Teachers’ Strike
Miss Bella Drag Queen
Stags Baseball
Opinion
Vine
Sports
Teachers strike for student rights in Oklahoma.
Miss Bella brings show stopping performance. Page 8
Stags Baseball sweeps Rider over the weekend.
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THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper
Week of April 11, 2018
Vol. 43 Iss. 22
@FairfieldMirror
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NBC’s Chuck Todd Discusses Jewish Identity in America
Connor O’Rourke/TheMirror
Dr. Ellen Umansky (left) professor of Judaic studies interviews Chuck Todd (right) about how religion has influenced his core values as a journalist and political commentator. By Connor O’Rourke Co-Assistant News Editor By Catherine Veschi Managing Editor Emeritus
The Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies hosted a lecture by Chuck Todd, a well-known journalist and moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press.” The event took place at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on Tuesday, April 10, where he focused on the subject of Jewish identity in the contemporary American political climate. Prior to joining “Meet the Press,” Todd was the NBC News chief White House correspondent from 2008-14 and hosted MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown” from 2010-14. Todd is currently the editor of “First Read,” which is an NBC guide to political news and prevalent trends in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding locale. Furthermore, Todd is also the political director of NBC News, which entails running all of the news division’s political reporting, as well as overseeing political analysis. Over the course of the 2008 Presidential Election, Todd consistently contributed to several television news outlets. He had the opportunity to moderate one of the presidential candidate forums in Iowa during the 2004 election cycle. As of now, he is an avid contributor to publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and Atlantic Monthly, of which he is a contributing editor. Ellen Umansky, Ph.D., the director of the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies, highlighted that, “Chuck Todd’s wide range of knowledge of American politics, his great attention to details, his enthusiasm for wrestling with thorny political issues and most recently, his passionate defense of the first amendment, have helped make ‘Meet the Press’ in both his daily and weekend incarnations, must-see T.V. for millions of Americans.” One of the overarching themes of the lecture was his heightened interest and awareness of his Jewish identity in regards to its relation to the contentious and equally complex modern American political landscape over the course of the past five years or so. Todd noted in his opening remarks that, “In the last two years, I’ve never felt more Jewish.”
With this newfound intrigue into his identity, he has become more involved with his local temple and cited his Jewish faith as being one of the main sources of his set of values. However, Todd expressed in relation to his Jewish background, “I’ve never defined myself, professionally, as Jewish. I’ve never thought about it as a professional image. But I will tell you, in the last couple of years I have been reminded of my Jewish background by plenty of random people on social media – let’s just say it’s not positive reinforcement.” Todd mentioned, in addition to this, that he has experienced a degree of antisemitism that he did not believe existed anymore because it had reminded him of stories his mother and grandmother would tell him. He mentioned how the problem is becoming increasingly apparent in contemporary society in that, “Suddenly my kids are seeing antisemitism at an age I never saw it. I had to explain the Charlottesville incident to my son. He said ‘why do people hate Jewish people’ he didn’t know that, he didn’t get raised that way.” As for why he believes it’s important to look into voting patterns of the Jewish people in America, as well as what their significance is in the American political sphere, Todd stated, “I think as a political analyst it’s important to understand how many groups vote. Obviously as someone who analyzes this, it is important for me to understand how practicing Catholics vote, non-practicing Catholics, Jews in Florida versus Jews in New York.” When it comes to reducing the diverse Jewish population to a single viewpoint, Todd expressed that he becomes quite uncomfortable in this regard. “It is not good for any institution or religion to be perceived as one party over the other, because the minute you are in this polarizing environment, then all of a sudden the other side is not going to be supportive, is not going to be helpful,” Todd further emphasized. Religion and governance are fundamentally linked, according to Todd, and have, “been intertwined since the dawn of civilization, so you have to have a deep understanding of religions around the world to understand our political divide.” In terms of his own thoughts on speaking of Judaism and politics in the same light, Todd said, “ I do try to separate Judaism from politics and I do try to seperate it from my job because again... I still was raised with the idea that
the two things you don’t talk about in public are religion and politics, and here I am.” “I have no qualms about having a conversation about it [Judaism] but I think that if you let the perception out there that it’s infused in your coverage, then people are going to look at your coverage differently. Sometimes I want to be a little more opaque,” Todd noted regarding his role as a journalist. During his lecture, he not only discussed his Jewish identity in connection to politics, but also had quite a bit to say in regards to the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and the general uncertainty many Americans are feeling in this day and age. First-year student Nora Hofmann commented, “I thought it was really interesting. I’m here for a class, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I’ve seen Chuck Todd on T.V. and my parents watch him all the time, so I decided to come see what he had to say. I think he had a lot of interesting points that I hadn’t heard of, without it being too partisan.” Another student in attendance, Conor Naughton ‘20 felt as though, “Chuck Todd did a good job of trying to straddle both sides of the aisle throughout his lecture. Though, he only spoke briefly about his experience as a Jewish person, he still provided thoughtful insights on Judaism and politics in American today.” There is a growing sense of cultural disconnect, according to Todd, between the coasts of America and the middle of the country that has manifested itself in intense political, but also cultural, polarization. Todd emphasized during his talk that the role of the president of the United States is to be the spokesperson for freedom and democracy around the world. The position entails a responsibility to denounce hate and discrimination. First-Year Student, Nicole Maher stated, “I think that his [Todd’s] strongest part was the ending. I do feel like he spent a lot of time talking about the concerns of what’s going on… he feels like there’s more than one path, and a lot of those paths are profitable or positive, so I definitely think he held the overall message of our political future.” In order to combat polarization, Todd pointed out that, “one of the things this last election has taught everybody is that we have a lot of tribal bubbles that we are all living in, and we need to pop a bunch of these bubbles badly.”
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THE MIRROR | Week of April 11, 2018
News
Sexual Assault Discussion Met With Low Student Engagement By Connor O’Rourke Co-Assistant News Editor
Fr. Doody, S.J. for most of the film. Raghunandan noted, in regards On Wednesday April 4, as part to the disconnect that students are havof Fairfield University’s Sexual Assault ing with these events,“for one, it’s April, Awareness Month, the Office of Student which is always really hectic and two, Diversity Programs & Multicultural it’s a sensitive topic so a lot of the people Affairs hosted a dialogue on sexual aswho were here were from Distinguished sault awareness and our campus’ culture Gentlemen and Todd Pelazza’s FYE surrounding hookups. [First Year Experience] group, or they’re This discussion aimed to help student leaders, know the panelists or are inform students on the resources campus personal friends of mine.” has in relation to these incidents, such as Junior Alyssa Vigorito commentindividuals to report incidents to, as well ed on the hook-up culture on campus, as the measures students can take to look “I know plenty of people who freely out for one another at parties and other talk about the people they hookup with, social gatherings. and that’s okay. No judgment. But some One of the key parts of the people are a little more reserved, which discussion was that hookup culture is is also just fine and I believe that’s in part something that is prevalent at not only because the aftermath of faux intimacy Fairfield, but most college campuses sometimes leads us to be confused and across the country. anxious.” Sexual assault was also discussed, Vigorito further expressed that, which is an issue on campus. In 2016, “Tinder is a good representation of how there were six reported sexual offenses hookup culture is so pervasive, yet it can at Fairfield, which was an increase comimpact us negatively. You match with pared to 2015, which had four reported someone and hookup with them, and incidents. There was a decline in reported Claire Monahan/TheMirror the next day you guys awkwardly refrain incidents of dating violence, with one in from making eye contact in public. It’s 2016 and four in 2015. Notably, reported Father Michael Doody S.J. watches documentary ‘The Hunting Ground’ in a sea of empty red chairs. hurtful for both parties. It makes us feel incidents of assault are generally higher confused and anxious — and no one near the townhouses because of the higher incidence of social gatherings and parties. wants to address such vulnerable feelings.” Another part of the discussion detailed Title IX, which is legislation that covers discrimination on Another student, Sidney Sarfo ‘20, stated, “[Hookup culture is] an issue at any college campus but the basis of gender. it’s more about how it’s being gone about that is the problem. When both parties give consent and do so The Dean of Students, Karen Donoghue, highlighted that, “[Title IX] also includes sexual harasssafely and soberly, there’s usually no problems.” ment, which is inclusive of sexual misconduct and sexual assault. With that said, every university has to Sarfo added, “When alcohol or date rape drugs are involved or even when something like miscomhave someone appointed as their Title IX compliance coordinator, and ours is Christine Brown.” munication happens is when the line is often crossed. Yes people see the problem, but awareness can be Donoghue explained the role of the Title IX Coordinator, “Christine Brown oversees our campus raised in more ways so they can fully understand the severity of this issue.” when it comes to any of our policies related to Title IX and she is one of the people a student can report to To raise awareness, Raghunandan feels, students must overcome a lack of concern, “I think the disif they would like to start the investigation in the community, or if they just want to inform someone of a connect comes from a sense of apathy; even though we’re a school that prides itself on social justice, I really sexual assault, or any acts of sexual violence or harassment that has occurred in our community.” have to call into question how many times do we really think we’re doing things and the entire community As for why this discussion is something students should be aware of, the Event Coordinator for wants to rally for it.” Student Diversity & Multicultural Affairs, Jasmine Raghunandan ‘17, stated that it is because of the lack of This sense of apathy can be seen in students reaction to other social justice issues, “I’ll refer to the visibility for sexual assault awareness. fact that we had a ‘die-in’ a couple of years ago at the library and what people remember is that students “It’s one of those things where it’s [Sexual Assault Awareness Month] a really important annual were stepping over the students that were imitating the ‘die-ins’ as opposed to stopping and saying ‘what’s event and we have a few students who show interest that should really be supported…by students, peers going on’ because they were in the rush of finals. We have a very individualized mindset where, if it doesn’t and faculty,” added Raghunandan. benefit me and my goals, I’m not going to invest my time in it,” said Raghunandan. One of the noticeable problems of these events meant to make students and the community aware When asked about whether social justice issues are being addressed enough on campus, Lauren of sexual assault and harassment is that the attendance was considerably low across all events. Paidas ‘20 said, “I would say yes, but there could always be more to be done. I live in McCormick [70 The event was met with low attendance despite the time change from noon to 12:30 p.m. Less McCormick Road], which is the service for justice building, so I definitely see that as one thing being done, than 15 people were in the audience. The preceding event, a screening of “The Hunting Ground” which but there’s always room for improvement.” chronicles the administrative response to sexual assault on select college campuses, was attended solely by
Students in a ‘Clam’ Jam as Ticket Price Increases By Jacob Buttiker Co-Assistant News Editor
Photo Taken from FUSA Facebook Page
Sophomore students celebrate being halfway through their college experience at FUSA event.
Halfway to the Beach Elicits Mixed Reactions By Connor O’Rourke Co-Assistant News Editor This past Friday, April 6, students from the class of 2020 gathered at Penfield Beach in Fairfield for the first annual Fairfield University Student Association-planned event, ‘Halfway to the Beach.’ Catherine Halley ‘20, one of the FUSA programming coordinators for class of 2020 events, said, “The night was filled with great food, great music, beach views and 2020 classmates.” Halley, went on to highlight that there was a variety of food and activities offered at the event, as well as, “a s’more station outside on the patio facing the beach. There was a photo booth station where students could capture memories of the night with some of their closest friends.” Despite this, there were a number of sophomores that left the event early and some who felt that it could have been a better event than it turned out to be. One student, Justin Mercado ‘20, stated that, “There was potential for it [‘Halfway to the Beach’] to be amazing, but it fell short in many ways. It was only the first year for it, so some things can be overlooked. I only hope that it can be something more in
future years.” However, Olivia McEvoy ‘19, associate director of programming for the Fairfield University Student Association felt as though, “While some people did leave, a good number of students stayed well into the event. With this in mind, the timing of event may change as we look forward to next year, but this information in no way indicates that the event was unsuccessful.” Previously, the sophomore event had been a cruise around New York harbor, yet according to Colleen Wilson, one of the FUSA advisors, “Following the 2017 event, FUSA received feedback from the sophomore class expressing that they would rather have an event that was closer to campus and didn’t require an hour bus ride. They were also looking for a more affordable ticket price, as the price for that year [2017] was $50.” One of the main issues of the event, however, was that this year’s new venue, the Penfield Pavilion, could not accommodate more than 200 sophomores, which left many in the class of 2020 unable to attend. Even with the 200 tickets sold, as Clare French ‘20 stated, “A critique I have is that there
should have been enough tables for the amount of people that bought tickets. Some people had to stand because there were not enough chairs or tables.” French went on to state that, “they [FUSA] should look into making the end time earlier than 11 because people were ubering back early and not using the bus” One student who left early, Alanna Goldy ‘20, echoed French’s critique, ”I thought it was fun at the beginning and the venue was beautiful but if it accommodated more people, everyone would have stayed longer.” Wilson noted that, “While they [programmers] were concerned that the venue would only accommodate 200 students, they were excited that the event would allow for 50 more students to attend than the 150 that were able to purchase tickets for last year’s boat cruise.” Halley noted, “I think many students at this event finally understood and felt the meaning behind ‘Halfway to the Beach.’ It is crazy and especially scary to think that we are already halfway done with college, but at the event, excitement and friendship filled the room.
As the spring semester comes to a close and warmer weather is imminent, students all over campus are looking forward to what many people consider to be Fairfield University’s signature event, Clam Jam. Clam Jam will be held on Penfield Beach in Fairfield on Saturday, April 28. Tickets for the event went on sale last Friday, April 6, and students noticed an increase in price from years past. This year, seniors were charged $40 per ticket, with their guest tickets coming in at $60 and juniors will pay $60 for entry. A large contributor to this $10 increase for juniors was the loss of Redbull as a sponsor. Redbull sponsored Clam Jam 2017; they provided many of the tents as well as the stage. Since they will no longer be involved with the event, this leaves the cost for such items up to the University. While ticket sales are the main contributor for paying for Clam Jam, the Beach Resident Advocacy Group also had to pick up some of the outstanding expenses. Another factor to the increase in ticket price are the live performances. DJ Greg T will be opening for the students at 12:30 p.m., with the main events following after. Arguably the most expensive part of the whole event, this year’s Clam Jam will feature the Ying Yang Twins and Cheat Codes. Associate Director of Residence Life, Pejay Lucky, noted that these performers were more expensive to book than White Panda was last year. Changes for this year’s event also include the food that will be served. Caterers include Sodexo, Dominoes and Qdoba. This is considered a large improvement from last year’s food choices, as only Sodexo was available for the students’ dining needs. The alcohol variety essentially remains the same for Clam Jam 2018, as beer and cider will be served at the bar. Students have expressed mixed reviews about the rise in ticket prices, with some more concerned than
Read Clam on Page
THE MIRROR | Week of April 11, 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.
Friday, 4/6 9:32 p.m. DPS encountered a student with cans of beer inside the John A. Barone Campus Center. The alcohol was confiscated and the student has been referred to student conduct. Saturday, 4/7 10:56 p.m. A motor vehicle entered campus at the checkpoint. DPS identified a pipe commonly used for smoking marijuana in the cupholder of the automobile. The pipe was confiscated and the visitor was turned away from campus. Sunday, 4/8 10:52 a.m. Residents of a room in Jogues Hall reported someone entering their room while they were asleep. The person did not take anything but watched them while they slept. Students described him as an intoxicated, skinny white male, over 6 foot and very pale. DPS identified the individual and he has been referred to student conduct. 12:34 p.m. Two roommates had a physical altercation in a townhouse on 11 block. One student did suffer some facial injuries during the fight. The matter has been referred to student conduct.
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N UTTIO U IO A N C
THE MIRROR Incorporated 1977
Alicia Phaneuf, Editor-in-Chief Cara Lee, Executive Editor Deanna Carbone, Managing Editor Editors Sabrina Trueheart, Copy Claire Monahan, News Jacob Buttiker, Co-Assistant News Connor O’Rourke, Co-Assistant News Sabina Dirienzo, Opinion Katherine Klima, Vine Alle Scanlon, Assistant Vine Julia Monteleone, Coffee Break Patrick Getz, Sports Online 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 April 11, 2018
News
Clam Jam to Feature Ying Yang Twins Continued from Page others. Junior Leopoldo Castillo said, “I suppose when you take into account all of the food options and the performers for this year, a $10 price increase isn’t all that significant.” Seniors especially have expressed agitation at the rise in ticket prices in relation to senior week, as stated by Erin Monahan ‘18, “I would love to do Clam Jam and all the other senior week events, but with the high ticket price it’s just prohibitive.” Junior William Carlin agreed that the performances and free food make the ticket prices worthwhile, “with the school increasing the price of the ticket, people are going to expect a lot. Fairfield getting Ying Yang Twins and Cheat Codes is definitely an upgrade, not to mention all of the extra free food.” With Clam Jam being such a highly raved about event here at Fairfield University, students have high expectations for this year’s festivities.
Claire Monahan/TheMirror
Muslim Student Association ran a raffle event for Fairfield items with a minimum donation of $5, all proceeds went to BRAC
Islam Week Event Describes Humanitarian Crisis By Claire Monahan News Editor Stories of military soldiers burning villages, raping and murdering civilians have been told by approximately 671,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladeshi refugee camps. The mass exodus of the Rohingya, a minority Muslim ethnic group, from the Southeast Asian majority Buddhist country of Myanmar has been deemed “one of the fastest growing” refugee crisis by the United Nations. On April 10, the Jesuit University Humanitarian Action Network and the Muslim Student Association held an event to discuss the Rohingya refugee crisis as a part of the 8th annual Discover Islam Week. The event featured guest speakers: Ashley Toombs ‘07; Professor of History David McFadden Ph.D.; Professor of Politics and International Studies Janie Leatherman Ph.D.; and Nazia Khan. Toombs serves at the manager of
external affairs at Building Resources Across Communities, which is a global non-governmental organization that was founded in Bangladesh. BRAC was one of the many NGOs that helped set up and improve Rohingya refugee camps. Khan is an entrepreneur and member of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center. Khan had the opportunity to volunteer at Cox’s Bazar, a refugee camp site. During Discover Islam Week, each of the five events is associated with one of the five pillars of Islam. The first event, held on April 9, was a talk by Sheikh Faiyaz Jaffer, which symbolized the first pillar Shahada meaning “proclamation of faith.” Jaffer, an associate chaplain and research scholar at the Islamic Center at New York University, spoke about the modern implications of proclaiming faith. The discussion about the Rohingya refugee crisis symbolizes the second pillar Zakat meaning “almsgiving.” The event em-
Claire Monahan/TheMirror
Khan, McFadden, Toombs and Leatherman (left to right) discuss Zakat in global politics.
phasized the importance of charity in the Muslim faith. Khan explained that the act of giving is the process that purifies one’s own wealth. Khan elaborated that Zakat is ultimately selfish because it attempts to fill a personal, inner void, “you are more in need than to those to whom you are giving.” Dr. McFadden explained the history of the conflict, which dates back the British colonization of Burma, which later became Myanmar. The relationship between the Myanmarese government and the Rohingya has been strained throughout the country’s history. Tensions came to a head when a Rohingya militant group attacked about 30 police and army posts. The government, which is a former military dictatorship, responded with a violent crackdown on Rohingya villages. This violence is what prompted the refugees to flee. However, due to the Citizenship Law of 1982 the Rohingya lost their status as legal citizens of Myanmar. This left the Rohingya as a “stateless people,” McFadden explained, and this means they are not technically fleeing persecution of their own government as they have no government. The issue of gender based violence was also discussed during the event. Dr. Leatherman explained the history of the United Nation’s involvement in the issue of sexual violence against women and detailed the atrocities that the Rohingya witnessed. She explained that this method of violence is cheaper than using guns and just as effective for driving people out of their land. This connected back to the lack of citizenship of the Rohingya, as any land they owned was not legally enforced. Once the army had driven away the Rohingya villagers, they repurposed what was once their land for the government’s economic interests. Dr. Leatherman detailed how the Chinese have run a pipeline to transfer
natural gas from Myanmar to China in Rakhine, the historic home of the Rohingya. Dr. Leatherman described all of the international bodies that could affect change in this humanitarian crisis. But she was dismayed by the lack of global mobilization around this issue, “it’s hard to believe with all the resources we have that this is still true.” In November of 2017, the United States State Department declared the violence an “ethnic cleansing,” and placed economic sanctions on a Myanmar military general accused of directing the violence. Despite international pressure to address this increasingly dire human rights issue, the Myanmarese government maintains that there is no ethnic cleansing. Government officials claim that the Rohingya burned their own villages and concocted the stories of sectarian violence. Toombs spoke last at the event recounting her multiple trips to refugee camps. She showed a short video chronicling the chaos of the initial arrival of the refugees. BRAC has a three part plan for the camps, which she hopes will create a sense of permanence in the camp and give those affected by this crisis some normalcy. Muslim Chaplin Nargis Alizada-Kahn ‘13, concluded the talk by connecting the Shahada event to the Zakat event and to Fairfield’s Jesuit identity. She recounted the conversation about submitting yourself to God and the reflection that followed, “we ended up talking about the Ignatian spirituality questions… it really came down to the foundations of the art of giving. Giving a part of ourselves that will no longer belong to us, to the point where it hurts.” “I’m glad so many people came and I hope we can take what we learn tonight and make some real change,” remarked one student in attendance, Nolan Wolfe ‘20.
Quest for New Pizza Recipe Brings Together Students and Dining Hall Staff in First-Ever FUSA Pizza Face-Off By Jacob Buttiker Co-Assistant News Editor
Pizza is a universal truth that everyone can understand. It spans the world in all different variations and, even at its worst, it’s still pretty good. In the spirit of pizza lovers all around the globe, the Fairfield University Student Association hosted its first ever Pizza Face-Off. Held on Thursday, April 5 at the Daniel and Grace Tully Dining Commons, three teams went head to head on creating their own designer pizzas and let a student vote decide the winner. The votes were conducted by students placing a token in the bucket for the pizza that they thought was best, with the winner being tallied at the end of the night. In order to create this event, FUSA
partnered with Sodexo and Fairfield Dining. Because of their involvement, two of the three teams involved were “FUSA” led teams. Current president and vice president Cara Gibbons ‘18 and Molly Strang ‘18 comprised one of the teams, while president and vice president elect Danielle Rice ’19 and Matthew Marshall ’19 made up the other. The third team consisted of two student athletes, Tim Johnston ’18, club officer of the Fairfield University rugby team, and field hockey player Jamie Appleberg ’18. The main event for the night was for each team to create their own individual pizza. Once a recipe was decided on, the pizza would then be made throughout the night and served to students in the dining commons. Each of the teams then dispersed throughout The Tully
attempting to convince students to try their pizza, with the ultimate goal in mind of getting their vote for best recipe. After over 340 students had casted their votes, Marshall and Rice were deemed the winners for their Buffalo Chicken pizza. Gibbons and Strang came in at a close second for their basil sausage pie, with Johnston and Appleberg placing third for their ricotta and mozzarella pizza. “The highlight was definitely winning and getting our name on a trophy that will be featured in The Tully,” commented pizza contest winner Marshall. Because of the positive student reception, FUSA is looking to make the Pizza FaceOff an annual event. Approximate values
Claire Monahan/TheMirror
Rice & Marshall
41%
Gibbons & Strang
35% Johnston & Appleberg
24%
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THE MIRROR | Week of April 11, 2018
Opinion Editor Sabina Dirienzo » sabina.dirienzo@student.fairfield.edu
Getting Opinionated with The Mirror
Oklahoma Teachers Should Be Striking By Sabina Dirienzo Opinion Editor In February and March of 2018, West Virginia teachers went on strike to demand better wages. NBC News reported that West Virginia teachers’ salaries were some of the lowest in the country, and the strike won them a five percent raise. This action inspired teachers unions in other states – on April 2, Oklahoma teachers went on a walkout. They’re right to. Why are Oklahoma teachers going on strike? According to an Oklahoma reporter interviewed by PBS, Ben Feldner, this is for a number of reasons. Feldner stated that due to lack of funding, not only are Oklahoma teachers underpaid when compared to other teachers, but schools also cannot afford resources like textbooks and rural schools have had to turn to four-day school weeks. Protesting teachers provided photos of textbooks from the 1990s on social media. NBC News also stated that, while the number of teachers in Oklahoma has declined by 2000 since 2008, the number of students in the system has increased by 50,000. People may argue that teachers are being greedy and that going on strike damages student’s educational prospects, but if teachers are teaching with ancient, out-of-date textbooks, they cannot teach students to the best of their ability. A four-day school week will obviously not allow students to do as much as a five-day school week. We also live in a society where, like everyone else who works and whether we like it or not, teachers have to make a living. And, if the state government won’t listen - which they clearly are not - then improve-
T h e ments can only be worst saying managed by protest. in the world ABC News is ‘those that reported that, in adcan’t do, teach.’ dition to calling for Teachers do increased funds for the most imeducational program portant work budgets that have there is – been slashed, the they teach teachers are asking our children, for school support who will go staff to be paid more. on to become Although the country’s Oklahoma Goverdoctors, enginor Mary Fallin (R) neers, politipassed a teacher cians, journalpay raise before the ists and other walkout started, the teachers. They teachers’ union does Photo taken from @KamalaHarris twitter. need the very not believe that this best resources we is enough to alleviate Pictured is a tweet by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA.) regarding the strike. can provide, bethe conditions they are teaching in. In addition, ABC News reported that Oklaho- cause when our teachers have good conditions, so do our ma teachers are among the worst paid in the nation, even kids. When legislators won’t listen – when other people won’t listen – of course teachers should protest. That’s what with the raise. Unlike some Fairfield University students, I was edu- protest is for, no matter how ‘disruptive’ it is. The success of the West Virginia strike has also recated in public schools my entire life so public schools are deeply important to me. A good public school education sulted in protests in Kentucky, according to NBC News. gives students the resources they need to have a successful Arizona and Colorado teachers are also considering protest. life - and the vast majority of students in the United States When they strike, we should stand with them. are educated in public schools. We should give our teachers the resources they need, not underpay and malign them simply for teaching.
Creative Commons/Wikimedia Commons Creative Commons/Wikimedia Commons
Pictured are teachers holding posters while on strike in West Virginia.
Pictured is Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin.
Editorial Board "What does Big Brother know?" Alicia Phaneuf Editor-in-Chief Cara Lee Executive Editor Deanna Carbone Managing Editor
It has become increasingly disturbing just how much the concept of “big brother” has taken prominence in society. What’s even more disturbing is that media industries are monitoring people’s personal data without the knowledge or consent of the consumer. The Editorial Board has recently discovered that Facebook has collected data on their users and uses this data to separate them into certain niche audiences, where they can target certain advertisements and content that will be best received. So, Facebook is making sure that we see content that we actually want to see... why is that bad? They’re doing so in a way that hoards, and makes assumption based off of, the personal data of its users. Facebook is emerging as the ultimate big brother. Let’s do an experiment. Go to your facebook account and click on settings. Next, click on the “ads” tab on the left-hand side of the screen. Now, click on “your information” and next to the “about you” tab there is a
second tab entitled “your categories.” BAM. These are the categories that Facebook has carefully classified you into based off of the content you post, like, share and respond to as well as the content the friends you interact most with post, like, share, and respond to. One of your friendly neighborhood Mirror editorial members happens to be ‘friends’ on facebook with relatives and friends from numerous different countries, resulting in an “about you” ad denomination of “expatriate.” Makes sense, right? Have you ever searched a clothing item, just visited a website or Google a musician? The moment you get back on Facebook you get advertisements along the sides that show what you were just looking at. Unsettling to say the least. Once Facebook classifies you into particular categories, they then use these specific groups of people to send out targeted advertisements for your personal enjoyment. It’s a money-making master plan to en-
sure that consumers are receiving content that they enjoy. For example, your local “expatriate” receives some advertisements for some great flight deals, but that means that Facebook is not only getting information from your own account, but also your friends and family members for this information. This is destroying the initial ideal of Facebook. Facebook advertises its ability to bring people together – to combine the opinions of someone who has the same beliefs as you with those that don’t. Facebook is supposed to act as an industry that allows users to see a variety of content from many different people and niches on one collective platform. However, Facebook is instead creating content that breaks up consumers and confines them to the safety and comfort of the media they are used to and agree with. While these filters can be cleared with a simple press of an ‘x’ button located next to each, these fields will only once again fill in the future. `
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THE MIRROR | Week of April 11, 2018
Opinion
'Roseanne' Reboot Can Support President Trump By Ariana Puzzo Online Editor-in-Chief
selves beyond what the character is saying and form their own opinions, I believe it would go a long way to lessen the fear that people blindly trust whatever is told to them through mass media. Nonetheless, another element that has people upset about the “Roseanne” revival is that the protagonist’s actress, Barr, made prior claims that “Pizzagate” is true. Pizzagate is a since debunked conspiracy theory that became viral during the 2016 Election cycle. Rolling Stone described Pizzagate as, “The claim that Hillary Clinton was a pedophile started in a Facebook post, spread to Twitter and then went viral with the help of far-right platforms like Breitbart and Info-Wars." Now, almost two years later, The Washington Post reported that Barr tweeted on March 31 how President Trump “has broken up trafficking rings in high places everywhere.” The tweet reincited back-and-forth commentary on the disproven allegation, and, although it was since deleted from Twitter, it begs the question of whether or not these views of the actress will be infused into the theme of the show. As stated, there is no room for conspiracy theories or harmful rhetoric on television. That being said, the views of an actress — as inane as we may consider them — do not necessarily influence the show’s final product. Therefore, the views should not be a factor in whether or not the show is canceled. Additionally, people should keep in mind that we are capable of turning off the television when we come across a topic that we do not agree with or do not want to watch. When it comes down to it, the longevity of any show is all about ratings. Rather than trying to prevent shows from airing when they may simply represent the reality that the United States is divided, consider instead turning off the television and registering to vote in anticipation for the 2018 midterm elections on Nov. 6.
Originally broadcast from 1988 to 1997, the popular sitcom “Roseanne” was revived on March 27 and received mixed reviews. The new series, still following the life of Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr), experienced backlash when it was revealed that Conner voted for President Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential Election. Although I may be slightly biased as I did not watch the original series, and therefore do not have any visions for how the characters should be portrayed, I am not greatly bothered by Conner voting for President Trump. I did not vote for President Trump in the 2016 Election, but there are people in the country who did and that should not be hidden simply because we do not like it. More so, unless hateful and untrue rhetoric is espoused on the show, we cannot state that any show that has a character that supports President Trump should be canceled. There are numerous shows currently on air advocating for the opposite side of the political spectrum, and while these shows may align with views that many of us would like our country to possess, the reality is that the United States is not politically homogenized. In the last several years, many shows have experienced revivals and some of these programs have commented on contemporary politics. “Fuller House” is one revival in particular that has spoken out against President Trump. Although none of the major characters were labeled as voting one way or another in the election, and any mentions of President Trump were through infrequent quips, shows are allowed to be political. One could even go so far as to say that they should be political in certain CreativeCommons/Wikimedia Commons circumstances. To that point, if politicizing certain epiPictured is Roseanne Barr, who plays Roseanne Conner on sodes of shows means that people might educate them'Roseanne.'
Claire Monahan/TheMirror
Letter to the Editor
Dear School of Engineering,
We need to talk. As a student in the Master of Software Engineering program and the graduate student senator for the School of Engineering, I’m feeling dismissed and unloved. You recently changed the requirements of the Master of Software Engineering program, the one I signed up for when the degree requirements were 36 credits, to 30 credits. I thought we had an understanding about our commitments to each other. But there was no meeting, email, not even a text about this change. I heard a rumor about the requirements change and dug through your catalog to find the new requirements. When I met with the department head and assistant dean about the changes and lack of communication, I was told that you didn’t want to “distract” me because I was obligated to finish out my degree program under the requirements that I applied for. I can handle the news, but you made me feel patronized, behaving as though you were sneaking this change in and hoping that I wouldn’t notice. When I asked if there would be any efforts made to remediate this change for current students, because that’s about $5,000 and one academic year of my life that I’m never getting back, you reacted as though I was being completely unreasonable. And perhaps it was too much to hope for some tuition credit for the current students. But was it expecting too much for you to consider the consequences of these decisions to currently enrolled students? Because I cannot believe you thought we would be satisfied with the complete lack of action or communication from the administration. When I asked for more transparency about the decision making process, a voice in this important conversation and a commitment for more effort to communicate with us (Seriously, if I can get an email about the Fairfield at Night weekly Gonzaga Auditorium movie, but not one about updated program requirements in my department, you’re not trying) your response was at best, tepid. Not communicating harbors ill will and breaks
relationships. I get that I’m not the only student in the sea, that you need a pipeline of graduate students to keep the program viable. So what if University of New Haven has a comparable master’s program that requires 30 credits? Sacred Heart University, Quinnipiac University and Southern Connecticut State University all require 36. If you want suggestions on how to do that, we have some. How about offering required courses no earlier than 6:30 p.m., like SCSU, so that working students don’t have to compromise their work schedules? Health insurance is a serious concern for many domestic graduate students. Fairfield revoked coverage in 2016. Can we get that back? We can certainly offer an earful about our classes and professors too. I will soon be out in the work force and people will ask me what I thought about my experiences at Fairfield University, or some poor student working for Fairfield University’s endowment campaign will call me up and ask for a donation. When these questions are asked, I will remember some really great professors, classmates and things I’ve learned here. I will also remember how some of the administration made me feel that once I was enrolled, my concerns were not important. I will remember some professors who were only going through the motions, classmates who hadn’t spoken to me all semester emailing me to ask for my notes and that we were taught dated material that was promptly ejected from my mind after the test I memorized it for. All joking aside, I ask you again to communicate with me and my fellow graduate students in a forthright and transparent manner. Sincerely, Jung Soo Kim (MSSE, 2018)
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arts, entertainment, features Editor Katherine Klima katherine.klima@student.fairfield.edu
Miss Bella Takes the Levee By Storm Photo contributed by Miandabu Kalala. Background taken from CreativeCommons/Pixabay
THE MIRROR | Week of April 11, 2018
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'Gender Whatever' Brings Down the House with Drag Queen– Miss Bella By Miandabu Kalala Contributing Writer With many in the LGBT+ community feeling a state of uneasiness due to tensions all over the nation, the Fairfield University Alliance Club put together a show to bring the Fairfield community together. On Friday April 6, Miss Bella, a drag performer from Queens, N.Y. brought the house down with the show “Gender Whatever” at The Levee to celebrate embracing gender nonconformity. The night started with music, food and interactions amongst the attendees followed by several lip sync performances by Miss Bella such as “Just Like a Pill” by P!nk, “Papa Don’t Preach” by Madonna and “S&M” by Rihanna as requested. Many members of the Fairfield community attended and the room was filled with cheers for both Miss Bella and the student contests for the Taken from missjizzabella Instagram best runway walk. With the most applause from the audience for the best model on runway walk contest, Liam O’Donnell, a Sacred Heart University student, rocking red high knee boots won against three other contestants. Miss Bella interacted really well with the audience, and while a few people left halfway through the show, most agreed that this was a good way to bring the LGBT+ community
together. Overall, the ambience was great, the spirit of community could be felt and Miss Bella’s fun spirit got everyone off their seats to dance to “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” part way through the performance. As successful as the event was, there were moments that raised concerns. Several members of the audience harassed Miss Bella with crude jokes at one point, but she did not let it bother her much. Instead, she roasted them in a manner that was both professional as well as amusing to the audience. Senior Marcia Momperousse, the president of Alliance, along with the rest of the team saw this event as a moment of celebration. When asked why this is so important for the Fairfield Taken from missjizzabella Instagram body, Momperousse said, “We just feel like it is okay Miss Bella with contest winner, SHU student Liam O'Donnell to bend the rules on gender binaries and this is also good way to just have fun and not worry about finals or life.” This event, according to Momperousse, was a success because of the hard work of all of the members of Alliance, particularly Daniel Swanson ‘20, the club’s treasurer. The club also involved other schools such as Sacred Heart University, whose students also showed up to show their support. Jean-Luc Sebai, a senior at SHU said, “I had a good time and felt that it was a safe place for both those who identify with the LGBT+ community and those who don’t.” The show did not happen overnight, stated Swanson, who admitted to have been planning this event since January. He said “Drag is a huge component of the LGBT+ community and it is important to have fun in times of uneasiness.” Junior Kayla Craig said, “this is good for visibility and to remind people that we are not monsters” when asked why she came to support the show.
'Roseanne' Revival is Nostaglic and Controversial By Katherine Klima Vine Editor
an avid President Donald Trump supporter. In the first episode, Aunt Jackie and Roseanne are not on speaking terms as Aunt Jackie supported Hillary Clinton and Roseanne supportI grew up watching all sorts of sitcoms from “Friends” and ed President Trump. The show, which is known for the way it’s “George Lopez” to “The Nanny” – it was one of my favorite things handled fairly liberal political topics in the past, dealt with the to do as a kid when I came home from school on Fridays. One of 2018 political climate in a clumsy manner. The politics were those shows included the hit 1990s show, “Roseanne.” not relevant to what was going on with the current main plot. For the first time in 21 years, “Roseanne” has returned to teleDarlene got laid off, D.J. returned from war, Becky’s selling her vision at the end of March 2018. This sitcom became famous in the eggs just to get by – yet the episode focuses on Roseanne and 90s for its realistic portrayal of a working-class, American family Aunt Jackie bickering about the results of an election. It felt while also dealing with controversial topics such as abortion and random and forced, as if it was thrown in just for Barr to flash abuse. “Roseanne” was progressive and renowned for stirring up off who she supports. heated debate, something the revival has been been anything but However, this topic is relevant within our society. It deshy about. picts a working class family that has different opinions, a norm I wasn’t necessarily aiming to watch this particular revival. for a majority of people in our country right now. So, to give The past few years, I’ve formed a slight vendetta against revivals the revival some credit, it produces a fair depiction of the turTaken from roseanneonabc Instagram moil families have been dealing with since the 2016 election as they’ve become overused and tend to ruin the nice, clean cut, happy endings of their original shows and movies. It’s gotten to the by portraying an everyday dysfunctional family choosing oppoint where I don’t want to know what happens after these stories Barr and Goodman reprise their roles as Roseanne and Dan. posite sides. end. However, “Roseanne’s” 1997 series finale disappointed me, “Roseanne” is still keeping to its progressive roots along with the rest of the American public, when the worst season fi- and Johnny Galecki as Darlene’s now ex-husband David. through the addition of D.J.’s biracial daughter and Darlene's nonnale ever aired revealed that everything from the past 9 seasons didn’t Just like many of the other revivals we’ve been graced with in binary son – a major theme in the second episode when Mark wants happen – including Dan (John Goodman) never actually survived the last three years, “Roseanne” has brought a great deal of nostalgia to wear a dress to school. The message of this episode conveys how his heart attack. So, when my mom casually suggested watching it to those who watch it. The structure of the first episode is similar to families should be accepting of their loved ones and allow them to be over Easter break, my curiosity and want for a better ending for the that of a classic 90s sitcom. Within the first five minutes there is some who they are, something especially interesting due to the back and Conner family got the best of me. sort of joke about the eldest daughter being a disgruntled teen and forth political dynamic of the Conner family. In the reboot, Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr) and her how the older people in the show don’t understand this “new generaBy the second episode, I found myself chuckling at the disashusband, Dan (despite him not surviving as per the 1997 finale) are tion.” It’s a fairly hit or miss, cookie cutter beginning – sticking to the trous nature of the Conners as I regressed back to childhood nights struggling to make ends meet while their recently divorced daughter, original’s previous structure. There’s nothing very substantial about of scrolling through channels and putting on “Roseanne” reruns. The Darlene (Sara Gilbert) moves back home with her children, Harris it, but one character that has been shining the most in the first few show itself has immediately taken off based on the 18.1 million views (Emma Kenney) and Mark (Ames McNamara) after getting fired episodes is Darlene. Darlene is probably the funniest and most relat- the debut received and the fact that, according to AOL, ABC already from her job. Meanwhile, the eldest Conner child, Becky (Lecy Go- able character currently on the show. Two decades later and she’s still renewed the show for a second season. So even if, like me, you grew ranson), is offered $50,000 to be a surrogate (to Sarah Chalke, who her sarcastic, flannel wearing self — transitioning into life as a single up watching “Rosanne” but are getting tired of all these revivals, you actually played Becky in the original series) while son D.J. (Michael mom while trying to keep the Conners together. should check it out. On the other hand, if you have not seen the origiFisherman) has just returned from serving in Syria to take care of his Despite the simplistic start, things get dicey for the show the nal, that’s okay. Overall, “Rosanne” is just one of those shows to fall young daughter, Mary (Jayden Rey) while his wife is deployed. The moment politics are introduced in the first episode. In recent news back on when you need something to watch late at night. show also has vet appearances from Laurie Metcalf as Aunt Jackie there has been a lot of discussion about “Roseanne” because Barr is
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Public Artists' Talk with Jamie Arredondo By Alle Scanlon Assistant Vine Editor
On Thursday April 5, Fairfield’s Studio Art Program welcomed artist Jaime Arredondo for a Public Artist’s Talk and Q&A. The intimate gathering was held in the paint studio of Loyola Hall where Arredondo was able to present and discuss 15 years of work, as well as his current and upcoming projects. Arredondo was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and strongly identifies with the Mexican and Tejano cultures of Texas. Arredondo attended the University of Dallas where he received his bachelor’s degree in art. After painting seriously and traveling throughout Mexico and Central America, Arredondo went on to receive his master of fine arts in painting from Yale University. Currently, Arredondo resides in New York City where art in general thrives and where he plays an active role in the competitive world of contemporary art. He enjoys taking on projects that challenge him as an artist and as a person. Arredondo teaches courses in mesoamerican art and culture at both New York University and New School University. Students are assigned Aztec and Mayan readings and then create artwork on different topics within this subject matter. This approach allows students to feel what they’re learning both objectively and empirically. The artist is also credited with having his work displayed at the Zerega Subway Station in The Bronx, N.Y. His breathtaking, floral creations are featured in mosaic form that commuters can appreciate and admire on a daily basis. The mosaics are full of color and life, and include irises, roses, tulips and mixed flowers. The most recent project that Arredondo has been working on is illustrating the “Popol Vuh,” a book of cultural, mythological narratives which translates to “book of the community/people.” The story was originally written in 1000 A.D. and was burned by Spaniards in 1524. In 1723, Father Ximènez left Spain and rewrote the book with anonymous K’iche’ Mayans in Guatemala. He retold the stories by memory, a prime example of oral tradition. As a result, Father Ximènez and the K’iche’ Mayans were under threat because the Spaniards made the reciting of the story illegal.
The Mirror/Scanlon Page from Arredondo's "Popol Vuh" illustrations
If the Spaniards had found them out, they probably would have killed them. Arredondo was able to beautifully and clearly retell the “Popol Vuh” while flipping through his captivating illustrations. As for his next chapter, Arredondo would like to figure out how to incorporate New York City and urban life into his painting. Arredondo stated that he has many projects and many things that interest him and that, as an artist, he’s very curious. During the Q&A portion, Arredondo gave great insights about art and life. He said, “The arts heal. They redeem us.
They make us better. It reminds us of our humanity and makes us feel more human as a result. The military doesn’t do that, infrastructure doesn’t do that, but art does.” Arredondo also mentioned Plato’s denial of the arts and stated, “Thank God for all the artists in the world. Remember when Plato said we don’t need them? I agree with Aristotle, that art has a healing effect and we need it.” Students in the Studio Art program were in for a treat as Arredondo was also there to provide advice and critique some of their latest work. Overall, we were very lucky to have Arredondo on campus, and be sure to keep an eye out for his upcoming projects.
The Mirror Abroad: Lexi's London Life
The Mirror/Thimble Thimble pictured in Edinburgh, Scotland
By Lexi Thimble Abroad Columnist Life in Edinburgh feels temporary, in a weird way. It’s so full of history but, on the surface, the architecture of the buildings make it seem like all the modern-day people who inhabit them have a limited time here, and sooner or later all of the people who lived during Jane Austen’s time will be back to reclaim their Georgian townhouses and walk the wide cobblestone streets again. This feeling may also come from the fact that Edinburgh doesn’t feel like it’s made the transition from past to present. With London, the rigid British traditions and the iconic landmarks are paired with shiny metal constructions like the Shard or the Gurkin, so even though you have buildings like the Globe Theater to remind you of a time when people like Shakespeare walked those streets, you’ve also got a Sainsbury’s on every corner to plant you firmly in this day and age. With Edinburgh, yes you can find most modern-day places you could find anywhere else, but they’re outnumbered by the reminders of its history. It’s wide and open like London but without the congestion of people; it’s got cobblestone streets stretching to accommodate traffic more suited to horse-drawn carriages than cars, and hills that would give even the most
athletic person a run for their money. To top it off, the divide between the New Town (again, ‘new’ being a relative term referring to the Jane Austen-esque buildings) and Old Town is prominently marked with a giant Hogwartsian castle built into the side of a cliff, with yet more hills to climb to reach it. On that note, if you’re a major Harry Potter fan (like myself), the U.K. is obviously a great place for you, and Scotland may be one of the best. Not only does HP author J.K. Rowling still live in town, but she wrote the first book of Harry Potter in various cafes all over the city, specifically the Elephant House near the center of town. Though you can get some Harry Potter merch in the main part of the shop, the real treat is in the small bathroom, whose walls are fully covered with Harry Potter-related graffiti that stretches even onto the ceiling, light fixture, soap dispenser, mirror and a few finishing remarks on the toilet. It’s a stark contrast to the neat elegance of the coffee shop, but with all the sweet thank you notes for J.K.’s work and the funny Harry Potter inside jokes, it’s very much worth checking out. Another great Harry Potter site would be the Greyfriars Graveyard in the back of the Elephant House, where J.K. got the inspiration for many HP characters such the Potters themselves, Mad-Eye Moody, my girl Minerva McGonagall and Voldemort himself, Tom Riddle. It’s a bit of a scavenger hunt to find them all, but odds are you’ll be among other Potterheads doing just what you’re doing, so it doesn’t hurt to follow the crowd. If you’re a fan of literature in general (also such as myself) there’s a great authors tour that runs every Sunday afternoon that takes you through the many unknown sites of Edinburgh’s greatest authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who created the wonderful Sherlock Holmes stories, Robert Louis Stevenson, writer of “Treasure Island” and J.M. Barrie, author of “Peter Pan.” Because these are lesser known sites, the tour also has the added bonus of showing you the hidden backstreets of Edinburgh, giving attendees a whole new take on the city, one that I greatly appreciated. King Arthur fans will delight as well; on the outskirts of the city and at 541 meters, or about 1,774 feet., is the peak of Arthur’s Seat, where the original site of Camelot is said to have been. While the views are spectacular and I’d highly recommend climbing all the way up for those who are up to it, the climb isn’t for the faint of heart and let’s just say I deserve a knighthood after climbing that far up. I honestly didn’t think these would be the stories I’d be telling about my time in Scotland; originally I wanted to chronicle my thrilling search for my lady Nessie the Loch Ness Monster, who, despite my not subscribing to conspiracy theories in the slightest, is without a doubt 100 percent real. Unfortunately, Scotland is a very old country with narrow, not-very-practical roads, so two hours into our planned twelve and a half hour tour of the Scottish highlands and Loch Ness, our tour bus was stopped due to a road blockage in the countryside and after sitting for two hours waiting for the issue to be resolved, we were forced to return to the city and have our tour cancelled. Nessie eludes me still; she’s a slippery beast. But my time in the city leaves me with nothing but happy memories. When we returned after our disappointing morning, we were greeted by the sun finally breaking through the overcast sky, the distant sound of bagpipes (Scotland sticks very close to its brand) and a woman letting people take turns at holding a quite large, beautiful eagle owl. So while I didn’t get a crack at finding Nessie, I did get to meet a lovely owl named Guinevere and on such a beautiful day in a gorgeous city, how can your spirits be down?
THE MIRROR | Week of April 11, 2018
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Out with the Old, in with the New: Fashion Spring Cleaning By Sabrina Musto Fashion Columnist
Spring is here, and with a new season comes my favorite time of year: Spring Cleaning! It’s out with the old and in with the new as everyone can get rid of those clothes they have had forever and stock up on some new wardrobe items. However, as we know, the fashion world is constantly moving and changing, so it is time to take a look at some of the biggest trends of 2018, as seen during the four-week period of February, famously known as Fashion Month.
Picture taken from philosophyofficial Instagram
What’s Old is New Again Classic prints by high fashion designers, such as the Burberry check, Chanel interlocking C’s and Tommy Hilfiger Flags were big in the street style of fashion month. In addition, the 80s made a huge presence on the runway, where it was all about big shoulders and tight waists. Models like Kaia Gerber hit the runway in 80s inspired outfits and, while I am not so sure how I feel about this trend returning, I know there will be plenty of people excited about the return of these styles and silhouettes. Florals Florals are a spring trend that never really go out of style. The feminine appeal of florals works on every article of clothing, from a floral print dress or top to even jeans with printed florals. Specifically, vintage florals are on the rise. At fashion week there were a lot of looks sporting floral patterns resembling fashion from the 50s. Personally, I find floral pieces to be extremely flattering and the perfect touch for spring. The Fanny Pack Making a huge comeback are fanny packs, which are becoming increasingly popular for events such as music festivals and summer parties. Celebrities at Coachella are often seen making good use of this trend and Kendall Jenner has been seen taking to the streets sporting her own fanny pack. Fanny packs are convenient, easy and nearly impossible to lose, so I am all for the return of this particular trend. Pastels, Specifically Yellow Pastel is another trend that I tend to stray away from as I feel like an Easter basket when I wear very bright pastels. In addition, I have never owned one article of Taken from kendalljenner Instagram yellow clothing, but the recent Kendall Jenner rocking a fanny pack. pastel designs on the runway give me hope for the trend. Brands such as Calvin Klein, Emilia Wickstead and Tibi are all getting on board and have put out some flirty pastel pieces this past fashion month.
Informative Lecture Delivered by Father O'Malley
Lorenzo Serafini posing with models for Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini.
By Katherine Klima Vine Editor
Overall, it was beneficial for me to have O’Malley explain the process because it cleared up a lot of points. On the evening of April 6, I, alongside various other As a speaker, O’Malley was concise and consistent with students, faculty and members of the Fairfield community, his points. I found the images, point and pull quotes he pregathered at the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius of Loyola to hear sented on a slide show alongside his lecture to be extremely Father John O’Malley, S.J., present his keynote lecture, “The effective as they allowed the audience to Jesuits and the Arts: How and Why It better solidify the information in their Happened.” The event was co-sponsored heads. Despite a few uncontrollable miswith the Center for Ignatian Spiritualhaps throughout the lecture, like O’Malley’s ity and was presented in concurrence water cup spilling, he continued to be prowith “The Holy Name. Art of the Gesù: fessional and went on with his lecture as if Bernini and his Age” exhibition at the nothing has happened. In fact, he was a bit Bellarmine Hall Gallery. O’Malley is a comical, resulting in the occasional chuckpublished author and specialist in the rele from the audience. Ultimately, I found ligious culture of early modern Europe, O’Malley to be an effective and impactful particularly Italy. He’s received a Ph.D. speaker. from Harvard University and is currentThe lecture was originally supposed to ly a professor of theology at Georgetown take place in the Charles F. Dolan School University, Washington D.C. of Business until it was moved to the ChaThe evening began with Reverend pel, which I was pretty grateful about being Gerry Blaszczak, S.J., President Mark that I didn’t have to take the agonizing hike R. Nemec, and Michael Tunney, S.J., inover to Dolan. I also found the chapel to be troducing O’Malley as the event’s main a fitting location for the lecture because it speaker. O’Malley took the stage and bewas about the Jesuits. Not to mention the gan his lecture. The primary focus of the University’s iconic Ignatius statue was there event was the history of the Jesuits and to greet attendees the moment they entered. how they connect to the Art of the Gesù Even if the 6 o’clock setting sun blasted me exhibit the school has the current honor of hosting. O’Malley began by informing Photo taken from Fairfield University YouTube channel in the eye at one point, I enjoyed having the lecture at the chapel and thought it enthe audience about the Jesuits’ origins hanced the entire experience. and then tying it to how and why the re- Father O'Malley delivering his lecture. The lecture was not only a great way to learn about the involved with the arts and the huligious organization grew interested in the humanities. It was intriguing to hear O’Malley discuss manities. One of the many reasons being that the Jesuits es- history behind the Gesù, but also behind Fairfield Univerall the various pieces of history and link them together – tablished various schools which then led to a primary study sity. It was a nice, relaxing and educational time for memconveying a chain of events that would eventually lead to within the arts. Not to mention the various Jesuit central bers of the Fairfield community to come together and learn the constructions of Jesuit churches and other forms of art- art projects, like the construction of the church of Gesù. a little something new. work. The lecture itself was very informative. As a student at a Jesuit university, I went into this lecture knowing the origin story of the Jesuits and St. Ignatius of Loyola. However, I never knew how the Jesuits became an organization
THE MIRROR | Week of April 11, 2018
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The Weeknd Throws Shade In New Album
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By Alle Scanlon Assistant Vine Editor
On Friday March 30, Abel, better known by his stage name, The Weeknd, dropped his first solo album since 2016. No one saw it coming, but it seems like everyone is ecstatic that it happened. The EP is called “My Dear Melancholy” and contains only six songs, but each song is deeply passionate and expressive. The Weeknd is known for having his own style and steering away from typical R&B. He truly pours so much raw, authentic emotion into his lyrics and this definitely makes The Weeknd stand out when compared to other artists. The Weeknd teased us all about the surprise release on March 27 with an Instagram post. The post included a screenshot of a conversation between him and his close friend from high school, who also happens to be a creative director. The Weeknd texted, “Should we drop Friday? I’m indifferent to be honest.” As fate should have it, the album did drop that Friday. The songs featured on the EP include “Call Out My Name,” “Try Me,” “Wasted Times,” “I Was Never There,” “Hurt You” and “Privilege.” The album CreativeCommons/Wikipedia times out to only 21 minutes. Since “My Dear MelanAbel Tesfaye also known as "The Weeknd" seen above choly” was released, there has been much speculation on just who these songs are about. In my opinion, the song “Call Out My Name” is based on The Weeknd’s former relationship with Selena Gomez. The lyrics are
Inkwell Spotlight Behold By Diandre Clarke Contributing Writer at The Inkwell
Belle, defined is beautiful But I am more than what meets the eyes When hope deserts my life I persist When insecurities make camp in my thoughts I proceed I trod along, never looking back I put myself first, unselfishly It takes me time to realize, but I continue with uncertainty Belle defined is beautiful: Internally and externally When life challenges my self worth: I make a firm stance in front of any reflector, the key is to see the eyes, then loudly and Consistently and somewhat rhythmically I chant "Love Yo Self " until my confidence rises immensely CreativeCommons/FreeStockPhotos
definitely fitting to their relationship, especially the lyrics, “I put you on top/I claimed you so proud and openly.” It would be an understatement to say that The Weeknd did not care at all about anyone’s opinion towards his relationship with Selena. Other lyrics in “Call Out My Name” completely indicate the song is based on Selena Gomez. Toward the end of 2017, the actress and singer revealed that she had undergone a kidney transplant as a result of her battle with Lupus. In “Call Out My Name,” The Weeknd says, “I said I didn’t feel nothing baby, but I lied/I almost cut a piece of myself for your life.” While this doesn’t specifically reference Gomez or her transplant procedure, it absolutely does sound like he was willing to donate a vital organ for her. On a completely different note, there is much speculation surrounding the song “Wasted Times.” I definitely think this song is based on The Weeknd’s long time girlfriend prior to his relationship with Selena; Bella Hadid. “Wasted Photo Taken from theweeknd Instagram times I spent with someone else/She wasn’t even half of you/Reminiscing how you felt/And even though you put my life through hell/I can’t seem to forget about you/I want you to myself/Now I’m asking who do you belong to now?” These lyrics certainly cannot be mistaken for anyone else that has been in The Weeknd’s life. Later in the song, The Weeknd sings, “I ain’t got no business catching feelings anyway/I ain’t got no business catching feelings, catching feelings/ These girls only want you when you end it/But you been with me from the beginning.” These lyrics are also true to The Weeknd’s previous relationship with Hadid. They dated for almost two years when The Weeknd just began making a name for himself. He also references equestrian, which is an activity that has been near and dear to Bella’s heart since her childhood. Aside from questioning where all of these lyrics stem from, fans everywhere are also praising The Weeknd for his work. Rapper Travis Scott tweeted, “Abel new album is cray. It’s like when I first heard him for the first time.” On the day of the album’s release, actor Ansel Elgort tweeted, “Listen to the new Weeknd album now. The whole thing. Start to finish. Do yourself a favor. It’s special and years from now you can say I listened to that the day it came out.” For anyone who hasn’t listened to “My Dear Melancholy” yet, I highly recommend and encourage it.
30 Seconds to Mars' New Album is Huge Let Down By Alicia Phaneuf Editor-In-Chief
According to an interview with Rolling Stone, when asked about his lyric choice for “Walk on Water,” which says, “Making love with the devil hurts,” Leto elaborated, “it's the old story about the rabbit that wanted to ride on the back of the crocodile. And, at the end, he eats the rabbit and says, ‘I'm a goddamn crocodile. What did you expect?’ So, if you make a deal with the devil, there are certain things you can expect. ‘Walk on Water’ is a song very much about the times we're living in.” When asked if the Devil portrayed by Leto was a symbol for the Oval Office, Leto replied, “You could
blood and dreams/ I will save your heart from breaking/ Won’t you stop, please/ Set me free.” It’s always a letdown when one of our Throughout the song, Leto sings different lyrics favorite genre-specific bands – whether that that show a struggle between God and the morgenre be country, rap, R&B, alternative or anytal world. He talks about how he’s a thief and thing else – take on the mainstream pop perwe’re liars, but we “lived our wildest dreams.” sona. We’ve seen it happen time and time again, This song tells a story of accepting the fact that and now we’re seeing it with once alternative humans aren’t perfect, that these mistakes and rock stars, 30 Seconds to Mars. imperfections are what make the human race Other alternative music fans and I keyed human. This song rouses a lot of soul searchinto the 30STM album, “America," drop on Friing, which is what I have always admired about day, April 6 – the group’s first drop after a four30STM; however, I wish they did so in their year hiatus – and to say that I was disappointed rock style, rather than EDM. would be an understatement. Throughout the album, Where were my beloved electric30STM also incorporated relevant guitar standout moments? You’ve political issues and cultural haplet me down, 30STM. penings. Leto made it no secret I was excited to hear that Jarthat he voted for President Obama ed Leto still took the forefront of in 2012, when he tweeted on social the band’s vocals; however, he was media asking for people to vote for unexpectedly joined by pop-stars the Democratic Party. Hence, his such as A$AP Rocky for “One song “Hail to the Victor” undoubtTrack Mind” and Halsey for “Love edly references President Donald is Madness.” Now, I’m not saying Trump as the “victor,” and his use these songs are terrible, actually I of the word “hail” symbolized his really enjoyed “Love is Madness,” comparison of the President to where Halsey brought in a sultry – essentially – Hitler. The song’s tone that complimented the lyrics chorus says, “Is everybody out here well. However, it’s not the classic crazy?/ Anybody want a war?/ Evrock music that I was expecting to erybody out here crazy/ Crazy, hail hear from 30STM. to the victor.” I will say that I was thankDespite the powerful lyrics Photo taken from 30secondstomars Instagram and the success of a few standout ful that, even though 30STM has swerved from their musical roots, Band members in order from left to right: Shannon Leto, tracks on the album, I fear that they at least maintained their use Jared Leto and Tomo Miličević pictured above 30STM will lose many members of of religious messages throughtheir loyal fan base for their deciout their work. Although many sion to stray from their alternapeople have debated whether or not 30STM is take that as one example. I played it in Paris tive rock roots and immerse themselves in a Christian or not, “America” resurfaces those fa- to 15,000 people and I was stunned how loud mainstream genre with pop, R&B and HipHop miliar, ambiguous messages. Personally, I have they sang that song. You can write a song about artists. Overall, I give the album 3.5/5 stars for always interpreted their music as pro-Christian America, but these are global concerns.” their EDM music, that they most-likely wanted as they send messages of praying and acting “Great Wide Open” begins with the lyrics, to create a house-party vibe to. However, I’m in kindness toward others while resisting the “is this life?/ that we’re living/ Say the prayers sure their alternative-rock fans would disagree temptations of the Devil. In “America,” these of/ a thousand tongues/ Is this love?/ Some new with me, as the album has only received 3/5 religious themes can be seen in songs such as beginning/ Or a night of your wildest dreams/ stars on Salute, and 1.5/5 stars by Sputnik Mu“Walk on Water” and “Great Wide Open.” Into the great wide open/ Across a land of sic.
THE MIRROR | Week of April 11, 2018
Coffee Break
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Coffee Break Hello Spring! Editor: Julia Monteleone julia.monteleone@student.fairfield.edu
Creative Commons/Pixabay
Are you looking for some fun activities to get you into the spring mood? Look no further, the Coffee Break team is way ahead of you. Here is a list of fun possible ways for you and your friends to welcome in the spring season. 1. Plant some flowers – Water them with the tears you cry because of spring semester classes. 2. Call your mom – Complain about spring semester classes. 3. Jump in the Long Island Sound – Hope you drown because you don’t want to attend spring semester classes. 4. Lie on the beautiful green grass – Lie face down and avoid the responsibilities of spring semester classes. 5. Go to the library – Stare at the wall and think about how much work you have to do because of spring semester classes. 6. Take a nap – Don’t attend spring semester classes. 7. Go to the gym – Stretch for an hour and leave because working out is too hard when you have so many spring semester classes. 8. Go for a hike – Lake Mohegan is a great place to go when you just hate your life because of spring semester classes.
Spring Semester Word Scramble 1. ISMS YM OMM ____ __ ___ 2. DNASSSE _______ 3. VIGGIN PU ____ _____ ____ 4. OZER TOMVIATOIN __ _____ 5. ON ONMEY ___ __________ 6. ONT RDAGUTANGI ___ __ _ ____ 7. YWH MA I EREH ______ 8. YMSIER _______ 9. EFIALRU ____ __ _________ 10. HWTA SI PPENHANGI
Creative Commons/Clipart101
FINAL MESSAGE: 1. Second letter, first word 2. First letter 3. Second letter, first word 4. Third letter, second word 5. First letter, second word 6. Third letter, second word 7. Third letter, first word 8. Last letter 9. Last letter 10. Last letter, first word
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ? Creative Commons/Wikipedia Commons
Answer key - 1. Miss my mom 2. Sadness 3. Giving up 4. Zero motivation 5. No Money 6. Not graduating 7. Why am I here 8. Misery 9. Failure 10. What is happeningw Final Message - Is it May yet?
Sports
SPORTS
THE MIRROR | Week of April 11, 2018
This Week in Sports:
Sports Editor: Patrick Getz » patrick.getz@student.fairfield.edu
In Case You
Page 13
McGuire & Nelson Honored
Missed It:
Wednesday, April 4th
-Women's Lacrosse loses at Monmouth, 14-11 -Softball defeats Yale, 4-3 -Baseball loses at Yale, 6-5 Thursday, April 5th -Men's Tennis loses at Wagner, 6-1 Friday, April 6th -Men's Lacrosse defeats Hofstra, 5-4 Saturday, April 7th -Baseball defeats Rider, 13-4 -Softball defeats Manhattan, 7-3 & 7-2 (DH) -Women's Tennis loses at Niagara, 6-1 -Men's Tennis defeats Niagara, 5-2
Photos Contributed By Sports Information Desk
On Monday April 9, Max McGuire ‘21 was named Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week after his performance against Hofstra University. He made the game-winning save in the final seconds to preserve a 5-4 victory over CAA rival Hofstra Pride. In total, he made eight saves as he out-dueled Hofstra goalkeeper Jack Concannon. This contest was McGuire’s third career appearance and start for the Fairfield Stags Mens’ Lacrosse team, impressively shutting out Hofstra for the remaining 18:08 in the game. The first-year goalkeeper showed ultimate poise to lead Fairfield to a pivotal conference victory.
Sunday, April 8th -Baseball defeats Rider, 15-1 & 5-4 (DH) -Softball defeats Saint Peter's, 3-0 & 10-1 (DH)
Upcoming This Week:
Wednesday, April 11th.
-Baseball vs. Hofstra, 3 p.m. -Women's Lacrosse vs. Quinnipiac, 3 p.m. -Women's Tennis vs. Sacred Heart,
Photo Contributed By Sports Information Desk
On Monday April 9, Tyler Nelson ‘18 is headed to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, which is upcoming next week from April 11-14. He is one of 64 seniors that will attend in Portsmouth, Va. and the event will feature 12 games and eight teams as fans and NBA scouts will be in attendance. Nelson is the first Fairfield student-athlete to garner such honors since alum Rakim Sanders ’12 earned a spot after his 2011-12 campaign. The tournament invites the best college basketball seniors to this event as Nelson rightfully gets to showcase his worth in front of scouts.
3 p.m. Thursday, April 12th -Men's Tennis at Marist, 3 p.m. -Softball at Sacred Heart, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 14th -Baseball at Manhattan, 12 p.m. & 3 p.m. (DH) -Men's Lacrosse vs. Drexel, 12 p.m. -Women's Lacrosse vs. Marist, 3 p.m. -Softball vs Iona, 12 p.m. & 2 p.m.
In this week's issue... - Men's Lax Stuns Hofstra in CAA Duel, 5-4 (Page 14)
- Stags Sweep Rider in Pivotal MAAC Weekend Series (Page15)
- Surging Stags Dominate Over The Weekend (Page 15)
- Showdown For The Larry O'Brien Trophy Begins (Page 16)
Sports
Page 14
THE MIRROR | Week of April 11, 2018
Men's Lax Stuns Hofstra in CAA Duel, 5-4
Photo Contributed By Sports Information Desk Midfielder Travis Ford '20 scored the game-winning goal for the Stags as the goal came with just over 20 seconds remaining in the final period for his only goal of the day and it gave Fairfield the lead for good.
By Patrick Getz Sports Editor On Friday, April 8 the Fairfield Stags Mens' Lacrosse squad took on Colonial Athletic Association foe Hofstra University in a pivotal conference matchup. The Stags came into the day with a record of 3-8 as they look to gain momentum heading into the last part of the season. Heading into Hempstead, N.Y. was more than just a challenge for Fairfield to secure their fourth win of the season and their first conference victory. There was much less offense in this matchup than in usual lacrosse games. In addition, there were no goals scored from either team in the first period. Both teams battled defensively but neither one was able to break the scoreless tie. It wasn’t until the start of the second quarter where the first goal was scored. Senior Drew Murray notched his seventh goal of the season as Dylan Beckwith ’20 was credited
with the assist. Hofstra only took a minute to even the score at one, where Ryan Tierney ‘20 recorded his nineteenth goal of the campaign. After a goal by defenseman Spencer Noonan ‘18 in the third period, the Hofstra Pride scored three consecutive goals, including Dylan Alderman ‘18, Brett Osman ‘18 and Jimmy Yanes ‘19, where they seemed to be leading 4-2 at the end of the third quarter. It was the sixth goal for Alderman, the first for Osman and the sixteenth for Yanes this season. Facing a 4-2 deficit, Fairfield needed to rally to avoid five losses in six games and they did just that. With just a quarter remaining, Colin Burke ‘19 stepped up by scoring two important goals, his twelfth and thirteenth goals for his 2018 campaign, to even up the score, 4-4. With over 1,000 attendees at this contest, it was certainly a treat to watch these two talented teams battle back and forth all game long. With just over 20 seconds left in the game, every fan in attendance was holding their breath, wondering if this game
Weekly 4x5 Because we have witty things to say ...
would head into overtime. However, Travis Ford ‘20 put a dagger into the Hofstra Pride’s heart by recording his first goal of the day and his ninth goal on the year. This score sent Fairfield into elation and Hofstra into utter shock. With a score so late in the game, Hofstra knew they had to attack right after the face off. After a timeout, the Pride gave the ball to Alderman to tie the game but Max McGuire ‘21 made the game-winning save to seal this key victory for Fairfield. This win gave the Stags their first conference victory in 2018, now at 1-1 and ready to take on other CAA foes. Their CAA matchup action continues on Saturday, April 14 as Fairfield takes on Drexel University, which is also Military Appreciation Day at Rafferty Stadium. The Stags and the Drexel Dragons will face off at 12 p.m.
Your 2018-2019 4x5 Columnists:
Alicia Phaneuf, Patrick Getz, Alfredo Torres and Allison White
What do you think about the turkey that stares at his own reflection in BCC?
Registration (for juniors) is coming up soon.What are your thoughts?
Ronda Rousey says she has no regrets leaving UFC for WWE. What is your reaction?
Were you shocked to see Conor McGregor arrested?
Who is your NBA MVP pick for the regular season?
I have been mesmerized by this turkey for months now. I think he wishes that he lives in an alternate universe.
There are approximately 10 people in my major and 10 people in two of my minors, so I'm assuming I will have no issues.
I have no idea what this is ... but I believe everyone should follow their dreams, so cheers to her.
I have no idea who he is, but maybe his story can make it to crime beat, so that we have more content.
I AM SO DONE WITH BASKETBALL.
It's always a stressful time...
Patrick Getz Sports Editor
I find it amusing how frequently he visits the BCC, almost like a student!
I can see her meshing well with the WWE.
Being such a prominent figure in the UFC, he clearly couldn't hold back his emotions.
James Harden is my choice to take home MVP! Lebron is a close second...
Alfredo Torres Sports Editor Emeritus
I’ve only heard great things, but No more classes for me! have not seen it myself. Hopefully we cross paths before I graduate in May.
I love both UFC and WWE, so I’m fine with her being in either or. But at the end of the day it’s all about what makes her feels happy and I guess she found a new home at WWE.
I was a lil shocked but not surprised. Conor will be Conor. But that’s just him, he’s a hot head and he just wants to fight, that’s why you gotta love him.
This is a tough one, LeBron did all he can to drag the Cavs to the playoffs. But what James Harden has done for the Rockets in the last three years is incredible, number one in the West and arguably the best point guard in the league. Fear the Beard!
I coulda sworn he was checking me out through the window...
Didn't even really know they were different... interesting.
Alicia Phaneuf Editor-in-Chief
Allison White Editor-in-Chief Emeritus
I thought not having to register anymore would be calming .... but GIVE ME A JOB.
Yes!! Save the fighting for the ring man.
Glad to see Lil Al is picking up on my trend that basketball NEVER ENDS.
Sports
THE MIRROR | Week of April 11, 2018
Page 15
Stags Sweep Rider in Pivotal MAAC Weekend Series
Contributed By Sports Information Desk Center fielder Drew Arciuolo '18 continued his hot streak against Rider over the weekend, registering nine total hits with five runs batted in as well as five runs scored in those three games.
By Michael Hoffman Contributing Writer It’s been a big week for the Fairfield Stags Baseball team, going 3-1 with a big weekend conference series sweep over conference opponent, the Rider University Broncos. The week started out with a cancellation of the Stag’s game with University of Connecticut, and then with a tough 6-5 loss to in-state opponent, the Yale University Bulldogs. After being up 5-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, Yale came storming back, powered by a go-ahead three run homerun by third baseman Alex Steigler, putting them up 6-5. Fairfield left the tying run on second base in the top of the ninth inning, when first basemen Ian Halpin ‘20, who went 3-5 with two runs batted in, struck out looking to end the game. Junior Peter Horn got the loss, giving up five earned on four hits in that fateful bottom of the seventh. After that tough loss to Yale, Fairfield had to snap back with a big conference series against Rider. A three game sweep allowed Fairfield to get back to a conference record over .500, pulling them into a fifth place tie with Siena University at 5-4 in conference play. The series started out with a 13-4 drubbing of Rider at home, sparked by a six run first inning. That six run first was highlighted by a base-clearing double by Fairfield 3B
Mitch Williams ‘18. Sophomore Josh Arnold started this game for the Stags, throwing six innings, giving up three hits, allowing three earned runs and striking out nine. Left hander Pete Sorporowski ‘20 started for Rider, grinding out four innings, giving up eight runs on eight hits. Game two was more of the same with Fairfield getting a 15-1 victory, powered by a seven run fourth and a grand slam by shortstop Jake Gethings ‘19. Starting pitcher John Signore ‘19 continued his hot streak, throwing a complete game, seven innings and striking out eight. SS Jake Gethings was 3-4 with five RBIs and the aforementioned grand slam. Game three was a little closer with Fairfield grinding out a 5-4 victory, again powered by a four run first inning. Sophomore Austin Pope came in relief and threw five and two thirds innings, striking out seven, giving up zero runs and getting the win. Senior David Sacco came through with the two inning save, only giving up one hit. Center Fielder Drew Arciuolo ‘18 gave Fairfield the lead for good with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth driving in Left Fielder Tim Zeng ‘19. Riding a three game winning streak, Fairfield welcomes the Hofstra Pride at 3 p.m. at Alumni Diamond on Wednesday and will go on the road for another weekend conference series against the Manhattan Jaspers this upcoming weekend.
Surging Stags Dominate Over The Weekend By Patrick Getz Sports Editor Head coach Julie Brzezinski emphasized the importance in using all three facets, including hitting, pitching and defense, to ensure that her team wins. Over the weekend, the Fairfield University Softball team impressively displayed those three fundamental qualities as they proceeded to win four games, sweeping both doubleheaders. Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games are important when it comes to seeding, which makes Fairfield’s road to a good seed much easier. In game one of the doubleheader against Manhattan College, the Stags started off hot with their bats, scoring five runs in the first three innings. Center fielder Angelina McGuire ‘19 smacked two home runs and drove in four runs. Senior Destinee Pallotto pitched a complete game while only allowing one earned run and surrendering five hits as well as striking out six batters. Only one Manhattan batter, outfielder Shannon Puthe ‘18, was able to register a multi-hit game as Pallotto kept hitters off balanced all game. The bats were alive early yet again for Fairfield as they jumped out to a seven run lead, in credit to five run scoring extra base-hits. McGuire connected for her third home run of the day in the second game of the doubleheader. Freshman Lauryn Rhinehart also pitched a complete game, despite walking seven batters and allowing five hits and two earned runs. The Jaspers yet again struggled to have a good start from their starter as Nicole Williams ‘20 did not even complete her second inning of work. She was responsible
for four of the seven earned runs allowed while Fairfield easily swept the doubleheader by outscoring Manhattan, 14-5. On the following day, Fairfield would take on MAAC rival Saint Peter’s University, looking for an undefeated weekend. After winning back-to-back games, the Stags were confident in facing a Saint Peter’s team with only three wins in 2018. Fairfield did not need as much offense as Pallotto took the mound again, once again throwing a complete game shutout, surrendering six hits and sitting eight batters down via the strikeout. However, Barbara Verrastro ‘19 also threw a complete game, allowing five hits, striking out five and walking two. She gave up three runs, but none were earned as she equaled Pallotto’s effectiveness, pitch-by-pitch. For the third time in four games, Fairfield scored runs early and often as seven different Stags drove in a run. Rhinehart threw her second complete game of the weekend as she just allowed one run and five hits. For the Peacocks, Sydney Ramsey ‘19 only lasted 1.1 innings after allowing four earned runs and walking two more. Runs were at a premium for Saint Peter’s since they only mustered one run in both games. With this double sweep by the Stags, they now have won five in a row and they are looking to put themselves in a good spot for the MAAC tournament. Pallotto and Rhinehart are an effective 1-2 punch that can shut down any offense and take over a game. Being 12-19 on the year and 4-2 in the MAAC, they face Sacred Heart University on Thursday, April 12 at 3:30 p.m.
Contributed By Sports Information Desk Pitcher Destinee Pallotto '18 pitched two complete games, including a complete game shutout against Saint Peter's as she proves to be the ace of the staff.
@MirrorSports Fairfield Mirror Sports Week of April 11, 2018
fairfieldmirror.com
SPORTS 16 Sports Editor: Patrick Getz» patrick.getz@student.fairfield.edu
Showdown For The Larry O'Brien Trophy Begins
NBA/Twitter (left) and Houston Rockets/Twitter (right) Manu Ginobli aims to lead his Spurs team to a deep playoff run as a potential five seed as James Harden is seeking his first NBA title as his Houston Rockets are favored to win the Western Conference.
By Trey Liburd Contributing Writer The National Basketball Association playoffs are approaching sooner than we think. With only a week left in the regular season, things are beginning to heat up in the playoff race. In the Eastern and Western Conferences there are still teams that have to clinch their playoff spots. In the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors are looking the strongest going into the playoffs. They are currently the most complete team and don’t have any major injuries. The problem is, they’ve never been able to win in the playoffs. Season after season, even with a great regular-season record, they continue to fail to make the NBA finals. They have never won an NBA finals as a franchise. The Boston Celtics have the second seed in the East, but all-star guard Kyrie Irving injured his knee a few weeks ago and may not be back for the start of the playoffs. This could prove to be detrimental for the Celtics since he will miss the entire playoff season. If they end up playing a team like the Milwaukee Bucks, then some panic may reside in Celtics fans’ hearts. The Cleveland Cavaliers were a team that I expected to blow through the rest of the regular season with the
trades that they made, but they have actually proved to be inconsistent since the trades. They have been 16-8 since, but many of these wins have come against non-playoff teams. The key factor in the playoffs for this team is LeBron James, he never goes down in the playoffs without a fight and he certainly won’t stop that tendency this year. Since Irving is injured, the Celtics will have to rely on other scorers to carry the team through the playoffs. Boston and Cleveland will try to make a run out of the East to the NBA Finals. I think that these two teams have the best chance in the Conference, even with some of their weaknesses. In the Western Conference, it is much harder to predict who will make a finals run since it’s a more stacked Conference than the East. The frontrunners for a deep playoff run are the Houston Rockets, Portland Blazers and San Antonio Spurs. I left out Golden State because they simply have too many injuries and haven’t shown any team chemistry within the past month and a half. Steph Curry won’t even be back for the first round, so that will prove to be detrimental down the stretch in the playoffs since Curry will be rusty. It wouldn’t surprise me if they lost to a team like Houston or Portland. Houston currently looks like the best team in the entire NBA and are showing no signs of slowing. I expect
them to make it to the finals in the West and and possibly even win it if they don’t have any injuries during the playoffs. James Harden deserves Most Valuable Player as of now and, with Chris Paul on his side, they’re currently unstoppable. The Spurs’ playoff run relies heavily on if Kawhi Leonard is able to suit up for the playoffs. He is the Spurs’ best player, but has been injured for most of the season. The Spurs can still make a run though because of head coach Gregg Popovich’s ability to coach the team. The Blazers are also looking really strong coming into the playoffs. Led by Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, they combine to be one of the best backcourts in the league. They are currently third place in the West and it wouldn’t surprise me if they made a deep run in the playoffs. We have to see if their big men play as well as their guards down the stretch. All in all, we are certainly ready for a crazy NBA playoffs, hopefully it will top March Madness. In my opinion, whoever makes it out of the West will win the NBA finals, and as of now it looks like the Houston Rockets will take home the championship.
NBA/Twitter Kevin Love (left) is expected to be a solid number two option for the Cavaliers during the postseason as LeBron James (center) looks poised , looking for his fourth NBA title and second with the Cavs.