THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper
Week of November 12, 2014
Vol. 40, Iss. 10
Fairfield Mirror @FairfieldMirror fairfieldmirror FairfieldMirror.com
Beach living is on the horizon for rising seniors
Robert Joyce/The Mirror
By Jessica Delahunt Assistant News Editor The lure of spending senior year at Fairfield Beach is proving strong enough for some students to sign binding housing contracts long before they are officially released to live off campus. According to Erin Connors ‘15, this year’s junior class has been particularly aggressive in hunting down beach houses: “Most people have a house figured out and have signed leases,” she said. “Obviously the University tells you not to sign leases before the lottery,” Connors added. “But realistically if you want to have a certain house, landlords aren’t going to wait for you.” Connors decided that she wanted to live at the beach during her freshman year. However it wasn’t until spring semester of sophomore year that her friends looked for a house and earlier,” said Connors of the beach house in earnest: “During finals week we literally selection process. “The class below us is dojust went to the beach and started knocking ing the same thing. The class ahead of us was more normal. “ on doors,” Connors recalled. Compared to Connors and her peers, the Connors and her friends signed the lease on the Crow’s Nest, located just off of the process of choosing a house for Hannah SulPoint, last week, putting themselves at the livan ’15 was almost leisurely. Now a resident mercy of the off-campus housing lottery re- of the Stumble Inn, nicknamed for its close sults that will be announced on Monday. “We proximity to the Seagrape Café, Sullivan and tried to wait as long as possible,” Connors ex- her friends started looking for a house during plained. “If we waited any longer, our chances the first semester of their junior year, and of getting a house were not going to happen. signed the lease in January, still several weeks before the University ofWe got lucky with one ficially approved them to of the last houses on live off campus. the Point.” People who try and be Sullivan said that she “People who try to careful and do it by the first made the decision to be careful and do it by book get screwed. live at the beach “freshman the books get screwed,” - Erin Connors ‘15 year when people started she added. talking about it,” and adds Associate Director of Residence Life Charles Sousa says that this that the “fun atmosphere” and “close-knit decision to sign a lease early can put both stu- community” played a key role in her decidents and the university in a difficult position. sion-making. “It seemed like an integral part of the “Every student that comes into Fairfield University signs a 4 year housing contract,” said Fairfield experience,” Sullivan explained. “It Sousa. “Just because you have an outstanding also seemed like a transition to the real world, lease with someone off campus doesn’t mean with a landlord and property that you are responsible for.” that we’re going to release you.” Although the housing lottery is still some “Every year, we get students signing leases after their freshman and sophomore year,” days away, Sullivan says that the Stumble Inn Sousa said, saying that the exact numbers are has been toured by several groups of juniors, one of which has already been promised the “always a mystery.” In Connors’ opinion, however, her class house for next year. In extreme cases, students have been so is representative of a new trend that pressures students to sign leases early into their Fair- eager to live at the beach that they have been field careers. “I feel like it’s getting earlier READ MANY STUDENTS ON PAGE 3
Robert Joyce/The Mirror
Town of Fairfield honors veterans (Page 2)
Robert Joyce/The Mirror
News
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
Veterans honored in ceremony at Jennings Green By Robert Joyce News Editor Community members, service men and women and elected officials honored the war veterans of Fairfield, Conn. during a Veterans Day ceremony on Tuesday at the Jennings Green outside of the Old Town Hall. In attendance were war veterans, Fairfield’s First Selectman Michael C. Tetreau, State Senator John McKinney, members of Fairfield Police and Fire and Congressman Jim Himes.
“The words ‘thank you’ seem so inadequate,” said McKinney as he addressed the veterans and those who had gathered to honor them. “Thank you for your sacrifice and bravery.” To conclude the ceremony, Himes honored Navy Fire veteran Milton Michaud by presenting him with the five medals he had earned during his service, but was never gifted. However, according to Himes, this is a common mishap.
Robert Joycet/The Mirror
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THE MIRROR |Week of November 12, 2014
Many students willing to risk prematurely signing leases Continued from page 1
willing to circumvent their housing contract with the University by paying for both university housing, and rent for a beach house, according to Sousa. “It’s an extremely expensive option,” said Sousa, adding that this year’s beach houses rented for anywhere from $30,000 to $110,000. Sousa said that much of the pressure to sign a lease early comes from landlords at Fairfield Beach, who try to create a distorted perception of supply and demand amongst potential student renters. According to Sousa, the supply and demand for beach houses is about equal. However, some landlords convince students that the demand is much higher than the supply in order to keep their prices high. “At the end of the day, they’re trying to get as much money from the student population as possible,” Sousa said. Connors found this to be just the case when dealing with
her future landlord, the owner of the Crow’s Nest. According to Connors, her landlord initially accepted her groups’ offer of $44,000 for the school year. “I thought we were all set,” Connors recalled. However a week later, Connors’ landlord called again, and told the group that he had received an offer from another group for $46,000. Connors and her friends were then given two options: to either match the competing group’s offer, or relinquish the house altogether. “I was so frustrated,” said Connors. “I thought I had a house and I didn’t want to start again.” In a panic, Connors called her father for advice. “He told me to cry,” she said. “So I cried and he said he would talk to his wife and get back to me. He called back 30 seconds later and said ‘All right, the house is yours.’” Although Connors emerged from the dispute victorious, the experience left her doubting her landlord’s intentions. “Who knows if someone else offered
the $46,000 or if he was just trying to scheme us into giving 2,000 more dollars.” Yet in Sousa’s opinion, the potential dangers of signing a lease early are not only financial. Groups of freshmen and sophomores who sign leases run the risk of having to live with people with whom they are no longer necessarily friends. “When you think of who your friends are freshman year, these groups change,” said Sousa. At the opposite end of the spectrum are students that decided not to rent beach houses until late into their time at Fairfield. Senior Conor Shea originally decided to live in the Townhouses. However he says that he and his friends are now trying to rent a beach house for the second semester of their senior year. “It’s my last ever semester at college and I want to enjoy it at the beach,” Shea explained. After meeting with Residence Life, Shea was told that if he and his friends could “find a house and get everyone on
board,” then they would be approved to live off campus. Shea said that he and his housemates are now in the process of finding a house, and added that there are “a few left.” According to Sousa, Shea’s tactic of waiting may not be such a bad idea for students trying to live at the beach on a budget. “I know people who sit back and wait for the dust to settle and then tell the landlords that everyone’s got a house rented and this is what we’re willing to pay for rent,” said Sousa. “Then they negotiate that price down, in some cases people get it for half of the price that the landlords are asking.” While Sousa said that the off-campus release rate has hovered at around 50 percent for the last few years, he cautions students to wait until they are released to sign any type of contract, saying that there is little that the University will do if lease-holding students are not released. “Basically you would need to figure it out with your landlord,”
he said. Connors said that for the most part, she is unconcerned with the looming lottery results. “If I get an email that says I haven’t been released to the beach, then we’ll have to figure it out from there,” she said. “For the most part everyone gets released,” added Connors. “I don’t know that many people who are living on campus that tried to live at the beach.” While much of the Fairfield student body seems to be clamoring for a place at the beach, others don’t regret their decision to stay off the sand. Senior Ola Oyawusi decided to live on campus for his senior year, saying of the beach, “Everyone wants to drink every day, especially Saturday mornings, said Oyawusi. “It would affect my schoolwork.” Oyawusi added that commuting from the beach would make it difficult to attend classes every day. “I don’t have a car, but if I did, I’d be driving back and forth every day eating up gas.”
Retired police capt. speaks about effective communication By Catherine Veschi Contributing Writer According to retired police captain Peter McDermott, one of the biggest problems in law enforcement is communication. To begin to rectify this problem, McDermott teamed up with Professor and Chair of the Counselor Education Department Diana Hulse to discuss the handbook, “Policing in the 21st Century,” at the Fairfield University Downtown Bookstore on Nov. 6. According to McDermott, if a police officer can’t communicate effectively, it’s impossible for them to accomplish anything.
Often times, police officers must converse with people who have a predisposed negative connotation of police officers, so they must learn to “overcome any barriers that have already been set up” in order to effectively handle the situation. On top of that, police officers must learn how to effectively communicate with a variety of different age groups. McDermott brought up the fact that many police officers are young, and therefore conversing with the elderly is different and might present a challenge. Through this lecture, McDermott and Hulse hoped to educate their audience on how to
develop their interpersonal skills for these kinds of situations. However, Hulse stressed the fact that the lecture wasn’t only for police officers. “Our work is all about helping to train people in interpersonal skills. If people have a foundation in interpersonal skills, then they’ll be able to meet the responsibilities of communication at work, in the family, at school or anywhere,” Hulse said. According to McDermott, anyone who wants to can improve their communication skills. “It’s not rocket science. It’s actually very simple,” he said. He added that sometimes it’s as simple as the body language you
use when interacting with others. “When I approach you and I’m smiling, there’s a perception that this is going to be OK. A frown would likewise give the opposite perception,” McDermott said. In addition to providing advice on strengthening interpersonal skills, Hulse and McDermott also equipped their audience with skills for giving feedback in police training. According to McDermott, their goal in addressing this topic was to show the audience “how to develop them [a recruit or young employee] without offending them.” He explained that giving one
criticism tends to have a negative connotation, so he prefers to use the term “development” instead. The last chapter of the lecture was titled “Learning Skills for Facilitating Leadership Tasks”; Here, Hulse and McDermott discussed how to lead effective meetings so that the audience could “learn group dynamics and skills for managing people in a group,” Hulse said. Hulse encourages people to check out “Policing in the 21st Century,” as “it has everything inside that people need to do the training and to learn the skills,” that were discussed at the lecture.
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
Crime Beat
News
Compiled by Austin Wesolowski Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety.
Wednesday, 11/5 11:58 p.m. – A debit card and two credit cards were reported stolen from a desk drawer in Loyola Hall. Anyone with information about the incident should contact DPS. Thursday, 11/6 9:28 a.m. – Two residents got into a verbal dispute over a dress that one of the residents lent to the other resident for President’s Ball. The individual who borrowed the dress damaged it and initially said they were going to pay restitution. A sufficient payment was not paid, which is what started the altercation between the students. The students were referred to student conduct. Saturday, 11/8 12:38 a.m. – A student kicked in and shattered the front door window of Regis Hall. The student was referred to student conduct. 10:23 p.m. – A non-student in Regis was non-compliant when Resident Assistants were summoned. The host of the student was referred to student conduct, under guest responsibilities. Monday, 11/10 4:50 p.m. – A student realized her gray sweatshirt, StagCard and keys were taken from her locker in the Leslie C. Quick Junior Recreation Complex, which she left unlocked. Anyone with information about the incident should contact DPS. DPS also reminds students to pick up a lock in the equipment room to use on their locker at the RecPlex. Tuesday, 11/11 6:26 a.m. – A student tried to rip down a banner outside of Canisius Hall. The incident is under investigation by DPS.
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Relay for Life kicks off by telling cancer ‘prepare to die’ By Christina Mowry Assistant News Editor By Enxhi Myslymi Managing Editor Freshman Kelly Allen has been participating in Relay for Life for eight years in honor of her father, who beat stage four lymphoma. “I think that Relay gives everyone hope that there are survivors, and he’s my hope,” said Allen. “I hope to share that with everyone so everyone can see that you can conquer this disease.” One of more than 30 Relay committee members, Allen participated in the annual kickoff event in the Barone Campus Center on Nov. 5. The event is designed to introduce students to the 2015 Relay for Life, which will take place on April 17. Event Chair Brian Alexander ‘15 began the evening by welcoming the audience, a mixture of students and committee members. Alexander described Relay’s history, which began in the 1980s by a surgeon named Dr. Gordy Klatt who wanted to help his local American Cancer Society. In an effort to raise funds, Klatt circled a track for 24 hours, and friends could pay a small sum of money to join him. After a successful event, Klatt organized a larger event, now known as Relay for Life. Once students were acclimated, Team Development Chair Christina Diubaldi ‘18 explained the rules of the fundraising season. Each team captain must attend all meetings and also hold fundraisers during the course of the fundraising season. For Students For Life Team Captain Brianna Cocuzzo ‘17, Relay’s mission has always been one of importance. “My great-grandma and one of my friends from high school died from cancer, and I don’t want to see anyone else die from this disease,” said Cocuzzo.
As part of the kickoff event, a Luminaria speaker is invited to tell his or her story on why they support Relay for Life. This year’s speaker was alumnus Nicole Heller ‘13, whose father passed away of cancer. Heller annually participates in Luminaria ceremonies, writing on the Luminaria bag “Cancer you killed my father, prepare to die.” Heller ended her speech by thanking the audience for their involvement. “I just want to thank you all,” she said. “We can come together to kill this disease that kills too many people that we love.” After a moment of silence in memory of all those who have or had cancer, the event chairs showed a video announcing that this year’s Relay for Life will be carnival themed. In the past, the themes have been Disney, the 90s and, most recently, the Olympics. When asked about this year’s theme, Alexander explained that it was the “popular choice among the committee,” who hopes
to raise $65,000, topping last year’s recordbreaking $63,300. “We always try to do something that we can get the [Fairfield] community excited about, and that seemed like the best option,” said Alexander. Throughout the event, Alexander encouraged those interested in being a part of Relay to register at the three designated tables or participate in a raffle. According to committee member Stephen Dirks ‘18, at least 50 people registered for Relay for Life at the kickoff event. For committee member Lindsey Hanley ‘15, Relay holds a special place in her heart after having lost a relative to cancer. “I don’t want to see anyone else have to go through what my family went through … Or what other families are going through,” said Hanley. “I relay for change.” To register for this year’s Relay for Life, go to: http://www.relayforlife.org/fairfieldu.
Christina Mowry/The Mirror
Senior class takes on Mohegan Sun Casino on FUSA-organized trip By Jessica Delahunt Assistant News Editor
Fairfield University’s senior class tried their luck at the poker tables during a FUSA-organized class trip to Mohegan Sun on Saturday Nov. 8. FUSA programmer Katherine Brundage, ‘15, described the event as being “kind of like a vacation while you’re still at Fairfield.” “Senior year can be stressful with people deciding what they’re going to do after Fairfield,” she added. According to Brundage, 104 seniors attended the event filling only two busses and putting FUSA substantially shy of its goal to fill four busses. Despite FUSA’s attempts to find creative ways to market the event, such as distributing poker chips with the event’s information, Brundage said that it was more difficult than expected to reach the senior class. “It’s very hard we’re finding to reach the senior class and then to get them motivated,” said Brundage. Since most seniors live off-campus, creating digital displays to advertise the event was not an effective option according to Brundage. The fact that not all members of the senior class have turned 21 was also a deterrent for some. Those who did attend the event were given a competitive deal. With the purchase of a $20 ticket, students received two vouchers valued at $15 apiece; one for the casino, and one to be used at the resort’s many dining and retail establishments including Ben and Jerry’s, Bar American and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. “Essentially you made money,” said Brundage. “It’s not often that you get a free ride and money back for going on a trip.” FUSA made sure that students traveled to Uncasville,
Conn. in comfort, stocking the two busses with water and snacks. However, transportation did not go as smoothly as FUSA programmers would have liked. According to Brundage, when FUSA called the bus company to cancel the two unneeded busses, a miscommunication resulted in the company cancelling all four busses, leaving the students with no way to get to the resort. “I think there were too many cooks in the kitchen,” said Brundage of the mishap. Brundage said that FUSA programmers resolved the issue by staggering the busses, one departing at 4:15 PM, 15 minutes behind schedule, and a second group of students leaving at 6:00 PM. “It was a last minute scramble,” recalled Brundage. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t the best situation either. “ Students who were placed on the later bus received extra snacks and pizza as consolation, Brundage said. Yet both groups still had ample time at the resort according to Brundage, since busses did not make the return journey to Fairfield University until midnight. “A lot of people said that it didn’t even matter,” said Brundage. “The feedback that we got was that it was almost too much time.” The slot machines were a favorite amongst students according to Brundage, with one student winning $500 at the penny slot machine. Although Christina Barry ’15 ended the night breaking even, she enjoyed herself nonetheless. “It was my first time ever going to a casino,” she said. “It was well worth the money we paid to go.”
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
Opinion
Opinion Editor
It's only our future if we vote for it By Meaghan Conlon Opinion Editor America is the land of freedom, founded upon principles of equality and freedom not available to people living in England during the 1700s. When the U.S. was established, an entirely new system of government was enacted, based upon the concept of freedom. It was such a staple in the colonists’ minds that it was written into the documents that bound the new country together. The freedom of an individual is the most precious thing there is; it is a part of human dignity and inalienable rights. Our ability to make our own choices allows us to have a say in the government. It is a chance to make our voices heard through voting, a crucial part of the American governmental system. Historically, there have been multiple movements, such as the women’s suffrage movement at the turn of the century, and by other groups throughout the decades in order to attain the right to vote. A voice in elections used to mean so much to people — it was a way of participating and exerting constitutional freedoms. In recent years, the lack of participation in American elections has caused some concern and prompted the question: Why? There was a lot of campaigning and outreach these past few months because of election day last week; I must have gotten a minimum of four calls from the different parties asking if they could count on my vote for whichever candidate they were supporting; they must really want to increase the mere 6 percent of 18 to 20 year olds who vote. Our generation is focused on political power play, and will be for some time. As the Baby Boomer generation shrinks in the coming years, the next large group to target will be us, the millennials. We have the power to change politics and shape our future once we are 18 and can vote. We are taught at a young age how important it is to exercise this right to have a voice in government operations. However, the problem that arises is even though children are exposed to the importance of voting, not many of them do. People have grown more and more apathetic about the government, despite their quickness to criticize it. The youngest generation of voters, the largest growing
Editorial Board A license to kill Shauna Mitchell Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Calhoun Executive Editor Enxhi Myslymi Managing Editor
group and the ones whose future is being impacted most of all, are the ones who do not partake in voting as much as others. Why are young people so uninvolved in politics? Is it simply an exaggeration of those older than us? Is it an excuse as to why legislation favors older generations? Or is there any element of truth to be had to these allegations? There is a divide between young adults and the policies enacted, due to the different values and ideas that the older and younger generations have. The values of those who control the government system do not line up with those who will ultimately pay the price for the laws enacted. With the youngest generation of voters not fully utilizing their right to vote, the chances that they have to influence the future dwindles away. How is it possible to reconcile the problem that arises with the lack of participation in the elections? What measures must be taken in order to have a higher voter turnout from our age group? One possible way to get a greater number of people voting would be to force Americans to vote in the elections, an idea some academics have suggested. However, by forcing people to vote, it takes away their right to freedom and choice, the very principles that this country was based upon. However, by requiring people to vote, similar to requiring them to pay taxes or serve on a jury, could break the political impasse that our country finds itself in. The larger turnout could force the political game to come to more of a centralization of ideals and policies, instead of two polar opposite plans. With more alignment in the policies, the laws and policies enacted will be better for the majority of the people, as more of their needs are met. This policy of mandated voting has worked in other countries, such as Australia, and transformed the political game. With everyone voting, politicians who are not favored by the population are more accountable for their actions and laws enacted. Additionally, the campaigning aspect of the election is not a mudslinging one; the advertisements are based less on slander of the opponent and more on what one will do once elected. So much of the American campaigning system is slandering and bad-mouthing the opponent. The advertisements mention how much the opposing party messed up and the awful jobs that were done in office.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced a plan on Tuesday aimed at maintaining order when the grand jury decides whether or not to indict the Ferguson police officer that shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager back in August. While it is understandable that Nixon wants to avoid unruly protests, we believe that he is ultimately missing the point. Regardless of what happens when the grand jury’s decision is revealed, the response by Ferguson should not be met with riot police
There are few mentions of promises, except to counteract the mistakes the previous holder in office has made. Ultimately, the media does not portray a positive image of politicians. Perhaps if campaigning wasn’t always about bashing the other person, I would care a little more about the politics of our country. However, I am annoyed by the besmirching of a candidate of the opposition, and the lack of election platforms discussed in political advertisements. If compulsory voting was enforced, this type of campaign-
“containing” the residents of Ferguson. Protests should not be answered with the Missouri National Guard. The response should actually be listening to the citizens of the state and making a decision that supports what the population wants. Oppressing citizens by not allowing them to protest, by using tear gas (which is illegal in international war) and raiding private property, is absolutely not the answer in Ferguson. When you have people in Syria who are currently in
ing would die out and the election process would become more about the change they can provide for our country. Ultimately, we cannot force people to vote; it would not work in the United States because it violates the freedoms that this country was founded on. Our freedom to choose allows us to vote, to abstain or ignore the fact that elections are even occurring. However, the only way to change the operations of the government is to vote. You may think that your vote won’t cause much of an effect, but we are the largest growing
Information compiled from the US Census Illustration made by Meaghan Conlon and Robert Bohny
a civil war standing up with signs saying, “We stand with Ferguson,” the situation in Ferguson clearly needs a better response than policy brutality. Police officers are supposed to be setting an example for citizens, not using their positions of power to abuse the law. When a police officer breaks the law, they should be held to the same standard as any other citizen. Police officers do not deserve special privilege because of the badge they wear. Last summer, citizens of Ferguson initially gathered
peacefully to protest the murder of Brown, and they were met with violence and horror, the likes of which we haven’t seen on American soil since the civil rights movement. Churches and other shelters were ransacked for supplies, not by looters, but by police officers. Citizens who dared to use their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble cowered under the same force that is supposed to protect them. We at The Mirror stand with Ferguson. You should too.
Opinion
THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
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Victoria's Secret's message is 'perfectly' horrible By Ariana Puzzo Contributing Writer From the moment a young girl becomes aware of her surroundings, she is inundated with images that dictate how she should act, what she should wear and overall, how she should look. Therefore, it is not surprising that over time women have begun to fight back. Women of all ages, myself included, have become irritated by “the perfect body” ideology that marginalizes most women. The frustration that many women feel has most recently been amplified after the release of the Victoria’s Secret Perfect Body advertising campaign. The company, well known for its sexy supermodels and products being “made by women for women,” has been under fire for the recent advertisement for their “body” bra, represented by a similar, thin body type that, for many women, is extremely unachievable. This singular representation of women in the advertisement calls for reconsideration of how we represent women in the media, as well as a reassessment of how we can better promote the idea of self-love and acceptance. The media’s portrayal of women have been scrutinized in the past several years and has re-
peatedly come under fire due to its biases and failure to represent the average woman in a positive light. Whether that scrutiny is a result of blatant sexism, which was the claim after the release of Robin Thicke’s music video “Blurred Lines,” or whether it is dissected following the Perfect Body campaign that represents society’s homogenous definition of beauty, many women have rightfully had enough. But why are women viewed and portrayed in the way that Victoria’s Secret represents us? I would argue that it is due to the sexism that permeates the media and our society, depicted in images such as the aforementioned “Blurred Lines” phenomenon, and other similar works. The video itself promotes the idea that if a woman looks, dresses and acts a certain way, she will be desirable to all men. Much like the Perfect Body campaign, there is a singular body type throughout the video, sending the obvious message that the method to becoming desirable is quite simple: try to fit this extremely unachievable image. What message does this send to young girls? For one, it promotes an extremely unhealthy belief that being loved and desired has a direct correlation with one’s body.
The impact that the media’s representation of women has on young girls is tremendous, which is the argument that many critics are making. Proponents of promoting healthy body image in women have pointed to the Dove Campign for Real Beauty, emphasizing that Dove’s campaign better represents women of all body types. The message conveying all body shapes and sizes as “perfect” is the message that we should be teaching young girls, rather than allowing them to believe that if they are not model-thin, they are not beautiful and worthy of attention. The Dove campaign is much more realistic and better promotes the idea of selflove, depicting the notion that beauty emanates from within and comes in all shapes and sizes. While the Victoria’s Secret Perfect Body campaign is not solely to blame for the low self-esteem and body image issues many women and girls live with daily, it is just the latest example of the media’s misrepresentation of the majority of women that leads to a lack of self-esteem that impacts so many people today.
Calling an end to street harassment By Robert Hedberg Contributing Writer Recently, a woman recorded herself walking down the streets of New York City over a 10-hour period. The footage revealed block after block of catcalls and harassment. However, the biggest problem that emerged from this video was that for most women, this experience is all too familiar. Almost any woman, at one point in her life, has received a catcall from a stranger in a public area, and many women have had enough. This video sparked a greater public outcry to stop this catcall culture that persists openly in America. Some people would say, that despite the outcry at the existing catcalling culture, it is neither offensive nor damaging towards women. It is not just men voicing these opinions, some women like, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Fox News anchorwoman, said, “They mean it in a nice way.” Using phrases or societal excuses like, “Let men be men” and “What’s wrong with a little encouragement?” are very influential in downplaying the effects of catcall culture.
The truth of the matter is, catcalls are damaging and they affect women psychologically in very harmful ways. A catcall is not a way to get a date and it’s certainly not a way to get a girl to like you. Especially when you’re just
a guy standing on the street, the catcall technique for picking up women must have a very low success rate. So why do it? A catcall is an assertion of dominance and a devaluing of women’s worth. When a man says, “Hey, sexy”
or “Let me see a smile, babe,” as seen in the video, he is trying to find a way of asserting a form of dominance over a woman. A stranger saying this to young women in the streets can be a huge problem, as it is a form of harassment and threatening
behavior towards others. A woman, depending on the area where she may be walking, may feel threatened or scared. The other issue that arises with catcalling is that women are being judged by their physical appearance. This devalues their selfworth and makes women think their only value comes in their beauty, a theory pushed by the media. Despite these negative effects of catcalling, those who still defend catcalling would argue that all a woman has to do is ignore the man. However, when a woman is walking to work, every block brings a catcaller. Every block brings a stranger calling you sexy or asking for your number. Every block brings a guy who makes you feel scared. Every block brings a phrase that tells you are only as valuable as you are sexy. It is hard to ignore if it’s an occurrence in daily life. If there is any way to stop the catcall culture, it would fall to the responsibility of the individuals to respect the boundaries of the common stranger, and to society to expect more from our men.
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
Caravan Of Thieves Bridgeport, Conn. - From The Funhouse to
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
The Vine
Caravan of Thieves return to Fairfield Theatre Company
Contributed Photo
By Charles DeFilippo Vine Editor
E
nter “Funhouse”: where the Caravan comes screeching to a halt in a melodic symphony, and out pours heavenly harmonies and the gypsy sensation, Caravan of Thieves. The Bridgeport natives are mysterious and spooky, creeping around the carnival ride afterhours where they will steal your heart and play it back to your ears tenfold. The Thieves have established themselves as a family and their knitted relationship makes their music and live performances that much more enjoyable. Ringleaders Fuzz and Carrie Sangiovanni began performing as a married-duo after they discovered their love singing and harmonizing together. Thus, a melodic melting pot of guitars, vocals and percussive instruments has woven as seamless as their marriage - proven and road tested. After many years of performing alongside street performers, the Thieves welcomed violinist Ben Dean and double bass madman Brian Anderson. With their family now complete, the quartet has been on the road in growing popularity. Fuzz felt that it is hard to measure the band’s growth at any given point in time. Since the Thieves duo-days, they have grown to include elaborate stage rigs, witty dress and 1930s feel in contemporary form. “It is always different when building a band in your hometown,” said Fuzz. “We just wanting to play as much as we could as a band.” The family’s “gypsy jazz and pop influence has redefined the meaning of Caravan of Thieves, be-
Quick Look:
cause we are always expanding over time and developing our act and sound,” said Fuzz. Regardless of the venue, the Thieves always have the audience involved by singing, clapping rhythms or even luring fans from the crowd on stage. “If they are doing it too, it’s more fun,” said Fuzz.
There's something about the band's witty, spirited gypsy folkjazz that is so new and yet so familiar all at once. -Washington Post Fans usually have a “whoa” reaction, said Carrie, especially when the Thieves whip out their infamous rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” or spins on Talking Heads and Michael Jackson tunes. You can find “Bohemian Rhapsody” on Caravan of Thieves second album “Mischief Night,” which was recorded live on Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne on May 1, 2010. The local response to the band’s music, as well as on-stage antics made this album a necessity. In their most recent effort, “Funhouse,” the Caravan animates their music, making it ridiculous, like an amusement park ride. The 15-track album leads us in through “The Funhouse Entrance” and sends us on our way with the creepy ghouls of “The Funhouse Exit.” Album favorites like “Rise the Dead” began to sway up and down like a melodic merry-go-round.
Caravan Of Thieves on StageOne Gypsy / Swing / Folk
Tickets: Non-members: $28 Members: $25
The upbeat and percussive “Eat You” puts a literal twist on a love song stolen by the Thieves as you travel from the singing violin to freaky guitar solos. “Funhouse” is more addictive than the toothcraving sweets and cotton candy. The grit and twang of the stringed quartet make the album the prize at the end of the ride. On Nov. 29, the Caravan will be coming full circle to the hometown stomping ground on Stage One. “We want to make sure that every show is different and more exciting than the last time,” said Carrie. “At a venue like FTC, we treat it with special care and it keeps us on our toes,” said Fuzz. Not only has Caravan of Thieves performed countless times at FTC, but the intimate venue was Caravan’s first show (where Fuzz and Carrie played as a duo). The fun doesn't stop, as the Thieves plan on making a new record early in the new year. Rumor has it, “If Django Reinhardt, the cast of Stomp and the Beatles all had a party at Tim Burton’s house, Caravan of Thieves would be the band they hired,” according to caravanofthieves.com. Their ability to mirror a diverse audience proves the Thieves quite capable of sealing the hearts of jazz and folk to rock-goers alike. It is no wonder the band has shared the stage with artists such as Emmylou Harris, Dan Hicks, Glen Campbell, Nanci Griffith, Iron & Wine and John Hammond. Now step right up and get lost in the funhouse that is Caravan of Thieves as they take over FTC once again.
Saturday, Nov. 29 Doors @ 7:00 p.m. Show @ 7:45 p.m.
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
The Vine
Mindfulness Project meditates in the moment By Juliana Sansonetti Contributing Writer Last Wednesday, the Mindfulness Project hosted a night of meditation and reflection on the lawn of Bellarmine Hall. The Mindfulness Project is fairly new to Fairfield; it was started a month ago by Wylie Blake, campus minister for service. “I’ve been working in Campus Ministry for a while and I get a lot of students saying that they’re spiritual, but not religious,” explained Blake. “I could see that there is a hunger for a religious connection. I wanted to offer them a space to step back from their busy lives, take a breath and reconnect with themselves
and the beauty around them.” The Mindfulness Project meets every Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. Each week, the activity alternates between meditation, yoga, reflection and a prayer service. All faiths are welcome in this opportunity for quiet reflection. “We haven’t talked too much about [our faiths],” commented Blake on the amount of non-Catholics in the Project. “That’s not the focus of why we’re there.” A group of three students gathered to reflect on the beauty of nature with multiple calming songs and a few prayers of thanksgiving. “It’s a project unlike any other club or activity at Fairfield,” said Brittany Kritis ‘16 on the Mindfulness ex-
perience. “A lot of the questions that are asked are more spiritually-based and more demanding of expressing your personal goals and values.” Kritis is interested in making the Mindfulness Project a club and having a leadership position in the future. Blake also wants to expand the Mindfulness Project, borrowing ideas from Dr. Paula Gill-Lopez, associate professor of psychology and special education, who says that mindfulness is all about your senses. There is a possible future focus on the five senses. Blake plans a Mindfulness tasting, where different foods will be cooked, tasted and reflected on. Blake says she isn’t really sure what direction this project will take
her. But, wherever it goes, she is happy to be along for the ride. “I’m at the beginning of the journey,” said Blake. Fairfield alum Gregory Pagnozzi ‘13 is also at the beginning of his own Mindfulness journey. After going to two meetings, Pagnozzi is looking forward to attending more. “It allows me to tap into my spiritual side and be closer to God. It gives me inner peace and allows me to keep going.” Pagnozzi encourages everyone to go, including those of different faith traditions and those without a faith tradition. “It’s not about preaching. It’s about connecting to the grand uni-
fying force that Christians, Jews and Muslims call God. But all faiths have that force, even if they don’t call it God. [The Project] spans over a broad array of people,” said Pagnozzi. Pagnozzi wishes that more students would attend Mindfulness Project meetings. “Do it when you have the opportunity. These kinds of things aren’t offered at parishes, mosques or anywhere out in the real world. So, it’s really a wonderful opportunity here on campus,” added Pagnozzi. Blake also recommends that more students come and check out the Project. “We need to take time to just be quiet and be in the present moment,” said Blake.
Nutrition 101: MyFitnessPal By Stephanie Piccolo Nutrition Columnist
S
ome of you may have heard about MyFitnessPal from friends and family on and off campus. However, I would like to inform and emphasize to you all what a great tool this application is. MyFitnessPal is an app that you can download for free straight onto your iPhone or iPad. This application is an excellent way to track your everyday fitness and nutrition. Conveniently on your mobile device, you can add what you have eaten throughout the day to track your calories, and add the amount of exercise you had done for the day. When first downloading the app, MyFitnessPal will ask you to fill out a profile. By filling out your profile, you can add you current weight and your goal weight by a certain date, or you can choose to just maintain your current weight. By adding your goals and activity level, MyFitnessPal will calculate your nutrition goals and break down the amount of calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat you should be having each day to reach your goal. Once you have set up your profile, the application is easily navigable. You might question how this app will be useful to you, living on a college campus. The greatest thing about MyFitnessPal is besides being able to manually enter meals and snacks you eat for the day, it has the capability of connecting with Sodexo. You can search for “Sodexo Health Care” in the app and MyFitnessPal will generate various Sodexo meals being served, with the proper nutrition facts for the serving size. This allows students to easily receive the correct nutrition facts for their meals without having to play the guessing game.
B
esides manually searching for your food, MyFitnessPal also allows a user to scan the barcode on products, labels and signs and the app will calculate and add the nutrition facts to your food diary. If you have ever noticed in the Main Dining Hall, for the Mindful Mix entrees, there is often a sign next to the meal with the nutrition facts. This sign also has a barcode for the meal which can be scanned into MyFitnessPal. With a simple scan, the nutrition facts of your meal are added for your day. This app can also be helpful for upperclassmen students that are living off campus and do not often go to Barone. Under the tab “My Recipes and Food,” MyFitnessPal allows you to create and save recipes that you cook to be easily added to your food diary. Also, under the tab “Hello Healthy,” it links to recent articles that provide healthy recipes, exercise ideas and information about nutrition. Controlling your fitness and nutrition can be difficult to do alone. MyFitnessPal provides you with the option to connect with friends through your Facebook, contacts and email. With this, you can share nutrition and fitness ideas with friends to keep motivated. Another neat feature of MyFitnessPal is that you can connect it to step tracker, such as your Fitbit tracker. Your steps from your tracker will be calculated into exercise for the day on your MyFitnessPal. MyFitnessPal is a useful and convenient app that allows people to easily keep track of their fitness and nutrition. This app is excellent for college students that have limited time, where they are given the ability to simply record their fitness and nutrition by a few clicks of a button. If you have any questions or would like to see a demonstration on how to navigate the app, come to the first floor lounge of 70 McCormick Road on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 9:00 p.m. to learn more.
TRY IT FOR YOURSELF - FOR IPHONE AND IPAD
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
The Vine
Let Dre Dress You By Andrea Butler Fashion Columnist
Hi, Stags! No one ever goes to the gym planning to look really good, but it’s been proven that if you feel confident in your appearance, you’ll have a better workout. Lululemon has branded itself as the standard for fashionable workout wear, but if $90 yoga pants are out of your budget, here are some great alternatives to still look cute even when you’re all red-faced and sweaty. Old Navy, while definitely not a “cool” retailer, has an excellent selection of affordable gym wear that is surprisingly on-trend. This is ideal for basics that will become staples in your gym wardrobe. Target’s own C9 by Champion line is one of my personal favorites, as they offer really high-quality exercise apparel that still looks cute. Forever 21 has every piece of clothing under the sun you could want, gym clothes included. Like most things you find at this store, it isn’t going to last long, but if you’re not going to wear it frequently, it’s perfect for budget-friendly leggings and sports bras. Of course, our own Stag Spirit Shop has a ton of athletic clothing that you can wear to show your Fairfield pride. Due to our school’s contract with Nike, most of it isn’t cheap. However, they are good investment pieces and there are always sales to look out for. The gym isn’t meant to be a fashion show, but if you’re confident in how you look, every activity — even the treadmill — is way more enjoyable. Enjoy your week, lovelies! Love,
Dre Contributed Under Creative Commons
'Into The Woods' ventures to the big screen
By Monet Monterosso Contributing Writer
The second official movie trailer for “Into the Woods” was released this past Friday, Nov. 7, generating hype as the script transitions from stage to film. “Into the Woods” puts modern twists on The Grimm Brothers fairytales. A witch conspires to teach important lessons to various characters of popular children’s stories, including “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Cinderella,” “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Rapunzel.” All of these fairytale characters tie together to create an original story involving a baker and his wife whose simple wish is to reverse a curse so they can start a family. The plot intensifies as these characters come together, are betrayed and reminded of the cost that their true wishes hold. The musical was first performed for Broadway in 1987, and included stars such as Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason and Chip Zien. The musical was revived on Broadway in 2002 which included stars Vanessa Williams, John McMartin and Laura Bena nti.
The musical earned Tony Awards for Best Original Score (Stephen Sondheim) and Best Book of a Musical (James Lapine), beating “The Phantom of the Opera.” The film adaptation of “Into the Woods” will feature stars like Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, among others. All of these actors have had previous roles showcasing their voices, so the feeling of a live Broadway musical performance is brought to the movie version. This isn’t the first time that a Broadway production has moved over to the big screen. Over the past several decades, shows ranging from “West Side Story” (1961) to “Mamma Mia!” (2008) and “Les Miserables” (2012) have made into films. However, this is the first adaptation of a Broadway play or musical ever produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The difficulty in taking a Broadway show to film is that it puts a lot of pressure on production. The huge fanbase of the show itself has high expectations for the movie to give them the same thrill as watching the show live.
Not only does the movie need to please fans of the musical, but it also has to attract a modern audience of film. Overall, the screen adaptation by Lapine is fairly close to his original stage musical. The musical has a very big web of characters crossing together that wouldn’t cross paths in the original stories. Staying true to the fairy tale feel, the musical has an omniscient narrator throughout the play. One of the large changes from the play to the movie is the use of the baker’s voice as the narration. Another noticeable change is the cut of the Mysterious Man. “Into the Woods” has a very eerie feel to it, and the character of the Mysterious Man continues to bring mischief and teaches lessons to the other characters. Streep’s role is a combination of the Witch and the Mysterious Man, but more so of the Witch. Trying to please so many people can be harder than one may think, but with a good team behind the musical such as Marc Platt, who produced the multiple Tony Award-winning musical “Wicked” on Broadway, there is no room for failure for “Into the Woods.”
Having that type of expertise working on the film gives it a good perspective on how a show and a film would be put together. Also, having Lapine (who wrote the book) and Sondheim (lyricist), on board can help lead director Rob Marshall to stay authentic to the original Broadway musical.
The movie is to be released on Dec. 25, 2014 in movie theaters everywhere and is rated PG. The genre of the film can be defined as comedy, family, fantasy and musical. With the great anticipation building, if the production crew stays true to the core of “Into the Woods,” then “All will be a happy ending.”
Contributed Photo
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
The Vine
Foo Fighters crash with new album: 'Sonic Highways' By Andrew DaRosa WVOF Music Team
Sonic Highways,” the latest effort from the Foo Fighters, was highly anticipated for months, with promotion from a residency on “The Tonight Show” to a documentary chronicling the band’s adventures in recording the album. Sadly, the album fails to reach these expectations and falls short of reaching the legacy established by Dave Grohl. While the album provides some great songs (“In The Clear,” “Congregation”), “Sonic Highways” focuses too much on the soft side of the Foo Fighters and then goes to the extreme by throwing in Grohl’s signature growl for good measure. The idea for this album came from Grohl and involved the band traveling to eight cities across America to record eight different songs, each inspired by what Grohl and the band saw and heard in each city. At the same time, the band included a musical guest for each song, also depending on the city in which they recorded, ranging from Zac Brown to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The song “Something From Nothing” begins with a soft intro and confoundedly turns into a raging jam that just doesn’t sound complete. While Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick provides a good sense of rhythm with his virtuoso, the song still manages to become a train wreck. “The Feast and The Famine” follows suit, but the song manages to incorporate what makes the Foo Fighters what they are with one-two punch of rhythm guitar provided by Grohl and
guitarist Pat Smear. But what makes the song is Grohl’s growl, which is iconic in itself. Where the album shows its weaknesses are in its slow jams, especially evident in “Subterranean” and “What Did I Do? / God As My Witness.” In “Subterranean,” Grohl screams, “You might think you know me / I know damn well you don’t / Oh no, oh no, you don’t.” This line is evident in proving the point: The Foo Fighters identity is missing in this iteration of their career. “Congregation,” which is arguably the best song of the album, is accompanied by Zac Brown and features some of the best guitar work from the Foo Fighters’ new lead guitarist, Chris Shiflett. The song is anthemic and moves to the core of the Foo Fighters’ arena rock style. If Grohl stuck more to the recipe of crafting rock anthems instead of satisfying the creational journey of the album, this would be another career staple. While many fans of the Foo Fighters may be disappointed by the lack of great material, they can still appreciate the effort that the band went through to do something that no artist has done before. This album will easily be looked over in their ever-present career, which is filled with monster jams and hard rock staples. All we can do is hope that Grohl will get his act together and craft a harder-sounding album in the future.
Contributed Photo
The Foo Fighters most recent effort, "Sonic Highways" features eight tracks inspired by eight US cities; it was released Nov. 10, 2014.
Queen's 'Hungarian Rhapsody
Live in Budapest' 1986 concert re-released By Zack Schneider Contributing Writer
Contributed Photo
Queen's "Hungarian Rhapsody" re-released on special edition DVD and Blu-ray on Nov. 6, 2014 in the United States.
In my life, I aspire to complete many goals: be Kanye West, marry Beyoncé, sing like Freddie Mercury and get a dog. Only one of those is obtainable, but one can dream. Anyway, Mercury has always been one of my idols. The man had the voice of a god and he knew how to use it. Queen’s 1986 concert in Budapest was just recently released on DVD and CD. I have watched and listened to this live album and, I must say, it is one of their best performances. While I believe that Queen’s set at Live Aid was
their best performance, this show comes in at a close second. This show was part of the Magic Tour, which was Queen’s last ever tour with all four original members. Queen plays 27 songs, covering a good part of their catalogue of songs. They play the hits like “Under Pressure,” “Another One Bites The Dust” and the combo of “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.” Notably left out is “Killer Queen,” the band’s breakout song. Included in the setlist is a cover of Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” and a rendition of the British national anthem “God Save the Queen.”
Queen plays the Hungarian folk song “Tavaszi Szel Vizet Araszt” special for this show only. When I watch Queen live, I cannot take my eyes off the screen. Mercury’s dancing and theatrics on stage are just incredible. My favorite performance of this show has to be “Radio Ga Ga.” It is one of my all-time favorite Queen songs and one of my favorite songs in general. The energy of the song is breathtaking. I recommend this live album to any Queen fan or fan of a great live show. May the memory of Mercury and the original Queen lineup live on forever.
THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
Coffee Break
Page 12
COFFEE BREAK Editor: Meaghan Kirby
... As Overheard in Barone Compiled By Allison White Contributing Writer
“Reunited and it feels so good.” “I had an 8 a.m. and I contemplated telling my teacher my leg fell off.” “I don’t really like handcuffs.” “Why do we always sit at this table for light years?” “I feel like I got run over by a stag last night.” “I charged the turkeys this morning … they charged back.” “You need Jesus.” “I’ve been in the library so much I decided to take my pillow with me.” Overhear something funny in Barone? Tweet us @FairfieldMirror and be featured next week.
Do
n’ t
Ask Meg
Dear Meg,
Need horrible advice? Submit a question to info@fairfieldmirror.com
I’m a transfer student and I’m really nervous for spring semester registration next week. From what I hear, registration here is very different from my old school and I’m not sure I’m totally prepared for it. I think I followed all the right steps, like meeting with my advisor and getting my PIN, but I want to make sure I’m not forgetting anything. Any advice? Signed, Anxious about Advising Dear Anxious, Registration is the worst. It’s a tedious time that plagues Fairfield students twice a year. Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about it because you’re not going to get into anything that you want. If I were you, I’d just take all religion classes because you need 800 of them to graduate anyway, and you’re already behind. At the end of the day, class is class so if you’re stressing out, join a sports team so you get priority registration and pray that you’re not stuck with the 4:45 p.m. slot. Always keeping it real, Meg
Play some...
Sudoku
Sports
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
Weekly 4x5
Because we have witty things to say ...
Patrick Kiernan Sports Editor
Jesse Erickson Assistant Sports Editor
Patrick Kiernan, Jennifer Calhoun, Matthew Schneider and Jesse Erickson
Men's rugby won the Tri-State Conference Championship Sunday over Vassar. Thoughts?
How upsetting was the women's soccer loss in the MAAC Championship on penalty kicks?
Will the Oakland Raiders win a game this season?
What's the best movie candy?
Best Disney/Pixar movie?
They didn't win by at least 50 points this time? Oh, so maybe they're playing 10-year-olds now. But really, great for them. I could never do rugby considering the crazy workouts they do.
Terrible. They're so good and I really thought they were gonna make a legit run in the NCAA Tournament.
LOL no. They won't win a game until they forcibly get moved to a different location.
Plain M&M's, obviously. But Sno Caps and Cookie Dough Bites come up as close seconds.
Cars. I must have watched it at least 100 times in my life, not even exaggerating, and it's awesome every time. While we're talking Pixar, I want a petition against Toy Story 4 'cause 3 was a perfect ending.
It's a terrible way to go out, especially for such a deeply talented team.
Hahahaha I really want to see a winless season. I don't think the Raiders have any fans anyway.
This is a loaded question. It really depends on the movie. It's a science. Rom Com = M&Ms, Comedy = Sour Patch Kids, Horror = don't even bother.
The Lion King is far and above my favorite Disney movie. No jokes here. I take this very seriously.
National Championship or bust, leggoooooo!
The game wouldn't have gotten that far if the ref hadn't missed so many blatant penalties.
Hahahahahahahahhahaha no.
Buncha Crunch, I love that stuff.
The Incredibles, but A Bug's Life is a close runner up. Thanks Mike, you know who you are.
SO HAPPY YET SO SAD I COULDN'T GO. Instead, I served brunch to customers who complained about the Bloody Mary being too spicy. My advice to them? Don't drink things with horseradish and tomato juice.
Too soon, Pat. Let the heart mourn.
They can do anything they set their minds to.
Peanut M&M's, why is this still up for debate?
Toy Story 3 because Ken and tears and sadness and happiness all at one time.
They are one of the most impressive sports teams I've seen at Jennifer Calhoun Fairfield in my last four years. Executive Editor I wish nothing but victories for them, but they don't even need my well wishes!
Matthew Schneider Assistant Sports Editor
Your 2014-2015 4x5 Columnists:
Stag Spotlight: Basketball's K.J. Rose '17 and Doug Chappell '17 What initially made you want to play at Fairfield? Rose: When I came for my visit, being around Coach Johnson and the whole coaching staff. I just felt like I could learn a lot from him on, and off, the court. He’s a great man. He’s taught me a lot already. Chappell: The coaching staff. Coach Johnson is a great guy, and thankfully, it’s a good school.
Sophomore guard K.J. Rose.
What are you looking forward to for the rest of this season? Rose: Winning the conference tournament, going to the National Collegiate Athletic Association [Tournament], and shocking the world. Chappell: Getting to the tournament.
What first got you interested in basketball? Rose: My father played basketball, so I started playing when I was like three years old. Chappell: My dad. He played basketball all his life, so I guess I got the basketball genes.
Do you have a favorite basketball team/player? Rose: I would say Tyreke Evans is my favorite NBA player, and team would be the Pelicans. Chappell: My favorite team would be the Wizards. My favorite player is Kobe Bryant. He plays hard, he knows what he’s doing, he’s a vet, he’s a leader and hard worker.
Are your teammates serious or are there a lot of jokesters? Rose: There’s a lot of jokesters, we like to have fun. We’re a lot like dancers and everybody loves to joke on each other. We’re a family and we love each other. Chappell: We’re serious when it counts and we do joke around at times.
What are your goals for this season? Rose: Our realistic goal is that we want to beat everybody, we want to shock everybody. We want to go to the NCAA [Tournament] and get payback for last year. Chappell: Win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship.
See even more answers at FairfieldMirror.com.
Inside the Sports section this week:
Sophomore guard Doug Chappell.
Photos contributed by Sports Information Desk
-MLS playoffs narrow down to last four teams (Page 14) -FU athletics branching out to student fans (Page 14) -Three-point shooting leads Stags to exhibition win (Page 15) -Volleyball seniors reflect with Senior Day ahead (Page 15) -Red Ruggers defeat Vassar to win championship (Page 16)
Sports
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
MLS playoffs narrow down to last four teams By Jennifer Calhoun Executive Editor
is any indication, he might be well on his way to not only making the Finals, but winning them as well. On the other side of the League, another hugely influential player to the MLS appears to be participating in his last MLS Cup, at least wearing a Red Bulls uniform. While it isn’t confirmed that Thierry Henry is leaving New York at the end of the season, it has been widely speculated that that will be the case. This has put a new spring into the steps of the Red Bulls’ players. New York swept the Revolution in regular season play, but both were competitive matchups. In both of the games, the Revolution were able to keep Henry off the board. However, the Red Bulls’ sensational striker (and MLS
Golden Boot winner) Bradley WrightPhillips was able to find the back of the net on the 2-1 win on Aug. 2. None of the teams left in contention should be counted out. The Red Bulls have fought all the way from the knockout round to make it to the Conference Finals, and with Henry and WrightPhillips leading the charge, the Red Bulls could make it three for three in games against the Revolution. However, nothing in sports is more difficult than beating a team three times in the same season. With Lee Nguyen of the Revloution hitting his stride, especially in their semi-final thrashing of the Columbus Crew, this is not a team to be taken lightly. Also, the Red Bulls haven’t played against a Revolution team with Jermaine Jones. The Revolution has been a new team since the signing of Jones where as a result of his signing, they have been unbeaten in their last seven games.
The regional finals are set for the Major League Soccer Cup and while the seedings would indicate that there were some upsets in the tournament to get us here, many of the big names and the big teams have found themselves one of the last four standing. The New York Red Bulls and the New England Revolution are in the Eastern Conference Final. The Western Conference Final is comprised of familiar powerhouses, the LA Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders. People believe that the MLS is a league that is never going to catch on in America. If there was ever a collection of games that could change America’s perception of the sport, they are these games taking place on Nov. 23. These games have the makings to be something extraordinary. In one game, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, two of America’s most prolific soccer players are squaring off in the West, with only one able to make it on to the Finals. To make the stakes even higher, this is Donovan’s swan song in the MLS. For one of the men who has made the MLS and American soccer into what it is today, he will be on a Contributed under Creative Commons mission to end on a high note. Landon Donovan (above) is in the midst of his last year in the MLS, retiring at the season's end. He In the Galaxy’s semi-final game against Real hopes to cap it off with an MLS Championship with the LA Galaxy. Salt Lake, in which Donovan scored a hat trick,
On top of that, Henry has a clause in his contract saying that he does not have to play on turf fields. With the Conference Finals going to Gillette Stadium, will Henry make the trip to play on the turf field? This would be a huge factor determining if the Red Bulls can pull off the victory. On the West, arguably the stronger of the two conferences, it’s all on the table and it’s anyone’s game to lose. Seattle and LA fought competitively all season. At the end of the regular season, the two played in a series of sorts with back to back alternating location games. In LA, the game ended deadlocked at 2-2. In Seattle, the Sounders came out on top 2-0. While they were competitive in the regular season, they are coming off of very different semi-final second legs. For LA, they demolished Real Salt Lake 5-0 in the second leg and will be certainly going into the first leg, at home, on a high. For Seattle, their second leg was a tame 0-0 affair against FC Dallas, which was intended to give them the win on aggregate. With the first leg taking place on LA, this could be a tough start for Seattle. My predictions for the rest of the MLS Cup: New York and LA make it through to the finals where LA wins 2-1 in the finals.
FU athletics branching out to student fans By Jesse Erickson Assistant Sports Editor This upcoming season, Fairfield’s Stags in the Stands is teaming up with Associate Director of Athletics/ Marketing and Communications Pete Kirschner and Director of Student Involvement Fred Kuo to make attending Fairfield athletic games even easier and even more rewarding. After seeing such low attendance at Fairfield games, the university began to implement ideas and strategies to get students to attend and support the teams, starting with the upcoming basketball season. “I like sports and would go anyway, but there is no excitement and fan participation," John Frain '17 said. According to Kirschner, “We’re looking to make the games more of a social atmosphere and event that you would want to go to." Because most men’s games take place at Webster Bank Arena, the university provides transportation to and from the arena. In the past, the bus ran on a singular loop: bringing students once to the game and once back. In order to make attending games even simpler this year, busses will be running on a continuous loop starting 60 minutes prior to the game. From talking with students, Kuo and Kirschner gathered that, along with transportation, students are hindered from going to the game because picking up the ticket can be difficult in the course of a busy day. Instead of picking up a ticket from Einstein’s or the Barone Campus Center Information Desk, students have several different options. Students, according to Kuo, can sign up for tickets in advance through OrgSync and receive them in their mailbox. Even easier, students can take the bus to the
game and immediately after getting off the bus, Stags in the Stands’ members will hand out tickets before they head into the arena. In addition to transportation and ticketing improvements, more rewards will be given out to the students who attend the games. Last year, the university created an app called the Super Stag Rewards Program, for not only athletics, but also student events. The app, which just recently has shifted over to focus just on athletic games, allows students the opportunity to check in at games and receive points for each check in. For example, if a student attends 15 games, they can receive a “Fear the Deer” T-shirt and eventually, for the “Super Fans” of the school, students can receive a $400 airfare voucher to be used anywhere in the continental U.S. “We want to reward those for turning out and I think you see that everywhere,” said Kuo. “You go to Starbucks, you get your rewards, you go to Stop and Shop, you get your rewards.” The prizes that can be picked up at halftime at any Fairfield game location have been well received by the students. “Students like the extra bonus,” said Stags in the Stands Co-President Taylor Rooney ‘16. “Obviously you’re going to the game because you enjoy going and that kind of thing, but you’re also going to get rewarded for going, so it’s a plus.” Beyond the app that is available for free on the App Store, Kuo, Kirschner and Stags in the Stands have created a promotion to get students to basketball games in the next upcoming months. The promotion, which was introduced at Red Sea Madness, is called the SuperFan app and it con-
sists of five different parts. Students can receive an authentic, throwback basketball jersey as long as they have built the rest of their outfit. For attending game one of the slated promotion games, students receive a performance T-shirt that they must wear to the next game in order to receive a headband. After receiving and wearing the new articles of clothing to each game, they will be rewarded with the throwback jersey. They are hoping that this promotion will get students to go to games and continue to attend. As far as what students want out of this, Frain said they need “the right incentives that relate to college students. Maybe free books or food, and more creative events at halftime.” For Kirschner what's important is providing "reasons for the students to want to come. Students want to do things, they want to go to games and they want to go to Red Sea Madness and it’s our job to make it an opportunity that they want to seek out and they want to participate in." He added, “Like I said, we want to create an atmosphere for students.” The program has taken several steps to create this atmosphere. Besides the rewards, a DJ has been hired to entertain at games. “We want to give students a fun experience outside the lines of the court whether or not the team wins,” said Abigail Corning, graduate assistant of sports marketing and promotions. “We still want them to say ‘I still had a good time and I’m going to go back and support them.’” Kirschner added, “When the ball stops bouncing, at Webster, at Alumni, at the lacrosse stadium, at soccer games, anywhere ... It’s our job to make sure we have an atmosphere for the students."
This week in sports: Friday, November 14 Men's Cross Country at NCAA Regionals, TBA Women's Cross Country at NCAA Regionals, TBA Men's Soccer at MAAC Tournament, TBA Women's Basketball at East Carolina, 2 p.m. Men's Basketball at Central Connecticut, 3 p.m.
Saturday, November 15 Women's Basketball at Marshall, 12:30 p.m. Volleyball vs. Niagara, 1 p.m. Men's Swimming and Diving vs. Pace, 1 p.m. Women's Swimming and Diving vs. Pace, 1 p.m. Men's Basketball at Duke, 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 16 Men's Soccer at MAAC Championship, TBA Volleyball vs. Canisius, 1 p.m. Men's Rugby vs. Notre Dame/Rowan, TBA
Tuesday, November 18 Women's Basketball at Hofstra, 7 p.m.
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Sports
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 12, 2014
Three-point shooting leads Stags to exhibition win By Patrick Kiernan Sports Editor After a disheartening 7-25 season last year, the Fairfield men’s basketball team enjoyed a 74-67 win over the University of Bridgeport in an exhibition game to prepare for the season ahead. The key to this game was the three-pointer for Fairfield. Throughout the game, the Stags took a total of 21 shots from behind the arc, making 13 of them. “When the ball goes in, it’s three points to their two points,” said Head Coach Sydney Johnson. “It’s such a big shot in college basketball. We like the guys who were taking them and we’re going to rely on them a lot to make them and obviously when they go in, it helps us a ton.” Junior Marcus Gilbert hit a team-high five 3-pointers and was the game-high scorer with 22 points. Among other sharpshooters were Steve Johnston ’15 who went 4-4 from three-point range and ended with 16 points, and transfer Mike Kirkland Jr. who ended with 13 points in his first Fairfield appearance. “I think we’re going to play through Marcus [Gilbert] and Mike [Kirkland] first, and then we just have to do our jobs,” said Johnston about the leading scorers. “If they kick it out to me, I have to knock it down. We’re going to play team ball.” On the other end, the Purple Knights only shot 37.3 percent from the field, and 28.6 percent from behind the three-point arc. The Stags saw a couple of changes to their starting lineup from last year to this, as Johnston and Kirkland hit the court along with K.J. Rose ’17, Marcus Gilbert
and captain Amadou Sidibe ’16, all starters from last year. “We’ve got some guys who went through it last year who are more experienced and I think they can put the best foot forward for Fairfield,” said Johnson. “As we go, you might see a couple more guys in the rotation, but right now we’re at about eight, maybe nine.” Fairfield got off to a bit of a slow start, but turned up the intensity quickly. Though both teams were stagnant in the early minutes, the Purple Knights got on a 5-0 run early, and led 10-5 about seven minutes into the first half. At this point, a timeout was called and the Stags came out firing from then on out. After a couple of buckets from Jerome Segura ‘18 and some solid three-point shooting form Johnston, the Stags found themselves on a run of their own and tied the game at 12-12 by the middle of the half. After some more timely buckets from Rose, Kirkland and Johnston, the Stags found themselves with a strong 27-18 lead with about five minutes remaining in the first half. By this time, Fairfield was in the bonus and Bridgeport was having a tough time putting the ball in the net. In the first half, the Purple Knights went just 8-31 from the field, shooting a poor 25.8 percent. Also, the team struggled from behind the arc, making just 1 of 8 attempted three-pointers. All in all, at the end of the half, the Stags saw themselves ahead at a score of 36-22. “Whenever we drove, the defense collapsed and we’d just kick it out, make the right passes at the right times,” said Marcus Gilbert about the strong first half. “It ends up in wide open shots and all we
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have to do is knock them down.” To start off the second half, both teams exchanged buckets in the opening minutes. However, the Stags soon opened up the floodgates. A barrage of three-pointers sent both the Stags and the crowd to complete excitement and hurrah. Marcus Gilbert, Johnston, Kirkland and Rose continued to connect on three-pointers, pushing the Fairfield lead to 53-39 with about 11 minutes remaining in the game. However, Bridgeport was quick to stop the three-pointer from working for the Stags and start generating some offense of their own. They held the Stags scoreless for about three minutes and scored two buckets in that stretch. The Purple Knights continued to
penetrate the lane and find good shooting spots to carve into Fairfield’s lead. Bridgeport’s Devon Elliott led the Purple Knight offense with a total of 18 points, most of them coming in the second half. With about five minutes left in the game, the lead was narrowed down to just 62-50 Fairfield. Additionally, the Stags found themselves fouling often in the half, allowing 19 free throws of which Bridgeport made 14. The Purple Knights were in the bonus early, and took advantage of the free-throw line. “We had a lack of energy coming out in the second half,” said Marcus Gilbert. “The first four minutes are crucial coming out of the half, and we messed up coming out and there was no energy,” said Johnston.
With about two minutes remaining, the Stags now led 68-60. Luckily, Malcolm Gilbert ‘15 used his size in the paint to get his team some insurance points. He scored six points in the last few minutes, leading Fairfield to a final, winning score of 74-67. Though the Stags looked slow at the end of the second half, Johnson liked what he saw out of his team and holds his head high for the season ahead. “I’m really happy for these guys,” said Johnson. “They’re not quite in the grind of conference play or things like that for the long season, but I’m really happy.” The Fairfield men’s basketball team will officially open their 2014-15 season on Nov. 14 when they play Central Connecticut State University as part of the Connecticut 6 Classic.
Volleyball seniors reflect with Senior Day ahead By Kelsey Shockey Contributing Writer It’s sad to say that soon the women’s volleyball season will be coming to a close. They’ve gone 15-11 in the season thus far, and on Saturday and Sunday, the team will be playing their last few matches against Niagara University and Canisius College at 1:00 p.m., respectively. The Sunday match will be Senior Day, the last regular season home game for the six graduating players on the team. While this day for seniors on sports teams is always sad, they have accomplished a lot over their four years, including two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships, and will be taking on the real world with plenty of experience and strength. Six players will be leaving the team after this season who have played very crucial roles for the team and have made it big. These players include seniors Camille Coffey, Lindsay Weaver, Caitlin Stapleton and Marilyn Peizer, as well as graduate student
Carsen Mata and Maddie FitzPatrick, who is a senior academically and will not be returning to the team next year. “Sunday is going to be super emotional because we are such a close team. It’s going to be so special,” Weaver said.
Carsen Mata Mata is a graduate student who is originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, and plays as a setter for the Stags. Last season, she appeared in 32 matches in 119 sets and had 488 digs, 231 assists and 21 aces. Though this co-captain is currently playing as a graduate student, Mata is in her final year of eligibility with the volleyball team. Mata has had a great overall experience on and off the court. “I’ve been able to make really close friends and had the opportunity to go to two National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships, which was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It has been pretty awesome,” Mata said.
Camille Coffey
Maddie FitzPatrick
Coffey is an outside hitter who appeared in all 32 matches and all 119 sets last year with 242 digs and 20 aces. She joined the Stags all the way from her home of Sierra Madre, Calif. She is one of a select group of players who have reached the 1,000 dig club. “I think we really have become a family because of everything we have done on and off the court together,” Coffey said. “This really is my family away from home.”
While FitzPatrick is actually a junior, she is academically a senior and playing her last year of volleyball as a middle blocker and as a co-captain for the Stags. “It’s has certainly been a roller coaster ride. But overall, it has been a really big blessing because it’s given us a great education,” FitzPatrick said. She obtained 82 kills and 51 total blocks last season for the Stags. “Our class has been in three out of the four championship games and hopefully going to be in the fourth. Looking back, it just feels like such a great accomplishment,” FitzPatrick said.
Lindsay Weaver Weaver is a middle blocker for Fairfield who played in 59 sets last year, and ended with a total of 82 kills that season. She also obtained 52 blocks and 64 digs. Weaver has helped the team gain two MAAC Championships. “My transitioning here was rough in the beginning. A lot of the reason why I stayed is because of the coaches and because of my teammates,” said Weaver. “My four-year experience has really impacted me as an individual and not just a volleyball player.”
Caitlin Stapleton Caitlin is from Milford, Conn. and plays as a right side. She appeared in 32 matches last year and played in 117 sets, ending with a career-best 81 total blocks and 296 kills. In 2012, Stapleton was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Week and MAAC Player of the Week. She is one of a rare group of players who
have reached the 1,000 kill club. Though she was forced to sit out the early part of her final season, she was able to overcome and make the best of her senior year. “I broke my hand in preseason and was originally told that I was out for the season. I thought my volleyball career was over,” said Stapleton. “When I got a second opinion, I was told that I would only be in a cast for three weeks. I have been making the very best of every second I have left to play.”
Marilyn Peizer Peizer is an outside hitter who played in 32 matches and 117 sets last year and ended with 157 digs and 55 blocks. Over her four years, Peizer has been on the All-MAAC First Team, as well as multiple MAAC All-Academic teams. “My senior season helped me transition from college student to young professional,” said Peizer. “I am sad to leave, but eager to take on the world with the lessons I have learned here.”
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Sports Editor: Patrick Kiernan » sports@fairfieldmirror.com
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Red Ruggers defeat Vassar to win championship By Matthew Schneider Assistant Sports Editor
The Fairfield rugby team won the Tri-State Conference Championship this past Sunday, defeating Vassar College 50-14. The Red Ruggers took the lead early in the game and never looked back. The win was the sweetest for the seniors on the team, as they had come close to winning the championship the past three years before eventually getting knocked out. Senior Alex Cucchi, one of the captains on the team, echoed that sentiment after the game. “For me, being a senior, we’ve been really close the past four years, so to finally get it means a lot, not just because of the past but because we’ve really worked our butts off this year,” he said. “We’ve really put in the work and it clearly paid off, so I’m just really proud of everybody for putting in the work and you get to keep playing, which is great.” The Red Ruggers’ work ethic was repeatedly referenced after the game, as it is considered one of the main reasons the team won. Senior Patrick Kueny, another team captain, was especially proud of how hard the team worked this year. “[The team’s work ethic] was through the roof. This is the hardest our team has worked since I’ve been here,” Kueny said. “We’re waking up at 5:30 in the morning [for training] and then practicing the same afternoon. It paid off, this is the best season we’ve had, the best record we’ve had, and the best team that I’ve gotten to be a part of.” The team’s new head coach, Marc Downes, deserves a lot of the credit for the team’s success. He came in with a new system in mind: to focus on
hard training including CrossFit in each workout session and dieting, putting the team on a glutenfree diet. “We changed a lot, we put a new structure in place,” Downes said. “We’ve got a great structure playing out on the field, but the most important part is that we put fitness in. Kids are working out three to four times a week, and that’s just making a big difference. Fitness is key.” Fitness is key. This one phrase may be enough to sum up the entire season, as the team dominated the second half of most of their games, while their opposition looked winded. “I think that’s the reason that we kind of run teams down in the second half; they can’t keep up anymore,” Cucchi said. Senior Tom McNeely was very pleased with the outcome. “I’m extremely proud of everyone on the team. They worked hard all season and it paid off,” he said. The Rev. Michael Doody, S.J., is the Red Ruggers’ moderator and he couldn’t be prouder of the team. “The Red Ruggers are the fittest team in the Northeast,” Doody said. “They earned today.” He continued in his praise of the team, saying that they are “very sportsmanlike” and that they “never let [him] down. It’s a privilege to be their moderator.” The Red Ruggers will participate in a play-in game next week against either the University of Notre Dame or Rowan University. The winner of that game earns a place in the Sweet 16 round of the tournament, and the chance to advance even further.
Shauna Mitchell/The Mirror Above: Senior Jospeh DeRico was one of the main offensive weapons for the Stags on Sunday. Right: Seniors Joseph DeRico (left) and Alex
Below: The Stags are off on an offensive run, as