Trump’s Offensive Language
Constellations
Women’s Soccer
Vine
Opinion
Trump’s disparaging comments make mockery of his office.
Sports
Advanced theater students perform “constellations” for Independent Project.
David Barrett named head coach of women’s soccer. Page 16
Page 8
Page 6
THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper
Week of January 24, 2018
Vol. 43 Iss. 13
@FairfieldMirror
Follow us! FairfieldMirror.com
Rally for Justice Met With Low Student Turnout
Alicia Phaneuf/The Mirror A group of students and Director of Music and Liturgy Dugan McGinley, Ph.D. sang as the Fairfield community gathered in the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. (above). Senior Zavon Billups spoke at the event, addressing the ghetto party that occured at the University two years ago (below). The rally connected MLK and solidarity with custodial workers.
By Deanna Carbone Co-News Editor By Connor O’Rourke Assistant News Editor In support of the fight for equality and fairness, a Martin Luther King, Jr. Rally for Justice took place in the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The evening was centered on several different injustices and how they have impacted Fairfield University. Through songs from the civil rights movement era and speeches, faculty and students gathered in solidarity to create a dialogue to move forward without ignoring the injustices of the past. However, the rally seemed to have a low turnout with about 20 attendees. President and Founder of the Black Student Union Fairfield Zavon Billups ‘18 stated that, “I wish there was a bigger turnout. However, I believe the essence of the MLK rally, and impact that activism at Fairfield has had was preserved and for that I am grateful.” Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Christine Siegel introduced the theme of finding truth. “When one finds the truth, they can speak it to power,” said Siegel. Read Custodial on Page
Fairfield Reflects on Government Shutdown By Juliana Sansonetti Co-News Editor President Trump signed a bill on Monday ending the government shutdown that had been in effect since Saturday, Jan. 20, according to CNN. This shutdown closed down government activities that are deemed “nonessential,” while things like military and law enforcement, social security checks and air traffic controllers remained active, according to Vox. Assistant Professor of Politics Gayle Alberda explained some of the effects that the shutdown could have had on University activities while it was in effect. “For professors, grants that have been submitted will likely not be reviewed during the shutdown, thereby halting research. Additionally, federal agencies that also have data on their websites, such as the U.S. Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, might not be able to keep their data updated during the shutdown, which can impact research and student learning,” Alberda said. “For the most part, federal funding for student aid (20172018) has already been disbursed. Funding the Pell Grants, where students obtain some aid, is mandatory, thus unaffected by the current shutdown,” Alberda continued. “But, students who need a
passport to study abroad might experience delays.” First-year Krista Detulio explained how she believes students can remain aware of issues involving the government shutdown. “Do your research, look at the news every day and know what’s going on,” Detulio said. “Stay aware and stay on top of things so that you know.” The shutdown was caused by Democrat and Republican senators disagreeing over the passage of the federal budget. However, now that a temporary budget has passed, the government will continue to function normally until Feb. 8. “I think it should be a good thing because it gives them more time to prepare,” said Zack Ervin ‘19. Issues such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Children’s Health Insurance Program were major conflicts for senators when they voted on the budget. Democrats refused to accept the budget without a promise from Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that DACA will be further discussed in February. Chair of the Politics Department Dr. Janie Leatherman commented on the aftermath of the shutdown. “I think it is possible that the government would shut down again, especially if there is no solution on DACA, which is a key issue for the Democrats. However, it appears the Republicans will
attempt to secure as many of their priorities as possible, including funding for border security and increased military budget and limits on what they call ‘chain migration,’ while their commitment to a solution to the DREAMers is not certain.” Leatherman further explained that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans could gain much from keeping the government open. Leatherman explained that the political costs of the shutdown included “Democrats [being] vulnerable to Republican accusations that they shut the government to advocate for illegal immigrants, and Republicans unable to govern effectively even though they control the Congress and the White House.” Alberda explained some possible fallouts of the shutdown during election season. “Polls indicate that most Americans believe the Republican Party is responsible for the shutdown,” Alberda commented. “The question is will this affect the Republican Party’s ability to retain their seats, thereby keeping majority in Congress? Or will it affect their ability to get re-elected?” Leatherman seemed to agree with this sentiment, adding, “The bottom line is Republicans could have avoided a shut down if they had been willing to build a consensus with Democrats.”