Fairfield Mirror 12-5-12

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Mirror

The Reflection of Fairfield

MIRROR Staff Report

On the night of Tuesday Nov. 27, Chelsea Mingrone ‘14 felt stomach pains shortly before 9 p.m. She also felt sick, so she went home. She suffered from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. Other students encountered the same problems, some earlier, some later, but what happened in the end was the same: They all had the norovirus. By Wednesday afternoon, Fairfield Department of Health officials arrived on campus to investigate increasing reports of students experiencing similar symptoms. The health department confirmed on Thursday that the sickness was viral gastroenteritis, more commonly referred to as

the norovirus, according to health center Director Julia Duffy. Duffy said that within the last week approximately 100 students were affected by the norovirus. “We’ve seen about 50 students [in the health center] and we’ve heard on the phone [from] about 50 students,� she said. Of these students, approximately 6 were transported to the hospital due to dehydration. Norovirus, according to website of the Center for Disease Control, “causes your stomach or intestines or both to get inflamed ... This leads you to have stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea and to throw up.� According to Aryanne Pereira ‘13, “I could tell it was a stomach virus because I felt the same symptoms from last year’s stomach virus that was around December or so.�

Assistant Vice President Jim Fitzpatrick said that initial discussions on Wednesday afternoon between administrators and public safety indicated that food from campus dining facilities was a potential source of the sickness. “I believe four of the seven [initially affected students], there seemed to be a common thread of chicken,� said Fitzpatrick. “The fire department, in consultation with Tom Pellegrino ... and myself made the recommendation that the chicken be pulled from the dining hall. Dr. Pellegrino accepted their recommendation and asked that I contact Sodexo and pull the chicken,� he continued.

Lisa Tkach/The Mirror

Norovirus strikes Fairfield

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Vice President of Student Affairs Tom Pellegrino said of his decision on Wednesday: “I had no confirmation in terms of anything in terms of what is it, viral versus bacterial. “I just made a gut instinct call,� he continued. “I didn’t want

anyone eating chicken at that particular point in time until we could find out more ‌ It’s kind of when you’re going through your kitchen and you think that something might be expired and somebody isn’t feeling well. You throw it out.â€? According to Fitzpatrick, the town health department arrived soon after because of a call they had received from the fire department concerning students being transported to the hospital. “From the information the town had, and since all of the students affected were from all different sectors ‌ they began to suspect that it was not a case of food being the main source of the stomach problems, but it could be a virus,â€? he said. This was confirmed by the health department on Thursday afternoon according to Fitzpatrick, Pellegrino and Duffy.

NOROVIRUS | PAGE 3

1SFTJEFOU BOE SFGVHFFT DPFYist By Thomas Shea Assistant Sports Editor

Nick DiFazio/The Mirror

Management students sold Candy Grams in the BCC on Tuesday.

3BJTJOH NPOFZ BOE $ISJTUNBT DIFFS By Molly Leidig Contributing Writer

As students line up at Einstein’s to get their afternoon coffee fix, two management students, who once barely knew each other, sit together at a table selling Candy Grams to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. In a Facebook group created

for the event, Robert Lopinto ’14 said, “We will come together as a nation and not let this devastation get us down. It is time that we all join as one and show everyone that the people of the United States of America are hands down the greatest individuals alive!� The management class,

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When Kevin Bachman ‘13 began his senior year in September, it would have been hard to imagine that by the end of the fall semester, he would be receiving text messages from the president of the University on a regular basis. “He texts us all the time,� said Bachman, “Like, ‘Hey guys, hold down the fort while I’m away.’ He’s such a nice guy.� For many Fairfield University seniors, Hurricane Sandy struck at a time when they were supposed to be enjoying the thrill of off-campus living for the first time in their four years. Instead, many have ended up in the very same dorms that housed them as freshmen and sophomores, retreating back to the lifestyle of common bathrooms and meals in Barone. But for four particular seniors, the storm presented a very different opportunity. Bachman, along with his roommates Tyler Haviland ‘13, Andrew Cunningham ‘13 and Paul Rosen ‘13, have been dis-

placed by the storm, but have taken up residency at one location rarely seen by students: the home of Rev. Jeffery P. von Arx.

“My room here is three times the size of my one at the beach house.� -Kevin Bachman’13 “This is the best scenario,� said Bachman. “We’re the only people with a kitchen. We didn’t get broken up into freshmen dorms. We’re off campus. My room here is three times the size of my one at the beach house.� The four seniors are among the approximately 300 Fairfield students who needed a place to stay after the storm uprooted them from their beach houses. This group’s house in particular, called “The Lobster Trap,� sustained heavy damages to its downstairs rooms. Most of the appliances had to be replaced,

and major work had to be done on the interior of the house. “They keep stripping it more. I went down there yesterday, and we had stairs the other day, but now we don’t,â€? said Bachman. But for now, the students do not mind their new living arrangements, and their relationship with Fr. Von Arx has been going well. “He’s a real down-to-earth guy,â€? said Bachman. “People automatically assume because he’s the President and he’s so intelligent that he’ll be stand-offish. But honestly, he’s very good with us, very welcoming.â€? “We’re a lot closer to him than everyone else,â€? said Rosen. And according to von Arx himself, he likes having the boys there. “It’s been fine. They’re nice guys,â€? said von Arx. In fact, von Arx has begun to see himself in a paternal role with the students. “It’s funny ‌ somebody my age, you begin to think of them a little bit as your children,â€? said von Arx. “One of them didn’t come back [Sunday], and I guess you begin to worry a VON

ARX | PAGE 3

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