Fairfield Mirror 10/29/14

Fairfield Mirror @FairfieldMirror fairfieldmirror

Independent student newspaper

Week of October 29, 2014

FairfieldMirror.com

Vol. 40, Iss. 8

Bomb threat disrupts Seagrape and Inn on Alumni Weekend

By Jessica Delahunt Assistant News Editor

Contributed Photo

From left to right: Former Chaplain Rev. Paul E. Carrier, S.J, Douglas Perlitz ‘92 and Hope Carter, a national leader of the Order of Malta, were all involved in Project Pierre Toussaint.

Sex abuse allegations arise against former Fairfield University chaplain

By Enxhi Myslymi Managing Editor

By Shauna Mitchell Editor-in-Chief

Former Fairfield University chaplain Rev. Paul Carrier, S.J. has been accused in a civil lawsuit of sexually abusing a teenage boy at Project Pierre Toussaint in Haiti. Fairfield University has been named a defendant in the case on claims of negligent supervision, which is defined as a breach of duty to employees, children or adults.

Carrier was working at Fairfield as the director of campus ministry during the time period under investigation (1999-2005). Douglas Perlitz ‘92, the charity school’s founder, has also been cited as a perpetrator, in addition to the 2010 sentence where he pleaded guilty for one count of traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct to Haiti.

According to the 26-year-old plaintiff ’s attorney, Mitchell Garabedian of Law Offices of Mitchell Garabedian, “The evidence has now shown that Fr. Carrier allegedly sexually abused a child, or children, and therefore we are proceeding in the civil court.”

The lawsuit stated the plaintiff ’s name, but The Mirror generally does not reveal a victim’s identity.

“The plaintiffs feel that they have a substantial amount of evidence to prove their claims in court,” Garabedian added.

The lawsuit for the plaintiff was the first of two that claims Carrier as a perpetrator of sexual abuse.

There are currently 41 pending civil lawsuits against Perlitz that also cite Carrier on claims of negligent supervision.

According to Timothy P. O’Neill, Carrier’s lawyer, the burden of proof is on the plaintiff, as in all civil law cases.

“We deny any responsibility of [Carrier] for negligent supervision and we deny that he, and he denies, vehemently, that he ever abused even one student,” O’Neill said.

THE DEFENDANTS Besides Fairfield University, claims were also filed against Hope E. Carter, a national leader of the Order of Malta, Haiti Fund, Inc. and Society of Jesus of New England as defendants, on charges of negligent supervision.

“The whole issue will be the credibility of these cases many years after the case,” said O’Neill. “These allegations that emerge now … at least from our READ

FAIRFIELD ON PAGE 2

Business at the Seagrape Café and The Inn at Fairfield Beach was disrupted on Friday, Oct. 24, when police received a call about a possible bomb threat at the two locations.

“Our department received the call at 10:01 p.m. and then we relayed that threat to the town police department,” said Assistant Director of Public Safety John Ritchie, adding that the matter is still “under investigation.”

Both the Fairfield Sun and The Daily Voice reported that no suspects were identified over the weekend, and that the Fairfield Police Department was sure that the owner of the phone that placed the call was not tied to the threat.

Furthermore, the phone’s owner was unaware that their number had been used to place the call to Fairfield.

According to The Daily Voice, the ‘Grape chose not to evacuate patrons, saying that they had not seen any suspicious persons enter the ‘Grape during the day, and that tight security posted at the doors during all business hours would eliminate any possible danger.

Ritchie said that he has no comment regarding this decision by the ‘Grape management: “Everybody takes READ

FIRE ALARM ON PAGE 3

Students unsatified with parking policy

By Catherine Veschi Contributing Writer For many upperclassmen students at Fairfield, the orange sheet on their windshield wiper indicating they’ve received a parking ticket has become all too familiar of a sight.

According to Mary Ann DeMasi, parking operations assistant for the Department of Public Safety, 974 tickets have already been administered this school year, which is less than two months young.

Many upperclassmen argue that this number is too high. These students are irritated that they are constantly being fined exorbitant amounts of money for parking in the wrong areas, simply because they can’t find anywhere else to park.

According to DeMasi, the primary reasons

why students get parking tickets on campus are that they’ve parked in the wrong lot, or that they’ve neglected to pay the $120 fee to register their car with the university.

We should be able to park anywhere on campus because some of the parking lots aren’t as convenient.

-Nashelly Aquino ‘18 DeMasi firmly believes that the current parking system the university operates with is “the best

Inside this Issue: News: Gov. Malloy visits College Democrats (Page 2) Opinion: Yousafzai advocates for girls’ education (Page 5) Vine: The New Mastersounds (Page 8) Sports: Rugby dominates Siena 102-17 (Page 16)

system” that DPS has come up with yet.

She argues that, as long as students register their cars, they are guaranteed a parking spot in the lot near where they live, whether it be the Townhouses, Dolan Hall or the Village.

According to DeMasi, the only students who are required to park a ways away from their residence are those juniors who live in the village who must park in the Jogues or Regis Hall parking lots.

As long as students park their cars only in the sections that correspond with the color of the decal on their windshield, DeMasi said they won’t be ticketed. Failure to do so, however, will result in a ticket that’s unable to be appealed.

Junior Cristina Boyle feels as though DPS is READ

DPS ON PAGE 3

Page 2

THE MIRROR | Week of October 29, 2014

News

After pleading guilty, Perlitz was sentenced to 19 years in prison on one criminal charge of traveling with the intent to sexually assault.

Perlitz indicted on charges of sexual assault.

Project Pierre Toussaint closed down due to lack of funding. Also in 2009: Day Pitney conducted an internal investigation of employees at Fairfield University, and concluded that no one at the University had any knowledge of Perlitz’s actions in Haiti before April 2008. Carrier was reportedly uncooperative during the investigation.

Oct. 2014

The university announce that Fairfield Chaplain and Director of Campus Ministry Rev. Paul Carrier, S.J. would be going on a year-long academic sabbatical.

However, Carrier has not returned to the university since because he was reassigned to a different location by the Jesuits of the New England Province. Project Pierre Toussaint was not mentioned in the official announcement of Carrier’s leave from the university.

The Mirror could not confirm his location at press time, but the Associated Press stated that he lives in Weston, Mass.

Dec. 2010

Twelve individuals, including Carrier and Campus Ministry Operations Assistant Deborah Picarazzi, sign a letter denying Perlitz’s guilt in regards to allegations of sexual assault. The letter stated, “We cannot judge our Haitian friends, but we will not in good conscience allow their poverty, and the depth of their struggle to destroy Doug Perlitz.”

The entire letter can be viewed at FairfieldMirror.com

Oct. 2009

April 2006

Sept. 2008

Carrier and Perlitz: Timeline of legal proceedings

Carrier is named in a civil lawsuit under the accusation that he sexually assaulted a student at Project Pierre Toussaint. This is the first case that names Carrier as a perpetrator, rather than a negligent supervisor.

Fairfield U accused of negligence in new civil case Continued from page 1 point of view, are highly suspect.”

In 2013, both Fairfield University and Carrier were accused in a previous lawsuit on the same claims, which alleged that 24 victims were sexually abused by Perlitz. Each victim sought more than $20 million, but the case was settled for $12 million.

Fairfield University attorney Stanley Twardy of Day Pitney, LLP dismisses any liability Fairfield has in the case, claiming, “Whatever Fr. Carrier was doing down in Haiti, he was doing on his own … He was not doing anything at the direction of or in connection with the University.”

In fact, Twardy said, even if Carrier is liable, his actions do not reflect the University in a legal setting. “If these allegations are true, it’s horrible, it’s horrific, but it does not impact the liability of the University,” Twardy said.

When asked if Fairfield should be responsible for the actions of its employees, Twardy said, “Only when they’re doing University functions.”

Speaking on liability, Garabedian said that the basis for proving negligence in any case is whether or not the supervisor should have known what was going on. In the accusation of Carrier’s negligence, Garabedian said, “he should have known.”

However, Twardy disagreed. “Speculation and ‘should haves’ are not part of the legal equation,” he said. “There was no negligence here on the part of the University.”

Carrier took a one-year sabbatical in 2006, but has not been affiliated with Fairfield since then, said Twardy. He added that Carrier was reassigned by the Society of Jesus of New England back in 2006, and not by Fairfield.

According to Twardy and Board of Trustees documents, Carrier helped raise funds for PPT through weekly collections at Sunday Mass in the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola. The documents also stated that students joined in missions Carrier organized to PPT. Twardy, however, said that just because Fairfield gave money to an organization “does not make [Fairfield] responsible for what goes on in that organization, anymore than if you were to contribute $50 to Salvation Army, you’re not responsible for what goes on within Salvation Army.”

Amid accusations that Fairfield has not directly handled the allegations, Twardy said that the University “has taken this head-on” adding that University members “are just aghast as to what Douglas Perlitz did down there, period.

But they’re not responsible for what went on down there.”

Perlitz was arrested in 2009 and

sentenced in 2010 for sexually abusing boys at PPT and giving them necessities such as money, food and clothing, then threatening to expel the boys and take their amenities away if they spoke out.

ROLE OF UNIVERSITY The lawsuit settled in 2013, Twardy explained, was not paid solely from Fairfield but was dispersed among the other defendants. The amount that Fairfield paid has not been disclosed.

Board of Trustees documents from 2013 state that Fairfield paid its part of the settlement through its insurance company, CHUBB, and so it has “not impacted … students or the programs” at Fairfield.

These documents add that “the insurance carriers for the defendants wanted to enter into the settlement” in 2010. However, a decision was not reached in regards to settling any near-future allegations at the time the document was published.

According to Twardy, a lawsuit is settled to save time and expenses even if the people involved “are not necessary responsible,” adding, “that’s the case here.”

“The fact that Fairfield ... made a business decision to settle a previous case is not applicable to what the facts are of these individuals and the claims that have come up here,” Twardy said. “The University has contested the charges and we will litigate this appropriately … with the expectation it will go to trial.”

Twardy added that if it does go to trial, “We feel that we have both legal and factual defenses to all the claims here.

Fairfield had no legal obligation” to know about the abuse going on in Haiti.

According to Board of Trustees minutes from October 2009, Paul Kendrick ‘92, an advocate for victims of sexual abuse, was cited as leading the attack on Perlitz and Carrier. The same document stated that preparations would be made to amend any legal action against Carrier.

An attorney-client memorandum from Twardy dated November 2013 states that in 2009, Day Pitney conducted an internal investigation at Fairfield, and concluded that no one at the University had any knowledge of Perlitz’s actions in Haiti before April 2008. However, the memorandum notes that Carrier did not cooperate during the investigation.

Fairfield has made offers to help the victims from PPT since it closed in 2009 due to lack of funding, but there hasn’t been any “specific entity that has come around to help the former students there,” said Twardy. “There is no one organization that has come to the forefront and shown that it will be dedicated to helping victims.”

According to Kendrick, “When the first cries for help came from these children in Haiti, President von Arx and the Society of the Jesuits didn’t run towards them, they ran away from them … going against everything that our Jesuit education urges us to be.”

The Mirror contacted President Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., but as of press time did not receive a response.

Editor’s Note: The Board of Trustees documents and attorney memorandum referenced in this story are confidential documents that were legally obtained by The Mirror through a public domain.

Gov. Malloy visits College Democrats for informal lunch

By Robert Joyce News Editor Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy visited Fairfield on Monday, Oct. 27 for an informal lunch with the College Democrats, where he outlined his platform and his prior accomplishments during his time as governor.

In the lower level of the Barone Campus Center, Malloy discussed the upcoming election, jokingly saying, “I feel better than the stag up there feels, with respect to my chances,” referring to the taxidermied stag hung in the LLBCC. President of College Democrats Riley Barrett ‘17 said, “We’ve been doing a lot of work to support his campaign; we’ve been doing a lot of phone banking and canvassing for him, so I think he wants to thank us for that.”

Malloy is up for reelection in November,

running against Tom Foley, his opponent in the 2010 gubernatorial race where Malloy won by almost 6,400 votes.

According to the most recent Quinnipiac University Poll, the race is a statistical tie with 43 percent of voters supporting Malloy and 43 percent supporting Foley. Third-party write-in candidate Joe Visconti received seven percent of the vote.

“Fairfield’s a fairly republican campus so it’s really great to have [Malloy’s] presence here and to get the word out about what he has done,” Barrett said. “There are so many stereotypes of what a democrat would do or maybe what he has done or hasn’t done and not a lot of facts.”

She added, “It was great to hear him talk about trying to work with republicans and to bridge that gap and create compromise.”

In regards to the debates leading up to the race, Malloy said, “I think we’ve had some really good debates and I think there’s an appreciation that Mr. Foley and I are very different people and have a very different vision of what the future is about.”

With regards to his platform, Malloy stated that there is a need to make wise investments in private and public universities, transportation systems and cities and towns.

“I think we represent a very progressive agenda, which I’m very proud of,” said Malloy.

According to Barrett, College Democrats are most passionate and enthused about Malloy’s platforms regarding education and job creation, and believe in his efforts for Connecticut’s future.

“I think support of education, what

we’ve done on education issues, should be appealing to students who are going to college in many cases because they came from great school systems and had caring teachers so I think that that’s part of it,” said Malloy.

“We have a very urban-centric platform as well that addresses urban areas increasingly,” Malloy added. “Students graduating from college want to live in a city or an urban environment so we have transportation addressed, we have job creation addressed, we have housing issues addressed.”

When asked why college students should vote for him, Malloy said, “I have a proven record of actually having seen jobs created.

Tom Foley has a proven record of off-shoring jobs to Mexico, closing plants and facilities and bankrupting companies. Why the hell would you vote for him?”

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THE MIRROR |Week of October 29, 2014

News

Business Etiquette Dinner hosted by business school

By Catherine Veschi Contributing Writer On Wednesday, Oct. 22, the Dolan School of Business hosted a “Business Etiquette Dinner,” orchestrated by a professional etiquette coach, in order to better prepare Fairfield students for occasions where first impressions are crucial.

The dinner was hosted by Ann Marie Sabath, a professional etiquette coach. All students were welcome to attend the event, but juniors and seniors were given priority in reserving a seat at the dinner, according to Tara Berwick, director of internships for the Dolan School of Business.

Sabath feels as though the mannerisms taught at the dinner are crucial for all students to learn, as they will give students a “competitive edge” in interviews and internships and will help them “outclass their competition.”

The event began with Sabath teaching students about professional presence, first impressions and how to work a room.

Next, the students had the opportunity to put these strategies into practice.

Students then enjoyed a three-course dinner, while Sabath discussed the rules of dining.

“Many interviews now actually incorporate some kind of dining experience. Dining techniques

such as knowing which fork to use and how to handle difficult to eat food are important to know in these situations,” Berwick said.

Throughout the dinner, Sabath taught students the proper etiquette for dining in a formal setting, such as when to start talking business, which direction to pass the food, and how to excuse themselves from the table if necessary.

Sabath hopes that this dinner was able to assist students in “avoiding those moments of hesitation that we’ve all encountered over the years.”

Junior Cristina Boyle attended the event with the hope of gaining “a better perspective of the business world” and learning how to improve her etiquette, which she obtained from the dinner.

Junior Guadalupe Ramirez also felt that enhanced etiquette would be a great asset for future job interviews, which she gained thanks to the dinner.

For Jess Estrada ’15, the “Business Etiquette Dinner” was a crucial event for students to attend because it teaches students how to handle themselves in professional situations.

“If you can’t manage yourself on a social level, you won’t be able to handle yourself on a professional level,” Estrada said.

Mirror Archives

DPS not looking to adjust current parking polices Continued from page 1 too strict and petty when administering parking tickets.

“I think it’s crazy if you get a parking ticket for being one spot over from the student section,” Boyle said. “I can understand if you’re like 10 cars from there, but if you’re like one car over then it’s ridiculous.”

Freshman commuter Nashelly Aquino also feels that DPS should reevaluate their parking policies.

“We should be able to park anywhere on campus because some of the parking lots aren’t as convenient. Commuters should be able to park in the BCC parking lot because the commuter lounge is in the BCC, so it’s more convenient than parking behind Canisius,” Aquino said.

Aquino feels that doing so will “reduce the amount of parking tickets around the university.”

Junior Myles Reyes, however, has run into little trouble with DPS’s parking tickets, and doesn’t feel as though the tickets are administered unjustly.

“DPS has clearly mapped out the areas where students are and aren’t allowed to park, so there really shouldn’t be any dis-

crepancies. If you park only in your designated area, then you won’t get ticketed,” Reyes said.

Fairfield is a pedestrian campus, so upperclassmen are not supposed to drive to their classes, even if they’re located on the opposite side of campus.

Assistant Director of Public Safety John Ritchie explains that this is a rule on campus because “this practice disrupts other community members.”

Many students additionally have questioned why sophomores aren’t able to have cars on campus, as many other schools allow this.

Ritchie feels as though this would be a reasonable addition to campus, however, “we [Fairfield] would struggle with finding adequate parking.”

Despite the numerous complaints DPS has received from students with cars on campus about their parking policies, DPS isn’t looking to make any adjustments in the near future.

“We in DPS would like to take this opportunity to thank the campus community for their understanding with the general parking rules and regulations on campus,” Ritchie stated.

Fire alarm, not bomb threat, causes bar evacuation

Continued from page 1 these threats differently,” he explained.

While police were investigating the alleged threat that same evening, an unknown patron pulled the fire alarm leading to the evacuation of the bar at 11:40 p.m., following the police evacuation of the Inn at 11:30 p.m., the Fairfield Sun reported.

Per The Daily Voice, Fairfield Police conducted a thorough investigation of both the Inn and the ‘Grape, calling in state bomb

technicians and detection dogs who determined that there was no evidence of a bomb in either location.

Patrons were allowed to re-enter both locations that same evening.

Ritchie said that to his knowledge this is the first time in the history of the ‘Grape that a bomb threat has been reported, and that Fairfield has not had to deal with any type of similar threat “in the recent past.”

The threat came at a particularly inconvenient time as both

locations were teeming with former students returning to the area for Fairfield’s Alumni & Family Weekend.

All 14 rooms at the Inn had been rented out according to The Daily Voice, and the evacuation cost the Inn more than $530 after two patrons decided to check out of their rooms following the scare.

Ritchie stated that while some threats should be taken more seriously than others, “These days nobody wants to mess around.

If you receive a bomb threat you want to take it as credible.”

Page 4

THE MIRROR | Week of October 29, 2014

Crime Beat

News

Compiled by Robert Joyce Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety.

Wednesday, 10/22 7:38 p.m. - Criminal mischief was reported when DPS received a phone call describing a person carrying a stop sign down Lynch Road at the Townhouses. Upon arrival, a stop sign was discovered missing but the assumed perpetrators had fled. The incident is under investigation.

Friday, 10/24 11:20 a.m. - An anonymous report was made regarding an incident which occurred the evening of the President’s Ball. A male suspect was reported as forcibly fondling a female patron during a party at the Townhouses. The suspect has since been identified by DPS. 2:31 p.m. - DPS assisted Residence Life with a roommate dispute which involved racial slurs.

The incident is under investigation.

Saturday, 10/25 2:35 a.m. - Vandalism was reported at the Townhouses 9 block where a small object was thrown through a first floor window of a residence. The incident is under investigation.

3:43 a.m. - DPS responded to an altercation at the Townhouses 9 block where a non-student was struck with a 1.75 liter bottle of liquor, resulting in a medical transport. It is believed the assailant was also a non-student.

2:17 p.m. - A female resident of Jogues Hall reported that sometime between 7:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, a person broke into her residence and urinated in a drawer. The incident is under investigation.

Monday, 10/27 4:01 p.m. - A theft was reported at the DiMenna-Nyselius Library after a female patron noticed her salad was stolen off her desk in the lower level of the library. Closed circuit television cameras which recorded the theft were utilized, allowing DPS to collect a photograph of the alleged thief. However, the incident remains under investigation.

CAU TTIO N O I N U CA THE MIRROR

News Brief: Pipe burst floods Bannow Science Center On Oct. 26, a water pipe in the Bannow Science Center burst, causing water to spread to several areas of the building.

Assistant Director of Public Safety John Ritchie speculated that issue was a result of overly tight threads on the water pipe, which caused the pipe to crack and eventually burst.

Room 363 and the rooms directly below suffered water damage.

Once the problem was identified, Facilities Management responded quickly and came to fix the pipe, according to Ritchie.

Gay artist speaks about how coming out influenced his art

By Jessica Delahunt Assistant News Editor Artist and art historian Jonathan Weinberg gave a lecture Wednesday evening in the Aloysius P. Kelley Center centered on the phenomenon of coming out, and how his personal experiences with the issue have affected his artwork.

“This lecture is not for a G-rated audience,” cautioned Dr. Philip Eliasoph, professor of art history, before introducing the keynote speaker in honor of LGBT awareness month.

Before introducing his paintings, Weinberg recalled his own coming out experience. As an undergraduate student at Yale University in the 1970s, “very few people were out at that point,” said Weinberg. To encourage more transparency, an organization on campus organized a day during which all gay students would wear jeans.

“The idea was terrifying to me, but I couldn’t be someone who was ashamed anymore,” said Weinberg, adding that this moment and his decision to wear jeans was a major turning point in his life.

Although this event marked the first time that Weinberg was able to admit to others that he was gay, it was hardly the last time that he had to do so.

According to Weinberg, coming out, is not a one-time event, but rather something that must be done frequently.

“At least once a week I have to come out,” said Weinberg, recalling a recent occasion in which he had to explain to his cable provider why his husband’s name, not his, was on their bill.

The origins of the idea of coming out can be traced back to debutante balls, in which upper class women came out to society and made herself available for prospective suitors.

According to Weinberg, gay and lesbian individuals took this

idea and made it their own.

Contrary to false representations in the media, Weinberg emphasized the fact that coming out doesn’t necessarily entail a public declaration.

Following his lecture, Weinberg presented an array of colorful paintings, most of which were nude portraits, which he said were an attempt to express the sexuality that homosexual individuals are constantly encouraged to suppress.

Also included in his collection were paintings of the mug shots of public figures such as Pee-wee Herman, who was arrested in 1991 for masturbating publicly, and former United States Senator Larry Craig, who was arrested in 2007 for lewd behavior in a men’s restroom.

According to Weinberg, these paintings of public figures help the public to explore “what it means to be disgraced,” as well as the concept of identity.

While coming out may be an important step for an individual trying to assert their own identity, Weinberg says that the concept of coming out is not necessarily about sexuality: “It’s about being who you are, whatever that is.”

Eliasoph agreed that there are many misconceptions that surround today’s sex culture: “We need to wrap our minds around the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ that surround sexuality issues,” he said.

Although LGBT month is winding down, there are several events still to come in the next week.

According to Anna Lawrence, co-director of the women, gender and sexuality studies program, next on the docket will be the discussion of a possible gender-neutral bathroom to be located in the Barone Campus Center. The discussion will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 29 in the McCormick Commons.

Incorporated 1977

Shauna Mitchell, Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Calhoun, Executive Editor Enxhi Myslymi, Managing Editor Editors Robert Joyce, News Christina Mowry, Assistant News Jessica Delahunt, Assistant News Meaghan Conlon, Opinion Charles DeFilippo, Vine Meaghan Kirby, Coffee Break Patrick Kiernan, Sports Matthew Schneider, Assistant Sports Jesse Erickson, Assistant Sports Angela Sammarone, Chief Copy Editor

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 29, 2014

Opinion

Editor

Opinion Contributed under Creative Commons

Malala Yousafzai advocates for girls' education

By Isabella Perkins Contributing Writer Nobel Peace Prize recipients are made up of a myriad of unique members who have different races, ethnicities, religions and nationalities. The most recent recipient, Malala Yousafzai, is another one of those individuals who has become a symbol for the advocacy of education, especially for girls in developing countries. The education of girls is important not only as a matter of respecting a basic human right for half the population, but as a powerful force for economic development and achieving social goals.

In 2009, at the age of 11, Yousafzai began writing an anonymous blog for BBC about the growing influence of the Taliban in her home district, Swat (located in northern Pakistan), and the measures they were taking to prevent girls’ education. She wrote about how the Taliban would shut down and even blow up schools in the area and also began to publicly advocate for female education through the news.

In October 2012, the Taliban stopped and boarded Yousafzai’s school bus and shot her point blank in the head. Remarkably, she survived the ordeal and was brought to England, where she underwent surgery and recovered rapidly. In 2013, almost a year after her near-death experience, her memoir “I Am Malala” was released. Earlier on July 12, 2013, her 16th birthday, she spoke at the United Nations.

Yousafzai’s cause is one that has brought the global community together to promote peace and human rights. She has meant so much to people, especially for women, who do not have a voice because of oppression and fear. In some respects, Yousafzai is a “martyr” for this cause. Her experience was a catalyst; she has been able to transcend the fear and transform her near-death experience into strength.

In the past, societies have given preference to boys over girls when it comes to educational opportunities. Even though laws have been put in place in different countries in an attempt to make education equal, many of these laws have not been supported.

The constraints within society discourage and even deny girls from having an education. In some parts of the Middle

Editorial Board Jesuit Values Shauna Mitchell Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Calhoun Executive Editor Enxhi Myslymi Managing Editor

East, the Taliban or other extremist groups strictly enforce the inequality that women face and will torture or even murder anyone who tries to disobey the laws placed on women.

Gender equality can begin with appropriate schooling environments, practices free of discrimination and consist of equal opportunities for boys and girls to realize their full potential. Girls who receive basic education learn to protect themselves against violence, abuse, trafficking and better understand how to prevent disease, such as HIV/AIDS. Educated women can also make more significant economic contributions and can help to influence voting so that optimal political outcomes can support a more stable, peaceful, productive and cohesive society. Cultural norms involving early marriage or ones that pull kids out of school when they reach a certain age does not benefit children. Cultural norms in developing countries’ societies suggest that poor children are better off working in the fields and supporting their families.

These are issues that need to be addressed by government policy and publicity.

Yousafzai has become a widely recognized and inspiring figure. She has shown great courage, leadership and communication that is shaping and changing the status quo of how education is looked at.

The fact that she is only a 17-year-old girl only adds to her appeal. Because of her young age, younger people seem to be more in tune with what her story is and what it means. Her message, fighting inequality through peace, dialogue and education, has resonated throughout the world. She also supports the idea that education teaches equality, justice, respect and how to live with one another, no matter how different people’s backgrounds may be.

Recent winners, such as Barack Obama, Liu Xiaobo and the European Union, have shown a pattern that promotes democracy, human rights and economic justice. These winners are bringing the global community together in a way that brings about the advancement of peace.

The joint win of Yousafzai, a Muslim Pakistani and her fellow recipient, Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian children’s rights advocate, shows that even though these two countries have bad relations, there is a

When high school seniors begin narrowing down their college selections, a big drawing point towards Fairfield is its Jesuit affiliation.

But what happens when the school and its administrators move away from the Jesuit tradition?

The more information that is unveiled about the Perlitz and now the Carrier cases, the more it feels as though Fairfield failed to act as a Jesuit institution.

While Fairfield may not be responsible for actions taken independently from the University, there should be a palpable sense of sorrow and remorse for the

Contributed under Creative Commons

common struggle that transcends borders, politics and religious differences.

Both of their home countries have undergone similar social problems such as extreme poverty, subjugation of children and gender inequality. Hopefully, this will show that these countries have more commonalities than differences and that they need to fight for education and peace for women and children.

The support of women and children needs to begin by ending poverty and violence, which can be attained by promoting education. Many women are fighting back

alleged actions of these Fairfield representatives.

But there isn’t.

As a university that embodies Jesuit values, Fairfield expects its students to partake in the Jesuit Core, which, besides allowing for a fulfilling educational experience, also includes religion courses which teach about the practice of repentance and acting kindly to one another.

Yet behind closed doors, in court settlements, things appear to be handled differently.

While Fairfield may not be directly involved, we call on Jesuit values to ask the University for a public apology for the acts its rep-

against their discriminating oppressors by seeking an education and becoming more vocal about it, thanks to influences like Yousafzai.

There have already been great strides in education. Literacy rates for children are now well above those for adults, which will greatly affect future generations. But don’t let that fool you; despite recent progress, gender disparities remain in many countries. It will still take time until more women and children in the world will have the opportunity to fulfill their potentials.

resentatives committed in Haiti.

What would be expected of the Jesuits and from a Catholic University is to join forces with those trying to end assault and help to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

The boys in Haiti to whom this happened to cannot be psychologically cured. They will have to live with the trauma they experienced.

However, what can happen is stopping another young boy, girl, woman, man or otherwise from being emotionally shattered by a preventable act of sexual violence.

Jesuit values ask that we

deeply and profoundly reflect and ask for forgiveness for the wrongdoings that have been committed.

These values ask that we go to the voices that are screaming and crying out for help and to provide comfort.

At the end of the day, a person is a person.

The assault on these boys is never to be forgotten.

As people fight for gender equality and an end to assaults that occur every day, this incident is a reminder that this is not just a fight to end assault on women, but on everyone, including these boys in Haiti.

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 29, 2014

Opinion

Pumpkin festival turns into police riot

By Ariana Puzzo Contributing Writer Throughout the weekend of Oct. 18, chaos, destruction and multiple transportations to a nearby hospital took place in the small community of Keene, New Hampshire.

The mayhem took place during their Pumpkin Festival, an annual event in which

the town attempts to set a record for the most carved and lit jack-o’-lanterns.

Violent parties, fueled by alcohol, led to the injury and arrest of dozens of partiers.

As a result of the damage and the police response, the events of the weekend gained nationwide recognition on social and mainstream media.

Many, including myself, were initially

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appalled by the strong actions taken by police, who responded in riot gear using tear gas, pepper spray, canine units and rubber bullets to control and disperse the crowd.

Despite my initial shock about the brutality of the police response, it now appears that force was necessary to disperse members of the community who were fighting back and refusing to return home.

Reports of full liquor bottles and billiard balls being hurled at police appear to justify a forceful response. The refusal of many in the crowd to disperse and go home is troubling.

While I do not think that resources the police used should have implemented to facilitate the dispersion, I admit that I do not have the answer as to which form of force would have been effective.

In an effort to better understand what occurred that weekend in Keene, I spoke to a friend of mine who attends Keene College and was exposed to the police response.

Freshman Liz Barattini said, “My friends and I were tear-gassed multiple times during the weekend. Also, I was shot by rubber bullets a number of times as well.”

When asked if she believed the police were justified in their response, Barattini said, “Honestly, yes. Everyone was going insane and they had no choice but to take the action that they took.” Barattini added that she, along with many others, did not disperse when instructed to and instead watched the chaos unfold, which

is what most likely led to the police taking the actions that they did.

Although initially the police response to the Keene riot appeared to be another case of police brutality, the alternative outcome to a lack of response would have likely caused greater harm to the community.

As our nation, and particularly our youth, continue to reel from the Ferguson events and the tragic death of Michael Brown, I for one cannot help but wonder why anyone would risk his or her life by provoking the police.

While the jury is still out on the Brown case, there have been many cases of confirmed police brutality in the past several years. How can we affect change and demand accountability from our police force if we engage in behaviors that justify an extreme response? I believe that the first step in solving this issue is to approach it from a different perspective.

I am certain that if it had been my property being vandalized during the festival, I would have wanted police intervention.

Therefore, police response cannot be entirely negative when I am certain that many other people share my view.

Additionally, in order to enact change, more people, especially young people, need to realize that they cannot flagrantly thumb their nose at authority and then cry police brutality; if rubber bullets and tear gas are not enough to disperse a crowd and the next level of force is used, the perpetrators are ultimately responsible.

Halloween: 12 Mileys and 50 cats

By Kayla Valente Contributing Writer Halloween is almost here and the buzz on campus all week has been what everyone is going to dress up as. This holiday truly tends to bring out the bland in everyone. Some people go way too hard with costumes and others are not ashamed to admit that their costumes were blatantly put together 10 minutes before going out.

Although I am guilty of this myself, Halloween costumes have a tendency to lack creativity. There are a few basic categories that people usually fall under.

The Classic Professions: This list is made up of the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It is filled with doctors and nurses who spend the night jokingly asking if you’re feeling all right.

This is also where you will find the police officers who somehow actually start to believe that they have authority and jokingly arrest half the people in the room. And, I can’t forget to mention the firefighters who gain control of the music and only play songs like “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “Fire Burning” all night.

I wouldn’t want to leave out the flight attendants either because there are always bound to be a few in every room.

The Superhero: Not to worry, if something goes wrong on Halloween, there are definitely people there who can save the day. Superman, Wonder Woman, the Hulk and Spider Man will all be there for you with their tights and capes. If you need saving, they have your back. You might find yourself wondering if a comic book came alive in your Townhouse.

The Dynamic Duos: People love this category. Best friends share everything so

why not share a Halloween costume too?

Thing 1 and Thing 2 ends up being more like Thing 103 and Thing 104 if we were to keep a tally all night. Mario and Luigi are also a must. But I think of all the pairs, the angel and devil seem to be inescapable at a Halloween party.

The Celebrity: Everyone wants to be famous and a lot of people see Halloween as their big break. “Wrecking Ball” comes on at a party and suddenly you realize that there are 12 different girls who are Miley Cyrus.

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that several of those girls probably were Hannah Montana in their younger years of trick or treating. And of course, Ke$ha. This costume allows you to “throw some glitter, make it rain” all night.

The Animal: If you don’t see more than 50 girls dressed up as cats, is it really Halloween? These costumes are inevitable. You can take my word that if you look around wherever you are on Halloween, you will be able to spot at least one person with ears and a tail from every part of the room. Cheetahs and leopards and bunnies - oh my!

If your category is not listed above, have no fear. Our Halloween culture is just too basic for one article. So for the nerd, cowgirl/cowboy, Minnie Mouse, pumpkin, Catholic school girl, Risky Business, red solo cup and football player - remember you are not more creative than anyone else. Go get a latte from Starbucks, put on your costume and realize how basic you are.

The Mirror welcomes the opinions and contributions of its readers: Letters to the editor must be timely and submitted by email to info@fairfieldmirror.com or Box AA. All letters to the editor that are appropriate will be published either in print or online. The Mirror reserves the right to edit letters and articles for content, length and grammatical error. Letters should be free of obscenities and personal attacks and should contain correct and factual information not exceeding 500 words.

The Vine

arts, entertainment, features Editor Charles DeFilippo vine@fairfieldmirror.com

THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS Leeds 'New Funk' Scene

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 29, 2014

The Vine

THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS Intoxicated by funk

F

By Charles DeFilippo Vine Editor

rom Leeds, United Kingdom, to the heart of American soul, The New Mastersounds (NMS) are intuitive to the sonic mold created by their audience.

Over the past 10 years, NMS have emerged as one of the prominent bands in a “new” scene; NMS have an elevator-esque chill that fuses with popping funk and syncopated drums that results in a dancing frenzy on the top floor.

The band’s short instrumental songs, what Drummer Simon Allen refers to as a post-Grateful Dead jam band scene with a “snappy, quirky funk,” stretches across the pond.

Distinctive as the Hammond organ (Joe Tatton) itself, the band shimmers, shines and grooves beyond belief.

But how does NMS create such a staggering impression on listeners so far from home?

“We have become more open-minded, because our fans are more open-minded,” said Allen NMS are hard to stump, fueled by necessity, gritty grooves and the deep rhythms that leak through the cracks of a late-night dance club rage.

New generations of people flood in and overwhelm the band’s social media outlets, generating a word-of-mouth craze. It is what prompted guitarist and bandleader Eddie Roberts to move to the U.S. Allen stressed how the band plays off the audience and therefore demonstrated the importance of a lighting crew; whereas some venues only have a spotlight on the band, lighting crews that illuminate the audience help the band to personalize each performance.

“If it is too dark on stage, we cannot see each other in the band and audience members,” said Allen.

NMS engages the audience directly and harnesses their energy. All of this translates to a unique concept that Allen refers to as “believing in the groove.”

“We play a one or two bar groove and

slowly begin to add texture,” said Allen.

By stripping the groove down and keeping it going, it makes the music consistent.

Suddenly fans hip to the groove burst out in dance.

NMS generated this loop-like feel of today’s electronic music to give listeners something to hold on to.

At its core, NMS found a common interest in Black American music in the 1960s spun by DJs in Leeds. EDM Electronica was hip and the band quickly began to add this ammunition into their arsenal.

As we were halfway through the

All natural, NMS did not cave to the luxuries of programmed loops and backing tracks, but imitated the four-on-the-floor bass drum, or house elements.

Their ninth studio album, “Therapy,” eases the pain with everything from deep funk and British wit to a 1974 George Benson-style instrumental of Bruno Mars’ hit “Treasure.”

The unexpected surprise had me rocking out to the album in reverse.

From “Treasure” to “Detox,” I was coaxed into a mellow jazz, digging on Roberts’ solo guitar.

In combination with guest saxophonist Ryan Zoidis of Lettuce, on “Slow Down” and vocalist Kim Dawson of The Motet on “Soul Sister,” NMS have leaped beyond any musical spectrum.

Popping funk and tasty drum breaks rewind to my personal favorite, “Whistle Song,” where the band’s lips carry the melody.

NMS have toured throughout Europe, Japan and the U.S. and have collaborated

with artists like James Taylor, Karl Denson, The Headhunters, Galactic, Lou Donaldson and more.

“Intoxicated by the funk,” NMS junkies linger “until last call when you dishrag home, sweaty and exhausted on a wave of euphoria,” according to the band’s website.

Before their return at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne on Nov. 6, NMS will open for Maceo Parker at the Brooklyn Bowl (London, UK) on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

“As we were halfway through the first gig, we knew that we had to come back to FTC,” said Allen.

Overall, the band was impressed with the setup, friendly staff and FTC’s attention to detail.

Generally, NMS draws a plethora of attendees from their 30s to 70s, said Allen.

Those “a bit more connected” with live music appreciation usually find their way out to a NMS gig; but for the rest of us who are unexposed, it’s time to dig the funk before it’s too late.

After FTC, NMS is heading south for their eighth year at the Bear Creek Music & Art Festival in Live Oak, Fla. on Nov. 13-16.

Bear Creek is keen to legends like Bernard Purdie, J.B. Horns, Umphrey’s McGee, Lettuce, Dumpstaphunk, Tauk, Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds and The Main Squeeze.

“It’s incredible when musicians are standing on the side of the stage and start hopping on when they fancy a groove,” said Allen.

NMS finished their 2014 tour schedule strong with no intent to pump the brakes.

They have a huge New Year’s Eve show planned in New Orleans and will be cruising the Atlantic Ocean for Jam Cruise 2015 from Jan. 6-11.

In the midst, NMS plans to release a new album for 2015.

Allen says the album will feature American and New Orleans guest artists and will emerge after a month of dedicated studio time.

Quick Look: The New Mastersounds on StageOne Funk / Soul / Rock Thursday, Nov. 6th Doors @ 7:00 p.m.

Show @ 7:45 p.m.

Tickets: Non-members: $35 Members: save $5

Contributed Photos by The New Mastersounds

The New Mastersounds play live at Bear Creek Music & Art Festival in 2013.

The Mirror | Week of October 29, 2014

The Vine

Album Spoiler Alert: Hostage Calm's 'Die on Stage'

By Zack Schneider Contributing Writer

Contributed Photo

A couple years ago, I was dragged to an album release show for a band I had never heard of and at a venue I had never been to.

Hostage Calm took over The Space in Hamden, Conn. and from the moment they started playing, I was hooked.

The Connecticut-based band had the greatest energy I had ever seen. They instantly became one of my favorites.

Hostage Calm released their fourth album, “Die On Stage,” on Sept. 12 of this year to much acclaim. Their follow-up to 2012’s “Please Remain Calm” kept their melting pot of genres growing strong.

This would usually be the part where I describe the band’s sound, but that is easier said than done.

The easiest way to describe them is by calling them the “pop-punk Beach Boys.” Their sound is so unique that you have to listen to them to really get it.

The album begins with “When You Know,”

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which will have you dancing no matter where you are.

Chris Martin’s voice has you hooked at first listen. Many songs on the album are very upbeat in this style. Other songs like “A Thousand Miles Away From Here” or “Your Head/Your Heart” will have you screaming along during the first listen. Other songs like “Raised” and “12/31” are on the slower side, but they are equally captivating.

Be prepared for the amazing harmonies throughout the album.

Hostage Calm really outdid themselves. Every listener will have a favorite track on the album and their appeal reaches punk, indie rock and any similar, upbeat genre.

One piece of advice when listening to this album: Be prepared to love the bells after listening.

I would love to tell you all that I will be seeing them live soon, but unfortunately the band broke up unexpectedly on Oct. 8.

I hope that there will be a final show so I can scream along with the band one last time.

Rest in peace Hostage Calm.

Nutrition 101: College students' how to

By Stephanie Piccolo Nutrition Columnist

O

ne of the biggest problems college students face on campus is learning how to eat healthy and maintain a nutritious diet. Going through the adjustment of leaving home and no longer having home-cooked meals and having to eat at the school’s dining is very difficult change.

College students struggle with making the right choices, and the root of this problem is a lack of nutritional education. I, for myself, can attest to this problem. After attending a dinner with Fairfield’s dietician Beth Winthrop, I learned a great amount of information about how to stay healthy on campus and some nutritional guidelines. For those that were unable to attend the dinner, I am looking to share this information with the student body.

Breakfast is the most common meal that people skip. This is usually due to a lack of time or hunger and for a college student, a conflict with having class during this time. Breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day, and it should really be your largest meal.

Lunch should be a smaller meal and dinner should be your smallest meal. Having breakfast provides your body with the energy it needs for the day and starts up your metabolism. Students that do not eat breakfast often feel tired during class and have trouble focusing.

What should you eat for breakfast? Your breakfast should consist of some form of protein, such as eggs, whole grain carbs and, as with every meal, many fruits and vegetables. The Main Dining Hall gives students the option of making their own eggs at the stir-fry station or having the chef make it for them at the omelet bar.

W

hen making a salad at the salad bar, try and make your salad as colorful as it can be. Add toppings such as peppers, carrots, corn, broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes and green beans to fulfill your body’s need for vegetables. It can add flavor to your salad, along with providing nutrition.

Mindful Mix, a wellness tool often seen next to entrées, provide students with a portion of food that is more nutritious. Mindful Mix gives the breakdown of the ingredients in the entrée, along with the nutrition facts.

Eating well and being nutritious is determined by choices you make. It is easy, and somewhat tempting, to make bad choices. But in reality, the good choices are just as available to you.

Some of these little changes include swapping white bread for a whole grain bread, cutting back on toppings such as cheese and mayonnaise which have a lot of fat and instead opting for mustard, which has little calories and is fat free. Choose healthier proteins that will give your body greater satisfaction such as grilled chicken, turkey burgers and veggie burgers, as opposed to a cheeseburger. Switch to skim milk or fat-free milk as opposed to whole milk. Limit the amount of sodium intake, which can be found in certain soups and bread.

F

inally, when thirsty, drink water! Students often opt for sugary drinks which just add calories and drinks with a lot of caffeine, such as coffee, to keep them awake. Water is the healthiest option and is what your body needs the most. Also, stimulants in coffee can keep you awake at night, which can lead to lack of sleep that makes hungrier.

Nutrition and wellness on a college campus can be difficult for students, but ultimately, it is possible.

Healthy options are available as much as there are unhealthy options. It is up to you to make the right choices for yourself that provides your body with the nutrition it needs.

Be creative: I know it can be difficult when you are pressed for time, but do not be afraid to use the stir-fry station. It can be a very helpful nutrition tool and you can create delicious, healthy meals if there is nothing you like being served that day.

Fairfield provides you with the tools you need to live a healthy lifestyle, but it is up to you to utilize the resources correctly.

Photos Contributed under Creative Commons

The Vine

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 29, 2014

Told ByDre

By Andrea Butler Fashion Columnist

Hello Stags!

Halloween is just around the corner. Whether you love the holiday or hate it, if you don’t have a costume, you’re going to be left out this Friday. But, if you’re a huge procrastinator like me, don’t fear — here are some tried and true last minute costume ideas that require nothing more than what’s already in your (or your friend’s) closet!

Cowgirl: A flannel, your favorite pair of Daisy Dukes, boots and pigtails. Easy.

Sexy librarian or secretary: If you feel like going the stereotypical half-naked route this Halloween — and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that — this is by far the simplest way to do it: a white button-down (with a lacy bra peeking out from underneath, if that’s something you’re comfortable with), a black bondage skirt and some killer heels. Bonus points if you have glasses to incorporate into the look!

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80s aerobics instructor: Find every neon piece of gym apparel you own, plus a sweatband and some legwarmers.

Animal: The most basic of all Halloween costumes for college girls; you literally cannot go wrong with this. Wear all black, some cat/bunny/tiger/mouse ears and some drawn-on whiskers.

Have fun this Halloween, friends, and be safe!

Love,

Dre

Contributed under Creative Commons

Fairfield students got creative at Fairfield University Student Association's annual Pimp Your Pumpkin event on Tuesday, Oct. 28 in the lower level of the Barone Campus Center. More than 50 students in attendance hand-picked a pumpkin of their choice with free reign and no artistic limits.

Paints, glitters and a variety of supplies left no pumpkin untouched.

The pumpkin art ranged from simple geometric patterns, decorative initials, multicolored expressions and Halloween icons like Frankenstein, painted by Claire Holleran '17.

Overall the event boosted Halloween morale and will be adding a festive twist to dorm rooms throughout campus.

Shauna Mitchell / The Mirror

Left to Right: Katie Hildebrandt '17, Liz Sheeran '17 and Claire Holleran '17.

Shauna Mitchell / The Mirror Shauna Mitchell / The Mirror

Students "pimp" pumpkins during FUSA's annual Pimp Your Pumpkin event.

Freshman Haley Paetzold decorates her pumpkin with a paint marker.

The Mirror | Week of October 29, 2014

The Vine

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Inside 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock: A Modern Reimagining' by Sarah Daltry

By Gina White Contributing Writer Perfect for readers on the go, this short but sweet novella is an independently published modern take on T.S. Eliot’s famous poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Told in flashbacks and present day scenes, Daltry weaves a modern summer beachside romance between two young lovers.

Echoing the original poem, she expresses lonely, desperate themes as seen here: “For eighteen years, summer was our chance to find the key, and every fall brought disappointment, when we ended up back at school with no new stories and we were the same people we’d been three months earlier.”

The narrator of Eliot’s poem is reimagined in Daltry’s

Interview with Sarah Daltry:

GW: What inspired you to begin writing?

SD: I made up stories my entire life. My parents worked a lot and we didn’t have a lot of money. I was always reading, spending many days in the library. Writing always came natural to me.

GW: How did you come to choose T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” to write your novella?

SD: I taught high school English. I love classic literature. I started working on this piece, which took me almost two years to write. I’ve always loved that whole time period. For example, when the movie “Midnight in Paris” came out, I fell in love with the setting and time.

I was never a fan of Hemingway until I read “The Sun Also Rises.” I loved teaching authors such as Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Eliot. I was inspired to think about nostalgia and really loved Eliot’s poem. There were so many interpretations to be made with unspoken pieces that were relevant to any decade.

GW: Do you feel that you relate to either of the main characters in your story?

SD: I relate to the man a bit, but he is older than me. I used personal observations in reimagining the poem. I don’t live in New York City, but I have lived in New England my whole life so I tried to use a city I was familiar with. I thought, “How could I take these observations and make it into a story?” It was an experiment.

GW: Can you talk a little about independent publishing, what made you decide to go this route, and the difficulty level?

short piece as she traces his life from a hopeful past to a disillusioned present. Told in the first-person narrative, main character Jake meets Emily, a beach town resident, at a general store where he works. Their romance quickly follows and hastens its pace through the summer months. As autumn approaches, the two begin to question what will become of their love and struggle to make every attempt for a lasting affair.

As the cruel hands of fate sweep in, they provide an unexpected close to the short novel. This accessible, modern interpretation of such a widely read poem is a perfect bridge between readers of novels and readers of poems. Grab yourself a latte and this book and see if you agree with Eliot that “in a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.”

SD: I’ve been writing for a long time. I have a lot of novels and many half-written pieces. Fifteen years ago, I wanted to be a writer. I tried the traditional publishing route and got rejected many times, so I only ended up publishing a couple short stories here or there. I liked teaching and thought I would go after writing someday. A few years ago my grandfather died and I was talking to my grandmother about writing.

I realized my aunt, who’s in her 60s, now never acted on her talent for writing. I had all these ideas for writing, but knew that I would never actually do anything unless I started writing seriously. My first novel was a vampire romance based on biblical themes and was published through an imprint of Harlequin. I decided to work on young adult fiction, specifically a college story.

It turned into a sexy romance because of the stigma that “sex sells.” It worked for self-publishing and took off for a little, but I knew I didn’t want this. I wrote “Backward Compatible” and tried to go traditional with that, but I was told there would be no market for it. I realized, however, that this is what I wanted to be writing.

I was making the choice to write what I want, not to write what’s marketable. I am not a big advocate for either self-publishing or the traditional route, however, I would rather sell 20 copies and be on a shelf somewhere than sell millions writing about something I don’t care about. I’m willing to work really hard, but would like someone to filter it. I would prefer the traditional route, but appreciate the self-publishing route, which gives opportunity.

GW: What are you reading now and who are some of your favorite authors?

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Two Towers.” I finished “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” this summer. Also on my list is the third novel in the “Anna and the French Kiss” series, “Isla and the Happily Ever After” by Stephanie Perkins and “Dreams of Gods and Monsters”

by Laini Taylor.

My favorite classical authors are Hemingway, the Brontes and Salinger. My favorite contemporary authors include Courtney Summers, Lauren DeStefano, Jodi Picoult and Tom Perrotta.

I like to read realistic contemporary and young adult fiction. A lot of adult fiction tends to have a certain focus, genre or literary.

Sometimes I just want to read a story that isn’t genre, just realistic, but also not trying too hard to be literary.

GW: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

SD: You need to know what your goal is. You need to write the story that matters to you. Ask yourself, “Do you want to be a storyteller or a businessperson? Why are you writing it?” It took me a while to follow my own advice, but I’m happier now writing a book I’m happy with. Your first question you should ask yourself is “Why are you writing?”

SD: Right now I am reading “The Lord of the Rings: The

Bestselling author Tony Abbott advises writers

Contributed Photo

By Juliana Sansonetti Contributing Writer Bestselling author Tony Abbott, a native of Trumbull Conn., discussed his new book “The Serpent’s Curse,” the second in “The Copernicus Legacy” series, last Wednesday night at the Fairfield University Downtown Bookstore at 6:30 p.m.

Abbott has been writing professionally for the past 20 years and has written more than 100 books.

His most famous series, “The Secrets of Droon,” contains more than 40 books. And are widely popular with kids.

Upon entering the room, the casual observer would notice the wellworn copies of Abbott’s books tucked away proudly under the arms of the children attending the event. As soon as he started talking, the audience listened intently in silent rapture.

“Hi everybody, my name is Tony Abbott, and I write constantly,” opened Abbott, who was greeted with many laughs from the audience.

Abbott went on to discuss his upbringing as a writer. Although his writing career has only spanned the last 20 years, he has been surrounded by books for as long as he can remember.

“My mom was a high school teacher and my dad was a college teacher. My brother was a big reader, so books were always there,” he explained.

Abbott continued, “When my daughters were born, I started reading children’s books to them. I fell in love with the children’s book format.”

One of Abbott’s daughters Lucy,

now 24, attended the event in support of her father.

“For me, he’s just my dad.” said Lucy. “I think it’s so cool that he can make writing his life.”

Abbott, who began writing “The Secrets of Droon” in 1999, now finds

However, a publishing company liked what it saw when Abbott sent in the manuscript of his first novel “Danger Guys,” which is what spearheaded his professional writing career, making writing a job instead of a hobby.

- Tony Abbott college freshmen who tell him how much they loved his books when they were younger. He said that this is one of the most rewarding parts of writing; to be able to see the lasting impact that his books have on people.

When asked if he ever expected to be such a well-known writer, Abbott did not hesitate.

“No. I think everybody at the beginning of writing has a dream of being a full-time writer, but that’s such a small minority. It seemed unrealistic,” Said Abbott.

Afterwards, Abbott read some excerpts from “The Copernicus Legacy” and “The Copernicus Archives” series.

The books are about four normal kids who get swept away in an adventure of a lifetime. I t takes them all over the world looking for Copernicus artifacts, which are said to hold great power, in the hopes to find them before the evil Teutonic Order.

The three excerpts presented different experiences: one funny,

one suspenseful and one downright scary.

By the time he reached the end of the paragraphs, the audience members were practically on the edges of their seats, and groaned when he closed the books, hungry for more.

Freshman Margot Hibbs overall felt positive about the event and when asked if she would attend similar events, she said, “Yeah, I definitely would. I would like to get a group [of other Fairfield students] to come down, too.”

Before Abbott closed for the evening, he was asked for one final comment to which he passed on some helpful advice to aspiring writers: “When I was a creative writing teacher, lots of my students wanted to write YA, and when I was talking to them, I found out that not many of them had read the great American writers."

"You have to read them," said Abbott. "If only to learn how to write.

Times are changing, but if you want to be a great writer, you can’t just read YA writers. You have to go back to the great American writers.”

THE MIRROR | Week of October 29, 2014

Coffee Break

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COFFEE BREAK Editor: Meaghan Kirby

The necessity of quiet hours Are they worth having or worthless?

By Allison White Contributing Writer Quiet hours: An essential part of dorm hall life or an unnecessary precaution? I think that quiet hours are pointless when it comes to life in the dorms. Most students do not pay attention to the hours enlisted. They continue to make noise regardless of the time of day.

Since everyone is on a different schedule when it comes to class time and sleeping patterns, quiet hours suppress the interaction of night owls. On school nights, quiet hours are supposed to start at 8 p.m.

This may be considered too early because rarely any college students are sleeping this early. It also affects the time students can spend together. Since they are busy throughout the day, nighttime is the time when they can relax and hang out with friends. Quiet hours inhibit the bonding experiences between people living in the same dorm hall.

If students are searching for a quiet place to finish their schoolwork, they can utilize the library. Instead of creating hours to be quiet, they have access to a well-equipped library that requires silence. This gives students an alternative from doing schoolwork in their dorm room.

Dorm rooms are often seen as a sanctuary away from the stresses and rigidity of school.

They are a place for Netflix and hanging with friends, not studying for midterms and writing massive research papers. For the most part, I don’t know that many students who are productive in their rooms. Students’ disregard

By Josue Jorge Contributing Writer

for the listed quiet hours cause these hours to lose their purpose.

Since this rule is violated constantly, there is no point because it just infringes on students’ social lives. Also, little enforcement of quiet hours causes them to lose meaning and not accomplish their goal for silence.

Instead of listing quiet hours, I think students should just deal with situations daily.

For example, if they are trying to sleep and their floormate is blasting music, they can politely ask them to turn the music down.

Situations like these are more efficient than quiet hours and force students to hold each other accountable for their noise levels.

Quiet hours just may be a gift sent from God. When you are worrying about doing your homework or studying for a test at the last minute, the last thing you need added to the mix are those regularly loud residents down the hall to affect your productivity.

Without quiet hours and with a lack of common decency, those residents will not feel any inclination to quiet down and if left to do what they wanted, they would probably go on non-stop like the Energizer Bunny.

What restricts these party-going social animals is the simple fact that if they are too

Photo Illustration Meaghan Kirby/The Mirror you think for a chance to be featured!.

loud, they will most likely be seen or heard by a resident assistant and be documented.

What a resident planning to defy the rules may think is, “The RA will never catch me, and this building is too big. The chances are slim. Let’s party hard, right?”

Wrong. All a quieter and annoyed resident needs to do is confront the situation head on: “Come on man/woman, you do not want to get documented, you should probably lower that.” Or, if a resident is not confident to do that him or self, he or she can tell the RA on duty and have the RA handle the situation.

The quiet hours are a great thing because every single resident knows the hours at which they start and end. In addition, It is enforced all over campus so there’s no room for confusion. When asking someone to quiet down, they could just easily say no; but, it is the quiet hours’ rule that ensures every resident knows the times when it is appropriate to make noise and be silent.

When a RA hears someone violating quiet hours, it is fair to assume that the resident in question is consciously disregarding the rule, which makes it easier for the RA to document the resident, ensuring there will not be a repeated offense.

Let’s be honest: When you want to study in peace, the last thing you should have to worry about is a resident yelling and behaving out of control. Respect and appreciate the quiet hours because they are there to keep everyone in Zen mode when Zen mode should be kept.

Editor’s note:

Point/Counterpoint wants to give students on campus a chance to voice their opinions on specific issues. The topics must be relevant to a majority of the student population and can be a current event or a long-standing issue. If you would like to be featured in the column, contact info@fairfieldmirror.com.

Ask Meg

Don’t

Need horrible advice?

Submit a question to info@fairfieldmirror.com

Dear Meg, My room is haunted! My shower turns off and on for no reason, and I keep hearing noises coming from my bathroom pipes.

I live on the top floor of my building and every night, my roommates and I hear footsteps above us.

There have been rumors that my building is haunted. I recently announced that I don’t believe in ghosts and that night, the noises started. Did I do something wrong?

What should I do?

Signed, Freaked Out In Fairfield Dear Freaked Out In Fairfield, What are you still doing here? This is definitely a sign that you should drop out of Fairfield and move away immediately. I hear Alaska is nice.

If you aren’t taking my first bit of advice and have stuck around, consider making the fine purchase of a Ouija board.

My guess is that it’s your mission to get rid of the very scary ghost that is obviously haunting you. Hold a séance with battery operated candles of course (for fire hazard purposes) - and apologize for anything you might have done to upset the ghost.

Fortunately, Ed (deceased) and Lorraine Warren of “The Conjuring” movies only live 24 minutes away in Monroe, Conn., so if the ghost does anything else, their people can help. But, if the ghost does kill you, maybe they’ll make a movie out if it and you’ll be famous!

Always keeping it real, Meg

Play some...

Sudoku

Sports

Page 13

THE MIRROR | Week of October 29, 2014

Weekly 4x5

Because we have witty things to say ...

Patrick Kiernan Sports Editor

Jennifer Calhoun Executive Editor

Matthew Schneider Assistant Sports Editor

Jesse Erickson Assistant Sports Editor

Your 2014-2015 4x5 Columnists:

Patrick Kiernan, Jennifer Calhoun, Matthew Schneider and Jesse Erickson

Men's rugby beat Siena 102-17 on The NBA season started last Sunday. Is this real life? night. Who's going to win it all this year?

How good is Madison Bumgarner?

Regular or peanut M&M's?

Any big Halloween plans?

I'm not sure because that score is The Knicks. Haha, yeah right. never really seen in real life. When Wishful thinking on my part. The Jesse told me the score, I asked if Spurs are gonna take it again. they were playing a bunch of Siena nine-year olds, and to my amazement, they weren't.

The man's an ace on the mound and in the locker room when chugging brews after a win.

(Read Jesse's answer first.)

Jesse makes it easy to talk smack about her. Who in their right mind prefers peanut M&M's over regular M&M's? There is no place for peanut in an M&M. None.

Yeah, I'll be doing my best 50 Cent impression throughout the night.

So that's what the yelling was from outside by bedroom window ...

Ugh, don't know. Don't care.

If I knew who that was, I would probably say pretty good. Is he better than Pablo Sanchez though?

Or Ricky Williams? Or Achmed Khan? Or Luanne Lui?! Nah son, he isn't.

Peanut ... ... ... ... butter.

My plans include getting on a weird flying bus with my magical grandmother and then saving my town from a super evil warlock named Kalabar. Or you know maybe not.

Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality.

John Wall and the Washington Wizards will win it all. I mean the guy's got his own song for crying out loud. He can't be stopped!

He's pretty good at pitching, but at chugging beer? The man's a legend!

Pretzel.

I'm planning on drinking until I can't tell if the monsters are real or not. If they don't get me, I'll let you know how it goes.

He's so good I haven't heard of him.

Is this even a question or a debate or even relevant? Clearly Peanut M&M's, regular M&M's should do less.

I miss trick-or-treating. Can someone set that up this year? Please someone with a house. I'll provide the candy, mostly peanut M&M's.

Pat demanded that I go and cover this experience in real life, so I experienced that same experience in real life. The experience was so real life that I am writing a story about it ... this is insane.

The Stags.

Stag Spotlight: Tennis' Emma Samson '15 and Allison Radde '15 What got you first interested in tennis?

ES: It definitely goes way back to when I was younger and my mom was really into it. My parents made me pick a sport, so tennis was it.

AR: It goes far back. My parents both played growing up, so my dad just randomly signed me up for it and it stuck ever since.

Senior player Emma Samson.

What will you miss most after senior season?

ES: Definitely the smallness of the team and having a small group of girls outside of everything that I can go to. Also, having a schedule because it keeps you in line.

AR: Just the camaraderie, how close we are and just seeing them every day.

What led you to pursue it in college?

ES: It’s definitely a lot of work, so not pursuing it after high school wouldn’t have made all the hard work worth it. So, going to school to play tennis was a big thing for me so that I could make the hard work worth it.

AR: I’ve been playing since I was six and was always really competitive. If I didn’t do something with it, it would have been kind of pointless.

What are your team expectations for this season?

ES: I think we have a really good chance of doing well this season. We have a lot of new players, so there’s a lot of potential. They’re really eager and they want to do well, so I think having basically a whole new team is going to be a good thing for us.

AR: Obviously the goal is to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship, and I feel like we’re already on the road there. All the freshmen really want to be here and they’re trying their hardest.

Have you ever met a professional player?

ES: I met Maria Sharapova at a tennis academy when I was in like seventh grade, so that was pretty cool.

AR: I got to hit with the Bryan brothers because I won a tournament when I was a junior, so I got to hit with them in between matches.

Do you have a favorite professional tennis player?

ES: I like [Roger] Federer. He’s humble, but he’s amazing. He’s the best on the tour, but he’s so humble about it.

AR: I like Federer, too. I think he’s the greatest player in the game and he has so much diversity.

See even more answers at fairfieldmirror.com.

Inside the Sports section this week:

Senior player Allison Radde.

Photos contributed by Sports Information Desk

-Peyton Manning sets lofty NFL record (Page 14) -Getting an overview of club sports at Fairfield (Page 14) -Strong second half pushes Stags past Niagara (Page 15) -Volleyball wins sixth out of last seven matches (Page 15) -Rugby dominates Siena 102-17 (Page 16)

Sports

Page 14

THE MIRROR | Week of October 29, 2014

Peyton Manning sets lofty NFL record

By Matthew Schneider Assistant Sports Editor

Contributed under Creative Commons Peyton Manning (above) has become the quarterback with the most touchdowns in NFL history with 513, breaking Brett Favre's record of 509.

Denver Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning broke NFL great Brett Favre’s long-standing touchdown record a couple of weeks ago, and the rest is history.

Any fan of the NFL has seen this coming from a mile away, as Manning has been playing at an extremely high level since signing with the Broncos in free agency before the 2012 season. But even so, the fact is still very impressive.

Favre threw 509 touchdown passes before retiring, and Manning has thrown 513 (and counting.) Just think about that for a moment.

Manning has started 247 games in his career, meaning that he has thrown an average of around two touchdowns a game.

Truly, Manning is one of (if not the) most consistent quarterback in NFL history, as averaging a multi-touchdown game every single time you step onto the field is unbelievable.

Furthermore, it’s not like there is a small sample size to consider

with the record, as he has played almost 250 games. Regardless of how poorly Manning may have performed in the Super Bowl last year, he is still an all-time great.

If an NFL coach or general manager tells you that they would take somebody else over Manning with the game on the line, they are either confused or pulling your leg.

Going into the game, there was much anticipation, as almost everybody watching expected Manning to break the record.

What they probably didn’t expect was how quickly he would do it.

He entered the contest needing three scores to break the record, and had two by the end of the first quarter.

He would throw his recordbreaking third touchdown pass in the second quarter, meaning that he had the record in hand even before halftime.

Manning would end up adding another touchdown pass in the third quarter, putting an exclamation mark on the game.

However, Peyton’s feat begs the question: What now? How

many more touchdown passes will Manning throw in his career? The man is 38-years-old, but recently, has shown no signs of slowing down.

The day that the Indianapolis Colts, Manning’s long-time team, cut ties with him because of neck problems seems to be in the distant past.

Instead of being worse for wear, Manning seems to be playing at an even higher level than he was before the surgery (though to be fair, that may be attributed to the amazing roster that surrounds him in Denver.)

Who knows? Maybe he will eclipse the 600-touchdown pass mark and ride off into the sunset of retirement with the content feeling of knowing that his record should be safe, barring anything unexpected.

Whatever ends up happening as Manning finishes his legendary career, it will surely be epic.

Quarterbacks of Manning’s caliber only come around once in a generation, and the NFL will surely miss him once he decides to hang up his cleats for good.

Getting an overview of club sports at Fairfield

By Matthew Schneider Assistant Sports Writer Club sports at Fairfield are a great way to play competitively against others, while gaining experience and having fun.

In order to play these sports, one must cross the path of John Paladino, associate director and sport club administrator at Fairfield.

He acts as a sort of general manager of the teams, keeping out of much of their day-to-day business, but still makes his presence known.

However, the teams still retain some autonomy; each of the 18 club teams have officers elected to run the teams, all of whom are students.

“We try to provide the best experience possible under the universi-

ty guidelines, under the department guidelines and still provide some autonomy for how they operate, to provide that leadership opportunity,” Paladino said.

When asked about how the teams are operated, Paladino described the ways in which it is student-run. “[Student] officers come in the fall and spring with a plan of operations. I oversee that, giving the final yea or nay,” he said.

The officers do most of the everyday things, but Paladino is around to make sure everything runs smoothly; from making sure that the teams have adequate transportation to their games, to ensuring that public safety knows which students have left campus for their own safety and

being a liaison between sick players and the teams that they are skipping out on due to their illnesses, Paladino does it all.

The club sports at Fairfield are a good alternative to the varsity athletic teams for players who just didn’t make the cut, players who don’t have enough time on their hands to handle the added load or varsity athletes who just want to take a step down for personal reasons.

These highly competitive teams have tryouts, the opportunity to travel and are a great way to get involved in a sport that is more competitive than intramurals.

However, there are some key differences from the varsity sports.

For one thing, there is no recruitment of club athletes, so those inter-

ested in participating must contact the club sports office themselves.

There is also no pre-registration of classes for club athletes like there is for varsity athletes, so schedules must be done very carefully if a student wants to play on a club team.

One additional, more helpful, difference between the two is the fact that club teams often practice only two or three times a week, as opposed to the varsity teams that practice almost every day. This gives the players an opportunity to make time for the team, while also having a feasible schedule.

The sports clubs are run through the National IntramuralRecreational Sports Association, a national organization that helps universities regulate club sports, making

Paladino’s job much more doable.

Certain club teams, like the baseball team, have higher dues because the league costs more to participate in.

But, the higher price is worth the trade-off. “[The club baseball commissioner of Fairfield’s league] is phenomenal, he organizes all of the fields of play, organizes all of the schedules, organizes and pays the umpires, so we pay them a larger fee,” Paladino said. That isn’t to say that Paladino’s job is an easy one by any stretch of the imagination, but NIRSA’s involvement is definitely an asset.

In total, Fairfield has 18 different club sports to offer, all providing students the chance to pursue a sport, even if they cannot commit to a collegiate varsity team.

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Sports

THE MIRROR | Week of October 29, 2014

Page 15

Volleyball wins sixth out of last seven matches

By Patrick Kiernan Sports Editor The Fairfield women’s volleyball team triumphed for the sixth time in their last seven matches, defeating the Saint Peter’s Peacocks 3-1. For their second straight match, the Stags hit over .300 and finished with 62 kills on just 16 errors. The victory moves Fairfield to a 12-10 record overall and a 8-4 record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

“What went right was first ball contact,” said Head Coach Todd Kress. “We were clean in serve receives, dug the ball and that allowed Carsen [Mata] ‘14 to get our attackers involved.”

Mata had quite the afternoon as she was one of the anchors for the team. She recorded a career-high six kills as well as a team-leading 51 assists.

Though the Stags won by a fair margin, the match was even paced with both teams having ample scoring opportunities. In the first set, both teams got out to an even start, going 5-5 in the early minutes. However, Saint Peter’s suffered some fatal miscues at this point, putting the set in Fairfield’s favor.

Multiple missed balls and miscommunication issues caused the Peacocks to suffer, giving Fairfield a 7-0 run. At this point, Saint Peter’s

called a timeout to regroup and regain communication. Though both teams kept it close, the Stags came out on top in this set at a score of 25-20.

“We just build on that and say ‘Let’s take advantage of the fact that they’re freaking out right now,’” said Hadley Orr ‘16.

The second set was a much more dominant one for Fairfield.

Though Saint Peter’s jumped to an early 2-0 lead, the Stags would go on to hit .357 in this set, forcing the Peacocks to commit eight errors.

After Megan Theiller ‘18 and Orr each recorded four kills in this set, they saw the second set as a victorious one with a 25-15 win.

Unfortunately, the third set did not end in a similar fashion. Even though there were some Fairfield miscues, the Stags led for most of the set but lost 25-21. Fairfield committed six errors to Saint Peter’s three, and the Peacocks recorded 14 kills, their most in any set on Sunday.

“We had a lineup change and I think that kind of threw us off as to what was going on,” said Orr. “It changed the way we were passing.

And then, for example, they served it and I actually could not see the ball across the net because they were screening. It was just little miscues and we all got a little frazzled.”

This week in sports: Wednesday, October 29 Women's Soccer at Iona, 2 p.m.

Men's Soccer vs. Iona, 7 p.m.

Volleyball at Siena, 7 p.m.

Friday, October 31 Women's Cross Country at MAAC Championships, 11 a.m.

Men's Cross Country at MAAC Championships, 11 a.m.

Field Hockey at UMass-Lowell, 3 p.m.

Swimming & Diving vs. Fordham, 5 p.m.

Saturday, November 1 Women's Soccer at MAAC Championship, TBA Women's Swimming and Diving at Holy Cross, 1 p.m.

Men's Swimming and Diving at Holy Cross, 1 p.m.

Volleyball at Quinnipiac, 1 p.m.

Sunday, November 2 Men's Rugby vs. RPI, 1 p.m.

Contributed under Creative Commons

In the fourth set, Fairfield dominated early taking 14 of the first 19 points. The Stags did not commit a single error in this set and recorded 15 kills with a .455 hit percentage, their highest of the game.

Ultimately, Fairfield won this set at a score of 25-10.

The main stars of the contest were Orr and Theiller, who had 16 and 13 kills respectively.

“We gave each other a metaphorical slap and said ‘Let’s go, wake up,’” said Orr. “We helped each other snap out of it.”

Though this was not a blowout for the team, many players received individual accolades.

Orr tied a career-high of 16 kills and Megan O’Sullivan ‘17 tied a career-high with seven block assists.

The Stags will now hit the road for four matches, this being their last road trip of the year. This road trip will start in Loudonville, N.Y. where Fairfield will take on Siena on Oct. 29.

Kress looks to give his team a bit of a break after winning six out of their last seven games.

“We need to rest. We’ve been going hard in practice and the last couple of matches.” said Kress.

“Then, we’ll have a quality day in the gym and get ready for Siena because they’re one of the best teams in-conference and a big rival.”

Contributed by Sports Information Desk Freshman Megan Theiller (above) has been dominant for the Stags all season long, posting another 13 kills in Sunday's victory over Saint Peter's.

Strong second half pushes Stags past Niagara

By Travis Day Contributing Writer

In a season that has seen five goalless draws so far, Fairfield's Saturday afternoon outing against Niagara was a sight for sore eyes at Lessing Field.

At last, the Stags got their offense humming, comfortably downing the Purple Eagles 2-0 with two second-half goals in a vital conference matchup.

On the heels of a six-game unbeaten streak (three wins, three draws in as many matches), Fairfield entered this match tied for third in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Head Coach Carl Rees' side had their way with possession, but opening stages were stagnant for both sides.

Both offenses came out with high tempo runs and aggressive balls down the flanks and over the tops of either midfield, but the defenses saw off any threats.

Fairfield would create enough chances to register four shots in the first half, but none that forced a save from Niagara goalkeeper Kevin Garcia or threatened his goal.

Both teams would go into the locker rooms without much to show, though the Stags held Niagara without a single shot for the first 45 minutes.

Freshman Steven Valente found the back of the net first for the Stags just over a minute into the second half.

Receiving a long ball to the far right side, Valente paced by the Purple Eagles defense and unleashed a shot into the roof of the net that Garcia could only watch go past him.

“When you have guys like Valente who just run around and smash it at the goal, good things can happen,” said Rees. “There's no fear in that kid.”

The dagger for the Purple Eagles would come with just over eight minutes to play in the second half, as the referee awarded a penalty to Fairfield for a shove to Ryan Perkins ‘15.

Niagara's Kyle Moraldo was quickly booked, along with head coach Eric Barnes, after exchanging some choice words with the officials.

Sophomore Ben Whitcomb stepped up to take the penalty kick, confidently drilling it left and past goalkeeper Garcia to push the lead to 2-0.

Forward Sam Klippel ‘18, nearly found the net himself only minutes after coming on for Jordan Emsley ‘18.

The New Zealand native cleverly played a ball through the Niagara defense and let a strong chip shot go that just skimmed the top

of the crossbar. Fairfield comfortably saw out the dying minutes to seal the victory.

Although the offense was uncharacteristically center stage, defense was obviously still a major factor in the victory.

“That's our foundation,” Rees said. “Any offense comes from our defense.”

Junior Matt Turner now has 11 clean sheets to his name and the Stags have edged past Michigan State into first place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association in shutout percentage, owning a 0.73 mark.

“We scored three against Manhattan, two today, so the attacking is obviously there,” said Rees. “It's coming with time, they're all very focused. It's just the nature of this group.”

Fairfield is now in a four-way tie for first place in the conference and improves to 7-3-5 (4-1-3 in the MAAC) while Niagara falls to 5-9-2 (2-4-1 in the MAAC).

The Stags continue their three-game home stand this week against Iona on Oct. 29 before hosting Quinnipiac in their regular season finale on Nov. 5.

It will be the first meeting of the season with the Bobcats, who currently sit atop of the MAAC with all tiebreakers considered.

Both kickoffs are scheduled for 7 p.m.

SPORTS 16

@MirrorSports Fairfield Mirror Sports

Sports Editor: Patrick Kiernan » sports@fairfieldmirror.com

Week of October 29, 2014

Rugby dominates Siena 102-17 Shauna Mitchell / The Mirror

By Jesse Erickson Assistant Sports Editor The Fairfield men’s rugby team showed absolutely no mercy as they dominated the Siena Saints 102-17 in their first Division 2 quarterfinal game.

Heading into the game, Fairfield, also known as the Red Ruggers, had brought a 7-0 record to the field.

First in their division, Fairfield currently leads the entire TriState Conference in wins and leads the conference posting 465 points.

Even beyond the Tri-State Jesse Erickson / The Mirror Conference, the Red Ruggers are currently ranked fifth in the entire Division 2.

Although they are ranked fifth, the team will use the upcoming playoff games to further impose their dominance in the national league.

“We’ve got nationals, we want to be national champions and this will all feel a lot better when we are ranked number one,” said Head Coach Marc Downes.

As the game began, the Saints struggled to get any offense off Fairfield.

The Red Ruggers were able to score 30 points before the Saints were finally able to post three points for their team after a penalty kick.

At the end of the first half, Fairfield had led 43-3.

After seeing such success in their current season, it was no surprise that the team would stay ahead, but the intensity that the Shauna Mitchell / The Mirror Red Ruggers brought to the first Junior Ben Carlisle runs the ball in for a try.The Red Ruggers took advantage half continued well into the secearly against Siena, leading 43-3 at the half. They did not stop until the clock ran ond half. Led by Captain Anif Mcout, dominating the Saints 107-12.

Donald ‘16, the team was ahead

55-3 with less than 20 minutes left in the half.

The Saints were finally able to get seven more points off the Stags about 30 minutes into the game, making the score 67-10.

Unlike other teams in the league, the Red Ruggers have the depth that consistently puts them ahead. Downes added that his team is led by everyone, including the freshmen.

“Our captain Ryan Forgione ‘15 is a great leader, and we have Anif and Alex Cucchi ‘15 leading from the front, and we’ve got the new, young fellows that are doing great,” said Downes. “There’s 15 leaders out there.”

Ahead by more than 50 points, the leaders of the field continued to keep their team ahead.

With about 10 minutes left, Fairfield led 81-10. They finished off the game by defeating the Saints 102-17.

“We weren’t expecting Siena to be as competitive, but then again you never want to underestimate anyone,” said McDonald.

“We came out strong and we ended even stronger.”

Although the team has been a dominant force in the Tri-State Conference before, the Red Ruggers haven’t posed a threat to the national league in years.

According to McDonald, the team owes their success to Downes and Ben Kelley, who were both given the position of coaches this season.

Downes, who has been involved with the game of rugby at both the national and international level, motivates the team.

He encourages the team to attend practice and wake up early

three times a week for CrossFit training, a new facet of the rugby program.

Kelley, an expert in CrossFit training, devotes his time to the team both on and off the field.

Kelley, who owns the BK Athletics Inc. in downtown Fairfield, has both the men and women’s rugby teams training with him three times a week during the mornings.

Both McDonald and Downes added that the CrossFit training gives their team the little bit of something extra they need to become champions.

“We just won 102-17 and I think we had about 60 or 70 points during the second half so it’s all about the endurance.

It’s all about that second wind, it’s all about what we can do when your backs are against the wall, when you’re tired and how you play under pressure,” said McDonald. “That’s what the CrossFit does for us.”

Practicing three times a week in the morning and an additional three to four times a week on the field, the Red Ruggers are hoping that they will get the championship they have been working for.

The team will look to crown themselves as conference champions before they move on to walk away as the national champions.

The Red Ruggers are looking to get the championship for the oldest members of the team.

“There’s something about this team,” said McDonald. “We have a lot of appreciation for the seniors, we don’t want to let them down, we don’t want to let our coaches down, there’s a lot of camaraderie and community on this team.”