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THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper

Week of March 7, 2018

Sophomore Boat Cruise Beached By Claire Monahan News Editor

The sophomore boat cruise is a historic class tradition that has faced some turbulence in recent years. At 12 a.m. on Monday March 5, tickets went on sale for the newly created sophomore class Halfway to the Beach event. All 200 tickets for the event were sold in less than 13 hours. Fairfield University Student Association began exploring alternatives to the cruise back in fall 2016. A survey was sent out via OrgSync and posted to the Class of 2020 Facebook group. The survey attempted to gauge sophomore interest in FUSA produced events such as President’s Ball and the fall concert. It also contained a general description of the event, but the specifics had yet to be decided. Over 250 people responded to the survey which elicited mostly positive responses in regards to having an exclusive sophomore semi-formal event. Respondents also favored the idea of changing the cruise to a beach centered event. Sophomore Laura Fajardo echoed this sentiment, “I think that the idea of a beach party is pretty appealing. I didn’t know all that much about the cruise, but I like the idea of being ‘Halfway to the Beach’ and a sort of semi casual theme.” However, some disagreed in favor of the historic cruise, “I think a cruise would have been more exciting but probably

Vol. 43 Iss. 19

@FairfieldMirror

Proposed Core to Require Fewer Credits By Jacob Buttiker Assistant News Editor

20 to 15, and the courses will be provided in a tiered experience. Junior Katie Santo, class of 2019 president Fairfield University prides itself on the and speaker of the senate shared her feelings on liberal arts education which it is able to provide the “Magis” program, “I like that the school is to its students. In order to deliver a well rounded trying to accommodate students’ busy schedules education to students, Fairfield has relied on its by downsizing the amount of required courses.” core curriculum. This reThe first tier, titled “oriquirement was adopted in “The core retains a focus on entation, ” will consist of seven 1970, according to Fairfield courses spanning English and humanistic liberal arts tradiUniversity’s website, and rhetoric, religious studies, phihas been in use ever since. tion that is at the heart of losophy, history, mathematics, Recently, the Unithe University, but gives and modern/classical lanversity’s 2020 Presidential Task Force has been devel- students more ﬂexibility to guage, as well as a second class in mathematics or modern/ oping a replacement to the take courses that interest classical language. Dr. Harding current core program, the them, meeting the needs confirmed that students are “Magis” Core Curriculum. expected to complete this first The Fairfield Univer- of the twenty-ﬁrst century tier within their first two years sity 2020 Presidential Task learner.” at the University. Force is a group of faculty, Dr. Harding went on -Dr. Shannon Harding administrators, alumni and to explain the second part of Associate Professsor of Psychology students who were tasked the “Magis” curriculum, “In with reviewing the current the second tier, students will core and making suggestake eight additional courses: one in visual and tions for change. This new core curriculum is the performing arts, one in literature, two courses result of nearly four years of work from both the in religious studies, philosophy, or history, two task force, various faculty groups, and two other courses in natural science and two courses in core directors, associate professor of English, Robert Epstein, Ph.D. and professor of visual and social and behavioral sciences.” Upon completion of the second tier performing arts, Lynne Porter. dubbed exploration, students will be required to According to Shannon M. Harding, Ph.D., partake in, “signature elements.” These include associate professor of psychology, some of the one interdisciplinary experience, three writing major changes proposed in the “Magis” curricuRead Twenty on Page  lum will be a reduction in required classes from

really impractical,” said Kathryn McCabe ‘20. The boat cruise last spring saw a decrease in the number of tickets available from 300 in 2016 to only 150 in 2017. This change was motivated based on the severity of alcohol abuse from the 2016 boat cruise. The captain of the boat was uncomfortable sailing away from the dock, because he feared medical transports would be required. The 2017 boat cruise featured an increased monitoring of students for alcohol violations. The Halfway to the Beach event has also been criticized for its small amount of available tickets although this year’s 200 is an increase compared to last year’s boat cruise. As of Fall 2017, there were 1,095 full time students in the sophomore class. The allotted 200 tickets would only represent roughly 18 percent of the grade. Sophomore Dominic Mazza expressed his discontent with this figure, “I’m happy I have my ticket, however, I think it’s unfair that a sophomore event does not have the capacity to host all of the sophomores.” Those in the 82 percent of the class that did not get a ticket to this year’s event felt excluded. Sophomore Tristin O’Connor did not manage to purchase a ticket, “I’m disappointed seeing as though Halfway is something we get only one chance to go to. It was also just an opportunity to celebrate with my classmates, many people

now will not be able to do that until we get closer to graduation.” Some students even woke up early to secure their ticket, “My group of friends set an alarm for 12 a.m. just to make sure we all got tickets together,” recounted Stefania Vendrella ‘20. Programming coordinator for class of 2020 events, Cate Halley ‘20, explained the low ticket number was a result of selecting the ideal venue. “If we wanted to have something at the beach the number was 200 because there wasn’t a bigger venue still on Fairfield Beach. This was the only venue, if not this venue then we would have to go really far off campus and we felt people wouldn’t want that as much. This way, they know where they are and it’s only 10

minutes from campus,” Halley said. Halley detailed the different factors that went into the decision to limit the event to 200, “our class always has the best turnout… we had the most people vote for the election we had the most T-Pain attendance, and the most Pres Ball ticket sales.” This high level of participation exhibited by the sophomore class was Read Halfway on Page 

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THE MIRROR | Week of March 7, 2018

News

Students Celebrate Diversity at Culture Fest By Julia Monteleone Contributing Writer

The Lower Level of the Barone Campus Center was alight with movement the evening of Friday, March 2 as students gathered for Fairfield United’s third annual Culture, Fashion and Talent Showcase. Otherwise known as Culture Fest, the event transformed the LLBCC into a evening of food, fun and music from cultures all around the world. The fashion portion of the event allowed for cultural clubs across campus to showcase what they stand for. The Distinguished Gentleman’s Club wore formal attire and carried a flag that represented a country of origin for their family. The Black Student Union dressed in all black to symbolize the Black Panther movement, raising their fists in the air as a symbol of their fight against police

brutality toward African Americans. The Fairfield Alliance dressed in LGBT+ movement colors that represented different parts of the community such as the representative colors of genderqueer, and the Muslim Student Association sported their own cultural wear from countries such as India and Iran. “My favorite part of the cultural fashion and talent show was when the students walked down the stairs wearing their traditional attire. You could see on their faces how happy and proud they were to display it,” said Liam Fama ‘18. The talent portion of the showcase included multiple exciting dance routines, poetry and even a flute performance by 40 McCormick Rd. Area Coordinator Sonya Alexander. Members of Performing for Change performed spoken poetry on sexuality and Remixx had the whole room dancing to their

hip-hop performance. Junior Kayla Craig, PFC director, emphasized the importance of diversity at the event, “[PFC] wanted to be a part of it because it’s an event that highlights diversity on campus, which is also what PFC as a group tries to do.” The event was hosted by two comedic students, one being Patrick Setiadi ‘20, a theater major who had the whole room laughing and clapping with him throughout the entire evening. “I’m loving tonight. The food is fire but I think the audience is what makes it. I’ll definitely come back next year,” said Setiadi. Gift cards to Chipotle, Dominoes, The Fairfield Bookstore and more were raffled off during the intermission of the show. At the end of the night, many students congregated to dance and talk with one another even after it was all over. The room was electric as stu-

dents gathered for one final dance together, all cheering each other on. Program Coordinator of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Jasmine Raghunandan ‘17 said, “The Office of Student Diversity loves putting on these events for you. We’re going to have a whole thing for Women’s Appreciation Month, and a whole thing for Asian Pacific Heritage month which is in April, hint hint.” The Office of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs hosts a plethora of events such as this one. With March being Women’s Appreciation Month, they will be sponsoring events such as Riddle Me This, in which there will be themed riddles and games entitled, “What is Intersectional Feminism?” Women’s Day Fair and a screening of the award winning film, “Hidden Figures.”

Julia Monteleone/The Mirror

Top Left: Student walks down steps displaying her outfit. Top Right: A lively crowd gathers at the stage. Bottom Left: One student dances as others cheer. Bottom Right: Black Student Union pays homage to the Black Panther Movement.

Sham Jammed for Seniors, Slammed for Juniors By Jacob Buttiker Assistant News Editor

Students donned all green apparel on Saturday, March 3 in order to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Fairfield University’s traditional Sham Jam. Fairfield seniors partied at Lantern Point before congregating at The Seagrape Café to enjoy live music and drinks. The event was organized by the Beach I feel really Resident Organization and required months of planning, according to BRO co-president Hunter disrespected that Boesch ‘18. Food was provided by The Grape the school tried to punish while the live band, The Narrowbacks, played me for an event I wasn’t inside. Outside, students could find a live DJ to entertain them during the celebration. even at. The email I “Students certainly seemed to enjoy themreceived said that I was selves whether it be through the music, beverages, involved in an incident food, friends or just good vibes in general. A large majority of the senior class was in attendance and on March 3, but I was in it was a great way to lead into spring break,” said Florida.” Boesch. Seniors at The Grape were in high spirits as -Juliana Oliaro they took full advantage of one of their last school events as Fairfield University Stags. “I would say that Sham Jam has been my favorite event here at Fairfield across all four years… it is still my favorite holiday celebration,” said Shelley Wilson ‘18, who was enjoying

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her last Sham Jam. An increase in beach security seemed to be effective in limiting underage students from gathering at the point, which has been an issue during Sham Jam in past years. Although Boesch noted that the celebration could not have gone better, he made a point that BRO is constantly looking to improve their events in any way possible, and that any and all student feedback would be appreciated for future events. While things went smoothly down at the beach, the campus celebration at the townhouses drew some negative attention from administration. Juniors and underclassmen assembled between Townhouse 1 and 7 block. Reportedly, residents of the aforementioned blocks received an email from assistant dean of students, Allison Berger, claiming that they were allegedly involved in the incident. Those students were instructed to meet with Berger to discuss the event. “There is no proof that we were involved in anything that happened. The only proof they [the Office of the Dean of Students] has is where we live,” said Michael Casarella ‘19. Casarella continued, “just because we live there doesn’t mean we should be penalized for what underclassmen did.” Junior Juliana Oliaro, a resident of Townhouse 7 block, was out of state and was still referred to the dean of students. “I feel really disrespected that the school tried to punish me for an event I wasn’t even at. The email I received said that I was involved in an incident on March 3, but I was in Florida.” Upon trying to investigate the event further, the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of Residence Life and the Department of Public Safety were unable to comment.

THE MIRROR | Week of March 7, 2018

News

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The Mirror Reflects on this Week in Social Media Compiled by Jacob Buttiker Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety. Thursday, 3/1 9:00 p.m. DPS investigated an assault that took place in Loyola Hall between a boyfriend and girlfriend. The students were referred to dean of students office. Saturday, 3/3 1:51 p.m. DPS responded to what was referred to as Sham Jam at the Townhouses. Numerous students were documented for alcohol violations. Some items were damaged at the Townhouses as a result. 6:00 p.m. A burglary was reported at the 9 block of the Townhouses. Someone entered a unit and took some prescription medication from a bedroom. Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact Residence Life or DPS. Anyone selling prescription medication should also be reported to Residence Life or DPS. 11:36 p.m. DPS responded to the smell of marijuana coming from two rooms in Regis Hall. DPS documented four males in possession of marijuana. The students were referred to student conduct. Sunday, 3/4 1:00 a.m. DPS discovered a young man walking with a stolen traffic control sign that was pulled from the ground. The student was referred to student conduct. 10:10 a.m. Theft of a ballard cover from the parking garage was reported to DPS. Video of a young man wearing a green shirt was obtained and DPS is working with campus partners to catch the individual. Anyone with any information is encouraged report it to student conduct.

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Alicia Phaneuf, Editor-in-Chief Cara Lee, Executive Editor Deanna Carbone, Managing Editor Editors Sabrina Trueheart, Copy Claire Monahan, News Jacob Buttiker, Assistant News Sabina Dirienzo, Opinion Katherine Klima, Vine Connor Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke, Coffee Break Patrick Getz, Sports Online Bradley Nordstrom, Web Master Ariana Puzzo, Online Editor-in-Chief Pamela Kask, Online Opinion Editor Kelley Ekert, Online Coffee Break Editor Business Department Email: info@fairfieldmirror.com Natalia Macchio, Director of Finance Adviser Dr. Tommy Xie Contact Information Fairfield University 1073 North Benson Road, BCC 104 Box AA, Fairfield, CT 06824 General email: info@fairfieldmirror.com

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THE MIRROR | Week of March 7, 2018

News

Dakota Celebrates Third Year on Campus By Alicia Phaneuf Editor-in-Chief

After registering her as an emotional support dog, receiving perFairfield University’s four-legged furry friend and mission from Dean Meredith Kazer unofficial mascot, Dakota celebrates her third year on of the School of Nursing and the campus. Dakota officially came to Fairfield in the fall Department of Public Safety, Pomof 2015 as a registered emotional support dog, and has arico had no trouble with introducproven to destress students and faculty, while radiating ing Dakota to campus. “I look forpositive energy throughout campus. With her office re- ward to celebrating her third year siding in the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing on campus and informing students and Health Studies, Dakota starts her day at 10:30 a.m. who may not know about her about by strolling down the hallways of the Nursing School to everything she does,” said Pomarigreet students as they wait for their morning classes to co. begin. Nursing major, Brooke Matthews ‘19 has the opportunity to walk Dakota throughout the week. “I think Dakota contributes tremendously to our campus. WhenPhoto Contributed by Assistant Professor Carole Pomarico ever anybody sees her, they instantly smile and Students listen to a lecture alongside Dakota. Requests for Dakota to attend a cannot wait to pet her,” specific class can be made to Assistant Professor Carole Pomarico. said Matthews. “When I was walking Dakota last week, two students tested before and after being exposed to a therapy dog. stopped to pet her. As we were walking away, The average age of the students being tested was 19, 121 I overheard one of the students say, ‘That just of which were undergrad students. made my day 100 times better.’ Fortunately, It’s important to note that 87 of the 131 students these scenarios happen all of the time.” claimed to have a pet at home. The data showed that Since Dakota’s first semester, she has when exposed to a dog for a brief period of time, the immersed herself into a multitude of organi- participants had significant reduction in systolic and zations and volunteer opportunities. In ad- diastolic blood pressure and in-state anxiety – with the dition to visiting certain classrooms, upon state anxiety scale showing a drastic reduction. Out of request of professors, Dakota also spends her the 131 participants, 65 percent showed change on the day working in support for different clubs and state anxiety inventory. projects. Dakota is a member of the Student This study shows that even a small window of time Nurses Association, she raised $5,000 for the exposed to dogs can both relieve stress and high blood Wounded Warrior Project, received an ap- pressure. Matthews echoed these findings from her own preciation certificate for participating in the experience with Dakota as well. Great American Smokeout, raised money for “Dakota has impacted my life in numerous ways. the Special Olympics by participating in Fair- Before I started walking Dakota, I would frequently see field’s annual Jail N’ Bail and most recently she her before our exams. Dakota’s role is to relieve anxiety has helped students raise money for a service prior to our exams and help us de-stress. She easily actrip to Nicaragua. complishes this task and we all enter the classroom less “Dakota’s work is all health related, apprehensive,” said Matthews. “Although her role might and specifically de-stress related. Everything seem small, she certainly makes a significant difference she does is for the students,” said Pomarico. … She brings so much joy to us and I think I can say that Photo Contributed by Assistant Professor Carole Pomarico “When she sees students between 18 and 22 we all appreciate it so much.” year old, she assumes they’re her students. DaDakota not only provides students with a friendly kota was born for this.” face to see in the hallway, but she also acts as a means to Dakota pictured in her office on the fourth floor of the nursing building. In a 2017 research study by Emily Wood, better their health and decrease anxiety. Over the course Assistant Professor of nursing Carole Pomarico, Sally Ohlsen, Jennifer Thompson, Joe Hulin and Louise of three years, Dakota has created a reputation as staff who is also the adult program director for the School Knowles entitled, “The feasibility of brief dog-assisted member, volunteer, activist and friend amongst the Fairof Nursing, coincidentally adopted Dakota around the therapy on university students stress levels: The PAwS field community. same time she was conducting a research study, which study,” 131 participants had their systolic blood presanalyzed how dogs can reduce stress in college students. sure, diastolic blood pressure and state anxiety inventory

Twenty Course Core No More Continued from Page 

intensive courses and three social justice courses, with at least one of these courses focusing on race studied in combination with gender or class. However, requirements for some of these courses can be fulfilled in the tiered experience. Additionally, one writing course and one social justice course can be worked into students’ majors. With the core that is currently in place, the requirements vary between schools. One of the largest changes in the “Magis” curriculum is that it will apply to all undergraduates, no matter which school they are in. “I think it’s good that there is less required classes, however I appreciated the diversity of the program we currently have in place,” noted business student Paige Honeycomb ‘19. Dr. Harding expects this new core to have a positive impact on campus enrollment here at Fairfield University, stating that, “The core retains a focus on humanistic liberal arts tradition that is at the heart of the University, but gives students more flexibility to take courses that interest them, meeting the needs of the twenty-first century learner.” A task force is currently being established to finalize the program rollout, with the program being put into effect possibly as early as the class of 2023.

Halfway to the Beach Event Tickets Sell Out Continued from Page 

weighed against the challenges of creating a brand new event. Halley elaborated, “You have to try and start small before you go big. Moving forward there is room to grow in size. It’s a lot to change something from what it used to be to then be a huge event.” Junior Danielle Rice, FUSA President-elect and current director of the programming board reiterated this potential for growth, “We’re very excited to start a new tradition within Photo taken from FUSA Twitter the sophomore class and we hope this inspires many new events in the future.” Student on 2014 boat cruise gazes at city skyline. This year’s ticket sales are an increase compared to last year’s boat cruise, which only sold 150 tickets. In fall 2016, there were 980 full time students in the sophomore class, meaning only about 15 percent of the class was able to get tickets to the event. Last year’s cruise was also more expensive with tickets selling for $50 each. The overall event also cost more with close to $17,000 being spent on the 2017 cruise. This year’s event only charged $20 per ticket and is projected to spend around $10,000. The Halfway to the Beach event will take place on Friday, April 6 from 7 - 11 p.m. at the Penfield Pavilion in Fairfield. Halley voiced her hopes for the new event, “We’re really excited to change the event, to have a new traditional event that people look forward to and want to go to.”

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THE MIRROR | Week of March 7, 2018

Opinion Editor Sabina Dirienzo » sabina.dirienzo@student.fairﬁeld.edu

Getting Opinionated with The Mirror

Fairfield Meal Plans Need Improvement By Shae Cronin Contributing Writer As a college student, the meals I consume regularly are an extremely important part of my daily routine. As many of my peers would agree, food is undeniably an essential part of everyday life and being away from home at college, many of us seek out food options that remind us of the comforts of home. Although Fairfield University offers its students a generous meal plan that includes access to a newly renovated Daniel and Grace Tully Dining Commons, The Stag Snack Bar and other dining options such as Einstein Bros Bagels, this meal plan is not as lenient as it should be for the price students are paying. Aside from purchasing meals from the Tully, if students wish to eat elsewhere to vary their diet to some degree, they will be faced with the unpleasant fact that they cannot do so on their already-paid-for meal plans. If a student, per say, wishes to indulge in an order of Stag sushi for dinner one night after acing his or her Calculus exam, he or she would be forced to purchase said sushi with Dining Dollars. The issue with this is that with a pre-paid meal plan, we are only allotted a limited amount of Dining Dollars that can be used in purchasing oncampus food outside of the Tully. There are in fact some exceptions, as from 1-4 p.m. during the week students can use a meal swipe at The Stag. However, this only applies to a select number of menu items. The issue with this is the limitation on selection. I feel strongly that since students are paying so much. According to the Fairfield University website, the meal plan costs $2,765 per semester, for 14 meal swipes a week plus 100 dining dollars or $3,350 for an unlimited amount of swipes plus 200 dining dollars, both with only two guest meal swipes, there should be less limitations and regulations in place regarding which meals we can use meal swipes to purchase. Take University of Massachusetts Amherst for example. On the UMass’ website, for a shocking price of $2,978 per semester, a student at UMass receives unlimited access to all four dining halls, each with a different variety of food options from custom order sushi to an international bar. The university’s meal plan also includes $250 dining dollars for use at any on-campus dining option outside of the meal plan applicable options and 15 guest meal swipes. With all of this said, I feel strongly that it would be extremely beneficial for Fairfield University to release some of its regulations regarding meal swipe applicable food items. For the large amount that we pay to attend and eat at this University, we should be given an equal return. One way in which Fairfield could surely expand its meal swipe leniency would be through indefinitely including The Stag in their meal plan.

Claire Monahan/TheMirror

The Tully Dinning Commons where meal swipes can be used.

Editorial Board "Hope for Diversity in Hollywood" Alicia Phaneuf Editor-in-Chief Cara Lee Executive Editor Deanna Carbone Managing Editor

Photo taken from emmawatson Instagram

Don't Stop Advocating With Social Media The women of Hollywood dress in black to support the #TimesUp Campaign.

By Miandabu Kalala Contributing Writer Throughout history, movements have formed in order to resist oppression and make an impact. The case is no different when it comes to the #MeToo movement, started by Tarana Burke, and the #TimesUp movement both which are followed by many activists and celebrities to fight against the sexual assault/abuse toward women. Many celebrities wore the color black to award shows, such as the BAFTA awards and Golden Globes, as a symbol of defiance to protest unfair treatment of women. This is what girl power looks like and I think this is a great place to start − but it is not enough. Women have the voice and power to change their surroundings − it is just a matter of truly using it and not just following the movement on social media in order to seem cool. This is not to say that people are not truly hurt by all the sexual allegations that have come out since Harvey Weinstein, because I do know that they are. What I am saying is that we need to do more than just wear black and this goes for everyone, men included. The point I think is valid in this whole catastrophe is that of actress Rose McGowan, who thinks we are beyond symbolism and that silent protest is not the way to fight these issues. I could not agree with her more considering the fact that black, although associated with elegance, is also a color used for mourning. I do not think it is enough for women to pick a color that suggests loss. This is a time to stand strong and be bold – and wearing black just doesn’t cut it. If a man as powerful as Weinstein could be dismissed from his company and get expelled from the Acad-

This 2017-19 film awards season has undoubtedly been the year of women. The Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Screen Actors Guild Awards and even the largest of them all, the Academy Awards, were all defined by moments promoting the positive advancement of women everywhere through invigorating speeches, the founding of campaigns and inspiring shows of female solidarity both inside and out of the films up for awards. Due to this, nearly all sections of The Mirror have commented on these awards shows over the past few months. As of 11:53 p.m. on Sunday, March 4, award season concluded with the Oscars and the entirety of the season can be analyzed. Not only were women celebrated, but intersectionality was an overarching theme. Between “Black Panther,” “Wonder Woman,” “Get Out,” “The Big Sick” and “The

Shape of Water” there was diverse representation in a way that we haven’t seen before with starring characters and actors from minority groups including females, disabled persons, those who identify as being part of the LGTB+ community and much more. In regards to wins for these films, “The Shape of Water,” starring female Sally Hawkins as the mute Eliza Esposito, took home the biggest award for the night: Best Picture. But other films, and their creators, also made diversity history. This year, director Gerta Gerwig became the fifth nominated female for Best Director for “Lady Bird”, “Mudbound”’s Rachel Morrison became the first female to ever be nominated for Best Cinematography, Jason Peele was the first black person to take home the award for Best Original Screenplay for “Get Out” and James Ivory is now record-

emy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences due to his conduct, then that shows we are capable of dismantling all those that have used their position of power to abuse women. The media has been a powerful tool in bringing to light many of these issues, but oftentimes after a couple of days, people on social media tend to move on and follow whatever else is trending. Sexual assault/abuse against anyone is not something to just trend on social media for a couple of days and then be forgotten. It is an everyday experience and battle for many that deserves continuous attention and effort. Going further with the movement means boycotting any person, group, business or organization that in any way helps promote misogynistic views. Let’s take Chris Brown for instance, who after hitting Rihanna was still well received in society and supported by many. If people demonstrating such behaviors were boycotted to the point where they lost their platform, then the message would be loud and clear. Many of those that are wealthy and in power are there because one way or another, the everyday American has bought their products, watched their films etc. If we all boycotted such people and whatever they have to offer to society (careers, businesses, etc.), then we will hit them where it hurts and humble them. Justice must be demanded, not begged for. This movement has led to the Time’s Up movement, and women should act in a way that really shows that time is up. ed as the oldest Oscar winner at age 89 for his adaption of the “Call Me by Your Name” screenplay at 89. Out of the film world, actor Daniela Vega became the first transgender actor to present at the awards. While all of these are amazing achievements, there is still progress to be made in Hollywood and in the film industry as a whole. Hopefully, at some point in the future, the world will no longer wait with baited breath for a diverse range of nominees, or need to celebrate when a member of one of these communities wins an award as diversity will become commonplace. As three women currently running an award-winning student newspaper, we look forward to the day where the success of women can be achieved through all parameters of society.

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THE MIRROR | Week of March 7, 2018

Opinion

JUULs: A School-Wide Health Risk By Amelia Oates Contributing Writer As a college student I have seen a fair share of JUULs, a vaporizer designed to look like a USB around campus. The new fad of “ripping” JUUL took over campuses across the U.S. last year. You either own one yourself, or know someone else who has one that will let you take a rip any time you want. Just about everybody has access to one, which creates the idea that to be cool you have to use a JUUL. In reality, we should be really questioning how great the JUUL really is. Bottom line, JUULs contain nicotine. Growing up in the U.S. education system, we are lectured constantly about the dangers of nicotine. For as long as I can remember, I have been told that cigarettes are bad for us, as they ruined the lives of many people in the generations before us, due to the tobacco and extremely long list of chemicals included in the ingredient list. While the JUUL does contain nicotine, it does not include tobacco, rat poison or anything else that is supposed to burn out our insides. However, out of all the vape options on the market, liquid in a JUUL contains the highest content of nicotine, at about 5%. This makes a JUUL appear to be a great opportunity for someone to ease off of cigarettes, while still get their nicotine fix without putting their health in danger. It seems like a great option next to a cigarette and even something “cool” to do. Here is why JUULs are not cool. Although JUULs might ease people off of tobacco, they are getting young people addicted to nicotine. JUULs are becoming a problem in high schools across the U.S., where smoking cigarettes is not a problem in comparison. New campaigns have been created to try and prevent high school JUULing, which is hard to stop seeing as though a JUUL could easily be confused as a flash drive, and its modern technology appeals to millenials. JUULs also are not as healthy as we may think. Yes, we are not putting tobacco into our bodies like smoking cigarettes used to do, but no form of vaping can get away without having health risks. The nicotine is there, and research has been done for years on the harmful effects of nicotine. Nicotine has been tied to leading to depression, among other disorders, when adolescents become addicted and reliant on the drug. Memory damage and attention deficits have also been linked to long-term nicotine use. Depression and memory damage are not something to playaround with, especially for high school and college students, who are reliant on memory and mental stability to find success in education, all while our brains are still in the process of developing. According to an article by DailyMail.com people have started linking JUULs to problems with liver enzymes and can sometimes lead to cancer. Even though it is beginning viewed that smoking is not a problem for the millennium generation, this does not mean we aren’t harming our bodies. In a survey done by National Public Radio, one student in a high school – a keynote high school where the

students are mostly under 18, the legal age to purchase Juul products – guessed that about 50 or 60 percent of her friends have JUULs. JUULs may be the “healthier” alternative to cigarettes, but that does not mean they are healthy. They are created to aid people in easing off cigarettes, not for recreational use on high school and college campuses. If you are not using a JUUL, don’t start because there is no reason to. If you are, please stop while you may be able to get away from the addictive qualities before it causes harm to your brain development. JUULs are not cool. They are not supposed to be used for fun, so don’t use them like they are.

Photo taken from juulvapor Instagram

A JUUL advertisement image posted on the Juul Vapor Instagram.

Stand Against the Development of American Fascism By Ariana Puzzo Online Editor-in-Chief Associate Professor of History Richard SteigmannGall from Kent State University presented “Star-Spangled Fascism: Antisemitism and American Political Extremism, Past and Present” on Feb. 26 in the Dolan School of Business Dining Room. Steigmann-Gall highlighted how fascism in America was “a very real presence, especially in interwar years.” Additionally, he discussed historian Robert Paxton’s model for how fascism is a process as opposed to a formula, and how it can exist in countries outside of Europe and not present itself identically to European fascism. One of the key characterizations of fascism is that it “exalts nation and often race above the individual,” according to Merriam-Webster. Therefore, although people rebuke the suggestion that the United States is not immune to the political philosophy and its ideologies, we cannot disregard its historical significance during the interwar years. Moreover, we cannot ignore its relevance today with the rise of neoNazism, white supremacy and antisemitism in the U.S. Unlike the common perception, fascist ideologies did not develop out of the 2016 Presidential Election with the election of President Donald Trump. The Washington Post published an article on Aug. 12, 2017 — following the Aug. 11–12 Charlottesville rally — discussing three reasons why fascism spread in 1930s America. Seva Gunitsky, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto, sited a major economic depression, a fear of communism and “the rise of Nazi Germany as an economic and military powerhouse” as the three reasons. Although Gunitsky acknowledged that these factors are not present today, he also recognized that “similar problems lurk under the surface of modern political life.” These problems included rising levels of inequality in certain areas of the United States and “fear of globalists,” which can include antisemitic undertones. Furthermore, Gunitsky’s argument is that although we may not be a perfect model for a fascist regime at a given moment, it does not mean that democracy is infallible. More so, democracy is capable of failing to live up to its “promised economic prosperity and political stability,” and when that hap-

pens like in 1930s America, discontent can arise and place it in opposition to the public. Likewise, Steigmann-Gall reaffirmed that Paxton endeavors to show that fascism develops contextually. So, if it is present in our country, it incorporates American heritage and American values, and “need not imitate European archetypes.” To that point, Steigmann-Gall argued that “authentic American

CreativeCommons/Wikimedia Commons

A world recognized symbol of anti-Fascism.

fascism must be familiar to Americans,” meaning that its symbols may not be the commonly attributed swastika, but it could be a confederate flag. In March 1998, The Journal of Modern History published Paxton’s, “The Five Stages of Fascism.” He wrote, “... one cannot identify a fascist regime by its plumage … Focusing on external symbols, which are subject to superficial

imitation, adds to confusion about what may legitimately be considered fascist.” Countries have different value sets and predominantly different symbols that its citizens attribute meaning to and recognize as important to the country’s culture or history. Therefore, when we now hear about white supremacists who carry torches or yell, “Jews will not replace us!”, it is clear that there is a notion that only certain people belong in the U.S. Steigmann-Gall propounded that the idea which Paxton believed is in order for fascism to develop, there is a required distribution of power. The power, the former said, first needs to be obtained and then be exercised. Henceforth, power reinforces the belief that “the majoritarian group believe it’s suffering from minority dominance.” The spike and subsequent persistence of hate crimes that PBS reported in the aftermath of the 2016 Election makes it clear that we are not too far from the fascism that was prevalent in the U.S. in the 20th century. Also, there is a significant possibility that people have adapted historical amnesia and distance regarding the vigilante group Black Legion — an offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan — or the Silver Shirts, founded by radical journalist William Dudley Pelley, who Steigmann-Gall discussed in great length. The groups, though distinct products of 1930s America, remain relevant today, and The Guardian raised the same point in an Aug. 17, 2017 article. They reported that according to a study by George Washington University, “... white nationalist and neo-fascist movements in the U.S. have grown by [600 percent] on Twitter, outperforming Isis in nearly every category.” The statistic is absolutely astounding, and ought to make people wonder why there is not a similar national campaign to the already existing War on Terror. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of American citizens to recognize that despite our widespread claim of upholding democratic values, these values are easily compromised. If we can take anything from Steigmann-Gall or Paxton’s arguments, it is that fascism or fascist ideologies can evolve and spread in our society, regardless of the decade. Furthermore, the lack of recognition from people that fascism is possible in the U.S. is why our country is in danger of perpetually remaining in the same destructive pattern of social and political supremacy over certain groups.

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arts, entertainment, features Editor Katherine Klima @student.fairfield.edu

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Photos Taken from Instagrams of: shapeofwatermovie, threebillboardsmovie, jimmykimmellive, Photos chelsanity. TakenCredits by PaultoBilgore CreativeCommons/MaxPixel from Lauren Studios

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The 90th Academy Awards are Huge Sucess By Alle Scanlon Contributing Writer The 2018 Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, was a glamorous event filled with many laughs, powerful speeches and the admirable faces of Hollywood. Everyone looked stunning and extravagant, especially Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, who were interviewed together before the ceremony began, triggering “Practical Magic” flashbacks. The host, comedian Jimmy Kimmel, had an outstanding opening monologue, where he joked about “Oscar” the statue being the greatest man in Hollywood due to his inability to, among other things, talk. Kimmel addressed the scandal and injustice regarding Harvey Weinstein, and stressed the need for an end to sexual harassment in the workplace. On a more positive note, Kimmel commended the movie “Black Panther” for its success, and also praised rising star Timothée Chalamet for his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in “Call Me By Your Name”. The first teaser for the upcoming movie “Mary Poppins Returns” was shown with the release date being announced for Dec. 2018. The movie will star Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins, with costars including Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Dick Van Dyke, who was also in the original “Mary Poppins” (1964) alongside Julie Andrews. After the monologue and teaser, the awards began. The ceremony went very smoothly, no mistakes or confusion in comparison to recent years, but there were a few jokes about it from Kimmel as the night progressed. During the awards, Kimmel both acknowledged and thanked moviegoers for keeping this industry alive by rallying a crowd of actors, including Margot Robbie, Ansel Elgort, Emily Blunt and G a l Gadot, to surprise moviegoers in the theater across the street. The moviegoers were invite d to a sneak preview of the upcoming movie “A Wrinkle in Time”. The group of actors actually interrupted the showing, thanked each and every moviegoer, gave them all hot dogs and broadcasted them live at the Oscars. It was an absolutely amazing and fun tribute, to say the least. Mary J. Blige gave a captivating performance of the song “Mighty River” from a movie that she also starred in, “Mudbound.” Blige was nominated for two awards this year, one for best original song and one for best supPhoto Taken from allisonbjanney's Instagram porting actress. Blige began her performance by singing along to music, but toward the end, she sang acoustically with a choir, which truly Allison Janney after winning Best Supporting Actress for "I, Tonya."

moved the entire audience. Meanwhile, “The Shape of Water” was extremely successful, having won best Production Design and Set Decoration, best Original Score, best Picture and best Director (Guillermo del Toro). Other honorable award mentions go to “Dunkirk,” which won awards for Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Film Editing. Although Timothée Chalamet did not win Best Actor in a Lead Role for “Call Me By Your Name,” Photo taken from queennicolekidman's Instagram the movie did win best Adapted Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock Reunion Screenplay and screenwriter James Ivory gave an endearing speech about the movie, thanking the author of the novel first and foremost, before declaring how special first love is, regardless of your orientation. Best Actress in a Supporting Role was awarded to Allison Janney for her part in “I, Tonya,” having played Tonya Harding’s mother, LaVona Harding. This was Janney’s first Oscar nomination and win. She jokingly began her speech by saying, “I did it all by myself,” and after some laughter, stated that this statement could not have been farther from the truth. Janney paid homage to her coworkers who she claimed represent everything that is right and true about the film/ acting industry. Aside from her big win, Janney looked gorgeous in an elegant red gown, accessorized with jewelry and hair styled in a beautiful up-do. Next, Gary Oldman took home the Oscar for best Actor in a Lead Role for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour.” The winner of Best Actress in a Leading Role was Frances McDormand for her role in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing.” This was McDormand’s fifth nomination and second Oscar win in her acting career. She gave an incredibly empowering speech and had every woman nominee in each category stand to applaud themselves and each other. She specifically called out Meryl Streep saying, “If you stand up, everyone will.” Not only that, but McDormand demanded a change in their industry for safety and equal rights all around. Everyone applauded her and no music played to signal that she should wrap it up. McDormand ended her speech with two words: “inclusion riders.” In other words, McDormand drew attention to the diversity clause which mandates diversity amongst a film’s staff. Overall, McDormand’s speech was inspirational and continued a very important conversation that has begun in society. All in all, it was a very successful year for film and all of the devoted, hard-working people that work tirelessly to bring these projects to life. This year was memorable for the Academy Awards, and as always, an amazing way to pay tribute to those who live to entertain.

'Nouns' Art Exhibit is a Provoking Experience By Gracianne Eldrenkamp Contributing Writer

for the style, it would be very realistic. One challenge Ford faced while making this exhibit was deciding how to create something out of nothing. “The challenge that engages me is how to make a few swatches of pigFairfield University hosted an opening reception for stument and blurry brushstrokes coalesce into an object which dio art professor, Kevin Ford’s exhibition, “Nouns,” on Feb. functions as a reflection on its own existence while imbuing 26. This art exhibition, located in Lukacs Gallery in Loyola it with an aura of unimpeachable experiential ‘thereness,’” Hall, displays 27 acrylic paintings. said Ford. The name of the exhibition, "Nouns,'"fits When asked why he created perfectly with the paintings because each “Nouns,” Ford simply said the painting depicts the definition of a noun. Lukacs Gallery was a place to put Each painting shows a different simple obhis work in between exhibitions. ject including plants, faces and books. Ford It also allowed him to experiment said he chose these simple subjects in order with his art in different ways and to “explore more painterly issues of color, share it with students. Usually, form, space and touch.” Ford creates large scale paintings, Walking into the exhibition gave atbut chose to use smaller canvases tendees a rush of serenity. The paintings and panels for this exhibition. He showed simple objects in a unique and painted the canvases as if he were beautiful way. There were no descriptions sketching and exercised different displayed that explained the exhibition or tactics than he usually would. For any of the individual paintings, but it wasn’t years, he had been staging exneeded. It felt like a warm, sunny, spring hibitions for his students at the day – carefree and soothing. Lukacs Gallery, so he wanted to Each of the objects depicted were finally share his work here. painted in a soft and fluid way which, acFord has a bachelor’s degree cording to Ford, made the objects seem from Boston University and a more like a memory. The objects weren’t master’s degree from Yale Uninonexistent, but they also didn’t depict versity School of Art. He lectures complete realism. The objects seemed to be The Mirror/Gracianne Eldrenkamp at Lehman College and Pratt Inon an in-between plane of existence. Each stitute, and has been an adjunct painting showed a different object with a lecturer in the studio art department at Fairfield sort of film over it. In order to achieve this A photo of professor Ford's "Nouns" Art Exhibit in the Lukacs Gallery. University since 2011. effect, Ford used brushes, spray guns and Overall, the “Nouns” exhibit was a thought provokairbrushes to apply the paint onto canvases, wooden panels everyday objects a twist. One painting features what seems to be a hot pink vase against a neon green background. How- ing and calming experience. It will be on display at Lukacs and linen. Ford likened this blurriness to the technique of sfumato ever, because of the fluid style and strange shape of the vase, Gallery in Loyola Hall until March 9. Professor Kevin Ford in Renaissance paintings, shallow depth of field on a cam- it looks very abstract and post-modern. The art exhibit also worked marvelously on each painting to create a magnificent era and pixelation on an image zoomed too far in. It makes includes a painting consisting of two books, one overlapping art exhibit for Fairfield University faculty, staff and students. each painting feel like something just about to be discovered the other. The colors are light and neutral, and, if it weren’t – only instead of the discovery showing itself, onlookers had to find the discovery themselves. The art exhibit contains paintings that are similar in their subject matter and technique, but are vastly different based on their use of color. In certain paintings, the colors are bold and contrast each other, but, in others, the colors are just as soft as the brush strokes. The bold colors give the

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William Kentridge Demonstrates 'Ink-sightful' Artwork

Photo Contributed by Fairﬁeld University Art Museum

Prints by William Kentridge on display in the Walsh Gallery

By Alicia Phaneuf Editor-in-Cheif South African artist William Kentridge is celebrated throughout the globe for his exploration of the intersection of printmaking, film, drawing and theater. Fairfield University’s Art Museum was provided with the opportunity to display Kentridge’s exhibition entitled, “William Kentridge: Universal Archive,” and housed a lecture followed by an opening reception of the exhibition on Wednesday Feb. 28. The exhibition is currently on display in the Walsh Gallery at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Upon walking into the exhibition, viewers are greeted with more than 75 linocut prints that are printed on 1950s dictionary and encyclopedia pages – which Director of the International Print Center New York, Judy Hecker, explained are chosen randomly and the actual words on the pages hold no significant deeper meaning to the print itself. As is the case for many artists, much of Kentridge’s inspiration stems from his personal experiences, including where

he grew up – Johannesburg. As a witness to the dissolution of the apartheid, many of Kentridge’s work aims to translate political happenings into beautiful artworks for the public to view and interpret. “He is interested in the combination of political ambiguity and uncertain gestures in his work,” said Hecker. The exhibition showcases pieces that depict familiar objects, such as coffee pots, trees, typewriters and birds. Interestingly enough, even though the viewer is able to tell what the artwork is resembling, Kentridge slightly abstracts them, making the viewer stare at the work for just a minute longer. For example, in one of his works he chose to combine a human body with a coffee pot. According to Hecker, this merging of objects relates to the artist’s skepticism towards certainty in creative processes. Another interesting theme found in Kentridge’s “William Kentridge: Universal Archive,” is his repetition of objects. For example, the exhibition includes a series of trees. The recurring image ranges from complete realistic depictions of a tree to extremely loose brush strokes that barely resemble the im-

age. It is within these groupings that the viewer can see Kentridge’s broad, expressive line work. Some of the works on display are even created in a collage format. His “Horse” print is made with six different pieces of found dictionary paper, where each page holds a different portion of the horse. This same practice is echoed in various other pieces, including works depicting humans and other animals. How these prints were made is by far the most striking part of this exhibition. Hecker explained that these grand prints were originally created as small ink drawings on dictionary pages in broad brush strokes. They were then glued onto linoleum blocks and carved through. Each image was then photo transferred and inked onto dictionary and encyclopedia pages. It’s important to note that when doing print transfers, it’s common for artists to use thicker papers, sometimes even with a fabric base. Kentridge’s decision to use extremely thin pages, like a dictionary, is risky as thin pages are prone to tearing easily. This exhibition evokes the mind to contemplate ideas related to form, movement, politics and anything else that may occupy the mind of the observer. “William Kentridge: Universal Archive” is a travelling exhibition and is organized for tour by the Gund Gallery at Kenyon College. It is also made possible, in part, by contributions from Alva Greenberg '74, the Gund Gallery Board of Directors and Ohio Arts Council. It will be on display in the Walsh Gallery until May 19 during regular visiting hours – Wednesday through Saturday 12-4 p.m.

Photo Contributed by Fairﬁeld University Art Museum

Photo of "Universal Archive - Nine Trees" in Walsh Gallery

The Mirror Abroad: Day's with Dan By Daniel Montgomery Abroad Columnist

Hard to believe that it's already March. Wow, I have become so cultured. Recently, fellow abroad columnist Chris Lazazzera ‘19 and I ventured to London to visit one of my best buddies from high school. It was our first trip outside of Italy, so naturally we expected a lot to go wrong. However, with the exception of our cab driver almost getting us into numerous crashes on the way to the Florence Airport, Peretola Airport, things actually went flawlessly on the way there. Once we arrived in London, the euro to pound difference really killed me. I mean, I spent 20 poundsw at freakin’ Five Guys. Anyways, I learned from the jump that I take the food in Florence for granted. My friend was insistent about the fact that he never had a good meal in London and I would not blame him as none of the places had menus that looked very appealing. When night time approached on Friday I was informed that we were headed to what was named the number one club in the world, called Portrait. I’m not even lying when I say that the security at the club was tighter than the security at the airport. Once we meandered into the club, the head-banging music and flickering lights were the most absurd sights I have ever seen. I feel as though the only people who were having the optimal fun there were on hallucinogens. The following day we did some great sightseeing and saw places like Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and Westminster Abbey. Saturday night was certainly a bounce back as we went to a club that played songs with some vocals. Sunday may have been the day with the most problems as Chris got wildly lost across London and ended up taking a bus about 40 minutes in the opposite direction of where I was. At this time, he had no data on his phone so we could not contact him, which created much excitement. Once he resurfaced, we did some more sightseeing and called it a night around 9 p.m. in hopes of making our 7 a.m. flight the next morning. Safe to say we returned to Florence in one piece. We’ll see if that continues. Stay tuned.

The Mirror/Chris Lazazzera London Bridge in London, England

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Rundown of Paris Fashion Week

The Vine

By Sabrina Musto Fashion Columnist

as the exact kind of look that Delevingne would wear. She wore a pantsuit draped with a large overcoat, but instead of a shirt underneath the jacket she opted for a bandeau that exposed her midriff and high waisted Dior underwear from under her suit pant. The look perfectly flaunted her model figure, and she accessorized it really well with a newsboy cap and dramatic dark makeup. She looked sharp and edgy and fit right in at the Dior show, which makes sense since she is a Dior Ambassador. Gigi Hadid has been a Fashion Week queen in recent years, and her street style definitely makes the cut in Paris. After recently revealing she has been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease after being criticized for her weight fluctuation, Gigi put her haters to shame by being the picture of class walking the streets of Paris. Simple yet elegant is the perfect descriptor I have for her choice to wear an off the shoulder, long sleeve, knee-length beige dress with knee high white boots and a camel bag. The look was the perfect combination of nude colors to make her look effortlessly stylish, but she added some flair with the sharp color on the camel bag.

Paris Fashion Week is an event marked by high fashion and celebrity attendance. The fashion and looks that go on the runway are chic, elaborate, bold and luxurious, but the fashion that goes on off of the runway cannot be ignored either. Seeing the multitudes of celebrities that attend fashion week brings with it a whole other collection of looks that become just as photographed and talked about as the looks being debuted. Being able to pick favorites among all of these amazing styles is nearly impossible, but the following are my favorite looks off the runway from Paris Fashion Week. Winnie Harlow attending the Christian Dior show is one of my favorite celebrity street style looks. The avant-garde layered look is a combination of pieces that I would wear in an instant. One great thing about what Harlow has chosen is that while she looks high fashion and well put together for fashion

Photo taken from oliviaculpo's Instagram

Photo taken from winnieharlow's Instagram

week, I feel like I could wear this outfit for a night out in the city. The style is not something completely out of the blue, it gives off the vibe that it’s meant for every woman, with a gray turtleneck under an off-the-shoulder coat dress, paired with patterned black tights and black shoes. The turtleneck and coat combination gives off a very warm feel which is perfect for the season. Olivia Culpo is one of my fashion icons because she always seems to have the best, most put together and current styles. The former Miss Universe has guest judged on “Project Runway,” so it is no surprise that she knows her stuff. Culpo showed up to the Nina Ricci show in an all white ensemble. Usually I am not the biggest fan of all white looks, but she looked crisp and clean in this outfit, and her beauty choices definitely helped with this. She utilized a slicked back, tight ponytail and simple makeup with a nude lip, so the whole look truly went together perfectly. Cara Delevingne at the Christian Dior show struck me

Photo taken from caradelevigne's Instagram

Reflective American Pop Music Dinner By Katherine Klima Vine Editor Through diverse and lively discussion, professor and music program director, Brian Torff held an animated presentation to teach students about American pop music on Tuesday Feb. 27. Torff is a very well known bassist and composer. The event itself was held in the Loyola Hall commons where students and Torff gathered for dinner and conversation. This program is one of many held by Resident Assistants in attempt to bring their communities together. Senior Liam Fama, an RA in Loyola Hall, was the one to organize and run the event. “The main idea behind it was to get students to gain a broader theory of music – to grow in their appreciation of it, and to also hear from one of our professors about his unique profession,” said Fama. The night began with a low attendee turnout, but that didn’t stop the dinner and presentation. Torff sat down and casually ate with the students in attendance. He then proceeded to ask them a series of questions, getting to know who they were, while provoking many of the students to think about important topics within our University – like the debate over the school’s core. After dinner, Torff and his audience gathered around the television of Loyola Commons for the official presentation. Torff first discussed his musical The Mirror/Katherine Klima career, talking about the different aspects of music he’s learned from his time in the industry, such as composing and playing various instruments. Professor Torff shows students a clip from Fairﬁeld University's Christmas Special. Torff even showed clips of two of his band’s songs from the University’s always in the formality of a classroom, but just as people conversing and exchanging ideas,” Christmas special. He spoke about the music he wrote for the event and its relevance. Torff focused on how he likes this kind of music, being that it’s very collaborative said Torff. “I’ve done this before and I really enjoy it because it’s informal and impressive to really and a way to work with those around him. As the event finished up, Torff answered a few questions and comments from the stu- get to know students in this way, because I don’t always get to do that in a classroom,” he dents. One of them asked about his songwriting process. He responded that a lot goes into added. “I hope it’s great for them because it’s terrific for me.” Overall, the American pop music dinner was a fun and engaging experience and procreating a song, but he relies greatly on literature. He mentions how he recently gained inspivided residents with the ability to engage with a professor outside the classroom in a relaxed ration from Bruce Springsteen’s memoir “Born to Run.” The event was very informative, but it was also a nice and informal way to allow students and entertaining environment. to accustom themselves to a member of the faculty. Even if one never takes his class, it gave students the chance to get to know another member of our Fairfield teaching community. “It’s very important that we, as faculty, engage with students in different ways and not

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'Shape of Water' is Not for Everyone By Cara Lee Executive Editor Inspired by the 2018 Oscars and restricted to watching only Oscar-nominated films that my roommate had not already seen, I was introduced to director Guillermo del Toro's “Shape of Water,” a film low on the list of Oscar-nominated films I had any interest in viewing. Before Oscar night, “Shape of Water” had a slew of awards to its name. Among them were the awards for Best Original Score and Director at the Golden Globes and the BAFTA film award for Best Original Music as well as the The David Lean Award for Direction. I had no idea what to think of this film when the credits first began to roll. The cinematography is definitely some of the most beautiful I’ve seen and the acting was incredible. The story line, however, can only be politely described as... unique. In “Shape of Water” Eliza Esposito (Sally Hawkins) portrays a mute woman who works in a secure government facility and falls for an “Amphibian Man” (Doug Jones) who seems to be more fish than man. He needs water to live, cannot speak, only knows two words of sign language that Eliza taught him, is never given a name (which resulted in my roommate and I delighting in calling him ‘fishy-fishy’ during ethical debates resulting from our viewing of this film) and seems to be completely ruled by instinct. Eliza then frees him from the facility, falls in love with him and — this is where things get dicey and those morality questions started to come up — quite possibly rapes him. To begin with, the cinematography was wonderful. Mimicking the algae in the pool where the “Amphibian Man” was forcibly held in the facility, and presumably the initial river he was found, the film was toned completely in green. This included costuming, the lighting, the walls, even the color of antagonist Colonel Strickland (Michael Shannon)’s car. It was beautiful to watch and the entire film was perfectly blocked with symmetry in each frame. The characters were all immensely complicated, and the actors did an amazing job at bringing them to life. While this is something sought after in all films, the performances by the actors in “Shape of Water” are to be particularly commended due to the character’s natures — especially in the cases of Hawkins, Jones and Shannon. Due to their mutism, Hawkins and Jones both had to portray their character’s wants, needs and internal characteristics through pure action. There are two primary exceptions to this. One is when Eliza fantasizes a retro-broadway musical scene during a mock stay-at-home dinner date with “Amphibian Man.” The second is when “Amphibian Man” signs the word for “egg,” learned due to Eliza giving him a hard-boiled egg while he was being starved and repeatedly signing the word – though whether he truly understood that this word specifically meant “egg” or if he used it generally for “food” is uncertain. Shannon, on the other hand, had a challenge in a very different way. His character was sickeningly sadistic. He joyously tortures “Amphibian Man,” presses a bloody hand over his wife’s begging mouth to stop her from talking during sex, is a murderess, racist, sexist, rude, and pointedly did not wash his hands after going to the bathroom. Yet, he pulled the character off perfectly which shows either amazing acting skills or a carefully hidden perverseness.

Now, the question of morality. Character Eliza sleeps with the “Amphibian Man” in her bathroom. As a film major, when we work on scripts, one of the main questions we are taught to ask ourselves is, “does it pay off ?”, are the character’s actions supported by the characteristics the story has shown them to have leading up to this moment. In this case, I don’t think so. Eliza is a kind but lonely soul, searching for a meaningful connection with someone, so it makes sense for her to risk herself to save “Amphibian Man,” especially since she identifies with him due to their shared mutism. Then she falls in love with him and, again, this could pay off — until they have sex that borders on, if not crosses the line over to, rape. The “Amphibian Man” can not speak, so there was no way for him to give consent. He cannot communicate, so no one knows what he can or cannot understand or what he does or does not want. And, lastly, he is not human, so no one can even use a basic human understanding to understand him. Yet, Eliza has sex with him. Supporting this is that the only other sex scene in the film is between the Colonel and his wife and, during this scene, the Colonel is forcibly preventing his wife from speaking, despite her protests, and in this manner it parallels Eliza and “Amphibian Man’s” sex because they would also not be able to speak – and Eliza, like the Colonel, positions herself in the dominant position by initiating the physical intercourse. As Eliza is a kind and compassionate woman, who we become terrified of when the Colonel sexually confronts her at one point during the film, I do not think that it pays off for her to perform anything that could even remotely be seen as rape on another living creature. All in all, “Shape of Water” was a bit too odd for my taste, but I am glad I watched it. I’m always up for some in-depth character debate, and parts of the film, despite it being categorized in the “horror” genre, were kind of funny. I’ll give this film 2.5/5 stars.

Inkwell Spotlight Invisble Me By Liam Cahill Contributing Writer

The doctors thought his mother had given birth to a ghost. The hospital was in a mad panic. “What the hell do you mean you can’t see him?” his father muttered. For the first time in history, a boy had been born invisible. The boy was like one of those superheroes he read about admiringly in his older brother’s comic books. Swooping underneath his brother’s bed, afraid he might be seen, which later in life he thought to be a foolish fear, he would read the comics in the lonely, dark safety. Rummaging through the pages, he would dream of people admiring him, just like the people he’s reading about. Before he could turn to the next page, his older brother dragged the comic book (with the boy attached) out from under the bed, and proceeded to kick the seemingly empty space of air, yelling, “Stay out of my room!” The boy would wake up the next morning with unseen bruises all over. The boy would roam the halls of high school, leaving only the traces of the nervous cracking of his knuckles. He would do this when he was uncomfortable. It was the day before prom. He bought a bouquet of roses, and 3 huge balloons for his soon-to-be date. He could see her beautiful golden hair shining in the sunlight. He cleared his throat, and began to ask the horrifying question. When she recognized what the boy was about to do, she scurried away from the six-foot-tall mass of thin air, whose roses fell to the ground, without a sound. The boy never went to college. It would be a pretty hard task for someone who would be marked absent from every class he attended. His father and mother were forced to kick him out on the streets, since the government would not believe they had a child. No tax break for them. If you ever wonder what the invisible man is doing now, he is not hard to miss actually. He is stationed on the corner of 45th and 7th, smack dab in the heart of Times Square, holding with dirty hands a sign that reads: “WILL WORK FOR FOOD.”

Photo taken from shapeofwatermovie Instagram

Chris Rock Dominates in New Netﬂix Special By Andrew Murphy Contributing Writer

Chris Rock’s new Netflix special “Tamborine” is nothing short of laugh-out-loud funny. Casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, Rock, an established stand-up legend, wraps politics, social issues and personal experiences into a hilarious one-hour performance in a Brooklyn theatre. Through his great on-stage demeanor and noticeable passion, Rock displays the enthusiasm of a comedian half his age while still intertwining the maturity and wisdom of an experienced adult into his routine. The first half of Rock’s act focuses predominantly on political and social matters. He addresses some of our country’s most controversial topics such as police brutality, racism and gun control. Rock intertwines his opinions on such matters with absolutely absurd punchlines, making it nearly impossible for you not to chuckle while watching. When bringing up the current presidential situation, Rock offers a fresh, upbeat perspective. While incorporating a variety of notable historical figures, Rock acknowledges that good things are inevitable upon Trump’s eventual exit. Obviously, Rock’s segment includes some hilarious quotes where he stretches logical opinions into hilarious concepts. His seamless transition from these general matters to his own personal life revealed a slightly more sentimental, yet equally comical,

side of Chris Rock. Rock confesses his infidelity and self-centeredness which resulted in his lengthy divorce process. For an occasional second here and there, Rock may sound more like a preacher than a comedian. However, crude humor and vulgar punchlines make this special impossible to mistake for a sermon. Rock expands on his central topic of divorce by spending a lot of time discussing relationships. Rock covers various aspects of relationships such as observations he has made first-hand and how the Internet age has completely revolutionized dating. The weirdest (and arguably funniest) moment of this special occurs during this bit on relationships when Rock jumps up and down shaking his imaginary “Tamborine.” This particular joke displays Rock’s fondness for making light of the complexity of romance. Rock’s material on both fatherhood and religion is spectacular. Based on his observations of how schools and parents treat their kids, Rock notes that children are sheltered from the unfairness, disappointment, and cruelty of the real world. He claims to prevent this error by sporadically ambushing his daughters with absurd and goofy disciplinary tactics. Rock also confesses his failure to understand religion. He mocks the fact that many religions claim to believe in an all-powerful, flawless God by citing porcupines and quicksand as examples of mistakes. Rock even goes as far as asking the audience: “You ever been to Mississippi? Mistake! M-I-S-S-T-A-K-E.”

I knew that Chris Rock was regarded as one of the funniest stand-up comedians in the industry, but I had never really seen much of his work. When I had heard some anticipation around his new Netflix special, I decided to give it a shot and it certainly did not disappoint. Yeah, his jokes were hilarious, but his delivery, body language and facial expressions somehow made them even funnier. I laughed an abnormal amount of times for a one hour period. Even in between jokes, Rock managed to keep me entertained, and this skillful transitioning between punchlines only made his jokes that much funnier. While some of his subject matter may sound serious, Rock remains hilariously satirical, never even giving audience members a chance to catch their breath. The various perspectives he casually shares greatly compliment his hilarious jokes making this special an overall enjoyable watch. I highly recommend this program for anybody seeking some good laughs.

THE MIRROR | Week of February 28, 2018

Coffee Break

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Coffee Break Editor: Connor O’Rourke

A New Year, A New Mirror The New Mirror Squad Hopes For... Sabina Dirienzo, Opinion Editor Hi all, I’m Sabina and I’m the new(ish) Opinion Editor. This semester, I look forward to continuing to answer everyone’s random AP style questions. I’m also a member of team Mirror politics majors, and my initials spell SAD. Yes, actually. Despite that, I’m looking forward to a great semester with our spectacular new staff!

Alicia Phaneuf, Editor-in-Chief Hey stags! Little Al here, and I’m wicked excited (yeah, I’m from MA) for this year with The Mirror! I remember admiring the “Gilmore Girls” lifestyle when I was younger, and now I’m ready to embrace my true Rory Gilmore by drinking five cups of coffee a day, eating an obsessive amount of pizza (which you can all enjoy too if you come to our weekly pitch meetings on Mondays *wink, wink*) and, of course, soaking up every minute as the Editorin-Chief of a private University in Connecticut. Go Stags!

Sabrina Trueheart, Copy Editor

Claire Monahan, News Editor

Hi I’m Claire Coffee Break alum and current News Editor. I’m a politics major who is confusingly on the pre-med track and is also somehow on the paper? Just kidding, I love The Mirror with all my heart, happy to spending even more hours in here.

Katherine Klima, Vine Editor

Hi, I’m Sabrina and I’m the new copy editor for the Mirror! I am a sophomore here at Fairfield majoring in English. I am also the president of Stag Roots on campus. In my spare time, I am a singer/ songwriter, and I have toured Connecticut performing at coffee houses and music venues. I am very excited to be part of such a great team of young journalists at Fairfield!

Hi everyone, I’m Katherine and I’m the new Vine editor! A little about me: I’m a sophomore English major with a minor in digital journalism. I love Ed Sheeran, awful movies and anything to do with writing! I’m really looking forward to being a part of the Mirror team this year!

Patrick Getz, Sports Editor

Deanna Carbone, Managing Editor Connor O’Rourke, Coffee Break Editor

Hey guys, I’m Patrick and I am the new Sports Editor for the Mirror. I am a die-hard Dallas Cowboys and New York Mets fan and I follow my teams daily. As a hobby, I love to work with animals, especially dogs, since I have trained Seeing Eye puppies for the blind. I am excited to fill Alfredo’s shoes as Sports Editor.

The Mirror has been giving me chest pains since my second semester at Fairfield! I’m looking forward to the new staff working together to ensure we don’t leave the office in the early hours of Wednesday mornings. Fun fact about me is that I hate the song Happy Birthday so on my birthday I my friends sing Nicki Minaj’s verse in Monster instead of Happy Birthday.

Cara Lee, Executive Editor This semester, my personal Mirror goal is to my year-andcounting debate of whether our 2am issue-is-done photo shoot is enough reason for me to get a Snapchat. In all honesty, though? I’m looking forward to every second of this adventure. We seem to have a great new staff, our ed-board is sending off some pretty great #GirlPower vibes, and I keep having “Star Trek: The Original Series” flashes with our shorter than the rest blonde/brown E d i t o r- i n - C h i e f ( C a p t a i n ) , glorified fishbowl office (the original Enterprise set) and the constant disbelieving gazes from students in the BCC wondering why we would feel in anyway compelled to do what we do (Every. Single. Alien.) All of this points to a great year ahead – so let’s do this!

Hey guys, I’m Connor and I’m the Coffee Break Editor (for now, but going back to Assistant News!). I think that there’s a lot of potential for a great year with The Mirror with the new team. I want to help make The Mirror great again and I think that with this amazing new staff, we’re going to do just that! With our new fearless, but small leader, I have no doubt we’re going to achieve great things this time around.

Sports

THE MIRROR | Week of March 7, 2018

SPORTS

This Week in Sports:

Sports Editor: Patrick Getz » patrick.getz@student.fairfield.edu

In Case You

Page 13

Deserving Awards & Respect

Missed It:

Thursday, March 1st

-Men's Basketball defeats Marist, 71-57 (MAAC Tournament) Friday, March 2nd -Men's Tennis defeats UConn, 4-3 Saturday, March 3rd -Women's Lacrosse defeats UNH, 15-9 -Men's Lacrosse loses to Stony Brook, 11-9 -Baseball defeats George Mason, 13-5 -Women's Basketball loses to Rider, 71-64 (MAAC Tournament) -Men's Basketball defeats Niagara, 90-77 (MAAC Tournament) Sunday, March 4th -Baseball loses to George Mason, 7-5 & 7-1

Photo Contributed By Sports Information Desk

On March 5, Paulina DiFatta ‘20 was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week to honor her for her past two contests. DiFatta saved 53 percent of shots and posted a 7.68 goals-against average in road wins against Sacred Heart University and University of New Hampshire. She made nine saves in her winning effort against Sacred Heart and added eight more saves in Fairfield’s win over New Hampshire. This is her third time winning this weekly award this spring.

-Men's Tennis defeats St. Bonaventure, 5-2, loses to Army West Point, 5-2 -Men's Basketball defeats Quinnipiac, 7464 (MAAC Tournament Semifinal) Monday, March 5th -Men's Basketball loses to Iona, 83-71 (MAAC Championship) Tuesday, March 6th -Men's Lacrosse defeats Quinnipiac, 9-6

Photo Contributed By Fairﬁeld Basketball/Twitter

Upcoming This Week:

On March 5, Tyler Nelson ‘19 faced an unfortunate end to the season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Championship as he was the leading scorer for three of the four tournament games. Nelson averaged just over 25 points per game as well as averaging four three pointers made in the tournament. He excelled on center stage as he received much deserved recognition. College Basketball analyst Jay Bilas was one of those to pay Nelson respect as a player, quoting that “he can flat out play.” Most notably, Nelson became Fairfield’s all-time leading scorer along with making the most three-pointers in a single season, 89.

Saturday, March 10th

-Baseball at North Florida, 1 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. -Softball vs Mount St. Mary's, 10 a.m., at Towson, 12:30 p.m. -Men's Lacrosse vs #10/11 Yale, 1 p.m. Sunday, March 11th -Women's Lacrosse at Lehigh, 12 p.m. -Baseball at North Florida, 1:05 p.m.

In this week's issue... - Women's Basketball Bounced in First Round (Page 14) - Stags Stampede Past New Hampshire, 15-9 (Page15)

- Men's Lax Beats the Bobcats, 9-6 (Page 15)

- Fairfield Earns MAAC Championship Bid, Falls to Iona, 83-71 (Page

16)

Sports

Page 14

THE MIRROR | Week of March 7, 2018

Women's Basketball Bounced in First Round

Photo Contributed By Sports Information Desk The Women's Basketball team fought hard all season long to a 13-17 record as the Stags look to go forward into 2018-19 with Eden Nibbelink '21 since the Stags will lose redshirt Samantha Cooper '18.

By Alfredo Torres Sports Editor Emeritus On Saturday, March 3 the Fairfield University Women’s Basketball team’s season came to an unfortunate end when they were defeated by Rider 71-64. The loss came in the quarterfinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament against the fifth seeded Rider Broncs who would go on to hit 30 of their 32 free throw attempts, proving to be the decisive blow to the Stag’s loss. The first quarter of play was a back and forth effort for both teams as they were exchanging buckets early on. For the Stags, Sam Kramer ‘20 scored seven of Fairfield’s first nine points in the quarter to start the game. Rider would continue to hold the lead, as they would close out the quarter with a 16-12 advantage. The second quarter would see the Stags make a valiant comeback. Down by four to start the quarter, Fairfield would tie the game at 16 off two consecutive layups coming off the hands of Macey Hollenshead ‘18 and Samantha Cooper ‘18. With less than

six minutes remaining in the quarter, Cooper would go on to score seven consecutive points for the Stags to give them a seven point lead at 23-16. Unfortunately for the Stags, the Broncs would answer back with a run of their own going on an 8-0 scoring run to take the slim 24-23 advantage with two minutes remaining in the quarter. Rider would go on to close the quarter leading 26-25. Coming out of halftime, Rider would dominate on both offense and defense. Just five minutes into the quarter, Rider would attain their first double digit lead of the game as they lead 41-31 over the Stags. Fairfield battled to get back into the game but Rider’s offense was too much for the Stags in the third quarter as they would increase their lead as high 17. The Stags would close the deficit down to 13 as they headed into the final quarter of play trailing 52-39. Trailing for the majority of the fourth quarter, Fairfield would battle back and cut the lead down to just five on two separate occasions. Kendra Landy ‘19 knocked down a couple of free throws

Weekly 4x5 Because we have witty things to say ... Alicia Phaneuf Editor-in-Chief

Patrick Getz Sports Editor

Alfredo Torres Sports Editor Emeritus

Allison White Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

with two and a half minutes remaining in the game. Rider would increase their lead once again to nine, before another Stag rally would cut the deficit to five after a converted layup by Landy with less than 30 second remaining in the game. Rider would go on to close out the game leading by seven to pick up the 71-64 victory to advance to the semifinals of the MAAC Tournament. In her final game as a Stag, Cooper recorded her final doubledouble with game-highs in points and rebounds as she finished with 18 points and 11 boards. Casey Foley ‘19 finished the game with 12 points while Kramer added 10 in the game. Hollenshead also recorded a season high five assists in her final game in the red and white. With the loss, the Stags finished the season with a 13-16 overall record, going 10-8 in conference play. This is Fairfield’s 11th consecutive winning season in the conference under head coach Joe Frager. The Stags will look to regroup during the off-season and bounce back with a strong 2018-19 campaign.

Your 2018-2019 4x5 Columnists:

Alicia Phaneuf, Patrick Getz, Alfredo Torres and Allison White

Spring Break is coming up... What are your plans??

What was your opinion of Sham Jam this weekend?

Kobe just tied Leonardo DiCaprio for amount of Oscars. Is he now the greatest of all-time?

Were you happy with the Stags performance in the MAAC Tournament?

Opening Day is less than a month away! Are you excited??

Catching up on all the sleep I've been deprived of during my first two weeks as EIC.

I was in my room working on my wonderful Art History final project, but I enjoyed watching snapchats from all my pals.

No one can ever out-shine Leo.

I'm super bummed they didn't get the big win, but I'm sure they gave it their all!

Opening day for what?

Working and petting my two dogs DPS was there so much, they as usual... should have joined the party!

I think this won't be the last Oscar from Kobe!!

They were so close to that MAAC title but Tyler Nelson went out with a bang to end his Stag career.

YES!! Who isn't!?

I think I’m going to Cancun. Still need to book a flight, but trying to make it happen. As long as the resort doesn’t mind me crashing on the sand for the week, I think I’ll be alright.

Sham Jam was good, could have been better if I remembered most of it. But all in all it was a good time.

Kobe is definitely one of the best, is he the GOAT? Who will ever know, but congrats on the Oscars. Nothing like winning an award that many athletes can’t even be qualified for.

I was proud of the effort the guys put out there. Even though we didn’t get the MAAC championship, it was a great weekend and a valiant effort.

Can’t wait for Yankees baseball to be back, it’s gonna be a great summer in New York.

Cancun, baby!! I'm ready to feel the sun burn my skin while I sit on the beach with a pina colada in hand. Don't know if I'll come back honestly.

Shammed and jammed as usual. Always a good time. I mean who doesn't love an open bar?

So this is where the questions get boring, huh?

It always makes me proud to see the Stags do their best! That video of the men's coach hugging Tyler Nelson though was the most heart-warming moment.

Opening day for darty season?! I know, I'm hyped!!

Sports

THE MIRROR | Week of March 7, 2018

Page 15

Stags Stampede Past New Hampshire, 15-9

Contributed By Sports Information Desk Lily Crager '19 (left), Kathleen Hulseman '19 (center), and Brooke Gallagher '18 (right) huddle up as these three Stag scorers combined for six goals in a winning effort over New Hampshire, 15-9.

By Patrick Getz Sports Editor The Fairfield Women’s Lacrosse team has been turning heads since the inception of the season. They took the field at Bremner Field in Durham, New Hampshire to face the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. After their win against Sacred Heart University on Wednesday, Feb. 28, the Stags were looking to record a third straight win. They captured a 15-9 win over New Hampshire to move to 4-2 on the season, with a 3-1 record away from Rafferty Stadium. With five minutes gone in the contest, Fairfield had already jumped out to a 4-1 advantage with goals from three different Stags, including Kathleen Hulseman ’19, Olivia Russell ‘18 and Brenna Connolly ‘18. New Hampshire closed the gap, making it a one-goal lead for the

Stags with about five minutes left in the first half. The Wildcats eventually tied up the scoring at 7-7 right before end of the first half. Momentum certainly seemed to be favoring New Hampshire, but Fairfield had an answer in the second half. For the first 15 minutes of the second half, both teams were exchanging goals and deadlocked at a 9-9 tie. However, Fairfield kicked themselves into high gear and went on a 6-0 run for the remaining 15 minutes of the game. In addition, all six of the goals scored by Fairfield were unassisted. The goal leader for the Stags was Kathleen Hulseman ’19 as she recorded four goals in a winning effort, including two late in the second half. Connolly and Russell both added three more goals, so these three scorers accounted for two-thirds of Fairfield’s scoring Saturday afternoon. For New Hampshire, Krissy Schafer ‘18 was the leading

scorer with three goals as two Wildcats, Carly Wooters ’18 and Catherine Sexton ’19, recorded two points each. For the most part, Fairfield controlled the game with 15 draw controls compared to New Hampshire’s 11. The Stags were also able to get four more free-position shots which gave Fairfield an opportunity to stay ahead. Offensively, Fairfield had 28 shots, 21 on goal, and New Hampshire had 21 shots, 17 on goal. More importantly, Fairfield outshot New Hampshire 17-10 in the second half, which helped propel the 6-0 halfway through. With this victory on Saturday, Fairfield picked up their fourth win of the season, where they have won three in a row. The Stags look to keep building momentum when they take on Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. this Sunday, March 11.

Men's Lax Beats the Bobcats, 9-6 By Patrick Getz Sports Editor The Fairfield Men’s Lacrosse team faced off against instate rival Quinnipiac University on Tuesday, March 6 at Rafferty Stadium. The Stags entered the day with a record of 1-4, looking to not have this season slip away like last year. Head coach Andy Copelan wanted to get back in the win column and he saw this game as one where his team could do just that. Fairfield started out in the best way possible, scoring six straight goals to start the contest. Two of those early contest goals were man-up goals, one coming from Jack Brennan ‘19 and the other goal came from Taylor Strough ’21. Senior Joe Rodrigues scored two goals in the first half to keep the pressure on Quinnipiac. Fairfield took the field and asserted themselves on the offensive side leading the game, 8-1, at halftime. One key decisive factor for the Stags was Will Fox ‘18 at faceoff position X. He ultimately dominated at faceoffs against the Bobcats, converting 14-19 of faceoffs for the game, which is about a 74 percent conversion rate. In the first half alone, he only lost one faceoff to Quinnipiac, where Fox went 3-3 in the first quarter and 7-8 in the second quarter. The faceoff tactician puts Fairfield in a position to win when he dominates the faceoff. Sophomore Sean McKee put on a defensive show while he was in goal for the Stags. Many times, he put his body on the line as he made 13 saves, including seven in the fourth

quarter against a persistent Bobcats team. “The defense did a great job of keeping their shots from coming a long way out. It makes my job at lot easier when they’re shooting from 15 feet out, not getting on top of me,” said McKee. McKee sees this performance as a confidence-builder as he looks ahead to future games to build off this momentum. “As a team, it’s been kind of an up and down start to the year, where everyone has just been grinding through especially me. Hopefully, we can all turn the page, move on and have a great rest of the year” said the goalkeeper. On the offensive side, Brennan showed off his athletic prowess by scoring three goals along with two assists, equating to five points. The second-year transfer now has six goals on the season where he is proving himself to be a part of the starting lineup. “I was just trying to get open off the ball and my teammates did a really good job at finding me. It’s pretty easy when guys are drawing doubles and I am just trying to get open and do my job” said Brennan. Copelan is feeling better after his team secured the second win of the season, but he still knows there are facets still to work on for his team. “It’s nice to get back in the win column, that’s a good feeling. Honestly, just walking off that field after losing those couple games in a row was a disgusting feeling. So, I’m happy for them. They came out ready to play today and that had been one of our areas of weakness. Now, I’m disappointed with certain things in the second half, whether it was learn-

ing how to win and close games out. If we could work on that while we’re still winning, I’m okay with it” said Copelan. Copelan praised the efforts of attackman Brennan and goalkeeper McKee in Tuesday’s win over Quinnipiac. “Those guys are great. I give Jack a ton of credit. He’s been a staple on man-up and he’s been in and out of the starting lineup. We’re gonna commit to Jack. He puts so much pressure on teams with his instinctive play off the ball, he’s a lefty, he’s a great shooter and he has great eyes with a great IQ. I’m happy for Sean too since there are a lot of eyes on him as Tyler Behring’s successor. He’s seen some good, he’s seen some bad, but we played a lot of zone in hopes of trying to get Sean hot,” said the head coach. Fairfield looks to record back-to-back wins when they play #10/11 Yale on Saturday, March 10 at 1 p.m.

Contributed By Sports Information Desk Will Fox '18 dominated the faceoffs versus Quinnipiac, going 14-19 in the contest and propelling Fairﬁeld to their ﬁrst win at Rafferty Stadium.

@MirrorSports Fairfield Mirror Sports Week of March 7, 2018

fairﬁeldmirror.com

SPORTS 16 Sports Editor: Patrick Getz» patrick.getz@student.fairfield.edu

Fairfield Earns MAAC Championship Bid, Falls to Iona, 83-71

Contributed By Sports Information Desk Wassef Mathnani '21 scored 14 points, secured eight rebounds, but he fouled out along with getting a technical foul in 21 minutes as he fought arduously in the MAAC Championship game against Iona.

By Patrick Getz Sports Editor The Fairfield University Stags Men’s Basketball team entered the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament on a fourgame winning streak, which gave them immense momentum, looking to capture that first MAAC title since 1997. Underclassmen and juniors were looking to give the seniors, including Tyler Nelson, Jerome Segura and Jared Harper, a MAAC title to end out their season. Now was the time for the Stags to make a push. Fairfield first won against Marist College, 71-57, in their first game in the MAAC tournament on Thursday, March 1. The Stags had the game under control as Nelson dropped 28 points and took three steals. Freshman Jesus Cruz also grabbed 13 rebounds in 31 minutes to lead the team. Junior Brian Parker lead the Red Foxes with 20 points in a losing effort. After this win, Fairfield moved on to play Niagara University. Against one of the top seeds in the MAAC tournament, Fairfield came ready to play and they executed their game plan efficiently. They defeated Niagara 90-77 in their second contest of the tournament. Nelson once again led the team with 28 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and Wassef Methnani ‘21 exploded with 15 points. Sophomore Ferron Flavors Jr. added 18 points which included four three-point field goals. Junior Domi-

nic Robb for Niagara went off for 29 points and 12 rebounds as redshirt teammate Kahlil Dukes ‘18 scored 21 points. The Stags were feeling good and they wanted to keep their MAAC title journey going. After defeating Niagara, Fairfield took on in-state rival Quinnipiac University in the MAAC tournament semifinals. The Bobcats took the court as the number seven seed as the Stags took the court as the number six seed. Fairfield led for almost the entire game as Flavors scored a team high 21 points and recorded 11 rebounds as well. Nelson added 19 points to compliment Flavors. The Stags missed only one free throw the entire game, going 21-22 from the line, which is a little over 95 percent. This fended off the Bobcats as the Stags clinched a MAAC championship berth with a 74-64 win over Quinnipiac. This win earned the Stags a MAAC title berth which was their first appearance in the MAAC title game since 2012. They took the court against the number four seeded Iona College Gaels on March 6. This MAAC title game is what Nelson, Segura and Harper have been imagining during their four-year career. They wanted to capitalize on this opportunity and clinch a spot in the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. Unfortunately, the Stags lost to the Gaels in the MAAC Championship, 81-73 as the Stags failed to capture that muchdesired MAAC title. Nelson finished his Stags campaign in style

by scoring 25 points while nailing six of eight from behind the arc. Three other Stags contributed double figures in points: Cruz, Flavors and Wassef Methnani ’21. Junior Roland Griffin for Iona led all scoring by exploding for 29 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. He was the difference maker for the Gaels, helping them keep Fairfield off track. Senior Zach Lewis added 20 points, seven rebounds and four steals as he shot 50 percent from the field. Fairfield shot exceptionally well from the free throw line heading into their matchup against Iona, shooting about 89 percent. However, the Stags shot 50 percent from the free throw stripe. Iona shot about 85 percent from the free throw line which caused the Gaels to stay ahead of Fairfield. This percentage for foul shots did not prove to be very effective for the Stags as they saw their season end Monday night. Head coach Sydney Johnson and Nelson shared an emotional moment with under 20 seconds left in the game as Johnson took out Nelson to let him get a standing ovation. The senior and the seventh-year head coach embraced on the sidelines as time was winding down. The emotion shown between these two ultimately displayed the quintessential relationship between a team leader like Nelson and a head coach like Johnson. The Stags look ahead to next fall without these seniors, most notably Nelson – Fairfield’s all-time leading scorer.

Contributed by For The Win/Twitter Senior Tyler Nelson and Head Coach Syndey Johnson share an emotional moment on the sidelines after Nelson was subbed out with under 20 seconds left in his last career game for the Stags.