2/20/19

Ilhan Omar Backlash

Alcohol for Students!

Opinion

Vine

Ilhan Omar doesn’t deserve the backlash she’s received over her anti-lobbying coments.

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Women’s Swimming Sports Women’s Swimming and Diving wins MAAC title for second straight year.

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Fairfield students comment on alcohol consumption.

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THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper

Week of February 20, 2019

Vol. 44 Iss. 16

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Grape Times for Townies

Photos contributed by each of the presidential candidates

FUSA presidential and vice presidential candidates pose together in front of Fairfield University sites.

Four Tickets, One President

By Mimi Loughlin Contributing Writer

The candidates are prepping. The lights will shine. The cameras will flash. On Feb. 21, the Fairfield University Student Association Presidential / Vice Presidential Debates will take place at 5:00 p.m. in the John A. Barone Campus Center. Until then, let’s get to know our FUSA presidential and vice presidential candidates.

This was the question posed to every candidate: “What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected as FUSA president and as vice president?

What are changes do you wish to see? What do you hope to preserve and strengthen?”

Thomas Boutros ’20 and Danielle Tringali ’20:

Boutros: I understand FUSA isn’t really everyone’s favorite organization on campus, but FUSA is for the students, by the students. Whether you’re a student leader, RA [Residential Assistant] or NSL [New Student Leader], we really believe everyone should have a voice.

Tringali: We want to collaborate with other departments and go directly to the people who can help us make change happen. One thing we want to change is to have office hours for all the boards. We want to make everything transparent and accessible.

We want people to know that we’re not just an office downstairs.

Read FUSA on Page Two

By Caroline Mahar Contributing Writer Michael Jackson’s “Man in The Mirror” is blasting through the speakers at the Seagrape. The clock reads 9:45 p.m. as the breakdown commences at Fairfield University students’ favorite bar.

As the chairs are stacked and moved to the side, the couple of stragglers dance with pool sticks while bartender and bouncers begin mouthing “Man in The Mirror.” An older man, perhaps in his fifties, begins to belt the song into the bottom of his beer. He calls the bartender over and asks for another shot and a jack and Coca-Cola.

I glance toward him and he says, “don’t mention my name.” “Don’t mention my name. I don’t want to be in the story. I could write a book about this place.”

A woman saunters over to him and jokes that he will never remember her name, although she has known him for years.

“I remember when you would ride off on your bike after a night out,” she laughed.

The bartender chimes in, “and we would tell him to just walk the bike back.”

She laughs and hugs the man. He turns to me and asks what I want to drink. I tell him vodka cranberry. The DJ begins to play music from the hits 100 chart and the man frantically asks the bartender if it is already 10 p.m. The bartender nods.

“Already?!” the man yells and grabs his jacket. He exchanges words with me for a while, none of which I can really decipher, except for that he keeps yelling, “I am a townie!” and then stumbles out the bar just as the disco lights turn on.

The bar’s afternoon crowd of regulars file out and preparations are underway for an evening crowd of rowdy college students. Anything suspect of makeshift weaponry use is put in the back, including the darts and pool cues. The place is well prepared for a wild group and is just short of being bubble wrapped.

Within 15 minutes, the scene will transform from a couple pals hanging out, reminiscing about old times, and discussing future endeavors, to a sweatyheated pack of students in their 20s pounding back shots while trying to get laid.

The townies and the students might drink from the same watering hole, but rarely ever at the same time.

Where it all Began…

Prior to being the Seagrape, the bar location has been known under multiple names since the 60’s and 70’s – one notable name being The Nautilus back in Read Bar on Page Two

Rice’s Veto Holds: FUSA Senate Backs Down

By Sabina Dirienzo Chief Copy Editor

By Claire Monahan News Editor

The Fairfield University Student Association Senate failed to override the veto of a bill that would require a member of every Executive Board to attend every General Senate Meeting at the GSM on Feb. 13.

The FUSA Senate meeting opened with Lauren Oemcke ‘20 asking, “Is anyone allergic to nuts?”

The GSM featured director of treasury Thomas Urciuoli ‘19 answering questions from senators about the state of the FUSA Budget. Senator Tyler Heffern ‘22 began the questioning by asking about the allocation of funds within the budget.

Central to the questioning of Urciuoli was the issue of the Red Sea Madness ticket sales.

Urcioli admitted, “That was obviously a loss to FUSA” in regards to RSM, which put FUSA in debt because they did not sell as many tickets as planned. Urcioli did not expect the lack of attendance at RSM to become a pattern.

Senator Ali Haidar ‘21, who was the original sponsor of the executive board bill, spoke in favor of overriding the veto. Oemcke challenged the override arguing that members of the executive branch never committed to attending GSMs. “FUSA isn’t everyone’s life here,” said Oemcke.

The gallery included the heads of every board within the Executive Branch except for the Council of Student Organizations. On the other side of the gallery were students, who booed and applauded during debate.

The veto override failed to pass, earning 3 ayes, 15 nays and 1 abstention. Senators Robert George ‘19, Ali Haidar ‘21, and Sarah Bowden ‘22 voted to override. After the veto override failed, most of the students in the gallery departed.

FUSA also passed a resolution recognizing Black History Month with a unanimous vote.

Another bill sponsored by Haidar, which was originally on the agenda but not debated at the Jan. 30 meeting, regarded FUSA’s rights to freedom of expression as an organization. One facet of the bill debated by senators was FUSA’s right to boycott, Haidar explained that FUSA should have the power to boycott companies who don’t align with the Jesuit values.

The freedom of expression bill narrowly passed with 9 ayes, 4 nays and 6 abstentions.

The Senate also voted on a resolution to open a constitutional convention that would rewrite the FUSA constitution. This resolution passed the senate. If three fourths of every title-holding member of FUSA vote yes, the constitutional convention will be held this semester.

There is not yet an agreed-upon procedure for writing or passing a new constitution.

News

THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2019

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FUSA Presidential Candidates to Debate Continued from Page One We are there for them. We want to help them.

Boutros: At the end of the year, we’re all here for four ish years, and making it the most for everyone is really central for us as candidates and as Stags.

Brian Gozzo ‘20 and John Callanan ’20: Callanan: Right now, our athletic events do not have a super-high attendance rate. We would like to channel energy towards Fairfield Athletics. We would also like to create more events that people who are 21+ can enjoy. Students who are older – they’re going off campus. They’re not re-involving themselves with the campus. We want to keep them involved in order to build up school spirit.

Gozzo: We’d love to see Red Sea Madness get a little more credit. People usually go for the concert. They’re not as excited for the actual pep rally that’s involved with it. We want to change the focus from the concert to the pep rally.

Callanan: We’re running in order to get the disparate groups of Fairfield University to support each other and their Fairfield community.

Claire Monahan ‘20 and Noelle Guerrera ’21: Monahan: Our platform is Stags for Stags. We’re working on solving issues of freedom of assembly and freedom of speech in residence halls. We’re also working on Tully improvement [The Daniel & Grace Tully Dining Commons] and on modernizing academic buildings- there’s no water bottle fillers in Donnarumma [Hall]. We want to improve the registration periods.

We want to improve student input in the Fall Concert. We want

to work on making Fairfield a more environmentally conscious campus.

Guerrera: The mental health clauses on the syllabi are really important to us. I was on the Academic Affairs Committee where we wrote the properly worded mental health clauses for syllabi. Coming back sophomore year, I noticed some of these blurbs weren’t on some of my syllabi.

I went with current FUSA Vice President Matt Marshall to talk with the faculty committee on Student Life. They asked us, what can faculty do to help students? Soon, Matt Marshall and I will be going to one of the faculty school wide meetings to present the mental health clauses.

We also want to get more options for international students in the Tully Dining Hall. I was an NSL last semester, and one student from the Pacific Rim kept telling me that he couldn’t adjust well to the food here. He just wanted to have his comfort food.

We spoke to Mr. [Jim] Fitzpatrick [‘70, Vice President of Administration and Student Affairs] and the managers of Sodexo, and now the stir fry section includes noodles, more meats and different vegetables from a variety of countries. Now, every Wednesday outside the stir fry section, there’s a chef who comes in and makes a new dish so that these international students can have different food options.

Jennie Toutoulis ’20 and Meghan Jackson ’20: Toutoulis: The completion of mental health clauses on syllabi is crucial to us. We want to make sure these clauses are as widespread as possible, making sure they are on every syllabus.

We also really want to develop a better relationship between students, [Office of] Residential Life, and the Department

of Public Safety. We’re all students, we’re all Stags, but there is a need for rules. There is a reason why residential life and DPS do the things they do. We would love to have a more open dialogue where students feel that they really know what the rules are.

I also think RAs have a really hard job on campus, and I would love to work with RAs so they know how appreciated they are and how much we value them.

Jackson: It’s hard to be the person yelling at a person on Saturday night and sitting next to them on class on Monday. It’s something that I’ve experienced as a FUSA event programmer.

It’s difficult.

Toutoulis: Our relationship with athletics is so valuable to us. One thing Meghan and I want to do if we are elected is to bring the student body along with us on this planning journey.

Red Sea Madness is such a massive event, whether you attend or you plan to go next year, and we can send updates over the summer. School spirit is something a lot of people want to see, but it has to come from the school.

Summarize your presidential goals in one sentence.

Boutros and Tringali:Students Supporting Students.

Gozzo and Callanan:Change Fairfield can believe in.

Monahan and Guerrera: Stags for Stags.

Toutoulis and Jackson: Friendly faces, open ears!

You can vote for your favorite candidates on OrgSync until Feb. 26.

This interview has been edited and condensed. To read the full article, visit fairfieldmirror.com Disclosure: Claire Monahan is the News Editor for The Mirror.

Bar Regulars Form a Community Saturday.

“Let the damn kids party because that is what we did, and it’s what makes this town,” said Eddie.

Andy also said the students are what keep the bar going. When the locals are at home, the college kids are at the Grape, and vice versa.

Somehow the students and townies always seem to remain separated, but they know the importance of one another. And something they both share is how much the Seagrape means to them.

Townies and students alike see the bar as a haven where friends can get together, hang out and make memories.

Like passing ships in the Long Island Sound, as one group exits, the other enters.

Their Lips Are Sealed…

A few regulars were enjoying drinks and laughing with buddies. Most of them male and drinking beers. They were all on different sides of the bar, two near the door, four playing pool, three near the bathroom, but they all walked about and chatted with one another. The lights were dim, and it was just starting to get dark outside. The faint smell of Lucifer’s Lettuce combined with the already stale Grape air wafted around the room. Lee Schultz, a Chicago man who was working in Fairfield for a couple months, was with his buddy Patrick Wiebel.

Both were accepted into the Grape community and spent their afternoons there daily.

Lee leaned towards Patrick and gestured to Caroline Mahar/ The Mirror him, making a matter-of-fact face while saying, “I The ceiling of the Seagrape Café is a hall of fame that boasts fake IDs taken by bouncers over the years from students. can smell it from your pocket.”

Patrick looked concerned, but only for a split Continued from Page One Eddie said the only time a bouncer would ask for your ID second before realizing he didn’t care who knew. back then was if you were a cute girl and they were trying to “Me too,” I said. get your name. Today there is even a portion of the ceiling, the 80’s, old Fairfield students remember the bar under that Lee turned to me and said don’t put that in your story, perhaps more menacing than the old neon machine, with name. It was not until November of 1985 that The Nautilus and Patrick said, “aw just let her put it in,” – so there it is. dozens of fake ID’s stapled to it in lengthy rows. Fake ID’s are closed. The Fairfield University class of 1986 searched for an Chatter commenced about how he got the pot for $20 constantly confiscated and even cut up on occasion. alternative oasis to spend their nights partying, but nothing from a generous guy. For the next hour or so people came One night, a girl caught his eye at the bar. At the time adequately filled the space of the beloved bar. in and out, all locals, each one knew everything there was to she was a student at Fairfield University, and now she is his Finally, they came up with solution to temporarily fill know about the other. wife. The Grape community continued to be such a big part the gap. The tradition they came up with is still carried out by Each time one entered and exited, a sing song of hellos of his life that he said nearly half of his wedding invitations Fairfield students today – the “floating nauts.” Most students and goodbyes echoed, “Bye Andy, later John...” and the list were sent out to friends whom he had met at the Grape. It was today know them more as “naut parties.” Back in the ‘80s went on, until everyone was accounted for, even the bartenda community, and he was a big part of it. He was friendly with Fairfield University students did things a little differently. er, Termain. everyone who walked through the door, knowing them all by Instead of a couple kegs – there were dozens. And instead A majority of the guys were reluctant to opening up to name, exchanging a friendly wave and smile. Once a student, of one house hosting the event – there were dozens. The an outsider, especially a Fairfield U student. and now a townie, the Grape always remained a prevalent students would “float” from house to house to engage in what “I don’t talk to the press. Don’t quote that though.” part of his life. was their makeshift Nautilus Bar. And even the instances of fake names were too comMost of the locals are open to saying that the bar needs The “floating nauts” did justice until the new bar mon amongst the group of guys. the college kids to stay afloat. Without the students, many of opened up the following spring. That new bar was the SeaOne man, who went by the name of Russel Laufer, grape Cafe, and it took the town by storm. Students and locals them realize they might not last. But, unlike the locals, the refused to have his voice recorded because “then people will college kids are transient. The locals will always be the locals, flocked to enjoy good beer and great company. know who I am.” and the students will always be the students. But, sometimes One of those student was Andy Litterer — a current Which of course prompted me to question if the name there are rare cases where the students become the locals, like townie, who once used to party like a Fairfield University that he gave me, Russel, was even real. A man across the bar Andy and Eddie. student. In 1995, Andy and his buddies went to the Seagrape told me “Russel” was really John, but stopped at that after Symbiosis to drink beer like it was their job, scoped out girls like their catching on to the fact that John wanted to remain under a Andy, Eddie and the majority of the regulars of Grape masculinity depended on it and attempted to score free shots. pseudonym. Getting information from them was like pulling Andy attended the local bar starting when he was eight-years- community agree that kids will be crazy, and are okay with teeth. It was like everything that happened at the Grape was it. The dynamic between the college kids and the locals is old, arriving in style on the back of his dad’s motorcycle. like a night in Vegas. It was hush, hush, unless you were there hard to pinpoint. But, one thing we know for sure is that the Before he was of age, Andy and his friends would you aren’t getting the dirt, and we aren’t speaking of it. It was Grape locals are not the type of townies to call the cops on the spend time outside the bar weighing their luck on if they some inner sanctum for them that outsiders couldn’t penestudents, because they were just like them. would be denied access or not. They were always nervous to trate, especially not the students.

In fact, as a Fairfield Alumni, Eddie is unimpressed take the gamble because of a machine near the window that It was a community. A community of mechanics, elecwith a lot of the parties today. Back in his day the students was adorned with neon flashing lights. Him and his buddies tricians, construction workers, you name it. But, more than were allegedly a lot less soft. Most of the locals think its due were sure it was there to catch fake ID’s. It turned out it didn’t anything, it was a community of friends who came together to the watchdog beach residents who are constantly reportdo that at all, and was most likely there for show. Back in the to drink beer and crappy vodka. ing students for simply playing their music at 9 p.m. on a day, the security wasn’t as strict on students as it is today.

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THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 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, 2/13 9:06 a.m.

A vehicle was abandoned in the rear parking lot of the Leslie C. Quick Recreational Complex.

Fairfield Police Department was notified and the car was identified as belonging to a student. The vehicle was removed.

2:17 p.m.

A University vehicle was struck and damaged.

The matter is under investigation.

Friday, 2/15 2:04 a.m.

There was an incident of misuse of a parking pass. A permit belonging to another vehicle was found on another student’s vehicle. The students were referred to student conduct.

Saturday, 2/16 8:25 a.m.

Fairfield Fire Department was notified and responded to a stove top fire in the kitchen of a townhouse.

THE MIRROR Incorporated 1977

Alicia Phaneuf, Editor-in-Chief Cara Lee, Executive Editor Deanna Carbone, Managing Editor Editors Sabina Dirienzo, Chief Copy Sabrina Trueheart, Copy Claire Monahan, News Julia Monteleone, Assistant News Lexi Thimble, Opinion Gracianne Eldrenkamp, Vine Alle Scanlon, Assistant Vine Julia Crews, Coffee Break Patrick Getz, Co-Sports Daniel Montgomery, Co-Sports Christopher LaZazzera, Assistant Sports Business Department Email: info@fairfieldmirror.com Natalia Macchio, Director of Finance Advisor Professor Matt Tullis Contact Information Fairfield University 1073 North Benson Road, BCC 104 Box AA, Fairfield, CT 06824 General email: info@fairfieldmirror.com

News

THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2019

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The Long Walk to Dolan Hall

By Cara Lee Executive Editor

With the recent findings that the Fairfield University Counseling & Psychological Service Center utilization is above the national collegiate average and that students do continue to feel there is a negative stigma surrounding mental health on campus, students are concerned. Several students believe that, while the University is trying to help with the issue through events such as the Oct. 12 low-turnout Mental Health Awareness Walk and by raising awareness through the use of posters, the school could do more to help. One way of doing this would include making more students aware of the Counseling Center and its events.

“I never heard about the walk,” said Tara Genovese ’21, one of the 69 out of 100 students surveyed who reported they were completely unaware of the walk as well as one of the 32 who were unaware of Counseling’s free private counselling sessions. “And I didn’t know that Counseling offered any free counseling sessions to students.”

The associate vice president for Health and Wellness, Susan Birge, EdD, MS, LPC, explained that Counseling is already in discussions of how to better reach students about these events, and to investigate if the low turnout was caused due to lack of student knowledge or lack of student interest.

However, there is also a drawback to the Fairfield University Counseling & Psychological Services that nearly 60 percent of students surveyed students think is a concern. The location. Counseling is located far away from the center of campus, past the townhouses, by Dolan Hall.

“It’s kind of far away, which is nice for confidentiality reasons, but, yeah, it’s a long walk to get to, especially if you’re feeling really, really bad,” said an anonymous sophomore, who wishes to remain anonymous as her friends do

not know about her struggles with mental health. “To walk all the way up there, just feeling miserable is not… It’s not a good thing.”

Lauren Paidas ‘20, a long-term advocate for mental health due to her own continuous fight, agrees.

“I live in Meditz, I use the counseling services, and knowing I have to make that long walk, especially on a day I don’t feel well, makes me feel discouraged and makes me not want to go to counseling at all,” said Paidas. “I’ve even been tempted to cancel because of it.”

Those interviewed who do approve of the current Counseling Center location did understand the struggle with the distance, but also see it as a good thing, giving those using counseling services more privacy.

“I don’t think that the Counseling Center should be moved to the center of campus, for example the BCC [John A. Barone Campus Center] where there is a lot of student activity, because that would not allow for appropriate privacy measures,” said Eileen Michaud ’20. “But, since it’s so difficult to get to the Counseling Center, I do think it should be moved closer to main campus so it can be more accessible to students.”

This is a topic several University officials identified as being discussed, and Birge revealed that the new Health Center bus route, which went into effect October 2018, was partially made in response to this issue.

“The University has committed to running a shuttle pretty much all day from the BCC and looping it up [to the Health Center and Counseling],” said Birge. “This is a big help so, on those rainy days, cold days, or class ran late days, students can hop on a shuttle and come right up here, and that’s... a commitment on behalf of the University to say: let’s make it more accessible.”

In acknowledgement that there is still a stigma surrounding mental illness on college campuses, though

stressing that she believes the stigma is reducing, Birge explained that the shuttle will drop students off by the Dolan Hall traffic circle, so others will be unaware if students are entering Dolan Hall, Dolan House, the Student Health Center or Counseling.

“I think that, with college students at this point in time, you’re always going to find some stigma, some reluctance,” said Birge. “And I think students value their privacy. I think some of them don’t want to talk about it or deal with it. I think that’s factored in.”

While receiving more intense treatment during her semester away from Fairfield, Paidas came to the realization that helping people with mental health by sharing her story and hearing theirs is what she wants to do with her life. To start doing this pre-graduation, she began an Instagram page, Motivation_for_Mental_Health, where she shares motivational quotes, thoughts and experiences with her nearly 300 followers, many of whom attend Fairfield, and created a build-a-house program that uses “music and movement” to support those struggling with mental health.

Paidas still has times that are difficult. Mental illness does not just go away and she knows that it’s all on her.

That, on bad days when she wakes up feeling horrible, she’s the one who has to make the decision to do the “right thing” and get out of bed.

“But it’s also important to remember that, and there’s a quote I love about it, more of a reminder, your mental health is more important than anything else,” said Paidas.

“More important than a test or an interview, a lunch date or a meeting, even more important than a family dinner or a recital. You need to take care of yourself before anything else, because if you are struggling with mental health, your whole life can turn into a constant uphill battle without an end in sight.”

Fairfield Points to New Publication day.”

By Julia Monteleone Assistant News Editor

Eleanor Davis is no ordinary Fairfield University sophomore. She is the creator of Fairfield’s latest fashion and lifestyle magazine.

“My name is Eleanor Davis, I’m a sophomore Communications major, I’m going to minor in Graphic Design and I am from Short Hills, N.J. I have three brothers, two dogs — Millie and Rosie, and they’re very important to me.”

Titled “The Point,” Davis started the magazine during the Summer of 2018. What began as an Instagram of the same name with a few followers became an account with over 500, a website and a staff of 30 students and growing.

“We weren’t associated with the University until about two weeks ago. We wanted to create our own platform separate from them and see if we could build our own standing, seeing who we could discover without the University on our backs. We also wanted to take it to the University and say ‘we want you to do this with us because we have done x, y and z and we can show we have all this,’” explained Davis.

Davis and her core team have already have met with and been approved by Council of Student Organizations, and now only need the signature of the dean of students, William Johnson, Ph.D., in order to be a University recognized club. They hope to get funding and go into print in the coming year.

For Davis, fashion is more than just a hobby. An avid follower of major fashion magazines, she commented that for her, “Vogue” is like her very own adult picture book. However, she found that by the end of her first year, she was lost.

“My freshman year I was really focused on friends, trying to stay healthy and getting good grades. When I finished I found that I had no creative outlet for the first time in my life. I was lacking a purpose. Nothing was driving me to be different,” continued Davis, with her face alight with excitement, “but I’ve loved ‘Vogue’ for my entire life. I am one of those people who gets a ‘Vogue’ issue and doesn’t talk to anyone for the rest of the

Davis wanted to give Fairfield students an outlet to talk about some of the things that truly matter to them.

“I just wanted to give people a relevant voice on things that matter to people our age like — what to wear to a party, what to wear to a job interview — nobody really cares about that stuff except for us,” explained Davis. “And because of that no one has come out with a way that we can come together and talk about things that we actually care about.”

She smiled. “The things we care about are what makes us, us.”

Her passion for “Vogue” also influenced her decision to become affiliated with the University with the goal in mind to go into print. She talked about her love for the design of “Vogue”’s layout, complete with perfume samples that make reading it an experience that uses multiple senses — touch, see and smell.

But running the magazine has been no easy task.

“I run the Instagram, two girls run the VSCO, one girl runs the Spotify account. Me and my best friend Liza [Rozenberg ‘21], who is the co-creative director, we run the site. So there is a core team of about six people,” she continued listing her responsibilities. “I run the Instagram because its my baby and i don’t want to give it up. I approve articles and the VSCO and the spotify account. I run all of the meetings, I do most of the recruiting — I get no sleep. I come up with most of the new ideas too.”

One of her latest ideas was implemented for Valentine’s Day and premiered in the format of a column on “The Point”’s website, thepointm.com. In honor of the holiday, she had student’s submit anonymous love letters to be displayed on the website.

The website has various sections such as Lifestyle, Beauty and Wellness, Culture, Food and Fashion. She explained that soon they will be launching their Destination Guides.

Check out the website and Instagram for what Eleanor Davis and her staff can be found doing next.

Photos Contributed by Eleanor Davis

Davis shows off her outfit for a photo.

Pediatrician to Give Talk on Climate Change

By Julia Monteleone Assistant News Editor Some may think that pediatrics, moral philosophy and climate change do not have anything in common, but Rev. Andrea Vicini S.J would disagree.

The Center for Catholic Studies will be hosting a lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 20 titled, “Saving Earth: Ethics, Health Care and the Common Good.” Open and free to all members of the community, the Bellarmine Lecture will take place in the Dolan School of Business Dining Room at 7:30 p.m.

The lecture will be given by Vicini, a pediatrician and member of the Society of Jesus. According to the article released by Fairfield University, these credentials are, “roles which have shaped his strong opinions about how theological bioethics

can support healthcare professionals, activists, political leaders and believers in the pursuit of global health and environmental sustainability.”

Vicini is the director of the Sacred Theology Doctorate program at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, along with being an associate professor of moral theology. His lecture will focus on the consequences of of climate change on Earth if the problem is not given more attention.

Though agreed upon by 80 percent of scientists, the effects of climate change are still widely disputed, especially in the political sphere.

President Donald Trump infamously announced that he felt that climate change was only a hoax invented by the Chinese. Vicini’s lecture plans to bring to light the consequences of such beliefs on the future of the Earth.

“Fr. Vicini brings a unique perspective to the question of the future of life on earth,” chair

of the Center for Catholic Studies Paul Lakeland, Ph.D., commented. “He may indeed, for all I know, be the only Jesuit priest who is both someone whose academic specialty is Christian ethics and at the same time a pediatrician. And if you add to that the fact that he has research interest in astrobiology, which is the study of life throughout the universe, then we can surely expect a point of view that is a little different from what one normally hears.”

According to the News@Fairfield article, Vicini also was apart of co-editing two collections of work, “Just Sustainability: Technology, Ecology, and Resource Extraction” (with Christiana Z. Peppard) and “The Legacy of Vatican II” (with Massimo Faggioli). Coming soon is his his work on “Emerging Issues in Theological Bioethics: Global Health, Regenerative Medicine, Neuroscience, Synthetic Biology, Nanotechnology”.

The Center for Catholic Studies hosts a

variety of events such as this throughout the year, though Lakeland felt that there are none quite like this one.

“I am not sure that there is anyone else quite like Vicini, but Catholic Studies sponsors three or four lectures each semester, bringing in major figures from around the country.” Lakeland continued. “Later this semester we will have a talk on art, religion and poetry, a talk on how female rabbis and religious sisters collaborate and a talk from the editor of the New York based Catholic journal, Commonweal, entitled “The Last Catholic Boyhood.” The line-up for the fall includes a professor from Georgetown who has authored a book on Jesuits and music, and—in collaboration with the Canisius Academy—a visit from Fr. Greg Boyle, a west coast Jesuit famous for his work with former street gang members. All the details will show up on our website, www.fairfield.edu/cs.”

Opinion

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THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2018

Opinion

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

Ilhan Omar is Anti-Lobbyist, Not Anti-Semitic mous money on lobbying Democratic and Republican members of Congress in order to promote its proIsraeli stance. According to the nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit Center for Responsive Politics, AIPAC spent over 3.5 million dollars on pro-Israeli lobbying efforts in 2018. AIPAC is notoriously known In this day and age, rarely is there an issue in the United States of America that allows both political for its cutthroat lobbying in which it goes after anything that appears shaky in regards to the issue of Israel. sides, the left and right, to criticize it at once. However, time and time again shows that the discussion of The organization led efforts to oppose the Obama-era Iran Deal, and led support of the Trump AdministraAmerica’s controversial relationship with Israel is the exception to that rule. This was seen with the uproar, tion’s withdrawal of that deal. However, AIPAC is all but a small part of a pro-Israeli lobby. For example, from both Democrats and Republicans, that came when Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Mich.) criticized since 1990, the pro-Israeli lobby has inserted around $143,362,385 into its lobbying efforts. the powerful, pro-Israeli lobbying group: The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee. On Feb. 10, The Could Congresswoman Omar have reworded her tweet in a better way? Sure, but to levy accusaIntercept journalist Glenn Greenwald tweeted about House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Ca.) tions of anti-Semitism against her is completely slanderous when it is clear that her tweet was referring comments, which threatened to punish the new Congresswoman, simply for her criticisms of Israel. Omar to the pro-Israel lobby. In fact, President Donald Trump, who has called on Omar to resign, and his allies responded to the comments by retweeting Greenwald’s tweet and stating that, “It’s all about the Benjamins in Congress have all taken an actual anti-Semitic position. GOP leader McCarthy accused three Jewish baby.” Quickly, the congresswoman was accused of anti-Semitism, to which she clarified that her tweet was billionaires — George Soros, Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg — of trying to influence the 2018 midreferring to AIPAC’s pro-Israeli lobbying efforts. Omar was quickly charged with anti-Semitism from the terms. Another Congressman who espoused anti-Semitism is Steve Scalise (R-La.), who, in 2002, attended a right, her own party and by prominent figures like Chelsea Clinton who stated that white supremacist convention hosted by David the American public should expect all “elected offiDuke, a former Ku Klux Klan leader. The PresCreative Commons/Wikimedia Commons, Wikipedia, BBC.com cials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not ident has even enabled anti-Semitic remarks traffic in anti-Semitism.” throughout his 2016 campaign and during his Congresswoman Omar is the latest pubtime in the Oval Office. For example, during lic figure to be defamed and smeared by critics who his campaign, the president refused to criticize believe that criticism of Israel is synonymous to antiDavid Duke, and has stated that there were Semitism.This is also not the first time that a cam“good people on both sides,” after a neo-Nazi paign of slander was waged against a public figure march in Charlottesville, Va. In fact, the presi— Professor Marc Lamont Hill was fired from dent continued his prejudiced remarks when CNN for his pro-Palestinian and anti-Zihe stated that anti-Semitism is, “deep seated onist statements and civil rights activist in her heart,” when referring to Omar in this Angela Davis had her award revoked Islamophobic trope. by the Birmingham Civil Rights InstiCongresswoman Omar tute for simply criticizing Israeli polapologized for her remarks after a malign icy towards Palestinians. Regardless campaign of slander by the Democratic of who you are, if you criticize Israel leadership and the Republican opposior voice an ounce of support for the tion. All Omar was doing was stating the Palestinians, you will be attacked and obvious about how powerful lobbyists falsely labeled as an anti-Semite. have become — especially the pro-Israel The ferocity of the attacks lobby. However, Israel is considered to be against Omar show that any criticism of Isuntouchable for most politicians, even rael is not only taboo, but also indicative that it is a while Israel pursues undemocratic and subject that America needs to confront head on. It Pictured from left to right: Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and House Minority Leader Kevin apartheid-esque policies towards the ocshould not be a surprise that AIPAC spends enor- McCarthy cupied Palestinians.

By Ali Haidar Contributing Writer

Fairfield Shouldn't Restrict Students' Freedom Over Their Education

By Catherine Santangelo Contributing Writer All of us have experienced professors who include a section in their syllabus strictly for the use of electronics in class. Most of them say no cellphones in class, which I completely understand; however, on the topic of laptops and other note-taking electronics, some professors say students may use them in class, some specify when it is appropriate to use them and some say they are not allowed to be used at all. While I personally write my notes by hand, the ability to use electronics to take notes in class is a student’s right. For professors to prohibit the use of laptops for note taking is wrong, especially if taking notes using an electronic device is more beneficial for the student.

Many students would agree with me that there are multiple reasons why they should be able to type their notes in class. First off, people pay a lot of money for laptops or other electronics for school because they are absolutely necessary for completing certain assignments, as well as accessing emails and online course postings. Professors telling their students that they are not allowed to use their electronics in class is a waste because of how much money was spent on those electronics and students can’t even use them in class. The use of them should be for both in and out of class time.

Typing up notes is also beneficial because some students don’t have the best handwriting. If they take their notes by hand, it could be detrimental to them when they need to refer back to their notes and cannot make out what they say. Having the option of typing notes so that they can read them better in the future is not only beneficial, but necessary. Typing notes is also much faster than writing. Some professors move so quickly in class that, when I am writing notes, I am sometimes not able to get all of the information down. With the use of electronics, student are better able to keep up with the lecture and take down all the necessary information. As an added bonus, not only

Editorial Board "So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye!"

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

is the use of laptops for note taking beneficial for students, but it is also beneficial for the environment because it saves paper!

In-class electronics use can also be beneficial in ways that some professors may even enjoy adding to their curriculum. I have experienced some classes where online activities were used to help illustrate a lesson better. This is a great way for students to utilize their electronics in class, while still doing something academic. In this technological time, there are so many amazing websites and online applications that can really spice up a lecture or engage students more in the lessons.

There are obviously reasons as to why some professors choose to not allow students to use their electronics in class to take notes. The main reason being that professors know students will get distracted and start doing something other than taking notes on their laptops during class time. It’s valid for professors to think that this is happening, because let’s face it, a lot of students start texting friends on their Macs, or scrolling through social media feeds, or maybe even catching up on their latest binge show on Netflix. However, there are also those students who are interested in the course, and genuinely want to pay attention and take notes on their devices, so professors should not be taking that away from those students.

Ultimately, it’s the student’s choice to be distracted or choose to not pay attention and take notes on their laptops. It is understandable though that professors are concerned about this issue because they do want all of their students engaged and learning something from their courses. However, the solution for this issue should not be professors taking away the use of electronics in class completely because some students do benefit from the use of them. One solution to this issue that works very well is something that my current English professor established. She understands that technology is a large part of our lives, but she is also concerned with her students using their laptops for things other than class. Due to this, my class established a rule that we are allowed to use our electronics to take notes or access the online readings

With exactly three months until graduation, the editorial board is closing in on their final issue of The Mirror next week (sad). Even though this job is all consuming, the members of the board each have (somewhat) of a life outside of the paper. A bittersweet ending it will be, but the board will finally have the chance to get started on a senior bucket list. With less than a hundred days left of college and still needing to get the dreaded three letter j-word, we are compiling a senior year bucket list.

Go to a $2 Tuesday - For those that don’t know, many a late Tuesday night has been spent at The Mirror office. While it used to just deprive us of sleep in our younger years, it now deprives us of drinking with our peers at the Grape for the

and websites needed during class, but when it is time to have a discussion or when we don’t need our laptops for the moment, my professor will tell us to put our screens down. This is a very effective way of managing the issue of students doing other things on their electronics during class, and I encourage other professors to try and utilize similar practices in their classes. It is beneficial for everyone.

Instead of fighting against the current trend of the popularity of electronics in our society today, professors should be taking advantage of this fact and working to utilize electronics in their classes more often. The use of laptops for note taking can be beneficial for professors in making their courses more successful and interactive as well.

infamous $2 Tuesday drink special! Catch us there March 5!

Mock Wedding - We’re going to the chapel and the bride and groom are getting married! Mock Wedding is a staple of senior year for Fairfield students. A bridal party and a priest elected from and by the senior class call the seniors together on Lantern point to watch the bridal party be joined in unholy matrimony. The editorial board looks forward to toasting to the bride and groom.

Sham Jam at The Grape - Though we’ve enjoyed spending Sham Jam at the townhouses for the past three years, the editorial board cannot wait to participate in the senior celebration of St. Patrick’s Day at our home turf-The Grape!

Attend your last Clam Jam - For many a se-

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nior this is their chance to finally drink at Clam Jam without recruiting the help of an upperclassman. Take a few steps out from your beach house, and head on down to Jennings Beach. Editor-inchief and managing editor have fond memories of former editorial boards buying us our tickets for Clam Jam sophomore and junior years. We plan on paying it forward to any other member of the Mirror staff who needs our help.

Spend finals week at the beach instead of in the library - As much as we want the warm weather to come, we are dreading what it brings: the end of our Fairfield careers. We will hold onto the beach as long as we can and will be parking it on the point as long as we please. Don’t make us go! Enjoy our names on the masthead while you still can!

THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2018

Opinion

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'Ivanka Vaccuming' Highlights the Worst Aspects of the Trump Administration

By Kallan Hook Contributing Editor

seems to run in the family, any time an individual attempts to bring attention towards the hypocrisy in your family.

Ultimately, this interactive exhibit is anything but a transformative masterpiece. The simple, and almost nauseating, pink background coupled with the complicated message is anything but art. Rubbell’s piece offers a strong juxtaposition between the minimalist interaction and a convoluted message, making it unclear whether Trump is endlessly cleaning up the ruins of her father’s presidency, or if she is criticizing modern femininity. The overall muddled message has left more viewers confused than in awe, myself included.

The art exhibit is not a masterpiece or a stroke of brilliance; rather, it exemplifies what the Trumps do best: bring media attention to themselves. The Trump family’s ego is constantly fed with attention in the media, whether positive or negative. They find great pride in having people talk about them and feel as if it validates their lives in some way. While this exhibit fell tragically flat in the art-world, it is probably adored by the family for giving them another reason to be at the media’s begging.

Overall, this lack of brilliance in art creates feelings that correlate to the current mood of the administration: hoping something good can come out of this situation, yet, at the end of the day, feeling disillusioned and just wanting it to end.

Artist Jennifer Rubell sparked headlines and turned heads when her recent exhibit, “Ivanka Vacuuming,” opened on Feb. 1 in Washington, D.C. The interactive exhibit invites audience members to carelessly throw breadcrumbs on a strikingly pink floor, thus enticing an Ivanka Trump lookalike model to clean up the never-ending mess.

What first appears to be a simple interactive piece has quickly caught the attention of many critics, including Trump herself. Trump promptly responded to the attentiongrabbing exhibit by writing on Twitter, as all Trumps do when they need to respond to hate, by stating “Women can choose to knock each other down or build each other up. I choose the latter.” While it is probable to interpret such a muddled exhibit to show Trump as nothing more than a household figure responsible for consistently cleaning up the never-ending mess of her father’s frightful presidency, Trump seems to interpret the work as an attack on her character. Trump’s response to such an exhibit is nothing less than hypocrisy, a characteristic so often shared in her family.

The mindset of building women up is something that is hard to evoke under the Trump administration and its family. Ivanka, where was this empowering mindset when you supported the nomination of sexual predator Brett Kavanaugh? How about the time you stood by anti-abortionist and extremist Kim Reynolds for her bid as Governor of Iowa? Finally, how are you saying that you should build other women up when you were nothing more than a bystander to your father’s harassment towards former Fox News host Megyn Kelly after he said "she had blood coming out of her wherever?” Ivanka, I think that you choose to build other women up only when it benefits you and your family.

Although this exhibit is certainly not one Pictured: The 'Ivanka Vaccuming' exhibit in action showing the empowerment of other women, it is also not your place to cry victim, something that

Photo from Instagram.com/fox10phoenix

Mixing Fashion and Politics Leaves Much to be Desired

By Emma Unterkoefler Contributing Writer

Celebrities regularly gather to celebrate their various accomplishments in beautiful and outlandish outfits on the red carpet, which serves as a platform for both fashion and political statements. On Feb. 10, the standouts of the music industry did just that at the 2019 rendition of the Grammy Awards.

Hollywood is notorious for being fairly liberal; however, that is a broadbrush stroke as there are also many conservatives. Two conservatives whose fashion choices expressed their political views on this occasion were singers Joy Villa and Ricky Rebel. Villa dressed up as President Donald Trump’s border wall. Her dress was silver and, on the back, decorated with a brick outline with the words “Build the Wall” in red.

Additionally, she wore a spiked headband, had barbed wire around her shoulders and carried a red purse with the words, “Make America Great Again” on it. In a slightly more muted tone, but to a similar effect, Rebel sported a blue suit jacket with the words, “Keep America Great” emblazoned on the front.

When interviewers asked about her fashion choices, Villa told them, “This is what I believe in [the wall and our president]…One in three women are sexually assaulted when they try to enter the country and children are sexually exploited…This [wall] is going to help all people.”

While it is important to hear various perspectives on whether or not the wall should be funded and expanded, it is also important to have accurate facts and a strong argument. First, according to Politifact, the statement that one in three women are sexually assaulted along their journey to the border is considered “half true” because it is taken out of context and the statistics are hard to determine definitively. Regardless of the statistics, any sexual assault is a problem, but how will a wall fix this problem? For the sake of argument, let’s assume that the facts are true. In this scenario, an inquisitive mind might wonder how a border wall would prevent sexual assault. This argument commits the fallacy of ignoratio elenchi or, in other words, it draws the conclusion that whether there should be a wall or not is irrelevant. There is no relationship between a wall and sexual assault.

Let’s take a look across the United States.

There are thousands Pictured: singer Joy Villa upon thousands of walls Photo from Instagram.com/joyvilla

and fencing, and yet with these in place, sexual assault is rampant. Current statistics on the U.S. show that one in three women and one in six men will experience some form of sexual violence in his or her lifetime. Over 50 percent of the female victims know their perpetrator: either an intimate partner, an acquaintance or a colleague. In state and federal prisons, around 4 percent of the inmates are sexually assaulted. Even when perpetrators are put behind bars, the problem of sexual violence persists. To put it bluntly, walls and fences do not solve the problem of sexual assault. What is truly needed is respect: respect for all human beings and living creatures. Women should not be viewed as sexual objects for exploitation.

Now let’s take a look at what Rebel shared with reporters: “A radical murdered 49 LGBT in cold blood at Pulse Nightclub. That could have been me…I voted for the person who wanted to heavily vet refugees. The other candidate wanted a 550 percent increase in Syrian refugees. It only takes one.”

Again, let’s examine what Rebel is stating. He claims that refugees are responsible for mass shootings like the one at Pulse, the nightclub in Orlando, Fla. It turns out that the perpetrator of the shooting at Pulse was born on U.S. soil. Rebel is forgetting the profile of the shooters at the most recent shootings across the U.S. at far too many schools and churches.

That profile consists of white men who are in the age range of 20-49 and are born in the U.S. In the past year there have been 161 public mass shootings where more than four people were killed excluding gang related shootings in the U.S. and in all but three cases, the shooter was male.

So Rebel, sorry to break it to you, but it is not refugees who are responsible for mass shootings in the U.S. I believe the U.S. needs to stop placing the blame on refugees and take ownership of the problem that is being bred here.

The time is now to take a critical look at a system that cultivates mass shooters at an unprecedented rate.

To Villa and Rebel, I implore you to reconsider your opinions on the wall and immigration policy or to find stronger arguments. At the same time, I thank Villa and Rebel for sharing their opinions because it has given writers, Tweeters and myself a starting point for truly questioning why the U.S. is fearful of immigrants. So thank you, Villa and Rebel, for being outlandish and outspoken on the red carpet. Thank you for raising awareness to your incredibly weak and fallacious arguments. I look forward to seeing what statements are made at the Pictured: singer Ricky Rebel Oscars on Feb. 24.

Photo from Instagram.com/rickyrebelrocks

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arts, entertainment, features

Editor Gracianne Eldrenkamp gracianne.eldrenkamp@student.fairfield.edu

Fairfield Students Decide the Best Place to Get Booze

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THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2019

Fa i r f i e l d St u de n t s G e t S a u c e d

By Gracianne Eldrenkamp Vine Editor

It’s no secret that Fairfield University isn’t a dry campus.

Weekend beach parties, SantaCon, Sham Jam and Clam Jam are all events that specifically have alcohol as one of their most important components. lipArt C n e p ons/O eComm For most students over 21, alCreativ cohol is a key element to their relaxation. But where is the best place to get alcohol in the area? And how much do Fairfield students actually drink?

According to a survey of 45 students, Fairfield Wines & Spirits is the hottest spot to get alcoholic beverages from. That should be no surprise as the store is a short drive from campus, right across the highway from the local Stop & Shop on Post Road. Mo’s Wine & Spirits and That’s the Spirit Shoppe are also popular amongst the student body.

The best bar in town by a landslide is the Seagrape Café (otherwise known as The Grape.) Despite the Levee being on campus, it seems like the Grape far surpasses any other bars in the area. Not only does it have a much larger selection of drinks than the Levee, where they mostly serve beer, but it specifically caters to stressed out, broke college students on the weekends and on their famous Two-Dollar Tuesdays.

Now for the logistics – just how much are Fairfield students drinking? According to the survey, most students go to bars 2-3 times a week, presumably on the weekend.

There are a good portion of students, 40 percent of the 45 that took the survey, that go to bars less too, either going once a week or a few times per month.

The majority of students spend around $20-60 on average per month on spirits,

but students spending $60-100 in a month isn’t completely absurd with that averaging to $15-25 per week. Spending less than $20 per month is also common, but 15 percent of students spend from $100 to over $300 just on alcohol per month. Clearly, some of us have some interesting monthly budgeting choices.

Most students equally spend their alcohol budgets on both drinks with high alcohol content like vodka, whiskey, or rum and drinks with low alcohol content like wine and beer as opposed to relying heavily on harder drinks to destress.

So do Fairfield students drink? Absolutely, but do they drink too much?

According to the 2018 Clery Crime Report, 305 students were referred and one student was arrested for liquor law violations in 2017.

So, yeah, maybe we should cut back on the beers a little.

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'Isn't It Romantic' Isn't as Bad as It Seems

By Tyler Zikias Contributing Writer

“Isn’t It Romantic” is directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and stars Rebel Wilson, Adam Devine and Liam Hemsworth, and is advertised as a satire of the “rom-com” genre.

Natalie (Wilson) is a cynical, anti-romantic character who grew up being told by her mother that girls like her never get happy endings like in the movies. However, an incident results in Natalie running into a pole, only to wake up in a hyper exaggerated, glossy version of New York where people act and talk like they’re in a romantic comedy. The trailers and marketing for this film did not do it any favors. I was fully prepared to rip this movie to shreds by how not funny and ridiculous it looked. Low and behold, I was wrong in how bad I thought it would be, but it still wasn’t good. “Isn’t It Romantic” is perfectly serviceable and will leave most satisfied, but for me, the winks and nods at its own genre isn’t enough to keep the film from becoming what it’s making fun of.

To start with the positives, when this movie is working as advertised, it really works.

A good chunk of the second act is devoted to poking fun at romantic comedies and all their quirks and more unrealistic moments. The best example of this is Liam Hemsworth’s character, Blake, who is a perfect charactaticture for a male lead in a rom-com. He’s loud, boisterous and flexes an expanded vocabulary featuring words that no person uses regularly. A lot of the film’s laughs come from him, and that’s a lot of praise from an actor who has mostly been overshadowed by his brother.

The production design, and general look of the film, is surprisingly terrific. You can tell the people behind the camera put a lot of thought into how they wanted this film to look.

All of the shops in the “rom-com” version of New York are incredibly detailed and add a lot to the ridiculous nature of the genre. Even the camera techniques vary from scene to scene, which I found effective and rather surprising for a film like this. Before Natalie’s accident, handheld camera is used to a degree that adds to the Natalie’s rather messy and cynical lifestyle. When she lands in the “rom-com,” the camera is more locked down, most likely using tripods or steadicam to drive home the idea of being in a fantasy world. There’s one shot in an ice cream shop that looked especially incredible. I had to re-evaluate what I was watching because it looked brilliant compared to other flat, bland films in this genre.

However, a solid production and one great performance can’t save this film from ultimately becoming what it’s making fun of. Rebel Wilson doesn’t really carry this movie all that well. Sure, she’s the lead, but she isn’t very likable or funny here. The point is, you’re supposed to fall in love with this character who is rude and pessimistic, but the writing isn’t nearly as strong as it thinks it is. In the end, she falls in the exact same spot as other female leads from rom-coms do, but it doesn’t feel earned in this case. I think this problem derives from the film being plot-centric for a majority of the runtime before it suddenly begs you to care about its characters. The entire second act has little character motivation, only scenes that connect because, “this is what happens next in a generic rom-com.” At times, the scenes themselves are clever, but, in the grander scheme of the film, it doesn’t flow how a movie should. Not to mention, several plot points that are foreshadowed and set-up often go nowhere and are never revisited. A lot of this feels like run time padding to get this film a theatrical release. If you stripped the film of all of its fat, you’d be left with a 45 minute film that would most likely play on T.V. or Netflix. This leaves the final product feeling disjointed and forgettable.

My biggest problem with “Isn’t It Romantic” is its third act. The film takes an hour to

bash rom-coms and point out how they’re unrealistic and purely fantasy, only to fall back on becoming one for the last 20 or so minutes. It feels so jarring, mainly because the “comedy” part of the genre is lost completely. Natalie goes from making fun of every stupid cliche to becoming one herself and searching for the one she has to fall in love with. There is a greater message here that is shoved in your face, but it ultimately fails because you don’t care about the characters. The film’s complete reversal in its tone turns this from a pretty fun satire, to a pretty bland and boring conclusion.

You know, I didn’t hate this movie. Some of it is kind of fun and Hemsworth is making a fool of himself for the whole film, so it’s hard not to chuckle once and a while. But, when the joke becomes stale and the film loses what its going for, it’s hard to completely recommend it. This movie is playing right into the Valentine’s Day wave of couples looking for a movie, so if you wanted to see it, you probably already saw it for the holiday. At 87 minutes, the film is pretty painless to sit through, but I ultimately wouldn’t recommend it if it you know you aren’t going to like it. If you’re a fan of this cast, genre or the marketing, check it out and I’m sure you’ll have a blast. I had a chuckle or two, but the movie as a whole didn’t flow well for me.

Grade: C

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THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2019

First Year Models For New York Fashion Week

By Sheila McCombs Contributing Writer

Sometimes, people lead more exciting lives then you could imagine. First-year Bailey Plew is a psychology major at Fairfield University who comes from Syracuse, N.Y. She also has an exciting off campus job where she works as a model through an agency called Social New York, located out of Manhattan. For the first time, Plew walked in New York Fashion Week during the week of Feb. 11. I sat down with her to get her perspective on being a part of one of the biggest fashion events of the year just before the show.

S:When did you start modeling and why?

B: I started modeling sophomore year of high school. I was always kind of thinking of it, and people from agencies used to stop me on the street, so I decided to try it.

S: How did you find an agency?

B: I started with a development agency which preps you to work with a bigger agency in Syracuse. Then, an agency reached out over instagram. I found out that modeling is not just about looks but also about personality. Agencies won’t sign you if you are difficult to work with.

S: What was the first show you ever walked in?

B: Local shows mostly and then the first big show I walked in was for a brand called Raw Artist.

S: How did you begin the Fashion Week process?

B: I went and worked with a modeling coach through my agency, who then gave me reference to a casting for Fashion Week.

S: How do you find out what show you are going to walk in?

B: Through the casting I went to, I got the job with one designer, but after fittings a week before the shows I could get signed to others at that fitting.

S: What's been the hardest part of the process?

B:The standards in the industry for sure, I had to be measured anytime I went to meet with the agency, doing things like having to track what I eat and how much I work out.

S: How are you feeling about the experience?

B:A mixture of a ton of emotions, nervous and excited!

S: Who’s your inspiration for modeling?

B: Kaia Gerber and Taylor Hill S: What show would you love to walk in?

B: Marc Jacobs or any of the classic artists like Chanel.

S: Any final thoughts?

B: I want people to know that modelling isn’t just something that is superficial. It’s all about working hard and making the designer’s vision come to life!

Plew has since walked in the show and I reached out to her to find out how the show went and what other shows she walked in after our interview. She was also asked to walk

for Ivette Alaniz and Yan’s Creation by Yani Bakhiar. Bailey said that the experience was “so much fun and super crazy.” She had an amazing time and hopes to walk again next year!

Sheila McCombs/TheMirror

First-year Bailey Plew in New York.

NPR Puts Out Informative Podcast

By Matthew Waldemar Contributing Writer

listen!

Have a podcast that you think the world needs to know about? Email The Vine” at gracianne.eldrenkamp@student.fairfield.edu

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If this polarized climate has taught me anything, it’s taught me that I’m a horrible listener. Don’t worry, this article won’t be another critique on the ever crazy politics of this administration. Rather, I want to challenge the Fairfield University students to try to become more active listeners. Imagine, what would the world (or our campus even) look like if we took the time to listen to the opinions we disagree with most, the truths we’re constantly trying to avoid, or the people we don’t hear from often enough? Pretty nice right?

These days I’ve been using podcasts to challenge myself to be more attentive—to really understand what is going on in this crazy world.

Don’t know what podcasts are? Well, think of them as audio magazines. Have a particular interest or want to hear a good story—there's a podcast for that. Trying to learn a new language—there's a podcast for that. Want some good commentary on sports—there's a podcast for that. Need the answers for your philosophy paper? I don’t think there's a podcast for that, but there are some great shows that can help you study!

Once you’ve found a show your interested in, you can subscribe and go! Did I mention they’re FREE? Its everything a student could ask for!

This week, NPR’s “Rough Translation” is top on my podcast list! Each week, host Gregory Warner explores how the topics we are dealing with in the United States are being talked about somewhere else in the world.

It's not a news show or anything dry, it’s like listening to a story. The podcast allows listeners to learn and develop a unique perspective on the the rest of the world. Episodes have covered a range of topics from fake news in Ukraine to the growing daytime feminist movement in Argentina.

The Dalai Lama said, “when you talk, you are repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something NEW.” Listening to “Rough Translation” has taught me that the world is not so different as we make it out to be. We are all overloaded by the mass of information coming from the news, social media and the internet. No one has the right answers to solving some of today's most critical issues. However, the best thing we can do is to be attentive to the needs, views and opinions of others.

Episodes are available for streaming now on all devices through NPR.com Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, Pocket Cast and Spotify. So, what are you waiting for? Go take a

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THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2019

Page 10

The Art Corner The Bad (ly Drawn) Guy

By Brandon Robles '22

I remember catching “Scarface” on TV before the Spring semester. It was entirely in Spanish, but it was still understandable to me. It’s practically a cult classic gangster movie. Al Pacino played the rather interesting “bad guy” in the 1983 version, so it was fitting to draw Tony Montana upon hearing “Push it to the Limit” on Youtube.

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The Mirror Abroad: Kickin' It With Kat

By Katherine Klima Abroad Columnist

KatherineKlima/TheMirror

Kat paraglading in Interlaken, Switzerland.

I’ve been living in Galway, Ireland for a little over a month now and so far it’s treated me rather well. I’ve adjusted to life here – even though I desperately miss my friends, New York pizza and Costco (there is no such thing as buying in bulk here.

I’d kill to buy massive quantities of Seltzer or Ramen.) However, I’ve also gotten to travel a lot the past couple of weekends.

So far I’ve been to Cork, Ireland, London, England and, more recently – Interlaken, Switzerland.

On Friday Feb. 8, my trip to Interlaken began with almost missing our flight for Burger King. At around 5 a.m., I watched as two Burger King workers tried to fend off twenty students leaving for a trip with an angry chaperone while getting everyone’s orders in and prepared. Luckily, we were able to make our flight to Zurich just in time.

We landed in Zurich around 8 a.m., and my first impressions of Switzerland were absolutely breathtaking. The airport in Zurich is surrounded by mountains you only think to see in a Ricola commercial. It was amazing and it would only get more beautiful the moment we got on the train. Going through Zurich and getting to witness the Swiss scenery is unbelievable. Oddly enough, the train is a must-do here, even though it absolutely dented my bank account because everything here

is terrifyingly pricey. By the end of this trip my wallet was begging me to put it out of its misery.

Around 10 a.m., we finally arrived to Interlaken which was the epitome of a vacation town right smack in the middle of the Swiss Alps. I was so taken aback by the fact I was in the heart of the Alps. It truly felt like a green screen. The snow capped mountains and sparkling blue lake didn’t even feel real.

Since we were tired from our flight, our first day was spent exploring Interlaken as a whole. It’s a pretty quaint city with a lot of shops, hotels and restaurants. However, like I was saying, it’s super expensive. Trying to find somewhere to eat was kind of hard and it’s also what prompted us to eat at McDonalds three days in a row. Not my finest moments, but a girl needs to save money somehow.

After sleeping for about 12 hours, the next day was spent doing all the major things we wanted to do in Switzerland.

First, starting at 8 a.m., would be the main reason why many of us came to Interlaken in the first place. Paragliding.

It’s always been on my bucket list to do some sort of crazy air recreational sport like skydiving. We knew a lot of Fairfield University students that also studied abroad went paragliding and it seemed like a ton of fun. So, without telling my family, but kind of hinting to my mom I was about to do something stupid, I headed with the others to the top of a mountain that was about 2,000 feet above ground and paraglided.

When we got to where we’d be taking off, I was more scared of the incline then the actual paragliding itself due to the fact it was covered in snow and ice, and, knowing my clumsy self, I’d tumble straight down the incline. To paraglide, you have to run down an incline and get enough momentum to take off. So, basically, you’re running off a mountain.

After they strap you in to the harness, you run with the instructor and keep running until you’re up in the air. To be honest though, there wasn’t really much explaining going on about how the whole thing worked. My instructor just told me to run on the count of three so I ran until I couldn’t feel the parachute pulling up back anymore. It was really weird running head first down an incline and then suddenly finding yourself suspended in the air.

To be honest, I didn’t even feel like I was up in the air. It felt so much like a simulation that, as I got to view the entire city of Interlaken, I didn’t notice it was real until we dropped

a bit and I was like “Oh...I could fall and die.” However, as we landed on the ground I couldn’t help but feel proud of myself.

I ran off a mountain and to paraphrase Seal’s cover from the hit 1996 movie “Space Jam”– I “flew like an eagle.” 10/10 would recommend and would run off a mountain again.

However, after I posted the photos on Instagram and broke the news to my family, you can imagine I got a lot of responses.

But, to be fair, I was only continuing on the family tradition after my cousin went skydiving without telling anyone.

After paragliding, we ventured around Switzerland some more. We found a chocolate shop, called “Funky Chocolate,” which has the best chocolate I’ve ever had in my life. The hot chocolate was to die for. After that, we ended up in the small ski town of Grindelwald. Unfortunately sharing the same name as that awful character played by Johnny Depp in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them,” Grindelwald is a beautiful town located about thirty minutes outside of Interlaken. We headed there to do some sightseeing and check out some more local shops before heading to our final excursion– night sledding.

I hated night sledding, which is awful because I was so excited for it because I love sledding and crazy adventures.

Night sledding was more terrifying than paragliding. You are essentially brought up onto a mountain in the Alps with the use of a gondola. Once there, you’re given a dinky little light to be your guide and a toboggan sled you control with the use of your feet. There are no lights whatsoever. Also, my boots did not let me steer properly and I was terrified of the edge because if you hit the edge you’d go tumbling off the mountain. I ended up crashing into multiple snow banks and someone else also crashed into me. At one point I lost my friends so I was just hanging out there...In the middle of the Swiss Alps...At night...

Without a clue as to where I was...0/10. I would not do this again. However, I do have to say it was fun at the end when I finally gained some control and just gave up and zoomed down a straight passageway.

Overall, my adventure to Switzerland was nothing but entertaining. For me, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m so glad I did it. If you’re ever in Europe, I suggest going at least once. I really hope to go back to Switzerland, just next time I do it I hope I’m a billionaire with tons of money.

The Vine

Inkwell Spotlight

Page 11

THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2019

Heard It Through The GrapeVine: Reagan Bossolina and Jayne Tully

The Optimistic Galentine's Day

By Brandon Robles Contributing Writer at the Inkwell ...

What did I do for this Galentine’s Day? You seriously asking me this? ...

Ok fine, I’ll tell you what I did.

I got up, showered, ate breakfast and collapsed in the Commuters Lounge.

It’s the same as it is every day, just like every Looney Tunes cartoon. ....

Actually, if you want to know what I specifically did, then I really collapsed about 5 minutes or so before I went to Donnarumma.

This is at 6 or 7 in the morning, mind you. That’s because nothing interesting happens to keep me in one place.

I’m going to Donnarumma at 6 or 7 in the cold morning, barely a functioning human being.

And what fabulous reason do I have for such a reason?

To drop off a revised essay from earlier this week.

That’s about it, really.

The first face I’ll see is my own while I slide that sucker under the door.

Then, I’ll start shouting internally at the last quiz of the week.

It’s a math test really, but who’s even paying attention to this?

I’m a guy who woke up at 5 AM and got his lurking corpse of a body to a building for an assignment he screwed up. ...

No actually, I was so wrong.

I’m the carcass who turned in an essay and had the bright idea to stay up not studying for the test.

Now why on Earth would I do that?

Because that’s my special moment in the night.

To finally just lose everything on the table and actually try to feel something.

Something, anything at all.

I don’t care if it’s the saddest thought or something that’d make kids get all giddy when they see that wrapped Christmas present.

It’d be something at least. ...

Well then.

That’s my special Galentine’s Day. How’s your day? …

That’s what I thought.

Punk.

CreativeCommons/OpenClipArt

By Andrew Murphy Contributing Writer Reagan Bossolina ‘21, who hails from Hoho-kus, N.J., and Jayne Tully ‘21, who proudly represents Darien, Conn., are both sophomore members of the Women’s Lacrosse team.

The girls are undoubtedly two of the friendliest people you will ever meet. They are both hilarious, and you do not have to look too hard to catch them laughing and spreading their joy and positivity around campus.

It’s really a mystery how they became best friends. They both love the beach, their dogs and spending time with their friends and family.

The term “superfan” might describe how they both feel about the New York Rangers. They both watch ABC’s “The Bachelor” together, and love Centro on Post Road in Fairfield. These business majors also coincidentally share a seat on their bus-rides to lacrosse games. While the world may never know what how this random friendship came to fruition, the girls can at least confirm that they currently share a great love for music. Tully, the mastermind behind numerous soundcloud mixes, admits that a lot of what she listens to just happens to be whatever Bossolina is playing at that given time. Bossolina humbly confirms this fact, claiming “I do have great taste in music.” So, what exactly do these two listen to? Their shared response to this question was “Everything,” but in attempt to narrow down their large pool of pump-up jams, dance-party anthems and hang-out tunes, here is a list of some of the girls’ favorite songs: “The Middle” - Zedd “Favorite song in the entire world.

CreativeCommons/OpenClipArt

AndrewMurphy/TheMirror

Bossolina and Tully taking a selfie.

Best beat ever. Beat drop is sick. It’s a screamer, you can yell that one. Before the game, on the bus, in the locker room, we are always bumping it.” - Bossolina “UCLA” - RL Grime “I like the chill but pump up beat, it’s really good to blast in your headphones.”-Bossolina “We love to dance to it.”- Tully “White Tiger” - Izzy Bizu “It’s upbeat. I like the acoustics, the high-pitch singing.” - Tully “It’s mellow, I like that part too.” - Bossolina “Heat” - 50 cent “The beat is so cool! We listen to this one before games. It gets me going. I am ready to run on the field after I hear it.” - Bossolina “Take a back road” - Rodney Atkins “It’s just a good song. Happy, upbeat, summer country. Good vibes.” - Tully “Faded” - Tyga “I am going through my Tyga phase . . . It’s a really good pump-song.” - Bossolina

The Vitamin Shoppe Provides Great Shopping Experience

By Sabrina Trueheart Copy Editor

Our favorite stores mean the world to us. We light up when we receive a gift card, and everything can seem better when we walk out of our favorite store with multiple shopping bags. My favorite store in existence is located right here in Fairfield, however, barely anybody recognizes its greatness. It is hidden in the back corner of the Black Rock shopping center, and there are usually only two other people in the rt store besides me. It may be a lonely store, but it’s A p Cli a store with such a variety. The Vitamin Shoppe en p /O ns is my sanctuary. It is where the employees are o mm friendly and inviting, it is where I can spend over an hour inside Co e tiv just browsing the shelves. No matter what you eat or how much you ea Cr exercise, the Vitamin Shoppe has something to offer.

When you walk into the Vitamin Shoppe, you are greeted by a sale associate and find yourself in front of several free samples. The past few months, the free samples have included BCAA energy supplements, hemp hearts and pouches of protein powder. Sometimes, they even offer free protein bites or other delicious snacks. This is just the beginning of what the Vitamin Shoppe has to offer. One of the first areas you will most likely encounter is the “grocery” aisle, where you will find every protein bar, protein chips, protein popcorn and protein cookies in existence. While many of these products contain whey protein, there are plenty of vegan options as well. I highly recommend the Lenny and Larry’s Complete Cookies they carry, which are a popular vegan protein cookie (which I ate for breakfast every day of my first-year at Fairfield).

The Vitamin Shoppe’s target audience is mostly athletes and gym gurus, which explains their gigantic protein aisle. Every protein powder and shake imaginable from 15 grams to 50 grams is for sale. It is easy to find what is best for your body, and many of the protein powders are sold as single packets, so you can try each one and see what you like!

You guessed it, the Vitamin Shoppe also sells vitamins and supplements. There are plenty of chewable or non-chewable vitamins for men, women and children to choose from and enjoy. Before I discovered those incredible SugarBearHair vitamins (which, sadly, they do not carry), I bought dissolvable biotin tablets from the Vitamin Shoppe, which tasted decent

and promoted some hair growth. The Vitamin Shoppe also sells various skincare, haircare and even aromatherapy and essential oil products. These items are typically in the back of the store, so not many people know they are sold there. Many of the skin and hair products sold are organic, including organic hair dye!

There is something for everybody at the Vitamin Shoppe. Hit up the Vitamin Shoppe in the Black Rock shopping plaza on your next shopping trip. It has been the love of my life since I was 15-years-old, and I will never stop praising their products and the company as a whole.

Instagram/LennyandLarrysCompleteCookies

Lenny and Larry's Complete Cookies are popular vegan cookie choice.

Coffee Break

THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2019

Page 12

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

Song Selections at the Tully Grow Increasingly Sad Have you noticed a certain melancholy in the air at the Daniel & Grace Tully Dining Commons? Where could that be coming from? Following the sound—a subtle, wailing voice—you look up. There, above your head, is a speaker.

The song is “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban, and it’s making you feel depressed before your next class. Subdued and suddenly mourning a dead pet you haven’t thought about in years, you clear your plate and walk down the stairs into the Barone Campus Center, leaving the melancholy to bleed into the next song, “Numb” by Linkin Park, and instantly feel lighter.

Has the Tully been possessed by a dark, Taylor-Swift-like ghost determined to lament a lost love until the end of time? Perhaps a thief came in the night and stole away all of the old-school playlists that twinkled with Disney stars and replaced them with Nickelback and Pain. One can only wonder.

Feeling a little down and fed up with the Tully’s music taste, Noelle Brown ‘22 texted the Tully and requested “something a little bit more upbeat.” To her surprise, the Tully obliged and played a Billboard Top 100 pop song dripping in sunshine… only to play another breakup song directly afterward. “I got my hopes up, you know?” said Brown. The Tully only brings hopes down these days.

What will release the Tully from this unhappy phase? Time and student inquiry will only tell. Maybe next time you could take a page out of Brown’s book and text for happiness.

Crossword: Happier Songs that the Tully Could Play ACROSS: 1. Weezer’s cover of this song recently took Alternative radio by storm.

5. This hit from 2009 put Florence + The Machine on the map.

6. An old favorite about a far, underwater future.

7. A musical retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet”, but this time it isn’t a tragedy.

DOWN: 2. Violins and a happy dance beat makes this song from 1982 a timeless favorite.

3. This song from 2014 has one sick beat!

4. The radio-friendly younger cousin of “Take Me To Church”.

Answers: 1. “Africa” by Toto. 2. “Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners. 3.

“Shake It Off ” by Taylor Swift. 4. “Someone New” by Hozier. 5. “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + The Machine. 6. “Year 3000” by the Jonas Brothers. 7.

“Love Story” by Taylor Swift.

puzzlemaker.com

Sports

SPORTS

THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2019

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: Wednesday, February 13th -Women's Lacrosse defeated UConn, 13-7 Thursday, February 14th -Women's Basketball defeated Siena, 66-40 Friday, February 15th -Men's Basketball lost to Canisius, 72-68 Saturday, February 16th -Men's Lacrosse lost to St. Joseph's, 21-10 -Women's Swimming won MAAC

Photo Contributed by Sports Information Desk

On Feb. 18, guard Lou Lopez-Senechal ‘22 earned her second straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week in her efforts against Siena College and Quinnipiac University. She averaged 18 points per game in those contests, leading all Stags. This is her third MAAC Rookie of the Week award, tying the most by a MAAC first-year this season. Against the Siena Saints, she tied a career-high with 21 points while shooting over 56 percent from the field. Against the Quinnipiac Bobcats, Lopez-Senechal led the team with 15 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. The Grenoble, France native looks to defend her Rookie of the Week honor once again as Fairfield travels to face Marist College, Saint Peter’s University and Iona College this week.

Tournament Saturday, February 16th -Women's Basketball lost to Quinnipiac, 48-40 -Men's Basketball lost to Niagara, 78-73

Photo Contributed by Sports Information Desk

Upcoming This Week:

On Feb.18, Fairfield Women’s Lacrosse defender Kelly Horning ‘21 took home the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor. She had six ground balls and forced four turnovers, which are both career-highs, as she added two goals of her own against University of Connecticut, which was Fairfield’s first win over the Huskies since 2009. She made impacts on both sides as her second score helped ice the Stags’ win while the Fairfield defense limited the Huskies to only seven goals and caused 24 total turnovers. The Stags travel to face Columbia University on Feb. 20 as they aim to go 3-0 on the season.

Wednesday, February 20th

-Women's Lacrosse at Columbia, 3 p.m.

Friday, February 22nd -Baseball vs. Penn State, 2 p.m.

-Women's Basketball at St. Peter's, 7 p.m.

Saturday, February 23rd -Women's Lacrosse vs. Hofstra, 1 p.m.

In this week's issue...

- Purple Eagles Top Stags in Niagara Falls, 78-73 (Page 14)

- NBA All-Star Weekend: Best Players Take Center Stage (Page15) - Women's Basketball Falls to Quinnipiac, 48-40 (Page 15)

- Swimming Wins Second Straight MAAC Title (Page 16)

Sports

Page 14

THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2019

Purple Eagles Top Stags in Niagra Falls, 78-73

Photo from Sports Information Desk First-year Neftali Alvarez was second on the team with 16 points as well as recording three rebounds, two assists, two steals in a team-high 35 minutes of action. He was one of three Stags to record double figures.

By Michael Hoffman Contributing Writer The Fairfield University Men’s Basketball team’s losing streak extended to four games after a 79-73 loss to the Niagara University Purple Eagles. This loss brings the Stags season record to 7-20, a 4-11 in conference play and their road record to an abysmal 3-12.

Fairfield fell down early, allowing Niagara to open the game up on a 6-0 run, and letting the Purple Eagles extend their lead to eight, getting up 21-13 over Fairfield with 11:55 left in the first half.

Fairfield then went on a run of their own, scoring nine unanswered points, allowing them to pull into their first lead of the game.

The rest of the first half continued to be back and forth, leading to the first half ending in the same way it started, tied, but this time at 37. Fairfield jumped out to leads of six and eight, their largest of the afternoon, early on in the second half. However, halfway through the second half, Niagara was able to tie the game up at 51.

After Fairfield rallied once more to get up 59-55, Niagara scored 10 straight and never looked back. Fairfield kept fighting to gain the lead back to no avail. Fairfield coach Sydney Johnson was still happy with the team’s effort and ability to limit turnovers despite the loss.

"I was really proud of the guys in terms of limiting the turnovers," Johnson said. "That kind of play gave us an awesome opportunity to win the game in the second half. Our passing gave us a lot of paint touches and that allowed us to score in the lane."

Dominic Robb lead the scoring for the Purple Eagles, putting up 23 points on 9-13 shoot-

Weekly 4x5 Thoughts on the NBA AllStar game?

Your 2018-2019 4x5 Columnists:

Dan Montgomery, Patrick Getz, Chris LaZazzera and Alicia Phaneuf Who was a better performer, J.Cole or Meek Mill?

What is your best $2 memory thus far?

Would you rather be punched

by Floyd Mayweather or tackeled by James Harrison?

Neither. Nassir Little from UNC is Everything was dissapointing but the Three-Point Contest. Brooklyn better than both of them!

Dan Montgomery stand up!!

J.Cole killed it, if only he finished his dunk during the Dunk Contest.

Watching Getz blow his Mirror check at the bar!

Punched by Floyd. I'll take 50-0 to the face.

It was pretty much a Three-Point Contest and Dunk Contest in one game! Somewhat amusing but kinda got old.

Meek Mill by far... All of his songs got me ready for the game!

Double fisting for Danny's birthday last Tuesday!

I would rather be punched by Floyd...

MEEK MILL. Robert Kraft is still wearing his CHAMPIONSHIPS chain!

I don't remember.

James Harrison for sure. He'd probably pile drive me into the ground.

Because we have witty things to say ...

Zion Williamson or R.J. Barrett?

ing, five rebounds and two blocks. Dominik Fragala contributed 15 points in 11 minutes of play off the Niagara bench. Fairfield guard Landon Taliaferro ‘20 came back after missing his first career game against the Canisius College Griffins, and led the Stags with 18 points on 7-11 shooting.

Johnson praised Taliaferro and elaborated on what he means to the team. "We knew we were going to need Landon today just because of his shot making," Johnson said. "He is a big time shooter so it was great to see his confidence back and to see the guys find a way to get him the ball. He was also solid defensively today."

Neftali Alvarez ‘22 played a game high 35 minutes for Fairfield, pouring in 16 points on 7-17 shooting. Fairfield guard Aidas Kavaliauskas ‘20 came off the bench and scored a season high 11 points, including eight points in the second half.

The Fairfield bench played really well accounting for 35 of Fairfield’s 73 points and having three players log over 17 minutes. Niagara was hot from three, making nine of their 19 three point attempts for a 47.4 percent from downtown. Fairfield only got to the free throw line four times throughout the entirety of the game, while Niagara got to the free throw line 17 times, making 10 of their foul shots.

Fairfield will look to snap their four game losing streak when they come back home to Alumni Hall on Sunday, Feb. 24, to take on the Manhattan College Jaspers, who have a 9-17 record on the season.

Co-Sports Editor

I would go with R.J. Barrett because has the better ability to Patrick Getz Co-Sports Editor shoot and he is the all-around better player than Zion.

I'd go with Zion. He knows how to It was a great game. I was so happy I got to watch it with Gertzy <3 Chris LaZazzera throw the hammer down!

Assistant Sports Editor

Alicia Phaneuf Editor-In-Chief

Crying that this is my last 4 x5

I can't believe I will never get to write about something that I don't understand (i.e. all of sports) ever again

J. COLE!!!

I feel like it hasn't happened yet considering I've always been in The Mirror office

It's been real sports, thanks for putting up with my lack of knowledge on anything sports related!

Sports

THE MIRROR | Week of February 20, 2019

Page 15

NBA All-Star Weekend: Best Players Take Center Stage

Photos taken from NBA/Instagram Slam Dunk Champion Hamidou Diallo (left) stole the show with his dunk over Shaquille O'Neal as All-Star captains Lebron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo (left to right) endured in a back and forth scoring frenzy.

Charlotte, N.C. was the host of the NBA All Star festivities Feb. 15 - 17 and it did not disappoint basketball fans around the world. On Feb. 15, the Mountain Dew Ice Rising Stars game took place. The two teams facing off, Team USA and Team World, were composed of the best young players in the league representing their countries. Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma propelled Team USA to a 161-144 victory. He took home the MVP honors with 35 points. Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons led the way for Team World with 28 points and six assists.

Three events took place Feb. 16. The Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest and AT&T Slam Dunk Contest. In the three-point contest there were seven head-to-head matchups that involved a dribbling course, half court pass through a circular

By Christopher LaZazzera Assistant Sports Editor cylinder and a three point shot to determine who advanced. The final round was the most exciting of them all as the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum banked in a running 3-pointer to defeat the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young. The Three-Point contest came down to the wire as Brooklyn Net Joe Harris faced off against Golden State Warriors sharp shooter Stephen Curry.

In a surprising upset, Harris made every ball on his final rack to defeat the hometown native Curry. The final event of the night, the Slam Dunk Contest, could have been considered lackluster to some. There were a lot of missed dunk attempts and the eventual winner, Oklahoma City Thunder Hamidou Diallo, defeated Dennis Smith Jr. of the New York Knicks.

Diallo’s dunk over NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal stole

the show.

Feb. 17 featured the final experience of AllStar weekend, the 68th NBA All-Star Game. Team Lebron defeated Team Giannis 178-164 in an offensive showcase. All-Star MVP Kevin Durant led Team Lebron with 31 points and nine other members scored in double-figures. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks lead Team Giannis with 38 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. It was a back and forth game until the end of the fourth quarter when Durant exploded for 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting to close out the game.

With All-Star festivities now over, the second half of the NBA season will start up on Thursday, Feb. 21 with 12 teams in action.

Women's Basketball Falls to Quinnipiac, 48-40

Photo taken from Sports Information Desk First-year guard Lou Lopez-Senechal recorded a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds along with three steals against the Quinnipiac Bobcats as she continued her impressive rookie campaign.

By Patrick Getz Co-Sports Editor The Fairfield University Stags Women’s Basketball team endured in a Sunday, Feb. 17 matinee matchup at Alumni Hall against the Quinnipiac University Bobcats. Fairfield fought hard all game long, especially defensively, but they fell to the Bobcats 48-40.

This contest was the epitome of defense as both teams played with a purpose.

Fairfield held Quinnipiac, which has the most efficient offense in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, to under 30 percent from the field. Also, the Stags allowed only two made three pointers as the Bobcats shot nine percent from beyond the arc.

In this low-scoring affair, it went back-and-forth and, seemingly every single time Quinnipiac would get some momentum, head coach Joe Frager would take a timeout to calm his team.

Senior guard Casey Foley and guard Lou Lopez-Senechal ‘22 led the Stags with 13 and 15 points respectively.

“We got our revenge even though we lost this game. We played the best defense and we tried to play as best as we could. I think we can be very proud of what we did today,” said Lopez-Senechal.

This defense showing was a huge confidence booster for the Stags since

Quinnipiac defeated Fairfield 81-36.

“It feels good because we lost by [about] 40 last time and this time we only gave up 48. We just gotta keep it up. We will learn from our mistakes,” said the firstyear.

Junior guard Sam Kramer only made one three-pointer as the Bobcats made sure Kramer did not punish them with a perimeter shot. However, she got involved in other ways by dishing out a team-high five assists. Her court vision was certainly on display.

Frager sees this game as a building block for future games even though it was a touch, close loss.

“I am really proud with how our players handled the game today. I thought the defensive end was really good,” said the head coach.

“We are obviously disappointed that we did not get the result we wanted but we feel that this is something we can build off of. It would be a real tragedy if we don’t come in and have a good practice tomorrow,” said Frager.

The Fairfield Stags look to get back in the win column as they travel to face Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, N.J. on Friday, Feb. 22.

@MirrorSports Fairfield Mirror Sports

Week of February 20, 2019

fairfieldmirror.com

SPORTS 16

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

Swimming & Diving Claims Second Straight MAAC Title

Contributed by Sports Information Desk The Women's Swimming & Diving team captured their second straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship as they ended their tournament with an exclamation mark, winning every event.

By Patrick Getz Co-Sports Editor The Fairfield University Women’s Swimming & Diving team captured their second straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship as they dominated all four days of their competition in Buffalo, N.Y. Even more impressively, the Stags held the top position all four days as they finished with 776 points as second place Marist College finished with 646 points, which is a 130 point margin of victory. Rider University rounded out the top three with a third place finish and 551.5 points.

This win for the Women’s Swimming & Diving team felt familiar, simply because the final day of competition started the same exact way as it did in 2018.

Sophomore Sara Ostensen dominated the 1650 Yard Freestyle as she finished with a time of 16:50.59. Even moreso, Fairfield’s Shannon Feely ‘22 finished second clocking in at 17:12.06 and three other Stag swimmers, Sarah Herbold ‘21, Delaney Walsh ‘21 and Haleigh McLaughlin ‘21, all finished in the top-10, starting the final day of the competition off right.

To continue the wins, Maria Nitti ‘21 placed first in the 100 Yard Freestyle with a final time of 51.74 and Samantha D’Alessandro ‘22 finished only two spots behind Nitti as she grabbed third-place, clocking in at 52.61.

Junior Colleen Young captured yet another first-place finish for Fairfield in the 200 Yard Breaststroke with a final time of 2:18.57 as Oreoluwa Cherebin ‘19 finished third with a time of 2:23.05 along with Emily Vlass ‘19 placing fifth at 2:23.19.

For the 200 Yard Butterfly, teammates Morgan Hansen ‘21 and Ostensen

placed first and second, registering times of 2:02.90 for Hansen and 2:05.28 for Ostensen. This was the fourth event that the Stags had captured first place as well as the second/third place which showcased how they dominated the MAAC competition.

This trend continued as Fairfield entered their final event, looking to win all five events in the MAAC Tournament and bring home a second straight MAAC championship.

The Stags never lost their stride as they capped their MAAC tournament with a win in the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay as D’Alessandro, Nitti, Herbold and Kelly Cordes ‘19 finished their relay at 3:29.76 to make the biggest statement on the biggest stage.

After the event, Hansen was named the MAAC Championship Women’s Most Outstanding Swimmer as she recorded three individual wins in the 200 Butterfly, 200 Individual Medley while she set a new MAAC Championship record in the 100 Butterfly, for which her time was 55.38.

Also for a second straight year, Coach Anthony Bruno took home 2019 MAAC Coach of the Year, which was decided by his peers.

Bruno has a young core at his disposal for next season as the heart of the main contributors for this MAAC title run were sophomores, which is an exciting sight to see.

Contributed by Sports Information Desk Sophomores Megan Hansen and Sarah Herbold, Colleen Young '20 and Kelly Cordes '19 (left to right) all celebrate their MAAC title win together as Sara Ostensen '21 (right middle ) enjoys her success on the podium.