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The Mirror apologizes for any confusion arising from our delayed publication date. Due to power loss, we were not able to safely produce an issue for Wednesday. However, we felt the severity of this situation deserved coverage regardless of publication date, so we produced a shorter issue dedicated to Hurricane Sandy.
In this issue:
Halloween despite Sandy pg. 2
Campus damage
Nicholas DiFazio/The Mirror
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With approximately 300
report pg. 2
students displaced from
Hurricane comparison pg. 5
their beach residences,
Beach and town
Fairfield administration
photo coverage pgs. 6-7
scrambles to arrange temporary housing
By Laura O’Reilly Managing Editor Senior year at Fairfield Beach. Every student released. Point Saturdays. Thursday night Nauts. Mind Erasers and Two Dollar Tuesdays at the Grape. Hurricane Sandy swept in and washed it all away. As of publication, the approximate 300 students living on the beach are temporarily homeless, many without their clothing and other possessions due to the worst storm in Fairfield’s history. In summarizing the attitude of many seniors, Kevin Bachman ’13 asked, “Where are we going to go? Are we even going to have our senior year at the beach?� According to the Office of Residence Life, the town of Fairfield has indicated that all beach houses should be considered uninhabitable. At this time, there is still no power and extensive flooding of the beach area, making it impossible for residents to access their homes. Once the water recedes, the sand must be removed. Then the homes will be surveyed and if deemed structurally sound, residents will be able to enter and gather up their belongings. The time it will take for this process to unfold is unknown. Police officials estimate it could be weeks, or even months until seniors can reclaim Fairfield’s coveted beach lifestyle. But life must go on. Classes will resume. But where will the beach refugees going to live?
Options r Students who live in close proximity to the University are encouraged to commute. r Students can live with a friend on campus. r Students can rent a space from a local hotel/motel. r Students can ask the Office of Residence Life for assistance in securing alternate temporary housing, either in residence halls or with faculty, staff, and alumni who have agreed to host students, or in converted lounge spaces. Nathan Lubich, assistant director of Residence Life, described the situation on campus as “not ideal, but feasible and possible.� On Wednesday, displaced seniors were sent a survey assessing their needs for on-campus housing. The University will generate housing assignments Nov. 2 and will then inform the students of where they can live. According to Dean of Students Karen Donoghue, the seniors will be able to move into their new homes between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday. They will hopefully be able to resume some sense of normalcy before classes resume on Monday. Donoghue also commented on the possibility of lounge spaces being converted into temporary living spaces. Any lounge in a residence hall with access to a private bathroom is being considered. These include Loyola Hall, 70 McCormick,
REASSIGNMENT | PAGE 3
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The Mirror | Week of November 2, 2012
News
Page 2
Extreme weather hits multiple locations
'BJSmFME 6 DBNQVT CFMUFE CZ TUPSN By loan le Executive Editor
Yesterday morning, the sun shone down on the Barone Campus Center. Fairfield University flags reclaimed their places on light poles campus-wide. The gardening staff returned to meticulously caring for the evergreen lawns on campus. This scene was in stark contrast against Monday evening at Fairfield University, when nearly all campus buildings had gone dark and was at the mercy of Hurricane Sandy’s 80 mph winds. News about Hurricane Sandy, dubbed by some as “Frankenstorm� or “The Superstorm,� first emerged more than a week ago. The Weather Channel was quick to notify people about its severity and even tweeted that this hurricane “will occupy a place in the annals of weather history as one of the most extraordinary to have affected the United States.� Fairfield University cancelled Monday and Tuesday classes in preparation for Sandy. According to one of many StagAlerts that the University had sent out, “all students who can go home are strongly encouraged to do so.� For those who chose to remain, the school instructed them to stay inside at all times.
According to a campus-distributed survey, around 1000 students waited out the storm on campus. At approximately 5:30 p.m., the Townhouses lost power. Around 500 residents in the Townhouse complex had to be evacuated via shuttle buses to the BCC, but some students went to stay with friends in the other residence. Because of its spaciousness, the connecting dining service and couches and furniture, the BCC became the main evacuation center during Hurricane Sandy, according to Nathan Lubich, assistant director of Residence Life, who spoke for the office. If the BCC was ever compromised, Lubich imagined that they would move students to Alumni Hall. Some students complained about the evacuation, but Lubich said he understood the circumstances. “It’s really hard for people to be told to just sit and wait.� But, ultimately, the Resident Assistants performed “really well,� Lubich said. The RAs, who were asked to remain on campus as “critical employees,� had their radios ready and went on rounds in their halls during the power outage. Public Safety officers also assisted in the patrol. The Quad, the Village, Dolan
By Jennifer Calhoun Sports Editor
Contributed by Michael Girandola/The HAM Channel
$ WUHH QHDU WKH -RJXHV HQWUDQFH ZDV XSURRWHG GXULQJ WKH KXUULFDQH and Bellarmine all lost power by 7:30 p.m. on Monday, but since the emergency lights stayed on, students were allowed to stay in their residences. From then on was a waiting game for most. Students received Facebook and Twitter updates from the University, Fairfield Police Department, The Mirror, Fairfield University Student Association and InterResidential Housing Association. Twitter also indicated smaller incidents, which happened during the outage. A fallen wire of 13,000 Hertz had caused a small fire on North Benson Road. In Mahan, some students were stuck in an elevator but were eventually freed later on in
the night. Then at about 11 p.m., almost simultaneously, power was restored to all buildings, save for the Townhouses. Technically, Hurricane Sandy was downgraded to post-tropical cyclone status around 7 p.m. Despite this change, weather broadcasters had urged people to still take Sandy seriously. The damages to the University campus consisted of fallen trees and some smashed cars, but these damages seemed to pale in comparison to those in the town of Fairfield.
Flooded streets. Houses ripped to their foundations. Trees down across main streets - and that is just in Fairfield. The devastation felt from Hurricane Sandy stretches far beyond North Benson Road, Fairfield University and Connecticut as a whole. It has been reported that at least 17 states felt the effects of the hurricane as it wreaked havoc across the east coast of the United States. The hardest hit state was New Jersey, where Sandy made its landfall. According to “NBC News� yesterday, hundreds of thousands of people could be out of power in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey for the next 10 days. It is also estimated that New Jersey alone had $30 billion worth of damage, as the shoreline has been swept away by the storm. In an article from The Associated Press, in which they followed residents from New Jersey as they headed back to their houses, the reactions from the inhabitants illuminated the general feeling of Jersey residents. “It’s just sadness. It looks like a
CAMPUS | PAGE 9
FRANKENSTORM | PAGE 3
)BMMPXFFO DFMFCSBUFE PO DBNQVT EFTQJUF IVSSJDBOF By Kelsey Guerin Vine Editor
Not even a hurricane could come between Halloween and the roughly 1000 students who remained on campus. After days of limited activity, campus came alive again on Wednesday evening with a variety of University-sponsored events to keep the remaining students on campus occupied and entertained during Halloween. The biggest event on campus was “Karaoke Night� at the Levee, which doubled as a Halloween party complete with a costume contest. Although the night started out casually with about 30 students in attendance, the bar soon became crowded with students by around 10:30 p.m. “We’re regulars here,� said Brianna Levick ’15, who attends karaoke night every Wednesday with her teammates on the Fairfield softball team. “We do like five songs a night.� This time, however, Levick and her teammates were in costume, trying to make the most of their Halloween
Nicholas DiFazio/The Mirror
)DLUÂżHOG VWXGHQWV EULQJ WKH EHDFK DQG 7RZQKRXVH SDUWLHV WR WKH /HYHH WR FHOHEUDWH +DOORZHHQ in spite of the weather. But many other students at the Levee were not as frequent participants of karaoke night as Levick and her teammates. A large number
The Mirror
of attendees were displaced beach and Townhouse residents looking for something to do. Senior Kristin Alexy is one student who lives in the Townhouses
Martin O’Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief Loan Le, Executive Editor Laura O’Reilly, Managing Editor
Incorporated 1977
Affiliated with: ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS
Business Department
Email: advertising@fairfieldmirror.com Sarah Marcoux, CFO Brian Cleary, CFO Margaret Smith, Assistant CFO
and said that, although she would not normally attend karaoke night, the Halloween event was a nice way to break up the boredom following Sandy. “Since I’m not allowed to go
Editors
Danica Ceballos, News Elizabeth Koubek, Opinion Jennifer Calhoun, Sports Thomas Shea, Assistant Sports Nicholas DiFazio, Photography Luigi DiMeglio, Chief Copy Editor
The Vine
Kelsey Guerin, Editor Olivia Snoddy, Assistant Editor
Contact Information Mail Fairfield University 1073 North Benson Road, Box AA, Fairfield, CT 06824
Email info@fairfieldmirror.com
back to the Townhouse, it’s nice to get out of the BCC and stop crashing on people’s couches,� Alexy said. Bartender Gabriel Sacco ‘13 noted the increased volume of students at the Levee Wednesday night, which he attributed to both the holiday and the hurricane. “[It’s busy] because it’s Halloween, there’s a costume contest tonight, but also the hurricane definitely affected it because the Grape’s not open,� Sacco said, referring to the popular off-campus bar. Beach resident Matthew Coleman ‘13 was one of the many displaced upperclassmen who ended up at the Halloween party and had similar thoughts to Sacco. Coleman said about the Levee: “It’s the new Grape.� As if to live up to its new title, the Levee transformed into a scene reminiscent of the movie “Animal House� by around 11 p.m. With beer flying everywhere and costumed undergrads singing and chanting while standing on the pool table, chairs and stage, the Levee began
NIGHTLIFE | PAGE 4
Cartoonist Lisa Tkach
Online
Brian Arpie, Web Manager
Adviser
Dr. Tommy Xie
The Mirror strives to report accurately in all its stories. If you encounter any errors, please contact Editor-in-Chief Martin O’Sullivan
The Mirror | Week of November 2, 2012
News
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Nicholas DiFazio/The Mirror
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Campion Hall, Claver Hall and 42 Bellarmine. She stressed that two friends will always be placed together, leaving no one to have to move in with complete strangers. “It’s a team effort�, she said, to get the University back in operation and to have the seniors situated in their new homes. Even Fairfield University President Fr. Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., is getting involved in the team effort. He will house four students temporarily in his house located right off campus. In times of disaster, the President and students are working together to move forward. This temporary housing will be free of charge to the displaced seniors. The University is also working with Sodexo to offer a dining plan with reduced rates for the rest of the fall semester. While the new living situation may not be complete with all amenities, at least the senior class will not be homeless.
insurance with flood coverage may cover any charges incurred at a rental off campus, such as a hotel. Senior Patrick Mingle, resident of Franklin’s Tower, has renter’s insurance for his home. He said it was originally his father’s idea to purchase insurance. “When I bought it, I never thought something like this would happen.� He said his insurance will cover up to $12,000. Lubich advises students to look closely at their lease to understand their rights and responsibilities. Some student’s have certain obligations regarding flooding worked into their leases. Bachman’s lease states that renters will be reimbursed a specific dollar amount for charges if they decide to stay in a hotel while unable to live in his house. What students can be reimbursed for is unique for every lease, so it is crucial to review the terms of the lease. Questions should be made directly to landlords.
Landlord/Tenant Relationship
Student Reactions
Many seniors are left questioning what is going to happen with the money they have paid their landlords. Many pay rent by semester, leaving roughly two months of rent paid for when they are not actually living there. Then there is the question of the security deposit. Will renters get this money back? Most beach residents were unaware that they could get renter’s insurance for their homes. Renter’s
Seniors Matt Nardella and Nick Biagi, both residents of The Laughing Cow, have had very few conversations with their landlord. They do not have renter’s insurance and are wondering what is going to happen with their security deposit. Their house is severely damaged, with the deck completely torn up and about two feet of water in their first floor at the time of the storm. Like many other seniors,
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Nardella evacuated his house with only the necessities. He wonders how the University will expect him to do his work without his books or his computer. He is also concerned about his living situation in the weeks to come: “As a senior, my sophomore cousin is going to have a better living situation than I am.� Senior Michael Lanigan’s house, The Frozen Shamrock, is located all the way down Fairfield Beach Road. Seeing some of his neighbor’s houses fall into the Sound put the situation many seniors are in into perspective. “Losing the back wall of our garage, having two feet of sand on our first level, and missing a couple windows on the Sound side now seems silly compared to the damage our neighbors endured.� The storm surge ripped the whole bottom porch off Paige Manacek’s house, the Shangri La, leaving the upper porch luckily still standing. “It’s just awful that this is what many people’s senior year has come down to�, she says. “I personally don’t want to live in Gonzaga or any other dorm again.� She understands that the University is in a tough situation to try to find housing for the seniors, but is optimistic about returning to the beach once her house is repaired. One of the most recognizable houses located on the Lantern Point deck is the Vatican, which is now missing the entire front wall.
Vatican resident Kevin Reda ‘13 said, “There was a lot more damage than I ever thought was possible.� They hope to one day return to their house, but for now will be placed in on-campus housing. “I feel that Dr. Reed, Dr. Pellegrino, Dean Donoghue, and the Office of Residence Life have been working very hard to help students find housing,� he said. “It is an unprecedented situation for the University to try and house that many seniors, but I really appreciate the efforts they are making.�
Moving Forward Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas C. Pellegrino is confident that the short term and intermediary plans will meet the needs of the beach student population. Looking ahead “involves looking at how weather events such like this are becoming much more common place and how we will need to continually adapt our processes and infrastructure to respond to them.� Most seniors are optimistic about the future and hope to return to their houses once they are repaired, even if this means waiting until second semester. While the Class of 2013‘s senior year at the beach may have been temporarily swept out to sea, Bachman urged his classmates to come together and remember that “at least we’re all in the same boat.�
bomb went off here. There’s almost nobody here; it looks like tumbleweeds are rolling down the street,� New Jersey resident Barbara Montemarano said to The Associated Press. Fellow New Jersey native Dennis Cucci also said: “We’re running out of clean clothes. This is the last pair of dry shoes I have. It took the storm two days to wreck all this, and it’s going to take well over a year to recover from it.� The Jersey Shore, and most specifically Bergen Point, experienced the largest storm surge at 14.6 feet. It was exactly waves like that which caused such devastation to the coastline. The storm hit the shore on Sunday night into Monday and worked its way up to Connecticut by late Monday afternoon. Aside from New Jersey, New York City and especially Manhattan were hit hard by the hurricane. What followed the wind and rain added more to the crazy weather phenomenon that was already being called “Frankenstorm.� Hurricane Sandy started to produce snow at the tail end of the storm, and it wasn’t just
“It’s just sadness. It looks like a bomb went off here.� -Barbara Montemarano, New Jersey resident
trace amounts. In Tennessee, snow added up to 34 inches. Extreme weather has been less than extraordinary in recent years, but this past week has been a bit crazier than most would expect. On Sunday, Oct. 28, when Hurricane Sandy was threatening the east coast, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the west coast of Canada. The earthquake caused a tsunami warning in Hawaii, where waves peaked at five feet in the first 45 minutes of the warning. People across the country are wondering if these extreme weather events are signs of global warming. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke out saying: “There’s only so long you can say, ‘this is once in a lifetime and it’s not going to happen again.’�
News
The Mirror | Week of November 2, 2012
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kicking out students and shutting down just before midnight. A couple of residence halls also held their own programs for those who decided to stay away from the Levee on Wednesday night. Regis Hall hosted a Halloween-themed “What’s Good Wednesday,� a weekly community-building gathering that included food, costumes and a movie. Jogues Hall also screened the movies “Hocus Pocus� and “Crazy Stupid Love,� while the Resident Assistants in 70 McCormick went door-to-door handing out candy to the residents who remained in the building. With many of the students gone, the Quad remained much quieter than previous Halloweens, according to Residence Life staff members. But the same cannot be said for the campus in general. Resident Assistants (RA) were busy breaking up parties in the Village and Dolan throughout the night, and eyewitnesses reported multiple students transported to local hospitals. In an attempt to dissuade students from partying on Halloween, Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Pellegrino had sent out an email to students early Wednesday evening addressing previous behavior during the storm. Pellegrino wrote that he was “both surprised and disappointed� by some students who treated the
Nicholas DiFazio/The Mirror
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sponsibility of the Fairfield students who participated in dangerous drinking during the storm and its aftermath. “The first responders have really been taxed by this storm, and they don’t want to have to answer unnecessary calls,� Ficko said. “These guys have been needed elsewhere and have been working double and triple shifts.� Ficko went on to say that requiring ambulance drivers and other first responders to attend to Fairfield students who did not
make responsible choices on Halloween night meant taking help away from Fairfield residents still trying to cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. In response to the events of Halloween night, Residence Life has issued strict rules regarding partying on campus this weekend. All students were encouraged to go home if at all possible. For those who chose to remain, a zero tolerance policy has been placed on disruptive gatherings and irresponsible consumption of alcohol,
regardless of the drinkers’ age. â€œâ€Śif you have a loud room/ apartment this weekend and there is alcohol present, even if you are 21 or older, we will be dumping out all of the alcohol in the room,â€? Daniel Santaniello ‘13, the Village Senior RA wrote in an email to his residents. Santaniello went on to say that the need to enforce this rule is regrettable, but Residence Life has been “forced to do so by events that have taken place on campus.â€?
The Mirror | Week of November 2, 2012
News
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Hurricane Havoc Past & Present
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The Mirror | Week of November 2, 2012
News
Campus Crime Beat Friday, 10/26 2:44 p.m. – A Fairfield College Preparatory School student involved in a rollover accident on North Benson Road was sent to St. Vincent’s Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. DPS was called by Fairfield Police to assist in the incident. 8:24 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. – Six separate incidents of alcohol violation resulted in Student Conduct referrals. Sunday, 10/28 1:56 a.m. – A RA requested that DPS assist in an incident in which a unregistered guest was being uncooperative. The person was arrested for interfering with an officer and trespassing. 2:48 a.m. – A student reported to DPS that their iPhone had been stolen at a Townhouse party. No suspects have been identified. Another student reported that two Macbooks were stolen from their room in the Village. 5:11 p.m. – DPS is investigating an incident where a student was assaulted in between the Levee and the Village and required medical attention. 8:39 p.m. – ResLife requested DPS assistance with an uncooperative student who was then referred to Student Conduct. 11:14 p.m. – One non-student broke a window in the Village while in a dispute with a female student. 3:56 a.m. – One person was referred to Student Conduct for a narcotics violation in the Townhouses. *If you have information about any the these incidences, please contact the Department of Public Safety.*
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News
The Mirror | Week of November 2, 2012
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Fairfield University campus survives the storm
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Next Tuesday morning Fairfield was in a state of emergency with over 97 percent of residents without power. Streets and homes suffered severe flooding. Some roads were blocked by broken branches. Because of road blockages and the power outage, for example, FPD had used the University Department of Public Safety radio frequencies to collaborate on responding to nearby damage, including the short-lived fire on North Benson Road. Nationally, the statistics showed even more dire consequences. On Tuesday, approximately 8 million people were without power. As of Thursday evening, CNN indicated the death toll in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean was at 157. The cost of economic damage is at an estimated $20 billion, with some news reporting that it could possibly amount to $50 or $60 billion. However, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Fairfield University moves forward with the resilience to overcome future difficulties. The next day, Barone Campus Center Dining Hall provided full service to displaced Townhouse and Beach area residents and other students, an act that proved to Lubich the attempt to return to normality. “Every crisis brings with it its own unique circumstances, and Hurricane Sandy was no exception. With that said, our approach is to keep students and community
Contributed by Michael Girandola/The HAM Channel
7KH ZRUVW GDPDJHV IURP 6DQG\ VHHQ RQ )DLU¿HOG 8QLYHUVLW\¶V FDPSXV ZHUH IDOOHQ WUHHV RQ FDUV members safe, through best practices and through clear and timely communications,” Vice President of Student Affairs Thomas Pellegrino said. Dolan resident Amanda LaMattina ‘14 approved of the safety measures the University had undertaken during the crisis. “I personally felt safer there than going home. My parents actually encouraged me to stay here. I can honestly say that after the hurricane I was a lot better off staying here than going home,” she said. Similarly, Sarah McHugh ‘15
said she felt safe because “when the power went out and this storm was going on I was surrounded by my friends.” Junior Nicole Juliano, a Townhouse resident who stayed in McInnes Hall while the evacuation had been underway, said of her current situation: “The townhouses not having power is frustrating but I can’t really complain because there are students who lost their homes completely. I’ve been staying with friends in Mahan and McInnes and we’re allowed back to our houses during the day.”
Juliano and Lubich said that the University had done a good job with keeping student up-to-date during and after the storm. Parents on Facebook found the University updates to be helpful. On the Fairfield University Facebook page, Lisa Fescoe Petramale, who has a son enrolled, wrote: “They’re doing a fantastic job so far for the safety of all.” Another parent, Suzanne Taves, resided in California and said she “ really appreciated the updates.” Townhouse resident Rob Garrone ‘14 also believed the University
did its best in response to the hurricane, but still had criticism for some of the school’s procedures. “I think the university is being a little heavy-handed in its response to the storm in this instance,” said Garrone. “I could easily be sleeping in my bed in my townhouse in the dark at night instead of being in someone else’s room, inconveniencing my friends and other guests like the beach residents who really do need a place to stay. I’m not afraid of the dark.” Pellegrino also pointed other areas of improvement during natural disaster responses: “In terms of what could have been done better, I think there would be opportunity for us to streamline our communications and see to it that we were meeting reasonable expectations in terms of clarity and timeliness. That’s always something that can be worked on.” Fairfield University is eager to move on. “‘Tireless efforts’ is a term that gets thrown around a lot, but in this instance, these people have very much worked around the clock this past week adjusting to the needs of an extraordinarily difficult situation,” he said. Pellegrino said: “Suffice to say, though, that these are going to be continually challenging times. We will be there for the students, and I think the level of support received from all sectors of the University has already reaped rewards.” “As a Jesuit institution, Fairfield does this better than most,” he said.
The Mirror | Week of November 2, 2012
Opinion
Online
Send your thoughts to opinion@fairfieldmirror.com.
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OPINION | 10 Editor: (OL]DEHWK .RXEHN RSLQLRQ@fairfieldmirror.com
EDITORIAL Martin O'Sullivan |Editor-in-Chief Loan Le |Executive Editor Luigi DiMeglio |Chief Copy Editor
Cyber hype and real gripe The storm we have just endured was unprecedented. We remember it now, and we’ll tell the story to our grandchildren in this same way: It was 5:30 p.m., and everyone’s Facebook statuses went negative. The emotional barometer of our news feeds changed from ‘excited’ to ‘anxious’ to ‘frightened.’ For days (a very long unit of time by social media standards), we saw it all; witty memes about the oncoming storm, cell phone pictures of empty store shelves and even legitimately informative tweets. In short: our newest cultural phenomenon finally met the national disaster test this past week. Facebook and Twitter were around for Katrina, but these mediums have grown up a bit now. The surge of debris in the digital world could seem almost as widespread as that in the physical one. We learned of damage on campus and at the beach before we even saw it with our own eyes – and we live here! With this kind of immediacy, it almost seems natural that Fairfield emailed us at least twice a day throughout the incident with barely updated information. The issue is: A fallen tree is a simple happening, and the existence of a school day carries a lot more weight – too much to be handled by twitter-like quantities of updates. Our cross-town rivals (dare we say) got it right with the week’s cancellation notice from the start. The fate of our Fairfield lives, however, was left in suspense numerous times. But some emails were worth the effort because the student body has done wrong as well. We don’t think it will ever be written in this editorial column that drinking is bad, but we find it hard to accept the reality of drunken students being hospitalized during this particular week. If you disagree, think about how strict authorities on campus have vowed to be this weekend when the other 2/3 of campus finally returns – just because of a bad few. Keeping emergency crews from the severity plaguing the world outside our thankfully spared campus with intoxication is just embarrassing. Email away, Vice President Fitzpatrick; no fireman should have to tend to vomit as houses crumble in the sandy wake.
Martin O'Sullivan/The Mirror
Students stay positive during the beginning of the storm by having a slip-n-slide. Have an opinion about student activities during Hurricane Sandy? Have an opinion about something else? Send us your thoughts to opinion@fairfieldmirror.com
Addressing concerns for beach residents By John Bykowsky Contributing Writer
I met Hurricane Sandy with giddy anticipation. I bought a keg, picked up a few good books and screamed obscenities into the wind, daring Mother Nature to do her worst. In honor of my request, Sandy doubled down and curb stomped the East Coast. To say I was woefully unprepared is an understatement. The keg was kicked before the storm even arrived and the taps at the Levee were shut off, a true college nightmare. By the time Sandy sauntered into town, my house on Reef Road was already starting to flood. The extent of the damage is yet to be seen but it’s a safe assumption that none of the Fairfield Beach residents are getting home anytime soon. So what’s a kid to do? For those of you who decided to stay on campus like me you know that most people at the university have been running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Fairfield University gets an A for effort
with the StagAlerts but the content of those texts hasn’t been helpful in addressing the elephant in the room. Whoever is running Fairfield’s communications network really needs to brush up on his or her crisis management playbook. Any crisis management professional worth their salt would tell you that in the aftermath of a crisis the most import thing to do is “Answer the First Question” for all impacted parties. For staff this question is: "Do I have work?" For underclassmen and students living on campus the question is: "Do I have classes?" The question for seniors at the Beach is: "Where the hell am I going to live? " To be fair, the University addressed the concerns of staff and students living on campus quickly. What they have not done efficiently, as of Wednesday night, is address the needs of those living off campus. During the storm all students without a place to stay were told to sleep in the BCC. The problem was there were no sleeping arrangements. No cots, no blankets, nothing to dispel the dread of those
students seeking asylum from the storm. Now that the storm has passed, the housing survey going around is sloppy and slow. It completely fails to address the immediate situation with anything other than "go home or find a hotel." As a student who is paying full tuition I find that offensive. I’m from New Jersey; I can’t go home and I’m sure others are in a similar position. The other thing that needs to be addressed is how teachers are handling the situation. Pointing to the class cancellation policy on your syllabus and telling misplaced students to keep with the readings when most of them lost their books is frustrating. I understand teachers' intentions to effectuate a return to normality but in our current situation that just isn't possible. I know that Hurricane Sandy wasn't included in anyone's lesson plans but ignoring it and going about business as usual is ludicrous. Teachers and students need to work together to make the rest of this semester work and that's going to take some compromise from both sides of the table.
Perceiving the Sandy disaster from abroad By Salvatore Trifilio Contributing Writer
Distance may be one of the most challenging obstacles to overcome while abroad. It is not easy, but it becomes increasingly difficult when there is a tragedy back home like Hurricane Sandy. Currently Lantern Point is destroyed, New Jersey is floating somewhere out in the Atlantic, New York City is the new Venice and all of us are stranded in Europe feeling helpless and disconnected. Although being abroad has its many advantages, one of the downfalls is the difficulty of staying up-todate on what is happening at home. Ted de Nicola, a junior at DePauw University studying in Rome, was unaware of the severity of the storm until 1 a.m. Tuesday morning when the 'superstorm' struck. “We turned on the TV in the
lounge and saw the hurricane hitting. I immediately called my mom,” said de Nicola, “I saw Manhattan getting drenched, a crane hanging by a thread and the death toll was at six people. My first thoughts were my big sister, who just moved into Manhattan.” Because of massive power outages, many students have had trouble contacting family and friends. Information is limited to us abroad, leaving many worried and uneasy. Those who are fortunate enough to have family with power, or able to reach power outlets, have been able to communicate via email, video chat, or social networks. Some have not been able to reach their families, leaving them very much in the dark about the situations of their hometowns. “I’m just worried considering I’ve barely talked to my parents and my cousin is actually in a hospital
on LI cause she just had a baby,” said Maria Manis '14 who is currently studying in London, England. The storm was so damaging it has left many students in disbelief. Despite the hundreds of Facebook statuses, Twitter updates, and pictures uploaded, many students are
still having a hard time grasping what has just happened to the East Coast.
“I just can’t process it,” said Craig Hawkins, a junior at Boston College studying in Florence. Hawkins’ family owns a house in Point Pleasant, N.J. and described a horrifying scene of houses in his beach neighborhood being entirely swept to sea. He described, “The bay and the ocean converging,” and many of the local businesses having burned down during the storm. Hawkins closed by saying, “I’ve seen the videos and the pictures, I’ve spoken to people, but it hasn’t really hit me and I know it won’t until I’m back home.” Others have had the damages hit home thousands of miles away. This disaster has stressed many and left others in a whirlwind of emotions. Some students
feel helpless and even remorseful about how far they are away from their loved ones. “It’s almost like I feel guilty, being here in Italy, enjoying Florence and only worrying about how cold its going to be each day while everyone is back home in the states with windows boarded up, no power, flooded basements and streets,” said Kelsey Dumond '14. For those of us who have been fortunate enough to experience a semester abroad, we have also been presented with this harsh burden of the reality that is this natural disaster. Although we are trying to enjoy our time here, the general consensus of the students abroad is that although we cannot be home with you helping assess the physical and emotional damage, our thoughts and hopes are still with you.
Sports
The Mirror | Week of November 2, 2012
Sports 4x5 Because they like to talk ... sports.
Jennifer Calhoun Sports Editor
Michael O'Keeffe The Mate
Thomas Shea Assistant Sports Editor
Jeannine Nocera Sports Staff Writer
Hurricane Sandy took its toll this weekend/ week. What did you do during the storm?
Canisius struck early, but the Stags erased the deficit in the second half. Senior Nuno Rodrigues tied the game at one in the 66th minute with a shot from inside the penalty area. In the 82nd minute, Jordan Ayris ’15 scored the game-winner from 12 yards out. Senior goalkeeper Michael O’Keeffe made nine saves in the win and kept the Stags in the game against Niagara as well. The game turned out to be the Stags’ last MAAC game of the season, as their final two games against Siena and Marist were cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy.
Cross Country Cross Country traveled to the MAAC Championship in ESPN Wide World of Sports in Disney on Saturday. Both the men and the
For our Hurricane Sandy edition, we've added one more contributor Jeannine Nocera '15. Enjoy!
Women's soccer and field hockey head to their conference championships this weekend. How will they do?
The New York Marathon is still going to be run this weekend. How do you think you'd do in a marathon?
Despite the Hurricane, it was Halloweekend this weekend. What was the best costume you ever had?
As it is Halloween, scary movies have been playing all weekend long. What's your favorite scary movie?
I found myself stuck in a library. Then my friend got blood poisoning so I had to fight off some wolves on a cargo ship for penicillin ... Then I saw I'm not Jake Gyllenhaal.
Field Hockey shocks the conference and wins it all! And women's soccer takes the trophy back from Marist! The women are going to bring the hardware back to Fairfield.
Haha. I'm going to quote my boy Kanye here and say: "When I breathe on the track I asthma attack it ... " because I have asthma ... and would die trying that...
I'm going to say it's either when I was a witch at a month old or a sunflower at age three. The latter was around the last time I went trick or treating. I don't want to talk about it ... :(
I'm going to say the one where the demon haunts the family who just moved into a new house. And then a whole bunch of spooky and creepy stuff happens. You know what one I mean ... right?
Thankfully, I didn't pay attention to the no-candle rule because candles came in handy when Sandy hit. We told ghost stories and made the most out of the lack of water.
I've always said women's soccer will win, and now that the lads will be there to support them, there's no way they'll lose. Big weekend for the Stags.
Apparently there is a wall you run into about 5 miles from the finish line. I would have run into that wall 0.1 miles into it, realizing I still have 20 more to go ... must suck to run.
Being from New Zealand, I don't really celebrate Halloween, but I doubt anyone can beat the Bruno outfit I did one night - despite it being unintentional ...
Honestly, "Casper" when Iw was 5. ... It was horrible. ...
There was a hurricane? But really, my apartment has turned into "Hotel Rwanda" for Townhouse people. Still waiting for Nick Nolte to drop off some supplies.
Women's soccer has this in the bag, but field hockey's got a tough test. But hey, if Lehigh can beat Duke in the tournament, then these girls can upset UNH.
I was locked in the Mirror office watching "Paranormal Activity," hiding from pub-safe and Toby. If you don't know Toby, consider yourself lucky.
Please! The ladies are gonna take down the house and bring back the titles. Without a doubt! And if not, in my heart they did already. <3
Roundup of the week in sports CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
Page 13
women finished in fifth overall and fell to the first place team, Iona. In the men’s race, Connor Kelley ’15 was the first Stag across the line in 13th place and with an 8k time of 25:52.47. Junior Howie Rosas was the second Stag to finish in 15th place overall. This was the first time that two Stags have finished in the top 15 of the MAAC Championship. The next across the line for the men was John Lobo ’14 followed by Brian Cleary ’14. Senior Kyle Short and Jake Ruskan ‘15 rounded the top seven out for the Stags. On the women’s side, Maureen Crimmins ’15 was the first Stag in a decade to earn All-MAAC honors from the MAAC Championship. Crimmins had a personal best 6k time of 22:28.92, which put her across the line in 13th place overall. The top seven on the women’s side all finished
with personal best times, which propelled the Stags to a fifth place finish, which is one spot up from last season. Following Crimmins, Sam Goodnow ’13 was the next Stag across the line with a time of 22:59.21. Cate Forte ‘15, Margaret MacKenzie ‘15 and Danielle Renzi ‘15 followed her. Junior Hillary Maxson and Kelsey Murphy ‘15 finished out the top seven. Twelve Stags were honored on the MAAC AllAcademic Team, to add to the honors. On the women’s side, it was Juli Bassett ’14, Danica Ceballos ’14, Kerry Hamilton ’13, Maxson, Renzi and Meghan Sullivan ’13. On the men’s side, All-Academic honors were awarded to Matt Boley ’13, Greg Chase ’13, Cleary, Kelley, Ruskan and Short. The Stags will next co-host the NCAA Regionals at Hammonasset State Park in Madison, CT.
Isn't half of NYC under water? So let's throw all the participants a bike and call it a triathalon. Either way, I'll do the first mile before hitting the nearest Dunkin'.
Well, seeing that my 5k time is a record-setting 30 minutes, I'd say I'd beat everyone running this backwards - not to toot my own horn or anything.
This weekend I was a guy wearing a bath robe and a cowboy hat, and that got lots of love. Still love my old red Power Ranger costume though.
Pikachu. I mean, who doesn't love that little yellow mouse. It doesn't help that when I sneeze, I sound like him attacking someone with his thundershock.
Anybody who hasn't seen "Thankskilling" is missing out on the cinematic experience of a lifetime. Anything by Stephen King is also genius. They all float! Why would I ever have a favorite scary movie? I'm terrified of everything, like "IT" and "Chuckie" and unicorns and rainbows, but my best friend Toby hates "Sex and the City."
SPORTS | 12 Women's soccer earns MAAC title Online
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Week of November 2, 2012
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And the rest of your weekly roundup By Jennifer Calhoun Sports Editor
Women's Soccer The Fairfield University Women’s Soccer Team has won a share of the MAAC Regular Season Title, and they did it with style. With a 5-0 win over Manhattan on Sunday, the Stags (11-52, 8-1-0 in conference) won their first regular season title since 2002, a title they are sharing with Marist. Senior Lauren Reilly scored her first career hat trick in the 5-0 win, with the other two tallies coming from Shannon Fay ’14 and Erin Pettersen ’15. In the match, Fairfield played three goalkeepers, who combined to earn the team’s 10th shutout of the season. Sophomore Kathleen Early started in
net and was not forced to make a save. Redshirt Freshman Veronica Saez started in the second half and made three saves before being replaced by Sophia DeVita ’16, who finished off the game. The Stags also pulled out a thrilling win on senior night on Friday night against Saint Peter’s. Junior Stephanie Sutherby scored the game winner for the Stags eight minutes into overtime. The Stags had outshot the Peacocks 33-3 in the contest and held the statistical advantage throughout the game. Also, on Thursday, the MAAC announced their postseason awards, in which the Stags were honored with 18 awards. Senior Allison Walsh was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, after captaining the defense that had a shutout percentage of 55.6, which was 19th best in the nation. The defense
allowed just 15 goals, making a .80 goals-against average. Walsh is the second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year for the Stags and only the third ever. Coach Jim O’Brien was also honored by the MAAC as Coach of the Year, the first time he was honored with the award. O’Brien led the Stags to their seventh MAAC regular season title. Three Stags were also named to the First Team AllMAAC. They were Reilly, Walsh, and redshirt junior Nikki Stanton. Sophomore Megan O’Brien and Pettersen were named to the All-MAAC Second Team. Freshman Emily Wieczorek was also honored as a member of the All-MAAC Rookie Team. The Stags head to the MAAC Tournament as the second-seed and will play their first game against third-seeded Loyola on Friday at 5:00 p.m. With a win, they will go on to play with Marist
or Iona in the finals at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday to see who will make the NCAA Tournament.
Men’s Soccer The Stags split their games on a weekend long trip to play Canisius and Niagara. On Friday night, the Stags fell short to Niagara in overtime.
Three minutes into the overtime period, Niagara’s Bryan Da Cruz scored the game-winning goal. The goal and the loss knocked the Stags out of postseason contention. However, the Stags won their second game of the weekend against Canisius, 2-1.
"ROUNDUP"| PAGE 11
Contributed Photo
Women's soccer comes together before a game this season.
Volleyball Completes Comeback By Thomas Shea Assistant Sports Editor The Fairfield volleyball team won the final three sets in their match last Saturday against Iona, defeating the Gaels 3-2 and improving their winning streak to four straight matches. The Stags got down early in the first set, but with Iona on set point, Fairfield mounted a mini rally and tied the score at 24 apiece. Both teams traded points before Iona eventually pulled away to take the set 29-27. In the second set, Fairfield turned the tables, this time going up by three and within striking distance of taking the set. But the Gaels rallied to tie the score, and again the teams traded points before Iona took advantage of Fairfield’s 12 attack errors in the set to win the set, 26-24. “I think it was our mental errors as opposed to anything else … at pretty inopportune moments,” said Kara Reis ‘13, who finished the match with 34 digs, tying the Fairfield single match record. “And I think that’s what made us lose the energy that we had in the next three [sets].” Head Coach Alija Pittenger saw her team as being too “cautious” in the first two sets. “We’re the type of team that makes a lot of errors, but on top of that we get a lot of kills, so we can’t let those errors get us down, because then it’s a rough gameplan.” “I told them [during halftime] that they have to fight, and not
Thomas Shea/The Mirror
9ROOH\EDOO FHOHEUDWHV WKHLU FRPH IURP EHKLQG YLFWRU\ 7KH YLFWRU\ NHSW WKH 6WDJV LQ D WLH IRU ¿UVW SODFH worry so much about messing up, because it gets into their heads. Sometimes when they make an error, then they’re concerned about making another error on top of it.” With their backs up against the wall in the third set, the Stags jumped out to an early 8-2 lead. Iona did rally to bring the score within two, but Fairfield rebounded to win 25-21. The fourth set started off even, but with the help of a 9-2 run, the Stags took charge of the set for another 25-21 victory. With momentum on their
side, the Stags cruised to win the fifth and final set 15-5, as the Fairfield defense only allowed for two Iona kills. “We really had to win this game, and I think that just had me driving and pushing myself,” said Brianna Dixion ’13, who led the Stags in kills with 19 and had a season high 17 digs. “This is a game I knew we could win and it all comes down to mental errors … When we came out [from halftime], we came out a lot harder. “The last time we played them, we got killed in three sets, and it
was all on mental errors. … Today we saw ourselves going down that same path, and we said ‘No, this isn’t going to happen again, we’re ending it right now.'" Pittenger called the game “ugly," but was proud of her team for fighting throughout the match. “There were definitely times when they could’ve given up, but they decided not to. They did a great job fighting through that.” This is the first time this season that Fairfield has comeback from a 2-0 deficit to win the match. Earlier this season, the Stags lost
to Canisius 3-2 after gaining a 2-0 advantage. Last season, the team came back from the same deficit twice, against Siena and Canisius, both on the road. “It’s hard losing the first two, and then finding the drive and the fight to win the next three, and it’s something that our team has and we do really well,” said Reis. “We rely on each other if we need to, and we can pick each other up and make each other play harder, which is a huge reason we were able to come back and win in five [sets].” Three other Stags in addition to Dixion had double-doubles on the afternoon. Junior Rachel Romansky had her fifth consecutive double-double, giving her 14 total on the season, posting 45 assists and 11 digs. Sophomore Carsen Mata had her first double-double of her career, with a career-high 19 assists along with 15 digs, and Nicole Marzik ’16 had 11 kills and 10 digs for her second double-double on the year. The win brings Fairfield’s record to 16-8 on the season, featuring an 11-3 mark in conference. The Stags are currently tied with Niagara and Canisius for first place in the MAAC, and will host both teams next weekend, Nov. 10 and 11peni, for a shot at sole possession of first place. Fairfield plays their final four games of the regular season at home, as Rider University comes to Alumni Hall this Saturday at 2 p.m., and Loyola comes this Sunday at 2 p.m. as well.