1/30/19

Transgender Troops

Ghosts at the Quick

Down With Iona

Opinion

Vine

Sports

“Ghosts: French Holocaust Children” Comes to the Quick

Men’s Basketball defeats Iona 80-68

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The ban on transgender troops disrespects our LGBTQ+ servicepeople Page 5

THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper

Week of January 30, 2019

Vol. 44 Iss. 13

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133 Victims: What Does Fairfield Owe?

By Sabina Dirienzo Chief Copy Editor

By Alicia Phaneuf Editor-in-Chief

Fairfield University President Mark R. Nemec, Ph.D. and chairman of the board of trustees Frank J. Carroll III ‘89 released an announcement on Friday, Jan. 25 stating that the University and four other defendants had reached a $60 million settlement with 133 victims of sexual abuse by Fairfield alum Douglas Perlitz ’92. Perlitz founded Project Pierre Toussaint, a school for poverty-stricken boys in Haiti. In 2007, allegations of sexual abuse began to circulate regarding Perlitz. He plead guilty in 2010 and will be imprisoned until 2026.

The other defendants in the case include Rev. Paul Carrier, S.J., a former director of Campus Ministry, the Society of Jesus of New England, the Order of Malta and Hope Carter, a member of the Haiti Fund’s board of directors.

The settlement will be considered for approval by the federal court in Connecticut on Feb. 11.

Andrea Bierstein, a partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy Law Firm, sent the amended complaint filed Jan. 25 regarding the settlement with the defendants to The Mirror.

The complaint states that Fairfield University, as well as the Order of Malta, provided much of the funding to the Haiti Fund to operate Project Pierre Toussaint. This was also conducted through fundraising for PPT, and donations were “frequently made out to Fairfield University.”

Students were encouraged to go to Project Pierre Toussaint as volunteers on service missions and were told to contact Carrier if they wanted to go to PPT. Other University staff members also visited PPT during the time of the abuse.

The amended complaint also claims that Carrier and Perlitz had a sexual relationship while Perlitz was a student at the University and Carrier was a chaplain. Carrier has also been accused by one of the 133 boys of molestation, but this is not a part of the settlement.

The amended complaint states that the University “knowingly benefitted [sp] financially from PPT by touting their involvement in PPT as a basis for fund-raising activities” and that it “knew or should have known that Perlitz was traveling to Haiti to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors in Haiti.”

The Mirror reached out to the Executive Office of the President of Fairfield University for comment from legal affairs regarding the settlement. The Mirror was directed to Vice President of Marketing & Communications Jenn Anderson ‘97, MBA ‘02.

“The University played no role in the management or governance of either PPT or the Haiti Fund – the organization set up to raise money for PPT,” stated Anderson. “As an institution committed to service and social responsibility, the University – and a number of individuals associated with it -– generously donated to the effort, which was meant to support abandoned and homeless Haitian youth.”

Bierstein described the ‘red flags’ of sexual abuse at Project Pierre Toussaint. “So, we talk about the fact that the residence was a small house, and everyone there knew there were lots of boys sleeping in Perlitz’s room, and that included volunteers and volunteers from Fairfield who

Out with the Mold, in with the New Carpet in commuter lounge replaced

By Claire Monahan News Editor

knew that the boys were in the house and staying in Perlitz’s bedroom.”

“Later there came a Jesuit trainee who noticed that the boys who were Perlitz’s favorites all had expensive clothes and high-end iPods and privileges that other boys didn’t have. The trainee noticed immediately that Perlitz had boys sleeping in his bedroom and with the door closed,” said Bierstein.

Mitchell Garabedian, the principle attorney of Garabedian Law, also represented plaintiffs in the case. He said that “Douglas Perlitz was always with children. He was always with children in his home. He was always with children in places where he shouldn’t have been. His contact with children was open and notorious. Other adults knew or should have known that his continual contact with children over years was a red flag.”

Bierstein explained that the complaint was not regarding what the University knew about Perlitz’s Claire Monahan/ The Mirror abuse, but what it should have known. “I think as most schools who deal with minor children, have safeguards and procedures in place to make it harder for people to take advantage of children in that scenario,” said Bierstein. “And that was our contention and lawsuits that the University and the other defendants did absolutely nothing to have any sort of rules or safeguards to check up on things.”

The plaintiffs argued that Fairfield University and the other defendants had a responsibility to provide oversight of PPT. “We believe very strongly based on the evidence, and the things the University said when they bragged about this being a program of Fairfield University and their involvement, that they were the ones who had the responsibility to put those safeguards in place and put procedures in place, and send people down to check up on what was going on,” said Bierstein.

Anderson described the University’s relationship to PPT. “Fairfield University, like many universities, routinely provides donations to charitable causes,” said Anderson. “Those contributions are not indications of official affiliation with the recipient organizations, however, the University has taken steps to increase oversight regarding its philanthropic efforts and those organizations that Fairfield supports.”

The $60 million settlement will be divided between the University and other defendants.

Anderson described Fairfield’s financial position. “A significant proportion of the funds to be used in the University’s contribution to the settlement will come through a University insurance carrier.

The University has been planning for this litigation, and any difference has been allocated for and will not have material impact on the financial integrity of the University or its day-to-day operations in serving our students, faculty and the broader Fairfield Community. We will continue to make investments to enhance our facilities and our faculty to ensure that we provide a world-class education to our students.”

Perlitz’s actions of sexual abuse in Haiti is not the only instance where the Fairfield University community was informed of sexual abuse by individuals connected to Fairfield.

Read Fairfield on Page Two

Commuter students came back after winter break to find the molding carpet of the commuter lounge had been replaced. This comes four months after the Sept. 25 flood which lead to standing water on the floor of the commuter lounge.

Charles Sousa, senior associate director of housing operations, confirmed that the carpet was replaced over winter break.

This was done after repairs to the leaking green roof above the commuter lounge were initiated. “They are doing temporary repairs, until they whole roof can be replaced this summer,” explained Sousa.

The patch of exposed piping near the ceiling has also been repaired.

Sousa added, “We are waiting to have the wallpaper installed to complete the wall repairs.”

Commuter students feel that the repairs were not completed in a timely fashion.

“It’s annoying how this place [commuter lounge] is treated.

Had it been anywhere else on campus the issue would have been fixed right away,” said commuter student Matthew Waldemar ‘20, “A lot of people complained and it took so long to move up the chain.”

The Fairfield University Student Association passed a resolution last semester recognizing the extent of the damage to the lounge and promising to advocate for repairs.

The resolution came 65 days after the initial flooding and some students still feel as if they have been hung out to dry: “I am a student here too, where is my support?” asked Waldemar.

News

THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2019

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Checks and Balances?

FUSA Senate tries to tip the scales

By Claire Monahan News Editor

By Sabina Dirienzo Chief Copy Editor

Alicia Phaneuf/ The Mirror

Dunkin’ Donuts could replace the popular breakfast spot of Einsteins Bros Bagels located in the campus center.

Fairfield Runs on Dunkin’

By Alicia Phaneuf Editor-in-Chief

By Sabina Dirienzo Chief Copy Editor A New England staple is coming to Fairfield University’s campus. During the Dec. 12 Campus Sustainability Committee meeting, it was announced and discussed that Dunkin’ Donuts is set to become a part of campus by Fall 2019.

Environmental studies major Julia Nojeim ‘19 attended the meeting and explained, “At the beginning of this month’s meeting it was brought up as a fact by David Frassinelli and Jim Fitzpatrick that two Dunkin’ Donuts would be on campus, coming in later 2019.”

David Frassinelli, vice president for facilities, did not respond to The Mirror’s request for comment.

Jim Fitzpatrick ‘70, assistant vice president for administration and student affairs, confirmed that a Dunkin’ Donuts will be included in the new Dolan School of Business, which is set to open in Fall 2019. “[We’re] working on Library Café [Weil Café] and Barone lobby [Einstein Bros Bagels] now with discussions still on-going; hope to have a decision by spring break 2019,” elaborated Fitzpatrick in regard to where the second Dunkin’ Donuts will be located.

Fitzpatrick explained that this decision was made because “Dunkin’ has a good working relationship with Sodexo.” The University’s official food services provider is Sodexo.

The Mirror staff took to campus, asking students how they feel about bringing Dunkin’ Donuts to campus.

A bill requiring a member of each board under the executive branch of the Fairfield University Student Association to attend every General Senate Meeting will be introduced at the GSM on Jan 30. The proposed bill, which is entitled “A Bill to Provide FUSA Senate Consistent and Transparent Information from the Executive Branch,” speaks to frustrations expressed by senators at previous GSMs. Last semester, President Danielle Rice ‘19 and Vice President Matthew Marshall ‘19 attended a single GSM. The bill would mandate that a representative from programming board, council of student organizations, marketing and public relations board, treasury board and diversity and inclusion board appear at every GSM. The bill cites the FUSA constitution as the basis for this new requirement, “...it is necessary that the Senate has a consistent flow of information about what FUSA is doing and what FUSA is not doing; therefore the Executive Branch has a constitutional duty to provide such flux of information.”

Senators will discuss and possibly vote on the bill at the GSM on Jan. 30 in the Lower Level of the John A. Barone Campus Center at 6:30 p.m.

“Well, I’m jealous because I’m a senior and I love Dunkin’ Donuts. I like Einsteins, but I like Dunkin’ Donuts better than Starbucks,” said Maribeth Mason ‘19. “It’s mostly like a New England thing and a lot of people are from New England here.”

Fellow senior, Joleen Roberti ‘19 agreed. “I would be excited about it because Dunkin’ is my preferred place of getting coffee.”

When asked if students would be more inclined to eat breakfast on campus rather than in town with this switch, Roberti stated, “I think that might be the case because a lot of people leave to get Dunkin’ instead of what we have here.”

Underclassmen expressed their excitement for this addition as well.

“I’m a huge Dunkin’ fan. I almost didn’t come to Fairfield because they didn’t have a Dunkin’,” said Marykate O’Malley ‘21. “But good thing I came because now they’re getting one.”

Sophomore Isabel Gardiner shared an alternative opinion. “I like Starbucks personally, so I want to keep that. But I think it’s good that they’re getting it [Dunkin’ Donuts] in the new Business School.”

Overall there was positive feedback from the student body about the new addition of Dunkin’ Donuts.

“As a former Dunkin’ employee I would love having Dunkin’ here. I don’t really think Einstein’s is the best option on campus, and I would really appreciate Dunkin’,” said Meghan Antonetti ‘21.

“I would be ecstatic if they got rid of Einstein’s and switched it out for Dunkin’,” Elisa DiLuca ‘21. “I would like it if they left the Starbucks, but it’s fine if they don’t. I’m just ecstatic to hear this news, truly – go Dunkin’!”

Fairfield Connections on List of Abusive Jesuits Continued from Page One

On Jan. 15, Nemec sent out a statement regarding the USA Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus’ release of a list of Jesuit priests credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. Thirteen of the priests listed had served at one point at Fairfield University or Fairfield College Preparatory School. Two of the priests who were on the list, Rev. Edmund Power and Rev. James Pratt, were accused of sexual misconduct at Fairfield Prep in 2003.

According to the list, Power only served at Fairfield Prep and Fairfield University; he died in 1976. The dates which he was found to have committed abuse happened when he was working at Fairfield Prep.

Paul Lakeland, the Aloysius P. Kelley S.J. chair in Catholic studies and professor of religious studies, said that in many cases, accusations weren’t made until many years later. “In many cases,” Lakeland said, “the offender is already dead when the accusation of abuse many years before is brought against him.”

Several of the priests listed served at more than one school or university. “I imagine that in some cases someone was aware of the abuse and had the individual moved somewhere else, and this would be long before the victim went public with the accusation,” said Lakeland. “The practice of moving abusers elsewhere, and not informing people at the new location why he has arrived, is something that was quite common in the past, but it is not possible to say from the record whether or not any particular Jesuit on the list was moved because he was an abuser.”

The list notes that all Jesuits who are under current investigation do not appear on the document.

“This is entirely appropriate, since it may be that the accusations have no foundation. But it does mean that there is no certainty that this will be the final list,” said Lakeland.

In his Jan. 15 statement, Nemec said that, “Fairfield University will continue to serve these efforts in any way we can – but most specifically as a University should – by encouraging dialogue, research, respectful conversation, and scholarship, and by holding ourselves as a community to the highest standards of humble self-examination and openness to true conversion of heart, so that we remain true to our mission to serve the faith and promote justice.”

Director of Campus Ministry, Fr. Mark Scalese, S.J. said, “Those impacted by sexual abuse from Catholic clergy, including from Jesuits, certainly deserve sincere contrition for the harm that has been done to them, as well as compassionate care to help heal the trauma they suffered, and assurance that measures are being taken to remedy the situation.”

Catholic studies and religious studies will be holding programs in response to clerical abuse this semester. On Feb. 2 at 4 p.m. professor of religious studies and Vice President of mission and identity Nancy Dallavalle will bring Susan Reynolds, professor of Catholic studies at Emory University to campus. Reynolds will be leading an event, similar to the living theology programs held last semester, with female alums. Reynolds is the lead author of a statement that asks Catholic bishops to resign from their positions following the release of the Aug. 14, 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report on clerical sexual abuse.

“Overall the responsibility of Catholic laypeople is to insist that their bishops take appropriate steps toward total

transparency, and perhaps that serious questions should be asked about the church structures that over the years have encouraged or enabled sexual abuse of minors,” said Lakeland. “Moreover, Catholic laypeople (and not a few bishops) are becoming increasingly vocal in their insistence that bishops alone cannot solve a problem that is in large part of their own making, and that suitably qualified laypeople need to be appointed to positions of executive responsibility for the work of reform and healing.”

On March 30, a conference of theologians, sociologists and journalists will be meeting all day with a 3 p.m. event in the Dimenna Nyselius Library Multimedia Room titled “The Sex Abuse Scandal: What’s Next for the Catholic Church?”

Lakeland spoke as to Fairfield University’s responsibility to those affected by clerical sexual abuse.

“The responsibility of Catholic universities like Fairfield is to see to it that sexual misbehavior of all kinds does not occur on the campus. This includes the abuse of minors by clergy or anyone else, though of course almost all college students are not legal minors,” said Lakeland, “and the focus on this campus might therefore need to be on Prep rather than the university. But it is also true that disproportionate levels of power can lead to forms of abuse that may not technically be illegal but that are entirely reprehensible.”

The President of Fairfield Prep, Rev. Thomas M. Siminsky, S.J., released a statement on the list to the Prep community. In it, he stated, “At Fairfield Prep we have in place stringent guidelines with regard to sexual abuse, and robust processes to ensure that any form of harassment or bullying by anyone on our campus may be safely reported.”

News

THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2019

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The Mirror Reflects on this Week in Social Media: Compiled by Claire Monahan Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety.

Wednesday, 1/23 4:17 p.m.

A student reported the contents of their locker was stolen from the Leslie C. Quick Jr. Recreation Complex. The matter is under investigation.

Thursday, 1/24 3:41 p.m.

There was an elevator rescue in the Thomas J. Walsh Jr. Athletic center. The elevator doors could not be opened and the elevator was not responding with people trapped inside. The occupants were eventually freed.

Friday, 1/25 12:22 p.m.

A student was locked in the fire exit doorway on the ground floor of Regis Hall due to a problem with the locking mechanism. The issue was repaired.

Between 9 and 10 a.m.

A vehicle was reported struck in the Campion Hall gravel parking lot, resulting in damage.

Saturday, 1/26 2:20 a.m.

Multiple exit signs were vandalized in Jogues Hall.

Two students took responsibility for damage. The students were referred to student conduct.

11:37 p.m.

A non-student failed to comply with officer requests at the checkpoint. The individual was issued a trespass infraction and a criminal trespassing notice.

Sunday, 1/27 3:00 a.m.

A suspicious individual was reported by a Campion Hall Resident Assistant. The male was identified as a student. The student was referred to student conduct.

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THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2019

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‘How to be Antiracist’ Author to Speak at Quick Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Convocation to Feature Ibram X. Kendi, Ph.D. on Jan. 30

By Daniel Messier Contributing Writer Fairfield University’s Celebration of Activism event was not only a celebration of activism, but a celebration of life. The event was held as a part of the University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, and was held on Jan. 29 outside of the Dogwoods Room. There was singing, dancing and empowering speeches as a large crowd of students gathered around to celebrate students past, present and future trying to make a change.

First-year Aarushi Vijay read her poem, “Silence,” in which she asks her classmates to speak out against injustices in the world. When asked what the most impactful moment of the event was for her, Vijay, who was representing Performing for Change at the event, responded, “I think the most impactful thing was everyone singing ‘We shall overcome’ at the end.”

Vijay’s sentiment of taking action and speaking out echoed throughout the event and the week of MLK celebrations, which will culminate with the convocation address given by Ibram X. Kendi, Ph.D., at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on Jan. 30.

Kendi will give a speech regarding Martin Luther King Jr. and the fight for racial justice in America followed by a 15-minute question and answer session. Kendi is a historian, contributor of op-eds for The New York Times and The Atlantic and a New York Times Bestselling author. He is also the author

of several award winning books including “The Definite History of Racist Ideas in America” and “The Black Campus Movement.”

“The 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration theme is ‘Fighting for Racial Justice: Renewing the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.,’” said assistant professor of sociology and anthropology Rachelle Brunn-Bevel, Ph.D., who is organizing the event.

Brunn-Bevel continued, “Dr. Kendi will discuss how Dr. King’s civil rights and human rights work are connected to movements for social justice happening today.”

Kendi is considered an authority figure on this subject.

Along with publishing a large body of work on the subject of social justice, Kendi also founded the Antiracism Center at American University.

Kendi’s Antiracism Center, “engage[s] in research of racial inequity and discrimination that leads to policy innovation and implementation.” The Antiracist Center is currently planning an Antiracist Book Festival set for April 27, 2019 in Washington, D.C. that will feature “the nation’s top authors of race and racial justice.” This movement of antiracism is central to Kendi’s philosophy, and will likely be a pivotal topic during the convocation. He is currently writing a book titled “How to be Antiracist.”

Kendi’s work has reached the inside of the classroom as well. Brunn-Bevel stated, “Several faculty members are bringing their classes to convocation and integrating Dr. Kendi’s books

and/or articles into their Spring 2019 courses. There are many students and groups on campus actively striving to be men and women for others. The convocation provides another opportunity for students to galvanize and recommit to social justice work.”

“We hope that the Fairfield University Community will take away from the Convocation what it means to respect and value others regardless of their identities, find common ground with each other inside and outside of the classroom, and continue to work towards a unified campus in meaningful discourse regarding racial justice and inclusive excellence,” said Ophelie Rowe-Allen, Ph.D., 2017 faculty Vision Award winner as well as associate dean of students and director of Residence Life and Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, who is also organizing the event.

Rev. Larri Mazon, director of Multicultural Relations, who recounted memories of black student protest at Fairfield University, told students at the Celebration of Activism, “I challenge you to find what sets a fire to your heart.” Kendi’s convocation will be a culmination of a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. that has emphasized the importance of students advocating for causes that are important to themselves, to their campus and to their country.

Tickets for Kendi’s convocation can be obtained at the Quick Center prior to the event at 8 p.m. on Jan. 30 or can be reserved online or over the phone at no cost to students.

New Social Work Major Introduced

By Julia Monteleone Assistant News Editor

Alicia Phaneuf/ The Mirror

Job Sucess for 2018 Class

By Julia Monteleone Assistant News Editor The Academic and Career Development Center reported that 98 percent of students in the 2018 class received employment or placement in a graduate school or volunteer program within six months of graduating. This makes the class of 2018 the seventh consecutive class to score near perfect in post-graduation employment.

Forty-seven percent of graduates are said to have gained employment by recruiting done through Fairfield University their senior year, 20.1 percent through their internships and 32.4 percent due to networking.

Director of the Career Center, Cathleen Borgman, explained how this data is collected from graduates to compile the annual survey.

“Every April, the Career Center launches the First Destination Survey to the Senior class. This is a short survey that asks very specific questions about the senior’s plans after graduation. We ask if they have finalized their next step (job, volunteer or graduate school) or if they are still looking/waiting to hear from an employer, or if they are going to travel first,” said Borgman.

The Career Center obtains information by not only emailing graduates, but also through their LinkedIn profiles as well as faculty and staff. Borgman explained that they continue to follow up with graduates six months after they leave the University.

“To me it says that Fairfield students are hard

workers, smart and industrious,” Borgman continued. “The success rates we have witnessed shows that students are doing the right things while they are at Fairfield, so kudos to them. We would not see this ongoing success if students were not exploring careers and preparing throughout their four years here. We find that the sooner students engage with the Career Center and career counselors, the better prepared they are to select and pursue a career path that is right for them.”

The highest area of placement was finance, making students in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business successful in receiving jobs in the months after leaving Fairfield.

Alumna Jessica Ling ‘18 felt that Fairfield helped her exponentially when it came to employment and preparation for post-graduation life. A member of the nursing program, Ling is employed at Summit Overlook Hospital in New Jersey.

“The nursing program and the support they offered senior year most definitely helped my friends and I with post grad employment. Not only do I feel like it helped employ us but it helped us get the jobs we really wanted at the end of the day. Every single one of my friends in nursing school got a great job and started pretty soon after passing the NCLEX,” said Ling, who works in the intensive care unit of Overlook Hospital.

Will the class of 2019 manage to do better? Only time will tell.

Fairfield University announced the official launch of a new major in the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies. Applications are now being accepted for students to receive a bachelor of social work along with a masters of social work.

Students can now earn both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work in just five years. The program includes two introductory classes that begin sophomore year and entails 12 required courses along with 450 hours of experience with supervision.

According to Meredith Kazer Ph.D., dean and professor of the Egan School of Nursing, the major was established to further develop the School of Nursing’s range of majors.

“Fairfield University’s health professional programs are growing from the strong platform established in nursing and the pre-health professions. However, future growth is dependent on providing an interprofessional team approach to education that places, nurses, social workers and other health professions together in the classroom and clinical areas for learning,” explained Kazer.

Kazer believes that the social work major not only improves the development of the nursing school, but also allows students to explore other options in health studies fields.

The MSW program trains graduate students to receive training

in becoming a clinical specialist.

Graduates of the BSW program are able to apply to have advanced standing if they choose to do their MSW after graduation.

The prospect of a new major is exciting to current students in the Egan School of Nursing. Junior nursing major Nicole Spinelli commented, “It sounds like an exciting new addition to the nursing program. I believe that it’s important for social work to be incorporated because of the impact it may have on nurses. Social work can help a nurse recognize certain mental or physical problems more closely while providing quality care to their patients.”

Though the social work profession is often attributed to graduates who receive their degrees in psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, Kazer feels it fits well in the nursing school as well.

“The social work major fits exceptionally well with the strong health offerings of the Egan School and has allowed us to expand our strong foundation in nursing with additional health studies options.

While it could have fit well with other majors, the opportunity to align social work with courses of study in nursing and public health will uniquely position our graduates for successful careers across health and social environments of care,” said Kazer.

Classes required to complete the BSW have already begun while the MSW won’t be beginning till Fall 2019.

The ITS Help Desk is Not the Only Solution 4U

By Cara Lee Executive Editor Student Network disconnects, Net ID expirations and Microsoft Office 365 error messages — oh my! No matter how tech savvy someone is, a new network means new problems that can take hours to solve. However, Fairfield University offers the free ITS4U Help Desk in the DiMenna–Nyselius Library, as well as a connecting tech-help phone service, to help find solutions for many of the computer based issues a student might face.

ITS gets repair visits or phone calls from students, faculty and staff alike throughout the year. Despite the immense amount of support they offer for all different computer issues, the ITS staff members as a whole were easily able to identify the three most common repair orders they are consistently approached about throughout the year: lost or malfunctioning Net ID passwords,

Network Registration and obtaining Microsoft Office 365.

“After winter break last year, I came back to campus and realized I got disconnected from the school system,” said Grace Williams ’21. “I went to ITS and they fixed the problem really quickly, and they also took me right away, which was great since I was busy with beginning of the semester stuff.”

One of the IT members who recognized this trend, graduate student Nicole Kwasnaza ’18 MA ‘19, has worked with IT since her junior year and now holds the senior technician position at the Help Desk.

“It usually only takes us a few minutes to fix these problems, but it can be longer depending on how and when we are contacted,” said Kwasnaza. “For example, it does take longer over the phone as the applications need to download and

we can’t see the screens to help the process.”

But the Help desk cannot be open all of the time. Computer crashes cannot be scheduled and, especially during the first week of a school year, the desk can be backed up as first-years try to connect to the system for the first time. When this occurs, the Help Desk has a system in place, called the Information Technology Services Knowledgebase, where students can troubleshoot their own computer issues until, if assistance is still needed, the desk opens again or is less backed up.

“We have a website, which you can access by searching wiki.fairfield.edu, that has templates that walk students through how to connect to the network, recover forgotten passwords and download Office 365,” Kwasnaza said. “I wish more students knew about it. We send an email out around move-in day every year with the link.”

However, many students are unaware that

this website exists.

“I had no clue there was a website!” said Allison Isola ’21, a past user of the IT desk. “When I went to IT as a freshman, it was easy to find, but there were a lot of people waiting for help and that could have been helpful.”

While this website is helpful, there are a number of other things students can do to make their computer experience more pleasant and make the use of the ITS4U help desk, website and phone line unnecessary.

One ITS department staff suggestion is to not ignore Net ID reset emails when they are initially received. This is one of the biggest and most easily preventable issues the Help Desk is contacted for. Once a Net ID expires, it takes longer to create a new password than if you had done so before the expiration date mentioned in the email.

Opinion

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THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2018

Opinion

Editor Lexi Thimble » alexandra.thimble@student.fairfield.edu

A Transgender Military Ban Shames Brave LGBTQ+ Patriots

By Lexi Thimble Opinion Editor Amidst the general divided nature of our current political climate, on Tuesday, Jan. 22, President Donald J. Trump’s administration added yet more fuel to the fire by reviving and succeeding in overriding a policy allowing transgender individuals to serve in the United States military. The New York Times reports that the new policy, “generally prohibits transgender people from military service, but makes exceptions for those already serving openly and those willing to serve ‘in their biological sex.’” It is simply inconceivable how this policy reversal is not being considered a blatant discrimination on the basis of sex, and a direct violation of the rights of thousands of transgender servicepeople to be equally protected under the law.

One aspect of the administration’s release of the policy that struck me most was the allowance of those to serve who were willing to do so “in their biological sex.” If the initial knife to the stomach was reintroducing this policy, this concession was the additional twist.

While not every transgender individual makes the choice to physically transition, choosing instead to identify by pronouns that are typically not associated with their biological appearance, that choice of pronouns is essential to their identity. The connotation of serving “in their biological sex” not only takes away options of physically transitioning, but also of being referred to by the pronoun that matches their identity. This policy traps transgender individuals in an identity and often in a body that is simply not their own.

Much of the cruelty of this policy comes from a blatant ignorance of what the trans experience is like. I myself, as a cisgender person, don’t claim to be an expert, but I have at the very least attempted to learn more about and understand challenges faced by trans people. A very apt and compelling explanation of this experience was articulated in a recent blog post, with the original poster explaining, “A cis woman tries to understand transness by going, ‘what if I felt like/wanted to be a man’ when she should be approaching it as “what if I, a woman, was so easily mistaken for a man that I had to pretend to be one.’” I believe this explanation made the experience click for me a little more than it had previously. Many, including myself, often

see trans people as individuals with a choice and a change to make, something that just happens on a given day. Rather, trans people are already whole and already know themselves completely. It is society around them that perpetuate their invisibility, who cannot see them as they see themselves. Not only that, but as the post describes, this perpetuates a culture which tells trans people that they have to hide, that they have to feel uncomfortable in their own bodies and that to not do so is shameful.

I’m infuriated, but hardly surprised that this administration reignited this policy. While it demonstrates their ignorance of trans people, it also highlights the obvious fact inherent in everything they do: they simply don’t care. There are nearly 15,000 transgender individuals actively serving our country who are brave enough to enter into a service that protects our safety while also weathering this vile discrimination. This measure not only traps current military personnel who have yet to come out or have newly done so, but disrespects the veterans who have already served and may be attempting to do so again.

This administration, headed by a man who has pushed for this policy before and whose vice president has demonstrated time and again an unabashed hatred towards LGBTQ+ people, cannot be allowed to blanket their bigotry under the guise of national security.

Just as the proposal of the wall at the Mexican border is a symbol of Trump’s racism, his insistence on this ban is a clear manifestation of his transphobia.

Creative Commons/Wikimedia Commons and pri.org

Covington Confrontation Highlights Our Country's Current Divisiveness

By Kallan Hook Contributing Editor

students cry that they were not the cause of the problem, but were only trying to settle rising tensions. These boys who wear the “Make America Great Again” hats are exactly what is wrong with America.

Further in his statement, Sandmann claims to be a “faithful Christian and practicing Catholic” who Washington D.C. flooded with thousands of marchers who participated in the annual anti-abortion wishes to live up to the ideals that his faith and the Bible teaches him. Yet, the Bible clearly states "thou shalt March for Life on Friday, Jan. 18. On the same day, the first annual Indigenous Peoples March commenced love thy neighbor as thyself" and the mocking smirk that Sandmann displays is anything but love. Rather, in hopes of raising national attention to the injustices indigenous people currently face. In the midst of the it is hatred. The Bible attempts to unite all peoples, rather than build a wall and segregate each other. Sandcelebration of life and call for hope for indigenous people, a confrontation between two marchers went viral. mann does not portray a faithful Catholic, but rather a xenophobic student who needs to better educate Covington Catholic High School junior, Nick Sandmann, quickly made headlines when he appeared in a himself on American history and its indigenous people. video showing him mockingly smirking at Native American activist and war veteran Nathan Phillips on the Sandmann’s actions of ignorantly chanting steps of the Lincoln Memorial. “build the wall” and disrespectfully smirking at PhilThe viral moment quickly sparked outrage lips’ beats of peace show that his interpretation of the against the “Make America Great Again” hat-wearing wall is not about protecting American borders. Rather, teen, with many Twitter users instantly defending Philit is about race. The hatred and ignorance behind “the lips by calling Sandmann “a bigoted racist” and “ignowall” lies in America’s deep-rooted issues of ignorance rant.” In a statement released by Sandmann and Covand white superiority. The wall is not to protect all ington Catholic, it was claimed that the Covington teens Americans, only white Americans. While Sandmann were taunted and harassed by Black Hebrew Israelites wishes that “he avoided the whole situation,” it is eviprior to the confrontation with Phillips, in which Phildent that he is not sorry for the confrontation haplips only stepped in to defuse the mounting tensions bepening, but rather that he got caught. And, for what is tween the groups. However, further videos suggest that probably the first time in his life, he is facing repercusthe Covington Catholic boys were notorious that day for sions for his actions. harassing other protestors and even mockingly danced Ultimately, this confrontation exploits the to the beats of Phillips’ drum. The Covington Catholic mounting ignorance and lack of education of modern boys knowingly made a field trip to a march protesting America. America’s ignorance is not bliss. It is a retroa woman’s right to choose what they do with their bodgressive mindset that leads to disillusionment and bigies, then sparked viral outrage for chanting racist and Pictured from left to right: Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann oted tendencies. We should not be working to “Make taunting remarks at indigenous people. Now, when they and Native American activist Nathan Phillips America Great Again,” but rather to make America are being held accountable for their actions, these same Photo courtesty of CNN.com educated again.

Editorial Board "To Men: Is it That Hard to Be Better?"

Alicia Phaneuf Editor-in-Chief Cara Lee Executive Editor Deanna Carbone Managing Editor

Gillette released a commercial on Jan. 14 addressing toxic masculinity and encouraging men to make the “right choice.” Through a series of scenarios depicting sexual harassment and bullying, the ad encourages men to step up to the plate and take a stand against abusive behavior.

One of the phrases said during the commercial, which has unfortunately stood the test of time, is “boys will be boys.” Many a man and woman have heard this phrase as either an excuse for their actions, or an excuse for what’s being done to them, respectively.

After the release of this creative ad, the general public took to various social media platforms to express their feedback. Much of this feedback was extremely negative toward Gillette, where some men even threatened to stop purchasing products produced by this company simply out

of spite for the new ad.

Tweets flooded in showing anger towards the ad. One of which stated, “Gillette has made it clear that they do not want the business of masculine men. I will grant their wish. I have used #Gillette razors since they sent me a free sample on my 18th birthday, and I will no longer buy any of their products.” We have watched the commercial many times and one thing we would like to point out is, where was the attack on masculine men? Was it when boys were chasing another boy down the street? Was it when a man was trying to harass a woman? Or was it when Terry Crews said that “men need to hold other men accountable for their actions?” What part of any of these statements is considered to be emasculating?

Others tried to react with reverse psychology, raising the glass-shattering idea of “What

if women were told to be better?” Oh, what if?

I wonder if it was that make up commercial, the bathing suit commercial or was it the latest diet pill being advertised on our Instagram feeds?

Women are told every day through various commercials how to be “better.”

Advertisements and social media are consistently telling women to be physically better. This Gillette commercial is just urging men to just be better people, to look out for one another, call each other out and poor behavior and look out for women. This isn’t telling men that all of them are abusive, but it is telling them to prevent potential abusive actions from taking place. It’s encouraging men to stop using violent behavior. It’s telling men that they can be positive role models in society.

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THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2018

Opinion

Looking Ahead to 2020: Let's Be Better as a Country

By Timothy Dillon Contributing Writer Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren put out a video on Dec. 31, 2018, announcing her plans to run for president in 2020, making her the first high profile Democrat to do so. In the weeks since, several other Democrats have followed suite, including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and Senator Kamala Harris. These candidates are only the first to enter what will likely be a very large field of candidates, all contending to be the one to represent the Democratic Party in the 2020 general election. With the 2018 elections only a few months behind us, some Americans might wonder whether it’s too soon for the next election to begin. The truth is that this election will be very important, and it’s important to take the time to get it right. If Americans learn nothing else from the past few years, we must learn the importance of taking part in our democracy.

With so many candidates running, it will be no easy task to pick the right one. The American people need time to learn about all of the candidates’ stances on different issues and make an informed decision.

Through debates, town halls and reporting, the candidates will be put to the test, and ideally the best w i l l emerge victorious. There are many debates and discussions to be had about exactly what direction is the right one for the country, and the upcoming primary will be the ideal forum for those debates. No matter who wins the primary, we will be better as a country for having undergone the process.

It’s true, of course, that we can’t let the election consume all our attention and distract us from other important

events that will happen between now and November 2020, but I don’t think there’s too much risk of that. If anything, this election will give Democrats a louder voice with which to address the citizens of the United States about the issues facing the nation, with the candidates showing the country and the world a more hopeful and optimistic alternative to the cynical fear mongering of Donald Trump’s corrupt administration.

Standing in contrast to the insane tweets, the heartless policies and the corrupt dealings, there will be a field of candidates presenting a bold and progressive vision for the future.

There’s a lot riding on 2020, and it’s vital that Americans and the Democratic party take the time to get this right. If 2020 goes the same way as 2016, it will affirm all the vile and cynical ways the Trump Administration has attempted to subvert our democracy and our values, and encourage even worse. The actions of the Trump Administration have directly caused tangible suffering to real people and intangible damage to the spirit of our democracy, and it has to stop. Activists and protesters have done a lot to push back, the new House lead by Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be able to do even more, but the only way we can truly and completely end this madness is to pull it out at the root and retake the White House. With such high stakes, it’s important we take the time to choose the best possible candidate.

Pictured from left to right: Democratic presidential candidates Kamala Harris, Julian Castro and Elizabeth Warren Creative Commons/Flickr, glamour.com, theatlantic.com

Lady Gaga Represents the Best of Christianity

By Catherine Santangelo Contributing Writer During Lady Gaga’s Jan. 19 Enigma show in Las Vegas, Nev., Gaga decided to make some very strong political comments right in the middle of her performance of hit song “Million Reasons,” which I believe were very fair for her to say. According to Vanity Fair, while seated at her piano, “Gaga first interrupted her performance to call on President [Donald J.] Trump to end the government shutdown and restore pay to federal workers.” Though this was just a small piece of what she had to say, it was something that needed to be said about the situation of our government, where USA Today reports around 800,000 federal employees were working with no pay or were completely out of work because of Trump’s demand for funding for his border wall. According to USA Today, on Jan. 25, “President Donald Trump and congressional leaders have reached a deal to reopen the government for three weeks,” thankfully calling back the workers who were being effected.

Gaga followed this shout out to Trump by turning her attention to Vice President Mike Pence’s his support of his wife, Karen Pence, teaching at a Christian elementary school that bans employees and students of LGBTQ+ identity. NBC News reports that

“Karen Pence returned to teaching art at an evangelical Christian school in northern Virginia that explicitly bans LGBTQ employees and students.” I understand that religions have the right to believe what they believe, and that the school has the right to accept who they want to accept.

However, with Pence being a large public figure representing a country full of members of the LGBTQ+ community, I believe that it is wrong for him to show any kind of support for such a thing. In the words of Gaga herself, Vanity Fair quotes what she said during her show: “‘And to Mike Pence,’ Gaga continued, ‘who thinks it’s acceptable that his wife work at a school that bans LGBTQ–you are wrong. You say we should not discriminate against Christianity?

You are the worst representation of what it means to be a Christian. I am a Christian woman, and what I do know about Christianity is that we bear no prejudice and everybody is welcome.

So you can take all that disgrace, Mr. Pence, and you can look yourself in the mirror and you'll find it right there.’” While her fans surrounded her, cheering and hollering in agreement and support of her statements, Gaga finished her statement and went right back into her performance.

I find a personal connection to Gaga’s speech. She is a Christian

woman, as am I, and we both believe that our faith teaches us to be welcoming and inclusive because we are all made in God’s image and likeness, despite looks, sexuality, or how anyone defines or identifies themselves. If Pence was simply supporting his wife for going back into the teaching field, then great, but when the topic of banning LGBTQ+ people is included, I find issues with that, as does Lady Gaga. Based on Pence’s response to these remarks by Gaga, it did not seem as though he was simply just supporting his wife, because he not only stood up for Karen and her employment, but he also stood up for this brand of Christian education and their viewpoints. NBC News quotes Pence saying, “We have a rich tradition in America of Christian education, and frankly religious education broadly defined,” and also saying, “We'll let the other critics roll off our back, but this criticism of Christian education in America should stop.”

I do not think that Christian education should be labeled as a negative thing, but when it comes to issues where schools openly ban certain types of people, I agree with Lady Gaga that Christianity is non-discriminatory, and the religion should stick by that belief in order to better connect with our ever changing society. Lady Gaga had every right to make the statements that she made, and they were so full of reason and truth that people are maybe too afraid to say themselves. In our changing world, speaking out and using our voices is all it takes to make an impact, and Lady Gaga definitely has a good handle on doing just that.

Pictured from left to right: Vice President Mike Pence and popstar Lady Gaga Creative Commons/Flickr, viagogo.co.uk

The

Vin e

arts, entertainment, features Editor Gracianne Eldrenkamp gracianne.eldrenkamp@student.fairfield.

Molly Lamendola/TheMirror

The Vine

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THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2019

'Ghosts: French Holocaust Children' Presented at Quick Center

By Molly Lamendola Contributing Writer

It’s their eyes you see first. They stare into you, at you. Brimming with dreams and hopes for the future, of wishes to be nurses, teachers, parents, to grow into whoever they were meant to be in the future. We don’t know them personally. They could be anyone: a sister, brother, cousin, friend, a face seen once in a crowded room. Yet, we do know them. They are the 11,000 French children sent to their death for their religion. They are the faces of Robert Hirsh’s “Ghosts: French Holocaust Children,” a new exhibit being displayed at the Walsh Gallery in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts until March 2.

There are no labels on any of the pieces. You walk around and look at the collages, a mix of large scale photos and mixed media objects and wish to see the names of the children, but there are none to be had. You instead see their eyes. The collages mixing portraiture images

but to feel.

As you enter the gallery there are three fabricated train cars just to the right. Tiny faces peek out just between the gaps of the small barbed wired windows. Stuck in a prison cell, serving a death sentence for a choice they never made, for a life they were born into. Their small space is only delicately lit, just a few of the children’s faces glow in the light. An unknown, and seemingly unintended depiction of the handful of (300) children that survived the Nazi’s purge. Without the labels, without knowing their names, we have no way of knowing the fate of the children displayed.

In the discussion before the exhibit opened, the present and imminent importance of the showing and reteaching of the Holocaust was discussed. Due to the resurgence of antiSemitism in our present time, we no longer look at these faces and see the past. We look into the eyes of these children and see the horrors they saw: the death and destruction of lives and homes, the killings of millions with a six-pointed star placed on their chest, and are remind of what we see when we turn on the news. The terrorist attacks and hate crimes placed on members of the Jewish faith. Crimes performed by people who still see their Jewish neighbors as being different, as not belonging, just as the Nazi’s believed that being Jewish made the French citizens less French.

When studying history, it becomes challenging for many to compare the past to the present. As we wish more than anything for the future to be placed on this pedestal of tomorrow, the possibility and hope for all the good things to come for the next generation, we

Molly Lamendola/The Mirror

Train car with the 300 faces of children who survived the Holocaust Molly Lamendola/The Mirror

"Ghosts: French Holocaust Children" is at the Walsh Center until March 2.

with otherwise blurry backgrounds: unfocused, unimportant. There are other, non-portraiture photos included in the collages that play an integral part in the story being told: birth certificates, the Star of David and newspaper clippings give us insight into a world we were not a part of. But still no labels. This, the blank spaces between each print, forces us not to look and read,

slowly realize, as we see past ideas mimicked and events mirrored in our modern era, the importance of listening to the stories of the past. By looking in the eyes of the innocent and being unable to see what distinguishes them from sisters, brothers, cousins and friends. By taking the time to sit and listen to the children’s stories in the only way they’re able to tell us, we become a witness. A quote said by Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, was read aloud during the opening of the gallery, “Whoever listens to a witness, becomes a witness.”

'Minefield' Sheds Light on Lives of Veterans

By Brandon Robles Contributing Writer Walking into the Aloysius P. Kelley Theatre on Jan. 28 was an odd sight. The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts had set up a large screen on the stage with a makeup desk on the left and a desk with a projector in front of a cabinet cluttered with paper on its right.

The screen would be down for the entire show for the projection of photos and films. In the back, a guitar and drums could be seen. People speaking both Spanish and English were set up in the middle sections of the theatre as the show started and the lights dimmed. This would open to one of the most interesting shows I’ve seen.

“Minefield”’s main cast was made up of veterans of the Falklands War (1982), from both the Argentinian and British sides. In the scene where the audience is introduced to them, we see these veterans as regular people, looking no different than any person you might find on the street. We learn that Lou Armor, Sukrim Rai and David Jackson fought for Britain while Ruben Otero, Marcelo Vallejo and Gabriel Sagastume were Argentinian

Above are the six veterans from the play.

soldiers. Above the stage, a small screen translated what each member said into either English or Spanish, the opposite of whichever language the actor spoke.

The show followed the timeline of the Falklands War. Each cast member was drafted by their respective countries and shared their time in the war through photos and dates from a particular day shown on the large screen. Through costumes and souvenirs, the audience would learn what each member had seen through performed reenactments, such as seeing comrades die or almost losing their lives. Most notably, the cast would give their own perspectives on certain events that occured. For example, the sinking of the Belgrano on May 2, 1982 is covered in depth by Ruben Otero. After crossing into British territory, submarines attacked and sank the boat. In the eyes of Otero, the sinking was frightening as he and other crew members waited out on a lifeboat for aid. The lifeboat floated for days as the crew, anxious, would shout for any assistance they spotted until they were saved. For the British, it was justified given the circumstances of war, and was not given a second thought.

Something that brought the show together were the acts done to present a visual example of events. A scene with a grown man stripping in front of a band is used to explain to the audience what went on in the British side of the war. Humor aside, some of the more dramatic moments were done with only six veterans acting out their memories, while the majority of the crew handled stage effects like lights and projections. From a minefield accident in Wireless Ridge on the Argentines’ own men to the deportation of Argentine soldiers back to Argentina by British forces, “Minefield” sets out to recreate the aspects of war that most films now would over-glorify or ignore. The way the cast were able to work together to present such a powerful show amazed me. Six people had the talent and acting skill to show their history off as what it was supposed to.

Each scene gives the basic understanding of what happened during the war to the aftermath. From archive footage to magazines in the other’s country, members would explain what each country was thinking, where some could even point themselves out in the pictures and film on the screen. There were two countries that were bent on winning against the other, inspired by news and pop culture that they produced. One archive footage was a anthem of sorts to describe the power Argentina had to defeat the British. Letters and mementos that the veterans had kept help illustrate that these weren’t extras seen on movies Brandon Robles/The Mirror where people just shoot everywhere and have epic endings, but rather the harsh and traumatic lifestyle that one can experience in combat. “Minefield” is a wonderful play that deserves the praise and applause it works for itself.

THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2019

The Vine

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'A Simple Space' to Be a Success

By Gracianne Eldrenkamp Vine Editor

Coming all the way from Australia to campus, Gravity and Other Myths, a circus company, will be performing in a high-flying acrobatic show called “A Simple Space” on Jan. 31. The show is guaranteed to be full of amazing physical feats of gravity defying entertainment.

Gravity and Other Myths, although technically a group of acrobats, doesn’t keep their audience at a distance. The chairs will be set up with minimal rows, so viewers can be as close to the stage as possible. That way, there is an intimate connection between the performers and the audience that a circus doesn’t offer.

This mental connection between the performers and the audience is integral to the

show itself. It allows the audience to root for the performers, even if they happen to miss a stunt.

“When we fall, the audience ends up saying, ‘We know it’s hard, but could you do it again?’” Jacob Randell, a performer for Gravity and Other Myths, said. “And then we get up and do it again.”

The performer and audience connection also gives them a once in a lifetime experience of seeing acrobats up close. You can see the sweat as it drips down their face and can hear their breaths.

“We try to bring the audience into our world rather than have them watch a play that could easily be on video,” Randell said.

“A Simple Space,” like the name suggests, will have minimal props. The group will only be bringing a few poles and a mat to the stage. This raises the difficulty of their act and allows their performance to seem almost impossible from the audience’s perspective.

Gravity and Other Myths not only showcases a performance with fast-paced excitement, but it will also have Shenton Gregory, a one-man band that performs entirely live percussion music to go along with the show. He even joins the act for several stunts.

All of the performers for Gravity and Other Myths have a background in youth circus where they learned traditional circus acts like juggling, unicycling and, of course, acrobatics. From there, they went to more elite circus groups to perfect their talents. They train four to five hours a day to maintain their fitness for the highly strenuous activity level their show requires. Although the physical training is the most difficult part of the experience, the most interesting part in the trust the performers have built between themselves over the years.

“The other performers put their total trust in you which is an amazing thing,” Randall said, “It’s something we built up over ten to 15 years.”

“A Simple Space” will be performed in the RecPlex Fieldhouse at 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 31. Tickets are $5 for students and are available at the Regina A. Instagram/Fairfieldquick Quick Center of the Arts.

Performers for the circus company "A Simple Space."

2019 Oscar Nominations: Snubs and Surprises

By Tyler Zikias Contributing Writer Right in the thick of awards season, the Academy has released their nominations for the 91st Academy Awards.

While many are happy with the inclusion of critically acclaimed films like “A Star is Born” and “The Favourite,” many others are voicing their outrage on the inevitable nomination snubs. But, with every snub comes it’s share of surprise nominees. I won’t be discussing the full list of nominees, but rather my view of a few of the snubs and surprises I picked up on. If you want to check out the full list of nominees, you can find them on the official Oscars website.

Snub: Toni Collette

Instagram/Hereditary

The Best Actress race this season is the most competitive of the night’s big awards. Everyone knew that Glenn Close (“The Wife”), Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”), Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) and Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”) would be locks for a nomination.

However, many experts speculated who would sweep up the fifth spot for this category. Several great performances were discussed, like Nicole Kidman in “Destroyer” and Rosamund Pike in “A Private War,” but many wondered if Toni Collette’s impressive turn as Annie Graham in “Hereditary” would have enough traction to get a nomination.

In the end, it was Yalitza Aparicio, an unknown actress who gave her first performance in “Roma,” who took home the final slot. While I think it is great that Aparicio is get-

ting the attention she deserves for a great performance, I truly believe this spot belonged to “Hereditary”’s Collette.

Collette’s performance was rich with emotion and dread.

“Hereditary” places you with her character right after a tragedy, but through Collette’s ticks and line delivery, you can tell Annie has been through so much more. It’s an outstanding performance that would have definitely garnered award nominations had it not been found in a horror film, which the Academy is infamous for ignoring. Many experts even penned her to be the favorite for Best Actress after “Hereditary” released in June 2018. Not only will I argue that Collette gave a better performance than Aparicio, but that she gave the best performance of the year by any actor.

Surprise: Lots of Love for “Black Panther” Everyone knew in February, when “Black Panther” made its mark on the world, that it would be in the talks for Best Picture. People praised its epic scale and world building, while also being able to bring the characters down to Earth with emotional conflicts. The film was nominated for seven total Oscars this year in Production Design, Costume Design, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Original Score, Original Song and Best Picture. After the film was nominated at several other award shows for the equivalent of Best Picture, it was already a lock for that nomination.

The six other nominations were a great surprise for a film that certainly deserves this recognition for the impact that it has made.

Snub: “First Reformed” Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed” was one of the best reviewed films of 2018, earning a 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Upon release, the film was praised for bringing its dark and important subject matter to the screen in what may be actor Ethan Hawke’s best performance of his career. It was already shaping up to be an awards hit when it released in summer of 2018. It was even named the American Film Institute's “Film of the Year.” However, the film was only nominated for Best Original Screenplay, while many believe it should have earned more love in the major categories. Director Paul Schrader could have easily been nominated for the Best Director award, and Ethan Hawke’s incredible performance should have earned him a nomination as well. There are also a few films nominated for Best Picture, like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Vice,” that some believed took a nomination away from “First Reformed.” I tend to agree with these people about the lack of nominations for what is being hailed by many as one of the best films of 2018.

Instagram/Blackpanther

Surprise: Best Picture for Queen and Cheney The film community on Twitter lost their minds when “Bohemian Rhapsody” won “Best Motion Picture - Drama” at the 76th Golden Globes. Many believed the film to be inferior to the other four nominated. The film debuted to mixed reviews from critics with a 62 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was ultimately a huge hit with audiences.

Based on its reception, experts thought its inclusion among the “Best Drama” conversation was solely to bring more viewers to the ceremony due to its popularity with fans.

The film was expected not to receive an Oscar nomination and have no chance of winning solely because the Academy chooses to nominate as they see fit and not to please their viewers. Similarly, the Dick Cheney biopic, “Vice,” was nominated for several Golden Globes before it was even released. However, the film itself was met with mixed reviews from critics with a 66 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, while the performances from Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell were universally praised. Every expert knew that at least two of the actors would be nominated for Oscars, but a Best Picture nomination was unclear due to its mixed response.

Regardless of whether the two were deserving, both films were surprisingly nominated for Best Picture, leading to mixed reactions from fans of the ceremony. Some praised that their favorites were acknowledged, while others rolled their eyes as more deserving films were left unnoticed. A unique surprise, but a surprise nonetheless.

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THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2019

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Viktor & Rolf Make a Fashion Statement

By Sabrina Musto Fashion Columnist

Instagram/Viktorandrolf

If you are someone like me that enjoys keeping up with Paris Fashion Week, you have seen by now the risky Spring Couture Collection created by Viktor & Rolf, which puts a very literal emphasis on expression. The collection, titled “Fashion Statements,” was comprised of 18 over-the-top, avant-garde dresses, all utilizing vibrant spring colors, with the exception of one black dress. However, the frilly looks and outstanding

silhouettes are not what is making this collection a social me- most talked about moment of Paris Fashion Week thus far. dia sensation, but the very clear text incorporated in all of the What do you think? Was this a pure act of genius marketlooks. The designs use a mix of humor, positivity and a little ing to spread the Viktor & Rolf name? Or is this a tacky attempt bit of sass, which I think is a brilliant tactic to inspire view- at trying too hard to relate to a younger demographic? That is ers. The designs included humorous phrases such as, “Sorry I’m truly the best part about fashion, it is always open to interpretaLate I Didn’t Want To Come,” “Trust Me I Am A Liar,” “I’m Not tion!

Shy I Just Don’t Like You” and a simple “NO,” as well as some fairly empowering comments including, “Give A Damn,” “I Am My Own Muse” and even incorporating a bald eagle with the phrase “Freedom” in one look.

The creations clearly fulfilled their intention by speaking for themselves and making very pointed fashion statements, using common phrases found in memes. This collection draws from the Instagram culture and millennial generation and really shows both of the millennial generation stereotypes. On the one hand, some of the looks express the introverted, bingewatching, homebody stigma of millennials, shown in social media memes about the generation wanting to cancel plans last minute to just stay in bed and watch Netflix. On the other hand, millennials are also seen as a generation of activists, and are believed to have a fiery passion for social justice. That is what has made the collection so relatable for millennials and go viral, because it shows the juxtaposition of a group of young people who love to stay home to binge watch the newest shows with the same young people who go out to rallies and marches to show their political activist side.

The collection has generated a great deal of social media buzz, with multiple memes emerging on Instagram and Twitter in response. They include clever captions such as, “me showing up at work tomorrow,” pictured with the dress that says, “sorry I’m late I didn’t want to come” and many more. Combining the Instagram/Trxpicalmami pure and obvious statement you get when you wear a graphic tee with the true explosion of color and unusual shaping, the Model walking for Viktor & Rolf during Paris Fashion Week collection became an instant Instagram hit, and is easily the

Mirror Abroad: Kickin' It With Kat

By Katherine Klima Abroad Columnist

The realization that I would be moving to Galway, Ire- checked). McGann went on to keep the cave a secret for the and all I could do was stare down at the grate and remember land for four and a half months didn’t hit me until I was next thirty years, for some unknown and odd reason, but how my mother always told me not to step on the subway midway through flying over the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a terri- eventually opened it to the public. The cave itself is amaz- grates in New York City because I’d fall right through. fying thought when you suddenly realize that you’ll be mov- ing. It features an underground waterfall, some pretty cool At that point, I didn’t care if it’s been said that J.R.R. ing to an entirely different country on a different continent stalactites and stalagmites and the site of brown bear re- Tolkien got inspiration for “Lord of the Rings” from this without any knowledge of what’s going to happen next. It’s mains— which indicates that brown bears, which were pre- cave. I wanted to make like Gandalf and split. I was not a great deal of change. I wouldn’t be able to see my about this. It was like a scarier version of Magic Kingfriends and family for the next couple of months, and dom’s “Thunder Mountain Railroad.” 0/10 would recomI would no longer be Kat Klima Vine Editor at the mend unless you like that sort of thing.

Fairfield Mirror.

Finally, after scrambling out of that cave, we went Despite the initial fear and hesitation, my leap of to the Cliffs of Moher and I was ecstatic. We had arrived faith in deciding to study at Galway has been thrillat our main destination. The one thing I had been dying ing. Located on Ireland’s west coast, Galway is a city to see all day. However, thanks to Ireland’s weather, it that embodies Ireland. It has pubs that are to die for, was foggy. Like super foggy. I’ve never seen fog as thick luscious scenery and is absolutely rich with Irish culas the fog that day at the Cliffs of Moher. In fact, when we ture. After spending a day there, I could not wait to got there none of us could see where those cliffs ended– take over my new title of Kat Klima Abroad Columwhich was kind of a big problem. nist.

Luckily, after some lunch, the fog cleared and we Since my arrival, I’ve had the chance to also exgot to see the beauty of these absolutely breathtaking plore the Ireland beyond Galway. So far, one of the cliffs. It’s lush, green landscape overlooks the never endmost breathtaking parts about Ireland that I’ve seen ing, crystal blue Atlantic Ocean. Standing on those cliffs —besides the pubs—, and one of my first travel exreminded me a great deal of that scene in the Twilight cursions here on the Green Isle, were the Cliffs of Saga’s “New Moon” when Bella Swan went cliff diving.

Moher.

However, I don’t recommend cliff diving here. You’d On Jan. 20, students who are part of Fairfield probably die being that these cliffs are roughly 214 meUniversity’s Galway program took a trip to the Cliffs ters high, or about 702 feet. of Moher – one of Ireland’s famous natural wonders.

I was terrified of falling off the cliffs. If you get Along with a tour of the cliffs, we also got to visit scared of caves, you’re probably going to be scared of fallDunguaire Castle and the Aillwee caves. ing off of cliffs too. There are barriers that protect you, Our first stop was Dunguaire Castle. The strucbut there are areas where there are no barriers and people ture dates back to the 16th century and it is a massive take loads of pictures. I think the scariest part for me was stone fortress located on Kinvara Bay. Surrounded by climbing up a slippery uphill area. I am very klutzy and immense blue and green, the fortress seems to stand have a habit of injuring myself a lot– a few nights prior very solitarily and majestically from a distance. Seeto this I had tripped and fell into a table. So, climbing a ing it for the first time, part of me thought– hey, I steep, muddy incline is not exactly my cup of tea. I ended wouldn’t mind living there. However, when we got Katherine Klima/The Mirror up getting stuck midway through the incline and had to up close, there was mud everywhere. I think at least Former Vine editor Kat Klima at the Cliffs of Moher. get a friend to help me get up to the top because I really four people slipped and, to make matters worse, we thought if I made one false move I’d shoot off the cliffs decided to trail around the edges of the castle– essentially, viously thought to never been in Ireland, were actually in and into the ocean. Once getting to the top though, the inwe were climbing on very slippery rocks that would lead to Ireland. tense and stunning view was worth every struggle. more sharp and pointy rocks if one happened to slip and Despite the caves being an interesting spot, I am a 5 foot Even though we were covered head to toe in mud by the fall. Despite the safety hazards, Dunguaire Castle was my 11 inch woman with intense claustrophobia. Unfortunately, end of the trip, it was a fun filled day. It was the first time I first look at an Irish castle and I was thoroughly impressed. I did not enjoy crawling in a 3-foot cave that was dripping really got to experience Ireland’s rustic and lush countryside After Dunguaire Castle, we visited our next destina- water everywhere like a five-year-old with a runny nose. As while being able to take in some of its greatest landmarks. tion– Aillwee Cave, one of the oldest caves in Ireland. It had educational as it was to be there, I was ready to start rioting Overall, my first excursion on the Green Isle was a success been discovered by a farmer, Jack McGann, in 1944 when deep inside the mountain. At one point they even had us on and I can not wait to see what other excitement Ireland and his dog fell into the cave (don’t worry, the dog lived. We grates looking down at a natural waterfall inside the cave the rest of Europe brings me. So, tune in next time.

THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2019

The Vine

Page 11

Bellarmine Hosts French Art Exhibit

By Molly Lamendola Contributing Writer

Creative Commons/Open Clip Art

Inkwell Spotlight

By Bronwyn Kelly Co-Editor-In-Chief at the Inkwell

You and I

I gave everything but realized I had nothing I tried to take it back but was not allowed to You finally gave but it’s a burning barren emptiness You wanted repayment but only saw one reflection I kept holding onto nothing but finally I let that nothing go

Me There is beauty in the world yet where my greed for adventure drives all I can get it fills me with an unquenchable thirst for life as I move on from all my afflicted strife to conquer my own weakness

Jean-Honore Fragonard’s “The Swing,” one of the best-known pieces from the French Rococo period, speaks volumes for what we expect from French art. The sweet buttery elegance of the aristocratic French. A soft pink heel thrown into luscious green grass while folds and floods of rich fabric careen around a small, delicate female frame.

We can’t help but wish to be a part of the fun. Though we seem to feel separated, their elegance, poise and wealth seem unattainable to the viewer, we’re destined to always be placed on the outside. As the wish to be part of the seemingly frivolous spending and way of life quickly transforms into resentment, and thus why this piece is often discussed in context with the French Revolution. The lower classes’ anger at the overspending of the top tiers of wealth while they starved on the street. Two sides of one coin and the ever-shifting nature of the French art scene. It would require a trip to London to view Fragonard’s “The Swing,” the beauty of the piece remaining as far from us as we originally believed. But fortunately, an opportunity to get a snapshot into the height of French art has come to Fairfield University through “A French Affair: Drawings and Paintings from the Horvitz Collection” exhibit located in the Fairfield University Art Museum, located in Bellarmine Hall. This look into the French art created during the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries will be displayed until March 29.

Though “The Swing” still remains across the Atlantic Ocean, the collection contains other Fragonard pieces, a few drawings, and a painting. The painting, one of the more impressive pieces of the collection, is placed a bit towards the back, hidden from the eye of the casual off-the-street wanderer, requiring a bit of searching to find his name displayed proudly across a little white card. It’s magnificent, painted sherbert in ghostly tones, the fluffy elegant clouds fading into the background. You wish nothing more than to just inhale. Inhale just once and step into the world seen in his “The Death of Cleopatra,” the world that can now be seen just steps away from my front door.

The collection is separated into two. You begin, where any artist begins: with chalk, or crayon or pencil.

With an impermanent material, you begin with a sketch.

Often, as a viewer, it can be easy to disregard the smaller pieces of art from our vision, as the larger and elegant oil paintings seem of much more interest. But when viewing pieces such as Jean-Baptiste Oudry’s “Love and Folly,” one that is not much larger than a postcard, you can’t help but marvel at the skill needed to pull of such fine detail on such

Molly Lamendola/The Mirror

People visit the exhibit in Bellarmine. a small canvas. The oil paintings, with their assortments of different colors and shades, allow room for mistakes and bleedings and slips of the fingers. But, for an artist to hold control over such simple material as a pencil, all the shading and detailed maintained by an instrument held by millions of young students around the country, you realize the true skill held.

You notice eventually that though the skills transfer throughout each piece, the general retrospective look at over a century of art allows for a closer look at the differing styles in favor at the time. We might begin at the beautiful and desperately romantic Fragonard sketch, “Ruggerio and Alcina Attend a Play in the Palace,” but then walk with just a few steps over and view the later, very starch and perspectively strict Neoclassical Jean-Francois-Pierre Peyron drawing, “Fluvia Revealing the Cataline Conspiracy to Cicero.”

Then the piece we held in our mind as the view of French Art, Fragonard’s “The Swing,” becomes just another note in an otherwise very complicated, and diverse, piece.

It’s not until you enter the incredibly pink section of the gallery, the walls painted an unsettlingly bright shade I could only describe as flamingo, that your breaths start to land a bit heavier. The fluffy fabrics and overall pastel color palette mix with the strong, firm brush strokes of the everconfident French artists and produce magic. As you stare into the eyes of “Genieve-Francois-Laurette Randon Da Malboissiere as Melpomene” by Louis-Michel van Loo and can’t help but feel lesser in her presence. The pearls strung around her neck, a gold crown held in her hand, the crisp white fabric melting around as her waist seems cinched in gold, make her look ethereal, completely untouchable.

Tips to Work Towards Your New Year's Resolutions

By Sabrina Trueheart Copy Editor It’s January, which means many of us are fighting to keep our new year’s resolutions, like vowing to not touch junk food, exercise more often or eat more fruits and vegetables. The struggle is real, especially at school where clubs you’re a part of host events where cupcakes will be served or you’re up late studying and need a pick-me-up. It’s hard to quit anything cold turkey – it takes baby steps to be able to walk away from our guilty pleasures. This can make new year’s resolutions tricky, because many of us believe that, once that clock hits midnight on January first, we are a new person with a new mindset, so we won’t get back into any of those habits we had the year before. But the truth is that we are the same person, we just need to figure out how to better ourselves without cutting out everything we label as “bad” for us, but makes us happy. Things take time. A similar pattern can be seen with dieting; we eat everything we are “supposed” to for a couple of weeks, then we binge. Goals are not about stopping everything we do the moment we tell ourselves to stop – goals are about implementing the change over time; this is why it is a goal. If your goal is to eat healthier and exercise more in 2019, you are not alone. Here are three “baby steps” that will help you implement the change in your diet and exercise habits in the new year, without quitting cold turkey: 1. Start by doing something at least once a week Anything can be done once a week if you put your mind to it! By slowly incorporating gym or veggie time into your schedule, you are more likely to start doing it more than once a week. If you have that free time, there’s no reason to not start working towards your goals!

2. Keep a journal to track your progress Writing down what you eat or what workout routine you that day can really help you implement big changes. By physically seeing what you are eating or how much you are kicking butt at the gym, you are telling yourself you can, and you will. There are even a plethora of apps for Apple and Android phones where you can journal what you eat, like the Mindful Eating Journal app.

3. Make it an obligation Many people feel more motivated to exercise if they sign up for a class. If we make exercise or eating healthy an obligation, we are less likely to say “forget it.” If your goal is more to eat healthy than to exercise more, then try to implement the change by purchasing healthy snacks and meals. The Stag Spirit Shop is filled with organic, protein-packed snacks with minimal amounts of sugar. By purchasing only healthy snacks, you are more likely to eat what you have rather than spend your money on something you don’t.

If all else fails, remember that not eating healthier or exercising as much as you had hoped is not the end of the world, so don’t beat yourself up over not making progress by the end of January. What’s important is knowing what you want, and not worrying about how long the change is taking – if you can visualize it, you can implement it and you will see results.

Creative Commons/Open Clip Art

Creative Commons/Open Clip Art

THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2019

Coffee Break

Page 12

Coffee Break Editor: Julia Crews julia.crews@student.fairfield.edu

THE COFFEE BREAKDOWN A Comprehensive Guide to Caffeine on Campus The way I see it, there are three main options: the Daniel & Grace Tully Dining Commons, Einstein Bros. Bagels and the Weil Cafe.

EINSTEIN’S Iced Coffee: Much, much better than the Tully’s excuse for iced coffee.

THE TULLY

The line is long most mornings, which is a definite drawback,

Iced Coffee: It says it’s coffee, but is it? Take my advice: Do not go near this watery substance that might taste a bit like coffee. It will haunt you every night afterward, asking why you dared to trust it.

Rating: 1/10

but when looking for a midday fix, Einstein’s is the place.

Rating: 6/10

LITERALLY ANYTHING AT THE WEIL CAFE: It’s basically Starbucks, so you can’t go wrong. The only negative is the location, which is somewhat out of the way. But

French Vanilla Cappuccino: Definitely a formidable option, possibly the best when it comes to the Tully coffee options. The perfect, sweet caffeine boost you’ll need to get through the day.

if you’re about to start a long stretch of studying at the Library, this pretty-much-Starbucks Coffee has got your back.

Rating: 7/10

Rating: 9/10 Italian Cappuccino: The French Vanilla’s sophisticated older cousin, this is almost as good and definitely my favorite for nights when I still have a few hours of work to get done before bed. (Tip: add ice cream once it’s cooled for a great dessert!)

Rating: 8/10

Creative Commons/pixabay

The Coffee Words COFFEE EXPRESSO FRAPPUCCINO MOCHA MACCHIATO ICED thewordsearch.com

CAPPUCCINO CAFE AU LAIT LATTE AMERICANO

THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2019

Sports

SPORTS

This Week in Sports:

Sports Editors: Dan Montgomery and Patrick Getz »daniel.montgomery@student.fairfield.edu

Page 13

Weekend Update

In Case You Missed It:

Saturday, January 19th

-Men's Basketball lost to Canisius, 73-68 Sunday, January 20th -Women's Basketball lost to Niagara, 71-68 Thursday, January 24th -Men's Basketball lost to Siena, 57-48 -Women's Basketball defeated Iona, 55-42 Friday, January 25th -Women's Tennis lost to St. John's, 5-2 Sunday, January 27th

Photo Contributed by Sports Information Desk

On Jan. 24, both the Fairfield Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving teams were recognized by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America. They were named to the Scholar All-America Team for the Fall 2018 semester. To earn this honor, teams were required to post a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and maintain a roster of 12 or more student-athletes. The Men’s Swimming and Diving team posted a team GPA of 3.23 for the Fall semester, which resulted in 40th place in the nation and tied for second in the men’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Women’s team posted a 3.32 GPA for the Fall 2018 semester, which came out to be fourth best in the women’s MAAC rankings. Head coach Anthony Bruno expressed his excitement and happiness for his teams as he said that it, “is the highest GPA for both the men and women since I have been here. We plan to keep getting better in the classroom.”

-Men's Basketball defeated Iona, 80-68

Upcoming This Week: Thursday, January 31st -Men's Basketball at Manhattan, 7 p.m.

Friday, February 1st -Women's Basketball at Manhattan,

Photo Contributed by Sports Information Desk

On Jan. 23, as baseball season is upcoming, the Fairfield University announced that Fairfield University Friends of Baseball will host their ‘Hot Stove’ reception on Feb. 7 at the Park Ave Tavern in New York City. It will include speeches from current Fairfield baseball staff as they look forward to the 2019 season when it begins in late February. The event also has established itself as a alumni network event and is something that head coach Bill Currier highly anticipates every year. Last year, over 35 alumni attended the event to hear insight and updates about the Fairfield baseball program and where the program plans to go for the future, beyond 2019. The Fairfield Stags will start their season in Cary, N.C. where they play a four-game series against Penn State on Feb. 22.

7 p.m.

Saturday, February 2nd -Men's Basketball at Marist, 7 p.m.

Sunday, February 3rd -Women's Basketball vs. Monmouth 2 p.m.

In this week's issue...

- Super Bowl LIII: Old School Meets New School (Page 14)

- Women's Basketball Handles Iona, 55-42 (Page15)

- NHL All-Stars Take Center Stage in San Jose (Page 15) - Sold Out Alumni Hall Electrifies Stags, 80-68 (Page 16)

Sports

Page 14

THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2019

Super Bowl LIII: Old School Meets New School

Photos Taken From Sporting News Third-year starter Jared Goff (left) looks to further cement his worth as the number one overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft as he takes on 41-year old Tom Brady (right) who is looking for his sixth Super Bowl ring.

By Dan Montgomery Co-Sports Editor A changing of the guard is on the horizon come the evening of Sunday, Feb. 3. The New England Patriots, a mainstay in February football, face off against the young gun Los Angeles Rams who have officially arrived on the scene. Each team reached the Big Game in dramatic fashion, as both were crowned Conference Champions after scoring overtime victories. The Patriots outlasted the Kansas City Chiefs 37-31 in the AFC title game while the Rams eeked out a 26-23 win over the New Orleans Saints in the NFC title game.

The Patriots once again return to the Super Bowl with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady leading the charge. This is the ninth time in the duo’s history together that they have played in the final game of the year, having gone 5-3 in their previous appearances. Brady is a four-time Super Bowl MVP, who at age 41 is playing his best ball of the season at the right time.

In the game against the Chiefs, Brady threw for 348 yards and a touchdown, before he led the Patriots on a vintage Brady game-winning drive to end the game. Two touchdowns from running back Sony Michel gave the Patriots balance in the run game and allowed Brady to repeatedly find his favorite targets in Rob

Weekly 4x5 Because we have witty things to say ...

How was your first $2 Tuesday?

What did you think about the Conference Championship games?

Amazing per usual. The Grape and I was just happy the Cowboys did not make it to the NFC ChampiI are a match made in heaven.

Dan Montgomery onship game.

Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.

On the Rams side, second-year quarterback, Jared Goff, and wizkid head coach Sean McVay have propelled the Rams to their first Super Bowl appearance since 2001. Goff ’s 297 yards and a touchdown aided by a score from All-Pro running back Todd Gurley gave the Rams offense everything it needed to push past the Saints. Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh showcased a frightening Rams defense that Brady will face pressure from all game long.

Despite the difference in experience between the leaders of each team, I am giving the Rams the edge in this one. Gurley will not allow himself to be silenced like he was in the NFC Championship game. Aaron Donald will prove that he is the best defensive player since Lawrence Taylor on the world’s biggest stage. And best of all, Sean McVay will out coach Bill Belichick. I predict that the Rams win 28-24 in this one.

Your 2018-2019 4x5 Columnists:

Dan Montgomery, Patrick Getz, Chris LaZazzera and Alicia Phaneuf What are your thoughts on Tony Romo announcing the Super Bowl?

Did you attend the Talent Show on Saturday night?

Rather have Paul George or Russell Westbrook?

Disgraceful. He should never be anywhere near a Super Bowl.

Yes, Timmy Salit and Scott Daly looked wonderful out there :)

People are on the George train lately but Westbrook is still my guy. One of the only players left in the league who plays like he wants to win.

Co-Sports Editor

It felt like I never left... Nothing better

The Patriots did their usual thing by winning a third straight AFC title but the Saints/Rams game should have ended differently.

I am happy that Tony Romo will get the recognition that he deserves on the biggest stage.

Oh yes and every act was great especially the Men's Cross Country team. They should have won in my opinion.

Paul George for me... He can do anything on the floor, offensively and defensively. George is a better shooter, free throw shooter and clutch player.

It was so packed I couldn't even Chris LaZazzera get in!

WE'RE STILL HERE #GOPATS

I wish Gertzy was announcing it instead.

Yes indeed, the first one I've attended here at Fairfield. Perry McCarthy was an amazing mermaid!

I hope Russell Westbrook gets knocked out by someone one of these days so I'll take PG.

GO PATS!!! I knew they could pull through in those last 2 minutes!

We all know Brady will be the only man getting my attention on Sunday.

Patrick Getz Co-Sports Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

Alicia Phaneuf Editor-In-Chief

Sadly could not go, had to be up at 5AM Wednesday morning! On that work grind!

I did!! Shout out to my pal Seamus for taking that first place spot!

Who?

Sports

THE MIRROR | Week of January 30, 2019

Page 15

Women's Basketball Handles Iona, 55-42

Contributed by Sports Information Desk Redshirt junior Katie Armstrong recorded 10 points with two assists and shot four-of-eight from the field in 37 minutes. She was second on the team in scoring behind junior guard Sam Kramer against Iona.

By Chris LaZazzera Assistant Sports Editor Losses of 10 points or less are tough. They test a team’s character and can have a devastating effect on how a team approaches their next game. Riding a six-game losing streak that included five losses of 10 points or less, the Fairfield University Women’s Basketball team was in need of a win. On Thursday, Jan. 24 the Stags played a game of inspired basketball in a 55-42 victory at Iona College against the Iona Gaels.

Fairfield not only clicked on the offensive end, but also played a stout defense the entire game. Holding Iona to only 42 points scored and 24 percent shooting were season bests for the Stags. The Gaels only hit one of their 14 attempts in the first quarter, allowing Fairfield to grab a double digit lead (14-5) very early.

The Stags’ defensive effort fueled their offense after one quarter of play as seven different players scored in the contest. Guard Sam Kramer ‘20 poured in 13 points and guard Katie Armstrong ‘20 also had 10. Forwards Lou Lopez Senechal ‘22 and Khadidiatou Diouf ‘19 each finished short of double figures with nine and eight points a piece.

Iona never lead throughout the entire game and Fairfield was able to lead by as many as 17-points after the third quarter. Fairfield held Iona to just 12 made baskets from the field, the least by any opponent this season.

With this losing streak over and first conference victory secured, Fairfield will look to keep grinding one game at a time and continue improving as their record is now 4-14 on the season. The Stags host another Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foe, Siena College, on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. at Fairfield’s Alumni Hall.

NHL All Stars Take Center Stage in San Jose

By Julia Lanzillotta Contributing Writer The National Hockey League’s most elite players flaunted their skills at the annual All-Star game this past Friday, Jan. 25. Forty-four of the best men in hockey were hosted by the San Jose Sharks’ at their home rink in Northern California, the SAP Center. The Atlantic Division, Central Division and Pacific Division were led

by Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers respectively. Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals was selected as the captain of the Metropolitan division, but he opted out of participating to rest and was not replaced. Ovechkin’s absence resulted in a mandatory one-game suspension, as this is a newly mandated penalty for choosing to abstain from involvement in the contest.

Kendall Coyne Schofield broke barriers as the first female to ever participate in an All-Star skills event.

The 26-year-old five time gold medalist at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women’s Championships and one time Winter Olympic gold medalist gave her competition a run for their money during the Fastest Skater Competition. She registered an impressive time of 14.376 seconds, but incumbent Victor McDavid showed up completing the challenge in 13.378 seconds and upholding his title as fastest skater for the third year in a row. Coyne Schofield was joined on the ice by other female talents including Brianna Decker, Renata Fast and Rebecca Johnston, all of whom participated as well.

Fan-favorite Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins (26-16-6) missed Friday’s Skills Competition due to illness but returned on Saturday at full strength. He tallied 8 points in two games this weekend; 2 goals and 1 assist in the first game against the Atlantic Division, and 2

goals and 3 assists in the final against the Central Division. Crosby was instrumental in leading the Metropolitan Division to victory (10-5) in the final. He earned himself the title of MVP, as voted by fans. This was the first time Crosby received such an honor in all four of his All-Star appearances. He is now the sixth player in NHL history to win All-Star MVP, as well as the Hart and Conn Smythe trophies.

This weekend was monumental for lifelong hockey faithfuls, as new enhanced puck and player software was introduced and tested. The league announced that come next season, all 31 arenas will have the progressive software installed and working. Broadcasters toyed with new features to give viewers a preview of the capabilities that the technology has, such as the ability to record shift length, distance travelled, skating speed and much more.

Feedback was welcomed on social media platforms like twitter and well received by NBC so that by next October, the technology would be used not just for its intelligence, but also for its competence to make watching hockey a more enjoyable and entertaining experience.

Those players who were not selected to represent their teams in California had a well deserved bye week at the same time as the All-Star game occured, just past the halfway mark of the 82 game regular season. Already, talk is stirring regarding which teams will secure their spot in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs in late May. The Tampa Bay Lightning (37-7-2) are on everyone’s radar, as they have had an outstanding season. The Bolts have competed in 18 of the last 20 playoff runs, but the franchise has never hoisted the cup. They lead the league in wins, and are closely trailed by the Calgary Flames (33-13-5). The Flames bumped the Winnipeg Jets (31-15-2) out of their

second place spot on Jan. 22, which they held for five consecutive weeks. Calgary also remains strong at the top of the Pacific division.

The reigning Stanley Cup Champions, The Washington Capitals (27-17-6), currently fall second to the New York Islanders (29-15-5) in the Metropolitan division rankings. April is coming fast, and New York has certainly surprised their fans and competitors this season.

The Islanders haven’t seen a playoff series win since 1983.

Despite their beloved captain and six-time all star, John Tavares, signing as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs (30-17-2) last year, the team has proven that they can manage sufficiently without their long-time leader.

Currently, the Boston Bruins (27-17-5) and the Pittsburgh Penguins are taking up the Eastern Conference Wild Card spots. The Penguins have won 2 Stanley Cup Finals in the last four years. They must fight for their number two spot, as the Buffalo Sabres (24-18-6) are on their heels as they fall behind only four points.

The Western Conference Wild Cards are the Dallas Stars (24-21-4) and the Colorado Avalanche (22-20-8).

The Edmonton Oilers (23-24-2) are only 3 points behind the Avalanche for the second wild card. Their captain, McDavid, reminded the media of how tight the race is while assuring the public that the despite the firing of their general manager and president of hockey operations Peter Chiarelli this past week, Edmonton will forge on.

While it is still too early to get a clear picture as to who will emerge triumphant, 31 teams will narrow to 16 in the contest to earn North America’s oldest professional sports trophy.

@MirrorSports Fairfield Mirror Sports Week of January 30, 2019

fairfieldmirror.com

SPORTS 16

Sports Editor: Dan Montgomery and Patrick Getz » daniel.montgomery@student.fairfield.edu

Sold Out Alumni Hall Electrifies Stags, 80-68

Contributed by Sports Information Desk Sophomore guard Jesus Cruz registered a team-high 24 points as he shot 53 percent from the field, including going three-for-five from distance and grabbing five boards. He also made all three free throws.

By Patrick Getz Co-Sports Editor The Fairfield University Men’s Basketball team faced Iona College in Fairfield University’s Alumni Hall during a Sunday matinee on Jan. 26. For the first time since 2011-12, Alumni Hall was sold out. The excitement was palpable and the players certainly fed off the crowd’s energy.

The Stags came out firing on all cylinders and playing with a purpose. This resulted in Fairfield scoring 10 straight points to start the game without the Iona Gaels recording a single basket. All 2,479 fans in attendance were loving every second of it. The Stags played amazing defense, rotating almost perfectly, only giving up five points in the first seven minutes as Fairfield held a 15-point cushion.

During this electric start to the game by Fairfield, guard Jesus Cruz ‘21 scored eight quick points which included two three-pointers. From minute one, he attacked the basket and took shots with ultimate confidence, which helped him lead his team with 24 points against Iona as well as shooting 53 percent from the field.

“I am just trying to be aggressive and pick my spots. They were laying off me first so I tried to make them pay with my jumpshot. Then, when they started closing in on me, I tried to do my game and drive [to the basket]. I put a lot of work in and trust my game. I was happy I was able to come out and produce the way I did,” said Cruz.

Fairfield held a 17-point lead going into the second half, demonstrating complete control on both sides of the ball as the Stags outscored the Gaels 42-25. First-year point guard Neftali Alvarez scored eight points and grabbed five of his seven rebounds to go along with three assists in the opening half. As a whole, Fairfield had eight assists compared to Iona’s three. Ball movement and sharing the basketball gave the Stags the upper hand.

In the second half, Cruz and junior guard Landon Taliaferro scored 24 of Fairfield’s 38 points in the final half as Taliaferro went 11-12 from the free throw line in the game, clearly showing his aggressiveness, and driving it into the basket. The Stags never

let up against Iona, almost doubling their point total from last game against Siena College, where they only scored 48 points.

Head coach Sydney Johnson enjoyed seeing his players attack the basket and get to the free throw stripe as the Stags went 20-25 from the line. He noted how this created opportunities throughout the game and how it was instrumental in Fairfield’s win on Sunday.

“The attempts were really important for us because it meant we were being aggressive. I love seeing Landon with 12 free throws. We are really pushing Landon to attack the basket if they chase you off the line. It was also really important that when we did get fouled, we rewarded ourselves. They did not become empty possessions,” said Johnson.

On the defensive side, the Stags played top-notch defense, causing 19 Iona turnovers as well as defending the three-pointer effectively, only allowing the Gaels to connect on three three-pointers.

“Basketball is a real simple game. The real mark of a team is when you watch how they defend and you watch the bench, you can see the cohesiveness of the group. I thought we defended pretty well because we were giving each other the greatest effort we could” said the Stags head coach.

Johnson, along with all the players, thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere in Alumni Hall, playing in front of a sold out crowd. Every single player and coach on the sideline fed off of the excitement.

“It was wonderful. I have to tell you, I absolutely love playing on campus. There is nothing like it and it helped us today. And our guys love it too. We want to be here as often as possible because it’s special,” said Johnson.

The Fairfield Stags now hold a 6-15 record as they travel to face Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foe Manhattan College on Thursday, Jan. 31 in Riverdale, N.Y.

Contributed by Sports Information Desk Alumni Hall (left) sold out for the first time since 2011-12 as there was not a dull moment throughout the game. First-year gaurd Neftali Alvarez (right) scored 11 points and grabbed a team-high seven boards.