Dead and Company
James Bond Opinion
Volleyball Sports
Vine
The Bond films should move forward with the changing times, not remain stagnant.
Fairfield’s volleyball team wins fourth straight against Niagra 4-1 behind sophomore Skyler Day’s 14 kills and 12 digs.
Remaining members of the Grateful Dead invite John Mayer for a collaborative tour dubbed Dead and Company.
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THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper
Week of November 4, 2015
@FairfieldMirror
Follow us! FairfieldMirror.com
Vol. 41 Iss. 9
New technology calls into question Code Blue Phones By Catherine Veschi News Editor At different locations on campus, students come into contact with what looks like a blue tower that reads “emergency” down the side. These blue phones are omnipresent, but how often are these safety devices really used? According to Assistant Director of the Department of Public Safety John Ritchie, these blue phones are referred to by DPS as the Code Blue Phones. There are 17 blue phones located on campus, as well as on every floor of each of the residence halls. For Ritchie, based on the statistics DPS has collected over the years, the number of students who have actually used these blue phones for a legitimate purpose is surprisingly low, given that their purpose is to aid students in a time of emergency. Director of DPS Todd Pelazza agreed, saying that “they’re not widely used; they hardly ever get used.” “Looking at our records, [there are] 466 uses of all time, but this dates back to 1999. This does not actually encompass all the times that they were used, because sometimes the phones are activated, we respond and investigate to find out that there was nothing,” Ritchie said. He clarified that 466 refers to the number of times the phones were activated for no legitimate emergency reason, since actual emergencies are labeled under a different category in DPS’s database system. In most cases, Ritchie noted, “someone maliciously hit the button.” He added, “Since Jan. 1, 2014, there have
been 55 activations of the system that we have tracked, and they’re all no contact, unfounded, gone on arrival,” meaning that DPS arrived at the scene, only to find that there was no actual emergency situation at hand. According to Ritchie, the last time that the emergency phone system was utilized for a legitimate reason was this past summer, when camps were being held on campus, but he noted that he does not know whether or not the system has been used for an emergency since the start of the school year. While many students aren’t utilizing these safety devices around campus for emergencies, Ritchie said that “athletics has been known to use them when an athlete gets injured on a field.” Sophomore Emily Jones feels that one of the reasons why these blue phones are hardly used on campus is because there is little need to. For her, Fairfield is a safe campus, and she rarely sees students threatened to the point where they actually need to call for security. Senior Tim Dessureau also feels that the blue light system isn’t used often on campus, but doesn’t feel that the University shouldn’t do away with the system because of this. “In my almost four years of being here, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an incident when it was used, because people usually use their cell phones over the blue light, but it’s probably a good idea to have them just in case,” Dessureau said. Pelazza acknowledged that just for that reason, blue lights are there because “if it is a true emergency, you might not have time to take your phone out.” For Ritchie, a benefit that
Students reveal complications with study abroad process By Zachary Durso Contributing Writer Fairfield’s Office of Study Abroad attempts to push students beyond their comfort zones to experience new cultures and embrace educational opportunities in foreign countries. While it sounds like a smooth and easy transition, many students report several hardships involved in both the prestudy abroad process, as well as when they are abroad. Issues regarding pre-study abroad seemed to primarily focus on complications with registering for classes. Students reported it is very difficult to schedule your classes, especially given that certain courses in other countries will not meet your core requirements for Fairfield. That is why the planning stage, for some, begins as early as their freshman year. Freshman Gabriella Prignano shared that she is “excited to study abroad.” However, she stated, “I’m not
quite sure which classes I will be taking when I go. It is a little daunting since I am undeclared, but I think that the core classes will help me a lot.” Senior Bobbi Shortell, who studied in Brisbane, Australia, remarked on the planning stage for studying abroad: “I would take time to make sure that you study someplace that is right for your major and interests. You don’t want to be stuck taking a class you don’t like your senior year because you are making up for the class you didn’t think ahead for. To add to that, other countries are more suiting for your major than others.” Shortell addresses the fact that certain study abroad locations will offer more courses for your intended major than others. Sophomore Justine Ferrara is currently dealing with scheduling issues this year. “I have already done a lot of my core courses, so it is stressful to be READ
POSITIVES ON PAGE 4
Catherine Veschi/The Mirror Emergency phone systems are located 17 places on campus for students to utilize.
the blue phones have as opposed to cell phones is “we’ll know where you’re at, because it does display on our board where you’re calling from. Especially if you don’t know where you’re at, hit the stinking button, we’re going to show up.” However, Pelazza recognizes that this form of security is an outdated technology, since cell phones are more mobile. “Emergency phones require you to stay static, and if you’re a little bit worried about a suspicious person, and you want to move away from that person, you’re less apt to want to stand by the phone to make the call.” Jones agreed that most students would be more inclined to use their cell phone to call DPS in the event of an emergency than one of the blue phones. She attributed this to the fact that
almost all students have DPS’s phone number, so it’s easy for them to make the call quickly. Additionally, Ritchie noted a few downfalls of the blue phones themselves, including the cost it takes to maintain them, as well as the time needed for a DPS officer to check and make sure all the phones are working, as inclement weather can hinder the phones’ ability to function. According to Ritchie, due to the rise of modern technology and the expense of maintaining emergency phone systems, many universities have opted to do away with their school’s version of the blue phone, since more students seem to be utilizing their cell phones in emergency situations. Despite this, Ritchie says READ
EMERGENCY ON PAGE 2
Bannow receives unexpected visitor By Catherine Veschi News Editor During the afternoon of Oct. 30, a male deer, also known as a buck, reportedly entered the Bannow Science Center through an unopened window on the ground floor, according to Assistant Director of the Department of Public Safety John Ritchie. The DPS officers who responded to the situation reported that the deer sustained injuries while crashing through the window. The officers then tracked the deer to Bannow room GR-27 and turned the incident over to Animal Control. As a result of the injuries the deer suffered from contact with the sharp glass fragments during the collision, “the deer was dispatched in adherence with state and town policies and procedures,” Ritchie said. Sophomore Aleksei Korobow was “really surprised and shocked” when he heard about the incident with the deer. “As I’m walking back to Claver, I saw the deer stuck in thorn bushes with a bunch of officers around it and I couldn’t help but see what they were going to do,” Korobow said. Korobow added that he felt that DPS and Animal Control handled the situation properly and made the Screenshot taken from Studio Abroad right decision in ending the deer’s life “because it was already injured pretty badly beforehand and it seemed like the requirements needed to study abroad. it was in a lot of pain.”