggressiveness and took advantage of their errors,” said Kress about the team’s approach. Rider was forced to call a timeout after Skyler Day’s ‘18 kill off the assist of Kiley Lingenfelter ‘19 that gave the Stags an early 11-7 lead. Day would finish her performance of the day leading the Stags with 12 kills, her third match with a double-digit output.

“I thought we controlled the play. In the second set, he took a couple early timeouts. We felt like we were in control of that set the entire way,” said Kress.

Behind Day’s five kills in the second set, the Stags picked up the win 25-17. Heading into the half, the game was tied 1-1.

The third set of the match was the closest, as both teams seemed to find their grooves both offensively and defensively. This set saw five lead changes and

nine ties. It was a back and forth and it stayed like this for the majority of the time. At one time, Fairfield held a 13-10 lead, their biggest lead of the set.

After being tied at 15, Rider took advantage of a few errors from Fairfield. Rider scored five consecutive points to give them a 20-15 lead. Fairfield scored to close the gap to three, but it was not enough as the Broncs finished off the Stags 25-21.

The final set of the game saw Rider cruise its way to victory. After breaking a 3-3 tie, Rider could not be stopped as they knocked down consecutive shots to quiet the crowd of Alumni Hall. Rider finished the game 25-16 in the final set to take the 3-1 match victory.

“We need to be more aggressive. We need to have more of an aggressive edge, a mindset of going out and being aggressive on every point. Some people just need to do their job and we don’t have people doing their job right now. When we’re trying to pick up for weaknesses on the court, then that’s tough ...

So we need to do our job, number one, and we need to be aggressive and that should help us cut down on errors and execute at a higher level,” said Kress about what his team needs to improve on as they travel to Siena College on Saturday, Oct. 10 for their next MAAC game.

Men's soccer scores late to edge Canisius 1-0

By Kelsey Shockey Contributing Writer After losing a tough match to the Manhattan Jaspers with one goal made in the last second in regulation last week, the men’s soccer team achieved their first conference victory with a score of 1-0 against Canisius on Saturday Oct. 3, making their conference record 1-1 and their overall record 2-3-4.

Goalkeeper Matt Turner ‘16 said, “After a disappointing result at Manhattan, a game most of us felt we should've won, we were all eager to get out there and prove that we are a contender for the MAAC title.

We were motivated to get our first conference win and that lights a fire in your heart. A need to achieve that is greater than our fear of failure.”

The Stags were able to easily gain possession and played ferociously from start to finish. Changing up the plays forced the Griffs to work

harder for the ball and this was due to the Stags’ combination of good defense and offense. Strategizing more spontaneously, there was also clear communication coming from both teams.

Both teams posed a threat and remained scoreless during the first half as Turner dove for three saves.

Midfielder Diego Casielles ‘19 and forward Ben Wignall ‘18, who made five shot attempts, also had some close goal opportunities throughout the game.

Although the Griffs never lost their energy, the Stags were in better control of the plays. “Canisius is a team that thrives off of their energy that they create on the field and on the bench. As a team, we did a really good job of not letting them create any momentum and forced them to play our style of football,” forward Steven Valente ‘18 said.

When defender Kevin Byrne ‘18 was substituted early in the second

half, Valente took possession of the ball 20 yards from the goal and placed it perfectly in the middle just in time for Byrne to come in and make a header to the upper corner within 65 seconds of the game. “I feel truly blessed to have scored my first goal for Fairfield on our home pitch and making it the game winner,” Byrne said.

A factor and quality that benefited for the Stags was patience on the ball in order to slow down the Jasper’s high energy and at the same time, moved the ball quickly on the ground. In the closing minutes, the Griffs were unable to find the equalizer and the Stags ended with a 13-7 shot advantage and the 1-0 shutout victory.

The Stags will travel to New Rochelle, New York, as they will face off against an Iona team who holds a 5-5-1 record and 1-2 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Javier Rivilla/The Mirror

@MirrorSports Fairfield Mirror Sports Week of October 7, 2015

SPORTS 16 Sports Editor: Alfredo Torres » sports@fairfieldmirror.com

Stags tie 1-1 against Manhattan Alfredo Torres/The Mirror

By Kelsey Shockey Contributing Writer Fairfield wanted to continue its winning streak against the Manhattan Jaspers, who haven’t beaten the Stags since 2003.

The Stags are fresh off a 4-1 win against Canisius and looked to carry their momentum as they hosted the Manhattan Jaspers at Rafferty Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 30, but tied 1-1 making their current conference record 1-1-1 and overall record 4-6-2.

The Stags were down 1-0 in the first half after an early goal by the Jaspers when midfielder Erica Modena took control of a pass made by Nicole Copping and scored the first goal of the game with 10 minutes remaining in the half.

Manhattan would hold Fairfield scoreless for the remainder of the half and took a 1-0 lead into the next half.

A challenge for the Stags was winning balls in the air at midfield, which was a strength of the Jaspers that the Stags had to compensate with. But with the Stags’ strong attacks, they were able to charge forward with the ball and set up several shots on goal.

Just 12 minutes into the second half, defender Elena Santos ‘19 connected a pass to forward Jenny Jacobs ‘19, who scored her first career goal for the Stags.

According to Jacobs, “Being a goal down forced us to step up and really start fighting for every ball. It fueled us and I was glad I contributed. It felt really good to even the score, but we still felt we had more to do.”

For the rest of the game, the Alfredo Torres/The Mirror Stags seemed to have the upper hand and ultimately outshot

Manhattan 19-10. Since the Stags’ offense was well organized, they were able to break the Jaspers’ defense and frame some space for goal opportunities. When it went into overtime, they took advantage of every minute left.

“Our strategy was to dribble at the defenders and to make sure that the back line stayed compact together as a unit so that we didn't get split or beat.

We wanted the win so bad that everyone no matter how sore or fatigued we were worked very hard to try and score to win the game,” Santos said.

Going into two overtime periods, Jacobs had another chance to score on goal. But to no avail, the Jaspers’ defense continued to cause difficulties for the Stags to attain the winning goal. Fairfield was unable to convert as Manhattan’s goalkeeper Kristen Skonieczny finished the game with five saves.

However, Manhattan is just one of their tough matches.

Fairfield’s next seven games will consists of matchups against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rivals like Rider, Marist and Iona. The Stags are looking forward to their match against Rider, the team they lost to during the finals of the MAAC Championship and who they will encounter on Oct. 10.

“Everyone in the MAAC is really good this year, so each team is hard to beat. Our goal is to be a huge player in the tournament at the end of the season and hopefully win out the MAAC,” Jacobs said.

The Stags’ next game will be played against Iona on Wednesday Oct. 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Lessing Field.