Fairfield Mirror 4/1/2015

Walking Dead

Concussions

Vine

Opinion

“The Walking Dead” season finale leaves viewers with a serious cliffhanger.

Was Chris Borland’s decision to leave the NFL for safety reasons justified?

Page 5

Page 8

Champs Sports

Men’s club volleyball won their championship.

Page 16

THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper

Week of April 1, 2015

@FairfieldMirror

Follow us!

FairfieldMirror.com

Vol. 40 Iss. 21

Bush and Pelosi discuss ‘private lives’ with students

By Catherine Veschi News Editor At the Ninth Annual Students’ Forum, two politician’s daughters spoke about what it was like to live in the public eye, but also make a name for themselves outside of their families.

Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of former President George W. Bush and Alexandra Pelosi, daughter of the first female Speaker of the House, spoke at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on Wednesday, March 25.

In the forum titled, “Growing up in the Political Eye: Private Lives in Public Spaces,” Hager and Pelosi discussed not only what it was like to grow up in two of the most important political families in the country, but also the successful careers these two women have had independently of their family names.

Hager has previously taught at a charter school in Washington, D.C., worked at a shelter for an internship for UNICEF and is currently a correspondent for the “Today” show. Pelosi has worked as a journalist for NBC, covering George W. Bush’s presidential campaign and is currently a documentary filmmaker and writer.

Hager and Pelosi gave advice to the students at the event based on the experience they have had in their careers.

Hager warned students to not “stay too married to your idea of what you want to do when you graduate from college, explore a lot of opportunities and take risks.”

She went on to say that, oftentimes, people find themselves in careers that they hadn’t planned on going into after college.

“Had you asked me 10 years ago if I was going to be working for the ‘Today’ show, I would’ve told you ‘no way,’” said Hager.

Pelosi agreed, saying, “If I was getting out of school now, I would not wor-

Britta Gunneson/The Mirror

Student panelists joined Alexandra Pelosi and Jenna Bush Hager to discuss their successful careers separate from their family names. ry about the job. I would worry about the life.”

Both women went on to discuss the influence their parents had on their futures.

Hager felt that, “our parents never put pressure on us to be one particular thing,” adding that she never felt the need to follow her family’s involvement in politics.

“My mom knew I wanted to go into education, but she never forced it. She lightly guided me,” Hager said.

Like Hager, Pelosi didn’t follow her mother’s footsteps into politics, but made a path for herself in media and, eventually, in documentary filmmaking.

Later on in the forum, Pelosi and Hager shared their experiences growing

up in well-known political families and how they weren’t all that unordinary.

“We had a very normal childhood, which is hard for people to believe, but it’s really true,” Hager said of living in the White House with her twin sister, Barbara.

At the same time, Hager acknowledged some of the opportunities she had growing up as the president’s daughter, saying, “It was difficult, but it was also really a privilege. I got to meet incredible people, and mentors that have shaped my life. I’ve also gotten to travel with my parents and experience the work that our country does.”

Pelosi also added, however, that growing up in the political eye has its drawbacks too, and that many of these

come from the media’s portrayal of political figures like her mother.

“There is a disconnect between the person we know and the person we see on TV,” Pelosi said, referring to how she sees her mother for the person she really is, but how the media sees her only as a politician.

Pelosi added that, “You can never have an honest moment in public,” criticizing the media for judging and making assumptions about people based solely on how they appear to the public.

For student panelist Jason Abate ‘17, the sophomore class president, Pelosi and Hager both “so eloquently demonstrated the extent to which the real and lasting image public scrutiny can bring on not only a politician, but their fami-

ly, while at the same time demonstrating the inherent need and passion students can and should feel in getting into public service.”

The forum was well-received by those students in attendance as well.

Junior Alexandra Kar appreciated Pelosi and Bush’s comments: “They were so real and they were so honest with their answers.”

For Myles Golymbieski-Rey ‘16, the forum showed him “just how much in a bubble they put themselves in to keep themselves shielded from a lot of negativity and political commentary.”

Senior Kelly Miraglia felt that the forum was “a reminder that the politician we see in the news is a real person and has an everyday life.”

Seniors Gallagher and Iannaccone win Business Plan Competition

By Juliana Sansonetti Assistant Vine Editor

Britta Gunneson/The Mirror

Seniors Martin Gallagher and Eric Iannaccone (right) won the Business Plan Competition with their product “Fantasy Squared.”

Eight different teams pitching their own original product ideas competed for a prize in this year’s Business Plan Competition Finale.

The finale, which took place on March 31 in the Dolan School of Business, awarded up to $20,000 to the winners to help them launch their newly-designed businesses.

Seniors Eric Iannaccone and Martin Gallagher came in first place, claiming $12,000 to help their business develop and thrive.

Dean of the Dolan School of Business Dr. Donald Gibson de-

scribed the competition as being like a “gentler ‘Shark Tank.’”

The eight finalists had been narrowed down from 18 different teams after the semi-finals in February.

According to Dr. Christopher Huntley, co-chair for the competition along with Dr. Mukesh Sud, “We had eight excellent finalists this year. Any of them could have won. They’re the best we’ve ever had.”

Each team was judged by a panel of five professional entrepreneurs based on the creativity, viability and social value of their ideas.

The business plans consisted of new apps, websites and companies.

Iannaccone and Gallagher’s first-place product is called Fantasy Squared, a website that does ranking, informing and communicating for fantasy sports, a $1.4 billion market according to the winners.

According to Iannaccone, “The idea was originally started from our own experiences with fantasy sports. We were struggling to find good information and good functionality for communicating READ

WINNERS ON PAGE 3

Page 2

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

News

CPC instills female empowerment at Fairfield

By Nicole Funaro Chief Copy Editor Former Fairfield students were back on campus last week, not to attend class, but to teach current female undergraduates how to be assertive negotiators in their future careers.

On Wednesday, March 25, the Career Planning Center and Fairfield’s art history department partnered with HerCampus to host a panel presentation on strategies for women to negotiate their salaries in the workplace. This presentation was the first of its kind, and was intended specifically for undergraduate students.

The panel consisted of Fairfield alumni from a variety of careers. Panel members included Karen Mainenti ’96, a creative director at Alene Candles; Courtney Darts ’01, an attorney; Melanie Rice ’11, a code writer; and Lindsey Ault-Authier ’06, a recruitment communications manager.

The four panelists spoke of their own experiences in advocating for themselves in their past and present jobs, and offered insight and strategies to those in attendance on how to do so in their future careers.

When questioned on the importance of women advocating for themselves in their careers, Rice said, “It’s important for women to advocate for themselves in the workplace because no one else is going to do that for you.”

She explained that women should

Contributed by Stephanie Gallo/Career Planning Center

keep in mind that companies are concerned more with their own brand and not the career paths of their employees.

“Businesses are focused on their profit and what you can do for their company, so you have to be your own advocate and make sure that you’re negotiating for what you want.”

Ault-Authier built on Rice’s ideas, explaining that women often undermine their accomplishments, while their male co-workers exaggerate their triumphs in the workplace.

While only seven percent of women tried to negotiate a pay raise, Mainenti added that 57 percent of men attempted the same feat, and they eventually got the raise. Mainenti suggested that the best way for women to ask for a pay raise is not to demand it, but instead to articulate all their efforts aimed toward the betterment of the company.

If women are intimidated to begin a conversation about increasing their pay, Mainenti suggested several

techniques that can facilitate the process.

“Benchmarking,” the first technique recommended by Mainenti, requires doing research on similar jobs and their median salaries. This way, women can enter salary negotiations with an idea of what other jobs are paying for comparable work.

Next, she recommended that women enter negotiations knowing exactly what they want. If women know they want a salary increase or flexibility in their work schedule, Mainenti explained that they will be able to keep those goals in mind during the negotiations and craft their argument around those points.

Reminding their employers of the work they already do is yet another technique Mainenti suggested for women trying to negotiate their salaries. “The more you focus on the position, the less you have to deal with the salary, and both parties become more invested,” she said.

Finally, Mainenti offered that it is essential for women to have the confidence to express what they want, explaining that negotiation can result in a situation that is mutually beneficial to both parties involved.

According to Cathleen Borgman, director of the Career Planning Center, the event drew a crowd of 30 students. However, despite the modest attendance numbers, Borgman hopes

that the panel shed light on an issue rarely discussed in such depth.

“It is my hope that women get a better understanding of their worth and how to negotiate properly,” said Borgman. “There are gender differences and knowing some of them and how to navigate the process is helpful.”

The advice from the panelists resonated with those in attendance.

“I liked how they suggested that we should immediately start talking about experience and state why you excel at this job,” said Danielle Saitta ‘17.

After listening to the advice of the panelists, Saitta says she feels better able to handle these issues when she encounters them in her future career.

“I definitely feel more prepared to tackle these issues. I think these attitudes and suggestions will help me in the long run,” said Saitta.

The advice given by the panelists was especially helpful to female seniors like Margaret Mary DeMark who are about to enter the workforce in a few short months.

“I think it is important for young women to evaluate their self-worth and to be persistent in pursuing positions with appropriate compensation,” said DeMark while reflecting on the panelists’ advice. “If you are being chosen for a position, there is a reason for it ... and a company won’t want to hire anyone who hesitates to declare her own value.”

Clam Jam to undergo significant changes

By Shauna Mitchell Editor-in-Chief Emeritus After last year’s controversial Clam Jam, the University has big changes in store for Fairfield’s most anticipated party of the year.

Historically, Clam Jam has been organized by students; this is the first year the event will be university-sponsored, due to an agreement between the university and the Beach Residents Advocacy Group, which acts as a representative for students living at the beach.

This transition comes after years of tension between students and town residents over Clam Jam, especially after a court injunction back in 2001 that limited the amount of people permitted on Lantern Point to 250.

Perhaps the most notable change coming to the tradition is the movement from the Point to Penfield Beach, less than half a mile down the road.

This year, because the event will be at Penfield, more students can legally attend.

“The biggest change is that you’ll be allowed to be there,” said Storm Miller ‘15, president of BRAG. “It’s a ticketed event, so if you get a ticket, you’re guaranteed to be able to stay.”

Having the event at Penfield also means that students will be on the actual beach, as opposed to the Point where security in the past has prevented beach access.

In addition to the location, BRAG has been working with the University to coordinate a concert for students during the event, with three opening acts performing throughout the day.

According to Miller, the concert artists

will be announced on April 18.

In wake of all the big changes, not everyone is happy with the way this year’s Clam Jam is being planned. Senior Brian Alexander said he thinks the planning process should have involved more students.

“I just know that I never voted for anyone in BRAG, I’ve never was invited to join BRAG by a group email.”

Alexander continued, “that would have been the best way to make it an open dialogue ... allow more people to join it.”

The issue of transparency and communication has already affected the information distributed to students.

“They had said all seniors were free [to get into Clam Jam], then limited it down to 500 without really any notice,” Alexander said. “There wasn’t really too much of a student input besides the three people who were at the meeting [Miller, Ellie Goepel and Kevin Gavin].”

Alexander isn’t the only student worried about Clam Jam. Sophomore Vicki Law said she is worried “that there is not enough tickets for all of the students that would like to attend.”

This concern is not unfounded.

In a Clam Jam meeting for seniors on Tuesday, Miller said that there were 1,500 tickets for the event. While he said that upperclassmen shouldn’t have any problems getting tickets, “we don’t expect many underclassmen to be there.”

Despite all of these concerns, Miller said he is optimistic that the event will be a success.

“I think everyone knew there had to be a change after last year, and this was the best option,” he said.

Last year’s Clam Jam was marked by an overwhelming police presence, including the private security firm G-Force, that many attendees considered aggressive.

“I understand the reasoning behind hiring the security and having the

I think everyone knew there had to be a change after last year, and this was the best option.

-Storm Miller ‘15 President of BRAG police presence, but it took away something so special that Fairfield students look forward to all year,” said Law. “I thought that it was excessive; there were guards almost every three feet.”

The extensive security cordon last year was a catalyst for the change in venue.

“Last year’s Clam Jam was a major disappointment for my entire class and will be remembered for its failure to live up to the expectations set by those before it,” said Former Fairfield University Student Association President Alex Long ‘14.

Miller reinforced this during the Clam Jam meeting, where he said that the Lantern Point Association plans on having similar tightened security this year, just in case.

“The reality is, if we go to the Point this year, it’s going to be worse than last year,” Miller said.

While Miller said a private security firm has not been hired yet for the event, he stressed that it will not be as aggressive as last year.

“G-Force, they were working for the Point last year, so obviously they were getting paid by the Point so they had to do what the Point wanted,” he said, “but if we decide to go with G-Force they’ll be working for us, so … it won’t be an issue.”

The biggest test for this year’s Clam Jam will be how it measures up to the Fairfield tradition. Miller said he isn’t worried about that.

“I think we can all be steeped in history but at the end of the day, if we wanted to stay in history we wouldn’t progress at all,” he said.

The University maintains a similar outlook as Miller when it comes to the event.

“I am cautiously optimistic about this year’s Clam Jam, which I see as an READ

NEW ON PAGE 4

Contributed by Shauna Mitchell via Google Images

Page 3

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

News

Sophomore proposes Spoon University chapter to Fairfield

By Britta Gunneson Photography Editor

Britta Gunneson/The Mirror

Gallagher and Iannaccone (above) presented their product “Fantasy Squared” at the Business Plan Competition Finale on Tuesday.

Winners of Business Plan Competition announced Continued from page 1 with our league members that lived far away, and we realized that there needed to be a better way to do this.”

The business plan that came in second place is called Assimilation Integration, pitched by Jia Wang ‘17 and Wenpu Tu ‘17. The purpose of the company is to help Chinese college students who want to go to school in the United States assimilate into the culture.

The company will set up camps in China that prospective students would attend to learn how to integrate into American culture, starting in Shanghai.

Wang discussed how she came

up with the idea: “I have studied here [at Fairfield] since 2009, and I am struggling with adopting the culture and learning the language by myself, so I have a lot of hard times,” she said.

“As a sixteen-year-old girl studying here, it’s really tough …

I wish I had someone to give me a heads up like, ‘This is going to be who you are here if you decide to be here be here; if you don’t decide to be here, don’t come.’ I was always struggling with thinking, ‘Should I just go back home?’ because it’s so hard for me to assimilate into this culture.”

Wang and Tu won $8,000 to help expand their business.

For those students who find themselves regularly watching programs on the Food Network or following food-related Instagram accounts, Nina Poosikian ‘17 has a resource that might appeal to you.

Poosikian is in the beginning stages of starting a chapter of Spoon University on Fairfield’s campus. Spoon University is an online “food resource” for college students nationwide.

“It’s different because it’s all food-based. Its like HerCampus a little bit ... but it’s all strictly food – restaurant reviews, dining hall hacks, how to get rid of a hangover.

It’s just funny things that people can relate to,” Poosikian said.

Spoon University would be a unique asset to Fairfield students, according to Poosikian. “Obviously a lot of people aren’t a fan of Barone’s food, so to get people different alternatives, or how to do the dining hall hacks, like stir fry station, I feel like it would be cool to change people’s minds about it,” said Poosikian.

We want people to have their own hole-in-the-wall places to discover, and show the campus that there’s more than just going to Panera,” Poosikian feels.

Poosikian discovered Spoon University through the Instagram account, @New_Fork_City, which was written about last summer on Spoon University’s national site.

“I found that over the summer and then my friend at Nova Southeastern University had just brought a chapter to her school, and said to me ‘You literally told me about this months ago, why haven’t you done anything about it?’ So a week ago, I proposed it [Spoon University] [to Fairfield], and they emailed me back the next day, saying ‘We loved your proposal, and we want to bring it.’ It’s been very quick,” she said.

Since then, Poosikian has been extensively advertising the petition to bring the site to Fairfield. She has also been preparing for the next steps to starting the chapter.

After receiving 300 signatures by March 27, Poosikian’s next task is to gather applications within the

next two weeks.

“With Spoon, there’s a way anyone can get involved.

No matter what major you’re in, no matter what interest you have, there are ways to get involved,” Poosikian said.

I want people that are committed. People who want it to succeed as much as I do. I have people who are interested in writing, and even just have a passion for leadership. If they have the commitment to be involved, those are the kind of people who I want to hear from.”

After receiving applications, Poosikian will have one additional week to pick her team. Once a staff is in place, Poosikian will have time to compile content and develop the website further.

Overall, Poosikian believes that Spoon University will be a beneficial tool for students to become better acquainted with their greater campus community.

“There’s so many local businesses to get interested in that are really cool places,” Poosikian said.

However, not all students necessarily agree that Spoon University would be a good addition to campus life.

“All the friends I know that use it go to big schools, and I feel like it wouldn’t be so applicable here. I feel like there is less to play around with here,” said Katie Dalton ‘17.

Freshman Jennifer Schwartz agrees that Spoon University wouldn’t be a well-used resource for on-campus students.

“I don’t know if people would say, ‘Oh, I’m going out, I’m going to check this first.”

Some students also feel that attracting writers for Spoon University would be difficult because of prior commitments.

“I probably wouldn’t [write for Spoon University]. I don’t feel like I have time for it, I don’t cook much, and I don’t eat off campus very often,” said Julia Fowl ‘17.

Despite this, Poosikian is hopeful that she will attract a hardworking staff who will contribute to Spoon University’s overall success. “The responses have shown that so many people believe in this as much as I do,” she said.

JUMPSTART YOUR CAREER! MPA in Public Policy and Administration MPA in Inspection and Oversight Advanced Certificate in Forensic Accounting

Ranks in top 25% of public affairs programs by U.S. News and World Report.

Nationally ranked #3 in Public Policy and #4 in Public Administration in graduateprograms.com.

Winners of both 2014 NASPAA Program Awards: Diversity Award and Social Equity Award.

Offers most affordable tuition in the NYC region, with scholarships, no-cost textbooks, tablet computer loans.

Connects students to doctoral studies and law school.

Prepares students for careers in public, independent and oversight organizations as managers, analysts and leaders.

Delivers courses online, campus-based, or Saturday - fully-online program available Offers Advanced Certificate in Forensic Accounting for professional careers in investigative accounting.

Expedites applications: apply online, no GRE exam required.

APPLY NOW!

mpa.jjconline.net/jumpstart

Page 4

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

News

New Clam Jam format will test a Fairfield tradition Compiled by Austin Wesolowski Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety.

Tuesday, 3/24 9:32 p.m. – A university bar stool was taken from a Dolan Hall apartment. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact DPS. Thursday, 3/26 8:40 p.m. – A student reported that their small purse was taken from the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola. Credit cards from the purse were used at a Best Buy store. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact DPS. Saturday, 3/28 12:25 a.m. – A non-student was stopped on Lynch Road for driving the wrong way. It was found that the student was under the influence of alcohol and was referred to Fairfield Police.

The student host was referred to the dean’s office for guest-host violations.

12:53 a.m. – An individual threw a snowball through a second floor Claver Hall window, causing it to shatter. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact DPS. 1:16 a.m. – A MacBook computer and approximately $100 were taken from a Townhouse in the 6 block. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact DPS. 1:34 a.m. – A rock was thrown through a back window in a Townhouse in the 6 block. DPS is interested in speaking with a white male with blond hair who was wearing a white sweatshirt that night. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact DPS. 11:36 p.m. – Two parked cars were hit in front of the Townhouses 3 block. The suspect fled the scene and was stopped in front of Dolan House

by DPS. The individual was determined by DPS to be under the influence of alcohol while operating the vehicle. The student was arrested for hit and run charges and for driving under the influence.

Sunday, 3/29 12:47 a.m. – Two young men had an altercation in Gonzaga Hall over a young woman.

One of the individuals involved was sent to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Conn. for trouble breathing. One male is still unidentified.

The matter is under investigation by DPS.

CAU T N O I I O T N U CA THE MIRROR Incorporated 1977

Patrick Kiernan, Editor-in-Chief Meaghan Conlon, Executive Editor Angela Sammarone, Managing Editor Editors Catherine Veschi, News Ariana Puzzo, Opinion Andrew DaRosa, Vine Juliana Sansonetti, Assistant Vine Allison White, Coffee Break Jesse Erickson, Sports Alfredo Torres, Assistant Sports Nicole Funaro, Chief Copy Editor Gabriela Piatek, Assistant Copy Editor Britta Gunneson, Photography Online Ryan Wessel, Web Master Business Department Email: advertising@fairfieldmirror.com Christopher Lapone, Director of Finance Albert Rosica, Director of Advertising Christopher Murphy, Delivery Person Adviser Dr. Tommy Xie Contact Information Fairfield University 1073 North Benson Road, BCC 104 Box AA, Fairfield, CT 06824 General email: info@fairfieldmirror.com

Continued from page 2 approach whose time has definitely come,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Pellegrino ‘90. “The idea here is to make something that is memorable, enjoyable, safe and sustainable.”

Clam Jam will be April 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Penfield Beach. Shuttles will run continuously between campus and Penfield during that time. Tickets are available for juniors and graduate students on April 6-7 and for sophomores and freshmen students from April 8-10 for $40, and can be purchased through the online store.

Tickets include a free food voucher and attendees over 21 will have free access to beer and cider. More information about Contributed by BRAG Clam Jam will become available later in the The Beach Residents Advocacy Group is involved in many of the decisions behind Clam Jam. semester.

News: In the United States

By Catherine Veschi News Editor

6.

5.

10.

2.

7.

3.

4.

8.

9.

1.

1. Glades County, Fla. - A church van full of parishioners ran a stop sign, crossed a four-lane highway and plunged into a shallow water-filled ditch early Monday morning. Eight of the passengers died, and 10 others, including a 4-year-old child, were injured.

6. Minneapolis, Minn. - An outbreak of a deadly bird flu strain spread to one of the top poultry producing counties in Minnesota is raising fears that the highly contagious disease could seriously damage the industry.

2. Ironton, Ohio - Todd Hall, a brain-damaged man accused of starting a fire at an Ohio fireworks store back in 1996, has died at a mental health facility in Athens where he had been getting help for the last several years.

7. Washington, D.C. - Two possibly transgender men tried to run their vehicle through National Security Agency’s entrance gates on Monday before guards shot one of them. The vehicle’s second occupant and a police officer were injured.

3. Hartford, Conn. - Gov. Dannel Malloy signed an executive order on Monday barring state spending on travel to Indiana and any other state enacting legislation that protects religious freedoms but ultimately discriminates against gays and others.

8. Salado, Texas - A truck hit a beam on a highway under construction above Interstate 35, causing a collapse that rained debris on vehicles, killing one and injuring several others.

Norman, Okla. - Members of University of Oklahoma fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon apparently learned the racist chant that recently got their fraternity disbanded during a national leadership cruise four years ago.

5. Los Angeles, Calif. - A 19-year-old University of California Berkeley soccer player was found dead on the eastbound 10 freeway about a mile from the campus after disappearing from a University of Southern California fraternity party.

9. New Orleans, La. - Federal public defenders have been granted more time to work on the appeal for former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who is serving a 10-year sentence for corruption. The deadline has been pushed back to April 9.

10. Denver, Colo.- Gerald Montgomery, an Uber driver, is wanted by Denver police for attempting burglary after he drove a fare to the airport and then tried to break into the woman’s home. A warrant for Montgomery’s arrest was issued on Friday.

Opinion

Opinion

Editor

NFL player considers health risks trauma injuries oftentimes inflicted by football.

His decision not only stunned Chris Borland, who is quickly be- the NFL, but it also indirectly sparked coming a household name, originally a positive promotion to all athletes releft his mark in the NFL as a former garding concussion awareness. linebacker who was recruited by the I concur with his personal deciSan Francisco 49ers when playing sion since thousands of dollars seems football at the University of Wiscon- incomparable to his overall health. sin-Madison.

I respect that Borland removed Borland not only earned himself himself from the possibility of becoma position on the team as a third round ing another statistic to memory loss, draft pick, but also received recogni- depression, head trauma and brain tion as one of the top rookies through- damage caused by chronic traumatic out the NFL that was set to make encephalopathy. $617,436 in 2015, according to ESPN. According to Boston University’s But at 24 years old, Borland re- CTE center, CTE is defined as an intired after only one season of pro-foot- curable, continuous and deteriorating ball due to the fear of long-term head disease within the brain mostly found in athletes that suffer from recurring brain trauma.

This disease is most common within football players and boxers. This trauma is caused by the build-up of tau, which is an abnormal protein that causes neuron death.

Boston University neuropathologist Dr. Ann McKee studies deceased NFL player’s brains where she reported that 47 out of 48 brains had CTE. Looking at Dr. McKee’s findings, I can’t fathom how head injuries do not take first priority among players.

Despite advances in helmet technology that help keep players somewhat safer, there is still an abundance of CTE cases that ruin lives Contributed under Creative Commons from the inside out, which is why

By Renee Nouri Contributing Writer

Editorial Board The "Ideal" Patrick Kiernan Editor-in-Chief Meaghan Conlon Executive Editor Angela Sammarone Managing Editor

Page 5

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

Angelina Jolie graced the headlines of several major news sources two years ago with her decision to undergo a preventative double mastectomy after learning that she carried a mutated BRCA1 gene, which could indicate a predisposition to getting breast cancer.

This past week, Jolie again populated news feeds with an expose in the New York Times about her second preventative surgery: the removal of her fallopian tubes and ovaries for possible risks of ovarian cancer.

Jolie stated that her reasoning behind her preventative surgeries was her family’s cancer history: Jolie lost her aunt, mother and grandmother to cancer.

Although Jolie’s first surgery

Contributed under Creative Commons

there should be programs that cater to educating players on facts about what head trauma can do.

The NFL should put more money into relieving the concussion crisis by hiring more concussion monitors.

Players should also be required to attend counseling sessions after a certain amount of concussions and more mental health resources should be present.

Personally, I can’t begin to understand how anybody can negatively comment on Borland’s resignation because unlike other football players, Borland absorbed all the facts and repercussions that could have potentially happened to him, and he made a decision based on himself rather than the NFL or the money.

Considering autopsy results that revealed large tau concentrations that drove other players such as Hall of Fame recipient Mike Webster and All-Pro Junior Seau into committing suicide, Borland can be seen as a proactive example in the fight for raising concussion awareness.

Taking into the account the influences and cases of other NFL stars, continuing football for Borland was not worth it.

In an interview with ESPN’s Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru regarding his decision, Borland said, “From what I’ve researched and what I’ve experienced, I don’t think it’s worth the risk … I feel largely the same, as sharp as I’ve ever been, for me it’s wanting to be proactive. I’m concerned that if you wait ’til you have symptoms, it’s too late … There are a lot of unknowns. I can’t claim that ‘x’ will happen. I just want to live a long healthy life, and I don’t want to have any neurological diseases or die younger than I would otherwise.”

If football is one of the leading causes of CTE and players are granted with this predisposed fact and choose to disregard it, then they are being completely foolish.

Borland was clearly in love with

elicited several sexist comments from users online that mourned the loss of her breasts, her most recent surgery received feedback on the NYT op-ed for using her celebrity positively: “Angelina Jolie Pitt…[has] done more to prevent devastating effects of cancer than any single cancer doctor or cancer hospital.”

One user’s comment, however, revealed the harsh reality of preventative measures: “I appreciate Ms. Jolie's essays about her health decisions. I do wish she would acknowledge – bluntly – that women's ‘choices’ are not always as robust as hers apparently are … Lack of sufficient health care, family finances, work situation, etc. can constrain these

the sport since, as an athlete, oftentimes the sport we devote ourselves to is all we know growing up.

As a Division I athlete myself, I know that the sport you commit to is one of the most consistent things in your life where each day is centered on an activity that contributes to the sport.

For Borland, maybe it was either watching tape, physically training for it, engaging in practice or even going on specific diets that would benefit his overall performance.

To give up a sport at a profes-

sional level after working your whole life to achieve it is not an easy decision by any means.

Borland’s decision to leave after one year in the NFL is heroic in my eyes because he has now set a shining example to younger athletes across America that one’s overall health is much more important than a sport or a salary.

Borland will not be the last athlete to be faced with a difficult decision like this, but because of his decision, he should be seen as a positive influence that those who face his challenge can look up to.

Gov. Malloy responds to Indiana law

By Ariana Puzzo Opinion Editor

Gov. Dannel Malloy’s decision to ban state-funded travel from Connecticut to Indiana by signing an executive order this past Monday is the most intelligent action taken in response to Indiana’s recent religious freedom law. Although Indiana’s governor, Mike Pence, claims that “this law does not give businesses a right to deny services to anyone,” the law is a clear act of discrimination that will lead to the ostracization of members of the LGBT community since it gives business owners the green light to deny services to customers based on personal religious beliefs. I wholeheartedly commend Malloy’s action to protest Indiana’s law because even condoning the consideration of refusing service based on a person’s sexuality is reprehensible and should be seen as a reversal of any progress made for the LGBT community. Additionally, rather than blaming Malloy’s written ban for preventing UConn's head coach and some staff from traveling with their team to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four that is being held in Indiana, we should hold the state of Indiana accountable for its decision to enact the discriminatory law. The fact that coaches cannot attend the championship is ludicrous when the solution is clear. Since there is no foreseeable way for the law to not discriminate against the LGBT community, rather than allowing the discrimination to take form, the law must be vetoed before it can spread to any of the other 19 states that are considering similar measures.

choices considerably.”

We, like most others, read Jolie’s testimony as a step in the right direction. However, this one user’s comment shed light on the opposite side of that argument. We are now dealing with an issue of “the ideal."

It is easy for someone like Jolie to get such operations done to her body.

However, she seems to not be considering the majority of people residing in the country. The fact of the matter is that Jolie is a $100 million actress with a husband who flaunts just as much – if not more – money, which makes procedures like these feasible.

We would love to live in a world where it is financially pos-

sible for all people to have access to preventative treatments.

But, according to the United States Census Bureau, 45 million Americans are still below the poverty line.

While we would like to say most healthcare providers would cover the fee for such a preventive surgery, they unfortunately do not. According to the National Cancer Institute, “The criteria used for considering these procedures as medically necessary may vary among insurance companies.”

So, even though Jolie is throwing this inspirational message around, she is also encouraging everyone to spend money they don’t have on something they “might” get in their lifetime.

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

Opinion

Page 6

Celebrities blame fans for personal decisions

By Ariana Puzzo Opinion Editor Recently, I have been seeing more and more celebrities on social media platforms such as Twitter complaining that their privacy is being invaded online and that the only solution is to deactivate their accounts in hopes of feeling more secure. Although it may seem to these high-profile people that

they have limited control of what is known about them, if proper precautions are taken, that is seldom the case.

Deactivating Twitter accounts serves no purpose other than to stir more controversy and mystery as to what these celebrities are trying to hide.

So rather than blame fans for being interested in the lives of the people who one moment are actively oversharing and then

Illustration by Armaan Sheriff

the next moment take exception to the level of interest thrust upon them, celebrities should be held accountable for what they choose to post online.

Long gone are the days that celebrities were simply known for what television show they appeared on or who they were seen doing in their time.

Since the explosion and continued growth of social media that enables anyone to share and receive new information by a click of a button, celebrities have become a multi-platform brand.

Not only are they associated with whatever show they appear on, but now they are also seen on commercials for different products that become associated with their name.

Twitter has actively helped promote these peoples’ brands by allowing many to utilize the platform as a tool to increase awareness of a celebrity’s latest projects or voice an opinion on a trending topic. Increasingly though, many celebrities complain that their work and personal life do not have a clear boundary line and that fans are overstepping personal boundaries, leading to the abandonment of all forms of social media.

Although those in the public eye deserve some degree of privacy, I have limited sympathy when these people do not consider what they are posting and how it will impact them.

For those celebrities who are afraid that they are not safe from the inherent lurkers on Twitter, I suggest that rather than deactivating their accounts and jeopardizing

their careers, they instead refrain from using Twitter in any other way than one that is simply professional. The decision to share personal information with the public is entirely dependent on the person sharing the information, and therefore, they must assume responsibility for the outcome.

Many public figures do realize that their privacy is entirely dependent on the personal actions they take when choosing what they want to share with the public.

According to The Guardian, when interviewed by Sky News, Daniel Radcliffe explained, “I don't have Twitter and I don't have Facebook, and I think that makes things a lot easier because if you go on Twitter and tell everybody what you're doing moment to moment and then claim you want a private life, then no one is going to take that request seriously."

Radcliffe’s mentality is one that is rare but should be shared by more celebrities when they are contemplating how they will choose to engage on social media.

Despite the fact that total privacy has become rare under most circumstances, being comfortable online is not out of reach for celebrities who choose to think and act wisely when choosing how to engage with the public.

If only posting about recent projects that he or she is working on makes a celebrity feel more protected, I wholeheartedly support that decision because rather than oversharing and then complaining about privacy, he or she is behaving in a way that reflects being knowledgeable of his or her own accountability.

Keep your friends close and your followers online

By Kelsey Sullivan Contributing Writer We all need friends to remain happy and healthy, an article from TIME magazine said. Within the article, Dr. Robin Dunbar describes studies in which she found that our brains can only hold connections with about 150 people, and our closest 15 friends and family are the most crucial to our well-being.

So, we all need friends to survive. A social creature like a human being isn’t built to exist alone; we are designed to live in social groups. And with the simplicity of tapping a button on our phones, it really has never been easier to make friends in this day and age. But how much can we really count on these virtual friends? As nice as it may be to think that people on these social media platforms care about what we say, the people we encounter face-to-face on a daily basis are ultimately more important.

In the completely technological and social media dependent society that we live in, a lot of people put pressure and reliance on how many followers they have on Twitter and how many likes their #throwbackthursday post gets on Instagram. As nice as it is to be “liked” on social media, does it really matter?

These followers don't count in real life.

We need to appreciate our real friends even while spending time in cyber space.

We need to take time to put down our phones and actually appreciate our friends in real life because these are some of the most important relationships that we have.

It is completely possible to have real

friends in this overly ambiguous social media age. For our generation, as much as our lives are conducted online, we must engage in our real lives particularly in overtly social settings like college.

I know that I have to constantly participate in class, have meetings with professors and make new friends throughout campus. I have been able to create sustainable relationships and have close friends because, for the most part, I have to be around these people more than I have ever had to be around other people in my life before college.

The aforementioned study reinstates to me that we don't need to rely on social media for friends because the ones that we meet and interact with in real life are more important.

And while not everyone that we meet at the Townhouses that we give our Twitter handles out to are going to be friends for life, there are ample opportunities to make the friends that will always be there through good times and bad and will also be the first to retweet and like our online posts.

However, there are surely people who use social media more for connections rather than for close friendships. For example, a lot of people, especially in the business world, may only use LinkedIn, which is only for “connections.”

I am also “friends” with certain people on Facebook that I never really talk to in real life since they are basically “just in case I need to get in touch with you” types of friends. Recognizing that the people on your social media networks are more connections than friends is important; understanding the balance of

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.

real friends and “just in case you need to get in touch with them” friends is also crucial.

All of this is not to say that there aren’t people who rely on their follower count as a form of friendship, because those people do exist and I encounter them every day.

I consider a person’s follower count more of a confidence boost than a reflection of them truly gaining friends since the way that most people interact on social media is superficial.

But, I don’t think that gaining confidence in that way is necessarily a bad thing. I think the positive self-esteem that a person feels when getting the notification of a new follower can be viewed in a positive way.

It is only concerning when those people that rely heavily on their social media following become harder to relate to because they

are so wrapped up in their presence online. I know people who have become harder to have a conversation with, especially a conversation that doesn’t involve who said what on Twitter and who the last person who Snapchatted them was.

These people should count their real friends as more important. If they get too caught up in all of those virtual friends, they are at risk of losing their flesh and blood confidants and that would be unfortunate considering all of the benefits that real friends provide, like the comfort of a hug and a shoulder to cry on.

So I recommend for everyone to take a step away from social media every once and a while and spend some time with those who are your real friends.

The Vine

arts, entertainment, features Editor Andrew DaRosa vine@fairfieldmirror.com

Poor Man's Whiskey to bring eclectic sound to StageOne

Contributed by Jay Blakesberg

Page 8

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

The Vine

Poor Man's Whiskey to bring over-the-top show to Fairfield

By Charles DeFilippo Music Columnist/ Vine Editor Emeritus Mark Twain once said, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough."

Distilled in Northern California, Poor Man’s Whiskey is a “high octane hootenanny” quintet rooted in both folk and bluegrass genres. Since their first release, “Train to California” (2003), PMW has performed at notable venues and festivals all across the country including Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, The Summer Melt Down,Telluride Bluegrass Festival and The Filmore.

If you like Willie Nelson, Pink Floyd, Hot Buttered Rum and The Allman Brothers, then PMW will appeal to you with their irresistible blend of mandolins, guitars and percussion. PMW kicked off their spring 2015 tour with two sold out shows at the Fillmore Auditorium in their hometown, San Francisco, and are headed to Fairfield Theatre Company on Friday, April 24.

PMW co-Founder Jason Beard began this journey by combining folk roots with a psychedelic Jam Band mentality which quickly matured into a versatile fusion of acoustic and electric instruments.

“Josh Brough [banjo, keys, harmonica, vocals] and I met in our 20s while in college,” said Beard.

“Essentially, we were a Pink Floyd cover band,” he said. Although Beard considers himself and feels comfortable as a guitarist, he decided to begin playing mandolin.

“I’ve played in a funk band, country band and began opening for ourselves as a bluegrass act, but the bluegrass act was more of a novelty and we were being offered to play at weddings,” added

Beard.

“Our genre is something we constantly battle with,” said Beard. “We are very loosely grounded in bluegrass and southern rock, but our roots go back to psychedelic rock. For a long time PMW tried to be [strictly] a bluegrass band with less electric instruments, but all of these elements are in our veins.

We also feel grounded as a songwriting band and try to maintain a balance at our shows,” said Beard.

Growing up as the youngest of four brothers surrounded Beard with the legendary songs of Pink Floyd. “I’m a huge, huge Pink Floyd fan and began playing along with “The Dark Side of the Moon” in a bluegrass vain.

“I wanted to do it for my own gratification,” said Beard. After taking this personal project to the band, “Dark Side of the Moonshine” [2009] was born, a double disk set which also features original tunes.

“There were high expectations for this album, playing Pink Floyd as a bluegrass band,” said Beard.

“We have toured with the album and sold out shows, but it is a double-edged sword.

We have played other covers too, but are now more careful about what we play. We are very proud of 'Dark Side of the Moonshine,' but have so much more to say.” PMW will be performing all originals at their StageOne performance, including work from

Contributed by Jay Blakesberg

their latest album, “Like A River” (2012).

PMW has performed at Fairfield Theatre Company three times, one of which featured their Pink Floyd rendition in its entirety.

“FTC is one of our favorite spots and there is always a lot of stuff going on; people are really cool, the seats are right up on stage and it is an environment to fire back,” said Beard.

“The first time we played there, I felt so nervous even though the venue was so small.

Mentally when we are playing big festivals in front of 50,000 people, it is less nerve-wracking because people become distant, a blur in the background.”

'The Walking Dead'

By Matthew Lazicky Contributing Writer Last Sunday was the season finale of the fifth season of "The Walking Dead," and it has been one of the best so far.

The entire season was fast-paced and had one of the better storylines of the series.

Unlike past seasons, there was no main villain that the group fought with for the length of the season. Instead, this season focused on Rick and his group finding people that have not been through the tortures of the world outside of their walls. It is also about the internal struggle of having hope in these desperate times.

The season started with a thrilling escape from Terminus and then being hunted by the cannibals as they try to

Contributed Contributedunder underCreative CreativeCommons Commons

find shelter. This was a great beginning to show how truly savage the world has become and what a person has to do to survive. After Rick and his group massacre the cannibals, it seems that they are becoming the monsters that they are trying to protect themselves from.

Hope is beginning to be lost as the group has to live with the actions that they have done so far in the apocalypse. This is only pushed further after Eugene reveals that he does not have a cure that would save them from becoming zombies and a botched kidnapping exchange kills Beth at the hospital sanctuary during the mid-season finale.

Multiple people lose hope throughout the season, and it gets to the point that Tyreese allows himself to die from a walker bite in the mid-season premiere. The group is now hopelessly walking, without any indication of where to go.

As this is happening, Morgan, the first man that Rick met in the apocalypse, finds the map that says where Rick is going. The last time that the group had seen Morgan he had gone crazy at the idea of losing his son and it did not look like he could survive any longer. However, in this season, we see that Morgan has made peace with his son’s death and finally catches up with Rick in the finale. Before Morgan and Rick can meet up, however, Rick’s group has to try to blend back into normal society.

They are picked up and brought to Alexandria, a sanctuary outside the realm of the Apocalypse. Now Rick and his group are given jobs, and it is an entirely different culture from that which they have lived through the past few years.

The group knows the society will not survive long if they continue to act as though there is not a savage world waiting to take everything away from them.

Rick especially finds it difficult to go back to being a cop and not just a survivalist because he knows that the people are not safe. Sasha and Gabriel struggle with their demons as well since both have lost so much in the outside world. Sasha believes she can no longer take a defensive stance against the walkers and must be more aggressive.

Sasha goes outside of the wall and tries to save her sanity by killing as many walkers as she can, even if it kills her in the process. Gabriel, on the other hand, tries to save his soul by looking at the sins of the group and this leads him to tell Deanna, the leader of Alexandria, that Rick’s group cannot be trusted.

This all leads to a 90-minute season finale that brings the plotlines of the fifth season to an end and introduces a possible enemy, The Wolves, for the next season.

Throughout the season there are hints to the Wolves, including the letter W being carved into the heads of the walkers and graffiti saying “Wolves are not Far.” It will be interesting to see how this group and Rick’s new Alexandria face off in the next season.

The season made Rick’s group face one extreme to the next, as they had to struggle with savagery and society all in the same season.

It will certainly be interesting to see what could possibly come in the next season.

Page 9

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

The Vine

Album Spoiler: 'Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit' by Courtney Barnett

By Andrew DaRosa Vine Editor Out of Australia has come one of the most unique artists of this generation; her name is Courtney Barnett. Emerging in 2012 with her first EP, “I’ve Got a Friend Called Emily Harris,” Barnett garnered attention from the indie community and since has defied the odds as an independent musician by establishing her own label, Milk! Records.

“Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit” is Barnett’s first full-length album, and it delivers a sort of attitude that Barnett can only provide. The album comes alive with Barnett’s roaring guitar and passionate lyrics. Her lyrics are cynical and provide a caustic bitterness that makes Barnett irresistible to listen to.

Evident of this is “Kim’s Caravan,” which boasts a tremendous bass line accompanied by a harmonic orchestral that is blissful to the senses.

The song contains the surreal lyrics that have become synonymous with Barnett, especially during the chorus:“Don't ask me what I really mean / I am just a reflection / Of what you really wanna see / So take you want from me.”

One complaint with Barnett is that she refuses to change her intensity and style from piece to piece, making her music generic at times. Far from musical maturity, Barnett relies on a lax tone for most of her music such as “Dead Fox” and “Small Poppies,” often stating her point of view from a slightly demeaning yet comical aspect.

Despite this immaturity, Barnett has a raw talent for constructing compositions that seem to be above the abilities of a 27 year old. Barnett’s raw talent is especially evident in the field of somber reflections.

“Depreston” is the perfect representation of Barnett’s lyrical sadness, which defines Barnett’s longing for her home back in Melbourne while she’s on tour.

Barnett yearns: “And I cant think of floorboards anymore / Whether the front room faces south or north / And I wonder what she bought it for / If you’ve got a / Spare half a million / You could knock it down / And start rebuildin’.”

Barnett has great potential in providing the music industry with her iconic style and lyrical interpretation.

“Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit” is a surprisingly good debut album that is filled with strong beats and raw vocals that become evident of what we can expect to see from Barnett in the future.

Contributed under Creative Commons

Nutrition 101:

By Katherine Falzon Contributing Writer It’s a typical weekday morning, and university students are already waiting patiently in the long line at Einstein’s for their cup of coffee to help get them through their busy day of classes, club meetings and homework. Coffee has become a necessity for many college students. After pulling all-nighters, studying for final exams or getting through three-hour turbo classes, coffee supplies students with the necessary amount of caffeine that will help boost energy levels to high rates. But a cup of coffee in the morning has been proven to pack more

Contributed under Creative Commons

benefits than just a single boost of energy.

It is accommodating enough that coffee can help people feel less tired and increase energy levels; now, studies have shown that coffee can in fact make you smarter. According to the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, when the caffeine from coffee is absorbed into the bloodstream and travels to the brain, it blocks off an inhibitory neurotransmitter called adenosine, which leads to a stimulant effect. This improves energy levels, mood and various aspects of brain function such as memory, vigilance, reaction times and general cognitive function.

If you are looking to boost your GPA, I highly suggest upping your intake of coffee consumption if you haven’t already. Or, the next time you are feeling stressed over a final exam, it might be a good idea to drink some freshly roasted coffee beforehand to boost alertness.

There are several other health benefits to coffee that aid in diet and fitness. Caffeine is one of the very few natural substances that has been proven to assist in fat burning. In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, studies have shown that caffeine can boost the

The Benefits of Coffee metabolic rate by three to11 percent. Other studies show that caffeine can increase the burning of fat as much as 10 percent in obese individuals and 29 percent in leaner people.

The next time you are thinking of heading to the gym, it might be a good idea to have a strong cup of coffee about a half-hour before working out. The caffeine from coffee has also been linked to improvements in physical performance.

According to the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, caffeine intake can increase adrenaline levels and release fatty acids from the fat tissues, making them available as fuel.

There are surprisingly many nutrients that make it into this dark black beverage.

According to SELF Nutrition Data, some of these several important nutrients include riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium and niacin. From drinking more than one cup of coffee daily, these essential nutrients can quickly add up.

Surprisingly, many studies have shown that coffee drinkers have a significantly reduced risk of developing certain types of diseases. These include type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s and cirrhosis. Coffee drinkers also have a lower risk of some types of cancer, including liver and colorectal, according to the International Journal of Cancer.

It has been proven that consuming more coffee can lower your risk of liver cancer 40 percent.

Coffee also appears to lower the risk

of developing depression, dramatically reduce the risk of suicide and ultimately lead one to live a happier life.

In a Harvard study published in 2011, women who drank 4 or more cups per day had a 20 percent lower risk of becoming depressed.

Given that coffee drinkers are less likely to get many diseases, there have been observational studies showing that coffee drinkers are also more likely to live longer and have a lower risk of premature death.

One of the most groundbreaking studies was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012.

In this study, 402,260 individuals between 50 and 71 years of age were asked about their coffee consumption.

After keeping in touch with the people surveyed for about 12-13 years, the results were remarkable, with those who drank the most coffee being significantly more healthy than those who drank less of it.

Coffee is a major source of antioxidants. In fact, it is the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S., according to researchers at the University of Scranton. Joe Vinson, Ph.D., lead author of this study, states that, “Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source. Nothing else comes close.”

Being one of the world’s most popular drinks, you can see now why this unique drink is so prevalent today.

So drink up my fellow coffee lovers, and embrace all of the rich, beneficial antioxidants that this special drink has to offer.

Page 10

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

The Vine

Let Dre Dress You

By Andrea Butler Fashion Columnist

Hey Stags!

Fashion is about more than just clothes — accessories are what make the outfit. While sentimental pieces of jewelry are amazing, it’s just as awesome to play with trends. Here are some that have been popping up all over Fashion Week and aren’t so crazy that you can’t do them yourself.

Wearing mismatched earrings is an easy way to look trendy and interesting without being too in-your-face. The key to this look is to make sure the earrings coordinate in either metal color or size. This keeps it looking deliberate, rather than looking like you were drunk when you got dressed.

Statement jewelry has been popular for a while, but this season it’s all about big, brass pieces — the bigger, the better. Pair with a simple, high-neckline shirt to keep yourself from looking too costume-y.

The '90s-throwback choker is still popping up all over the runways. The classic black plastic model is perfect if you want to go for the cool blogger vibe, but an even fancier jeweled design is perfect for looking high-class and sexy.

Pendant necklaces are the perfect remedy for an otherwise boring, oversized blouse. A rich, gold design will make your outfit instantly fancier. This is ideal for when you need to be business casual, but still really want to wear jeans.

Remember: accessories are supposed to be fun, but just like alcohol, moderation is key.

Enjoy your week, and stay beautiful!

Love,

Dre

Contributed under Creative Commons

Shana Tucker performs the Wein Experimental Theater

By Juliana Sansonetti Assistant Vine Editor Performing at the Wein Experimental Theater at the Regina A. Quick Center was much different for Shana Tucker than her usual performances onstage in Cirque du Soleil.

Tucker, a cellist, singer and songwriter

Contributed under Creative Commons

who has been performing in Cirque du Soleil since 2012, performed at Fairfield on Friday, March 27.

In describing her time playing for Cirque du Soleil, Tucker said, “It’s like being in high school free period, you know? [It’s like] the high school lunchroom because people are very funny and they don’t take themselves too seriously, so it’s a really positive work environment. ” The theater was set up to look like a jazz club, lending to the calm and informal atmosphere of the concert.

Small round tables were spread around the theatre for audience members to sit at.

The theater was dimly lit with candles at each table.

Tucker performed an assortment of songs from her new release of her “SHiNE” album, a re-release of an independentlyreleased album of the same name.

Some songs

performed included “November,” “Shine” and “No Get Back.”

Tucker also performed “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega, asking an audience member to help by playing maracas for her.

The audience became involved in the performance, clapping along and laughing at Tucker’s many quips and comments.

“I might need you guys to help me with this one; I’m not sure if I’ll be able to remember all of the words,” she said laughingly.

Getting more serious in between songs, Tucker poured her heart out to the audience, stating, “I went to school for cello performance, but my profession, my calling if I may, is storytelling through songwriting.”

The performance, however, was not all about Tucker. She made a point to step away for a little while, allowing her band to take center stage.

“I know you all came to see Shana Tucker. But I also know that I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for [my band]” she said.

Tucker, who has known that she wanted to be a professional musician since college, describes herself as a “chamber soul” artist.

She blends classical chamber music with a soulful vibe.

When asked where she gets inspiration from, Tucker said that she finds it in many dif-

ferent things. She may find it by giving voice to certain characters in stories through music.

She also finds inspiration in her personal life.

“I listen to a lot of jazz, I listen to a lot of new soul and new R&B. I listen to a lot of old funk. My inspiration’s all over the place.”

The best part of being a professional singer, according to Tucker, is being able to connect and collaborate with other musicians and have musical conversations which bring the songs alive to her.

“That kind of exchange is so … I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s something I hope I never take for granted. It’s similar in gratification, but not the same as performing for people and experiencing this invisible energy when they are appreciative of what’s going on or when something I’m singing about, they respond to like ‘Oh my God, how did you know?,’” she said.

“To be able to speak a truth through music that somebody else might be thinking or experiencing, but doesn’t have the same tools to articulate it musically, and can know that I’m kind of representing them, it makes me feel like all the work that we do to present or to practice or to prepare is not for naught.”

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

The Vine

Page 11

Book Look:

By Georgina White Book Critic

Contributed under Creative Commons

Inkwell Spotlight 'Reflections'

By Marc Lee Executive Editor at The Inkwell

They told me to write about something weird. So I did.

It’s the weirdest thing I encounter all day, yet so many never think twice about it. It’s concerning, how it watches motionless, as we enter and leave without paying it any mind. It’s odder still when we stare into it, and find it staring back.

People say that it’s not about what you look like in the mirror; that a bit of glass doesn’t have power over you. But, not many seem to believe that, and even those who do come back and perform their rituals before it day-after-day.

We pass it, wipe it clean, use it to shave, make faces at it and sometimes even cry before it on our worst days. And all that time, it’s watching us. Learning about us. Storing each motion and emotion within it, as it replicates our faces and notes the time and the paces we take before it. For all of our life it watches; for some, it may even know us better than we do, for others, it’s the only thing that sees us as we really are.

All this happens, unthinkingly, every day. Yet for all that the mirror sees and knows, for all that trust we have in holding it close and keeping it in our homes, we don’t even know what the mirror looks like.

Perhaps that’s why it’s the faceless figure with skin as fragile and smooth as glass. Who appears each night in my dreams wearing the faces of people who I thought were long past, and speaking the words I’ve said so many times, only in reverse. Who scared me so much that it stuck in my mind to call out when they asked me to write about something weird in my life.

“The Traveling Symphony: Because survival is insufficient” are the words painted on the side of a caravan. The traveling troupe of actors and musicians who inhabit this caravan risk everything in the name of art and culture. It is years after an apocalyptic pandemic, as the nomadic group of actors travel through the Great Lakes region representing the idea that we need art to thrive in this world.

The story opens earlier when Arthur Leander, the character that binds them all together, suddenly dies of a heart attack one wintry night on stage performing in “King Lear.” Jeevan Chaudhary, a paparazzo turned EMT, jumps at the chance to save a life - a famous celebrity’s life, no less.

Kirsten Raymonde, a child actress in the play, watches in horror as the curtain drops and Arthur’s life drains from his body. The night of this tragedy, the Georgia flu becomes a real threat to North America. It was thought to be contained in Russia and the surrounding countries, but evidence appears to prove the contrary.

Even though the epidemic becomes a pandemic spreading everywhere imaginable, people rush to their cars, clogging the highways, most eventually abandoning their cars and setting out on foot as life deteriorates

around them.

Now, 15 years later, Kirsten still belongs to the Traveling Symphony, surviving in the name of art for humanity.

Unfortunately, no one can survive without committing some act of violence, usually in self-defense.

A small knife is tattooed on the people who have killed someone, denoting how many kills each person has committed since the pandemic broke out.

Kirsten also has a line from “Star Trek” tattooed on her arm, the same quote written on the side of their caravan: “Survival is insufficient.”

In their travels, they encounter a violent prophet, whose name is as mysterious as his past.

He is a master of brainwashing who has many followers.

Mandel weaves stories seamlessly from before and after the pandemic all connected to Arthur.

“Station Eleven” teaches us never to take the world we live in for granted and to stop sleepwalking through life.

Imagine: “No more Internet. No more social media, no more scrolling through litanies of dreams and nervous hopes and photographs of lunches, cries for help and expressions of contentment and relationship-status updates.”

As you read, perhaps you will wonder if you, too, would be able to survive in a barren world void of our technological comforts.

Coffee Break

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

Page 12

COFFEE BREAK Editor: Allison White

... As Overheard in Barone Compiled By Allison White Coffee Break Editor

“I’m definitely one of the top 10 funniest people.”

“I’m pretty sure the Easter Bunny is my dad.”

Scan the QR code below with a smartphone to read more of this week’s overheard quotes!

“I’m so hungry I could eat a whale.”

“I love more breaks after a break from a break.”

“Bring back the green bagels.”

“Did anyone else hear a turkey crying in the woods last night?”

“Can we all get together to have an Easter egg hunt?”

“The music in Barone is making me feel like I’m at a middle school dance.”

Tweet us your #OverheardBarone comments @FairfieldMirror and be featured next week!

t ’ n DoAsk Meg

Need horrible advice?

Submit a question to info@fairfieldmirror.com

Dear Meg, Easter is just around the corner, but I’m not ready for the cruelty that awaits me. Every year, the Easter Bunny decides to give me fruit and veggies instead of chocolate. What is Easter without chocolate bunnies though? I just want to be like other teenagers that eat themselves into a chocolate coma. The Easter Bunny has some explaining to do. What can I do to change his mind?

Sincerely, Chocolate Deprived Dear Chocolate Deprived, Easter is a wonderful time of the year that produces a feeling of hope. Chocolate is definitely a positive aspect of the Easter season. I don’t know how you have survived without chocolate bunnies all these years. You definitely need to have a talk with the Easter Bunny. Try staying awake for him. Maybe he’ll understand your preference for chocolate bunnies.

Always keeping it real,

Meg

Play some...

Sudoku

How to play: Complete the puzzle by filling in numbers one through nine (with no repeats or missing numbers) in each column, row and 3x3 square.

Sports

Page 13

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

SPORTS

Sports Editor: Jesse Erickson » sports@fairfieldmirror.com

Sophomore starter leads lacrosse to success

By Jesse Erickson Sports Editor Fairfield’s women’s lacrosse team has become a leader in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

The Stags are 7-3 overall and 2-0 in conference play after crushing both Siena and Manhattan and look to continue with this aggressive momentum. Although the team attributes their success to their group effort, one athlete stands out above the rest.

Sophomore Alex Fehmel, a 5-foot-7-inch midfielder, has emerged as a leader out on the field. In her freshman year, she knew how to play the game, but now she’s learned to play Fairfield’s game. Throughout her entire first year with the team, Fehmel started in nine games and played in 15 of them. She had a combined 18 points for her team, scoring 12 goals

recorded her first ever collegiate hat and adding six assists to her trick, helping to contribute to the record.

13-9 victory. In the MAAC opener Trailing close behind against the Manhattan Jaspers, she her older teammates, posted an impressive five assists to she took 37 shots for the help crush the Jaspers 12-3 at Rafferty season, posting a .500 Stadium. shooting percentage. This Midway through the season, season, she posts a .368 Fehmel leads her entire team with a scoring percentage, but combined 25 points. she’s already taken 38 shots She’s posted 14 goals, only two only 10 games into the goals behind her elder teammate, season.

Julieanne Mascera ‘15. Beyond the “I understand the ways goals, Fehmel has excelled in our team plays a little better,” setting up scoring opportunities said Fehmel, “and I can - she sits at fifth in the entire definitely see the field better as MAAC for assists. a midfielder since last year.”

“I just drive like I’m Fehmel has proved to be a going to go to the goal and huge asset to the team, whether she’s then draw the double,” scoring or setting opportunities said Fehmel, “and keep up for her teammates to my head up while I’m score. In the close game against driving to try to pass the Central Connecticut Contributed by Sports Information Desk Sophomore Alex Fehmel leads her team with 11 assists. ball to someone.”

State University, Fehmel

She’s helped Mascera become the leading goal scorer of the team, with Fehmel recording 11 assists overall so far this season. Taking on the role as a leader as only a sophomore can be a daunting task, but Fehmel likes the challenge.

“It’s a lot of pressure, I guess, but I like it,” said Fehmel. “I like the role that I play here.”

Starting and playing in all 10 games, Fehmel hopes to continue on with the momentum she has seen in both herself and her team.

Fairfield currently leads the MAAC conference. Although picked to finish third in the MAAC, the Stags are hoping that the success they’ve seen so far will bring them to the MAAC championships and even an National Collegiate Athletic Association berth. The team will look to take on Iona at Rafferty Stadium on Wednesday, April 1 at 3 p.m.

#ICYMI in Sports: In their first-ever Colonial Athletic Association game against Drexel University, Fairfield men’s lacrosse team topped the Dragons 7-4 on Saturday, March 28. Drexel outshot the Stags,35-23, but Tyler Behring ‘17 was able to keep his team on top, making a total of 16 saves throughout the game. Drexel was only forced to make three saves.

The Stags saw goals from Drew Federico ‘15, T.J. Neubauer ‘16 and Tristan Sperry ‘15.

The team will look to take on their next CAA opponent, University of Massachusetts Amherst, on the road.

Fairfield women’s softball team dropped their two-game series to Canisius this past weekend. The Stags fell short of just one run in the first game, losing to the Golden Griffs 6-7. In the second game of the day, Canisius defeated Fairfield 4-1 after an early lead that the Stags were not able to overcome. On Thursday, April 2, the Stags will take on Central Connecticut for a two-game series before hopefully returning home for their game on Alumni Field against Hartford.

This week in sports: Wednesday, April 1 Women's Lacrosse vs. Iona, 3 p.m.

For the first time under coach Bill Currier, Fairfield was defeated by Canisius in their three-game series where the Stags were only able to pick up one win against the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference favorites. The Golden Griffs, voted to finish first in the MAAC, defeated the Stags, voted to finish second, 5-4 in the first game and 6-5 in the third. In the second game of the three-day series, Fairfield was able to knock off Canisius 9-3. The Stags will return back to action on Wednesday, April 1, as they take on NYIT away.

The Varsity 8 won both of their races on Saturday, March 28, posting two impressive race times under seven minutes. MAAC opponent Marist posted a runnerup time nearly seven seconds after Fairfield clocked in. Fairfield’s second Varsity 8 placed second in both races, which was still an impressive finish for a team that has not been able to get much practice in. The women’s team will continue on with this pace so that they are prepared for the MAAC tournament scheduled to start in May.

Baseball at NYIT, 3 p.m.

Thursday, April 2 Softball at Central Connecticut, 4 p.m.

Friday, April 3 Baseball vs. Iona, 11 a.m.

Saturday, April 4 Men's Tennis vs. Boston University, 11 a.m.

Women's Lacrosse at Niagara, 12 p.m.

Photos contributed by Sports Information Desk

Softball vs. Hartford, 12 p.m. & 2 p.m.

In this week's issue...

-Golf swinging into tournament play (Page 14) -Tyler Behring earns honors for defensive play (Page 15) -Three number-one seeds highlight Final Four (Page 15) -Club Volleyball fights for League Championship (Page 16)

Men's Lacrosse at Massachusetts, 1 p.m.

Baseball vs. Iona, 3 p.m.

Tuesday, March 31 Baseball at NJIT, 3 p.m.

Contributed under Creative Commons

Sports

Page 14

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

Golf swinging into tournament play

By Patrick Kiernan Editor-in-Chief With the warm weather approaching and the snow dissappearing, both the Fairfield men’s and women’s golf teams are eager to hit off the tee box under sunny rays.

At the same time, their goal is to play some Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship-worthy golf.

In the MAAC Coaches’ Preseason Poll released in February, the men’s team was selected to finish first in the conference, while the women were nabbed to finish in fourth.

“Our expectation is to win the MAAC, and that’s our biggest goal,” said Ricky Dowling ‘15 of the men’s team. “We’re working hard, training hard, practicing hard and everyone on the team shares that one goal.”

In the fall half of their season, the men won the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championship. They placed second and third in two other fall tournaments, and now look to enter the spring with a great amount of confidence.

Thus far, the men’s team has played two invitationals since the semester started, and performed underwhelmingly at fifth and 13th place.

“Those [tournaments] were more to get our feet under us,” said Dowling. “We took the positives, we didn’t shoot anything crazy low.”

Regardless, the men will look to three of their seniors to be in the driver’s seat toward the MAAC Championship: Dowling, Patrick Lynch and Steve Burak.

These are three of Fairfield’s four lowest shooters, with Eric Austin ‘18 also proving instrumental to the team’s success, averaging a score of 76.

The men still have three more invitationals to play in prior to the conference tournament, all in either Connecticut or New Jersey. The weather will definitely be a factor on how well the team performs.

Nonetheless, Dowling sees no reason for anything to stand in the way of the team’s MAAC Championship quest.

“Everyone shares the belief that the team score Contributed by Sports Information Desk Senior Ricky Dowling (top) and Katie Rockwell '15 will lead their teams this is more important than the individual score, and - that notion drives your individual scores down,” said

x

Downing.

The men will take to the course next on April 11 and 12 at the Northeast Invitational in Baltic, Conn.

The women’s team, on the other hand, will get back to it next Wednesday at the Hartford Hawks Tournament in Bloomfield, Conn.

While they were not selected to finish as high as the men in the MAAC, they see no reason not to be crowned the champions of the conference.

“I expect us to win MAACs,” said Emma Ritzmann ‘15. “We met all the MAAC teams in the fall in our tournament then, so our expectation is to win the conference.”

In the fall, the women left with a first-place victory in three separate tournaments. Out of six fall invitationals, the women only finished outside the top 10 in two of them.

For the team to stay successful, there are four core players who have to play well: Ritzmann, Katie Rockwell ‘15, Olivia Brooks ‘16 and Michelle Applegate ‘16.

These four lead the team in average score per round by about four, averaging 80 or 81 each.

Thus far in the semester, the women’s team has played in two tournaments, finishing 12th in the first one, and third in the next.

“We just wanted to get out and play on grass again,” said Ritzmann. “We didn’t do as well as we should have, just because we didn’t have time to practice very much. We wanted to see where our games were at, find our weaknesses and have them improved upon before conference play.”

According to Ritzmann, the team’s success will mainly come from the chemistry and camaraderie that they have developed.

They are made up of six upperclassmen, and just one freshman.

Having spent years with each other will prove vital on the course, even though golf is an individual sport.

The women will go to each other with tips and advice about how to improve their game, and reassure each other after a rough day.

Now, both the men’s and women’s golf teams will be preparing for their upcoming tournaments, but they are most excited for the MAAC Tournament which will begin on April 24.

Your 2014-2015 4x5 Columnists:

Patrick Kiernan, Jennifer Calhoun, Matthew Schneider and Jesse Erickson

Men's club volleyball won their tournament. Thoughts?

Now that it's down to the Final Four, who's going to win the tournament?

Chef's Table, Firehouse Deli, Freshii, or Country Cow?

Excited for Easter Break?

Ever gotten a parking ticket?

How many?

Umm ... good for them. Go volleyball and stuff and things. Oh, and sorry to Jesse's mom.

Kentucky's gonna cap off the perfect season, and I'm going to become a VERY rich man after winning a $20 pool consisting of 50 people. One at a time, ladies.

Country Cow without a doubt.

Best bacon, egg, and cheese I'll ever have.

I'm always excited for Easter and Christmas 'cause my brother is nine and believes in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. I learned two days ago that he no longer believes in either of them. Sigh.

Nope, but I drive the wrong way outside Townhouses 5 Block every day. Do your job better DPS.

Didn't know we had a men's volleyball team! Good for you men's Jennifer Calhoun volleyball!

Well I have Michigan State in a Sweet 16 pool so Michigan State!

Country Cow! Is this a question?!

HOLY F-----G S--T YES.

TOO MANY TO COUNT UNLESS YOU'RE COUNTING. THEN IT'S LIKE SIX.

Good for them, keep up the great work Jon Jones!

Michigan State, I'm hoping for the upset!

Umm ... Archie Moore's? Those wings doe.

Who wouldn't get excited for a solid chocolate bunny?

How many tickets before they boot your car? I've lost track.

I'm so happy that my time at the gym brought me a sports story and a winning one at that. AND FYI, that apology just probably fueled my mother's fire.

Oh my god have you seen my 4x5 picture? I promise I don't do drugs.

I'd have to go with Chef 's Table, although I haven't been to Country Cow yet. I'm a big fan of Chef 's Table's omelettes and soup.

I am not excited to work Brunch Buffet at Tavern 1757 (check us out, NY Times wrote about us).

I have five parking tickets because apparently having a job off-campus in order to pay for the tuition here does not warrant me to have a car but YOLO.

Because we have witty things to say ...

Patrick Kiernan Editor-in-Chief

Executive Editor Emeritus

Matthew Schneider Assistant Sports Editor Emeritus

Jesse Erickson Sports Editor

Sports

Page 15

THE MIRROR | Week of April 1, 2015

Tyler Behring earns honors for defensive play

By Travis Day Contributing Writer Head coach Andy Copelan could not have asked for a better three-game stretch from Tyler Behring '17.

In his first three career starts, Behring combined for 38 saves and 15 ground balls. Behring couldn't have asked for a better run himself, earning “Inside Lacrosse” Sector Player of the Week, Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week and National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Defensive Player of the Week all together after his first two starts.

In a position drastically changed by the graduation of Boston Cannons draftee Jack Murphy '14 and the later injury to Brad Nordstrom ‘18, Behring has stepped up and quelled any doubts to the Stags' depth in net.

“We have a great connection with all of the guys on the team,” said Behring. “We have trust in everyone. One guy goes down, and we're ready for the next guy.”

Behring made his first career start in an away matchup with University of Massachusetts Lowell on Tuesday, March 17, following a win versus Colgate University that had snapped a three-game stretch of one-goal losses for the Stags.

On the heels of an 11-goal performance from the Fairfield offense where nine different

players found the back of the net, Behring registered a six-save and six-ground ball game of his own in the 11-5 win.

A bigger challenge awaited him later in the same week, as Fairfield played host to then #20 Villanova University.

Fairfield emphatically shut down the high-powered Wildcat offense, which was averaging 10.29 goals per game. On the shoulders of a 16-save outing for Behring, the stout defense from the Stags kept Villanova off of the scoreboard for 40 straight minutes, including the entire second and third periods.

“It was pretty nerve-wracking to just be thrown in there, but it was obviously very exciting,” Behring said. “I feel like I was ready to take that step, and my teammates trust me to help them lead the way.”

In these first two starts, Behring registered a 3.56 goals against average to go along with an impressive .759 save percentage, good enough to get the attention of Inside Lacrosse, the CAA and the NCAA for his trio of weekly accolades.

This was no flash in the pan, as Behring and the Stags headed to Philadelphia on Saturday, March 28 to take the defending CAA champions Drexel University.

In their first conference game of the season, Fairfield had to grind out a 7-4 victory, helped along by Behring's 16 saves, matching his

Contributed by Sports Information Desk

career-best against Villanova.

Fairfield supporters, and no doubt Copelan, feel that the drought of NCAA tournament appearances has to come to an end sooner rather than later.

The Stags have not made an appearance since the 2005 campaign.

Since Copelan's arrival in 2009, the Stags have posted winning records in both overall and conference play in all but the 2011 season (8-8, 3-3 ECAC).

The 2013 Eastern College Athletic Conference first round game against #3 Denver saw Fairfield drop a heartbreaking 10-8 decision, after having pulled out a 10-9 win just 12 days prior when Denver was ranked number one in the nation.

The 2014 season saw them inch closer, reaching the championship game but ultimately falling short with another narrow 9-8 loss to Air Force.

“We're not looking too far down the road, but focusing on the CAA and winning that means we make it back to the tournament,” Behring said of the team's postseason aspirations.

“So that's our only goal right now.”

In a season where all four losses have come by one-goal margins, the Stags could just as easily be standing on an undefeated record.

Staying consistent and putting up complete games on offense, on defense and in goal will prove to be vital to Fairfield's success going forward as they look to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade.

“We want to stay consistent and keep stringing together wins,” Behring said. “Building on that, we hope to be the number one team in the league going into the conference tournament, and be able to make a run at NCAAs.”

Tyler Behring '17

-NCAA Defensive Player of the Week -"Inside Lacrosse" Sector Player of the Week -CAA Player of the Week

Saves by game: vs. Colgate: 11 vs. UMass Lowell: 6 vs. Villanova: 16

Against Villanova & Colgate -3.56 goals against average -.759 save percentage

In high school: -earned 4 varsity letters -562 saves -.620 save percentage

Three No. 1 seeds highlight Final Four

By Matthew Schneider Assistant Sports Editor Emeritus With the Final Four drawing near, basketball fans everywhere are making their predictions for who will make it to the finals, and if their brackets are still intact, rooting desperately for their champion to make it to the next round.

Though this is one of the most exciting times of the sporting year, this year’s Final Four is a little more mundane than it often is, with three No. 1 seeds making up the majority of the remaining teams.

Based solely on seeding, common sense says that there is an overwhelming chance that a No. 1 seed will become the national champion for the third time in the last five years, but that is not necessarily the case.

Many are predicting an upset by No. 7 seeded Michigan State, as the Spartans’ resilience and tendency to get hot has drawn many comparisons to the UConn Huskies, last year’s national champions.

Looking at the way that Michigan State has played against some excellent opponents, such a prediction is not necessarily out of the question.

The Spartans were able to handle the highflying Louisville offense, down an excellent Oklahoma squad and generally handle business against lower-seeded teams, thanks in large part to fine play by Travis Trice and superb coaching by head coach Tom Izzo.

Trice has been playing his best throughout the tournament, putting the team on his back when they need him most. Izzo has been no slouch himself, leading the Spartans to his seventh Final Four appearance.

It will be up to these two men to continue to take control of Michigan State if they are to have any shot of winning the title.

On the other hand, the remaining three teams are no pushovers themselves.

Duke University, considered by many to be a team full of future NBA players, has one of the most talented squads in the game. Led by top player Jahlil Okafor, this is a team to fear. Adding to this, their head coach Mike Krzyzewski has been even more successful than Izzo, making it to 12 Final Fours during his time at Duke. They will not be an easy team to face.

University of Wisconsin is another talented No. 1 seed in this year’s Final Four. The Badgers

showed their skills by dispatching a pair of talented teams in University of North Carolina and University of Arizona, and took care of business against their lesser opponents, avoiding any upset losses. Led by head coach Bo Ryan and top scorer Frank Kaminsky, the team has made it to the Final Four two years in a row, and has a good chance to win it all.

The final remaining team in the Final Four is something of an enigma.

The uber-talented, undefeated University of Kentucky absolutely annihilated West Virginia University last week, doubling their opponent’s points.

However, they almost lost their most recent game (though, to be fair, it was against an excellent University of Notre Dame squad). This scare demonstrated some of the team’s weaknesses, and unless the Wildcats get consistent play from their top players, they are in serious danger of getting their first loss of the season over the next couple of weeks.

I predict that Duke will triumph over Michigan State in the finals, though the sports fan in me hopes that the Spartans can pull the championship off.

Contributed under Creative Commons and Kentucky head coach John Calipari a team to the Final Four this season.

SPORTS 16

@MirrorSports Fairfield Mirror Sports

Sports Editor: Jesse Erickson » sports@fairfieldmirror.com

Week of April 1, 2015

Alfredo Torres/The Mirror

Club volleyball secures league championship

By Alfredo Torres Assistant Sports Editor After a long two-day tournament, Fairfield men’s volleyball club became the New England Club Volleyball League Champions.

Fairfield faced off against Marist in the championship round where they went 3-0, with a final score in the last game of 2523.

The Stags started the tournament on Saturday, March 28 and faced off against three different teams.

Having the advantage of the home team, playing in Alumni Hall, Fairfield was victorious in all matches but one, where they lost to the Community College of Rhode Island. After a day of great play, the Stags anxiously waited for the next day to capture the championship.

On Sunday, the Stags took on Sacred Heart University and beat them in a two game set, 25-17 and 25-21.

Advancing to the next round of play, the University of New Haven Chargers put up a fight but the Stags were ultimately able to defeat New Haven in a three game set, 25-21, 23-25 and 15-12. The championship round came down to Fairfield and Marist, where Fairfield’s skills were put to the test.

Heading into the game, captain James Law ‘15 knew how these championships had ended in the past. Being a member of the team for four years and losing in regionals in three of those years, Law knew that the team needed to change their mindset in order to get the win.

“I told them that we’ve been working all season for this and it all leads up to this,” said Law. “We’ve had such a great year that we don’t want to ruin it now. Just play your hearts out.”

In the first set, getting the win was no problem for the team.

The Stags cruised in the first match ti clinch a 25-19 lead. However, Marist turned up the intensity in the next two sets. At one point in the second set, Marist held a 10 point lead. The Stags powered through, however, and were able to win back the set

Alfredo Torres/The Mirror

27-25.

“When we were down in the second game everyone on the team came together and we all pushed for the win,” said Law. “Our fans were awesome and so were our players on the bench.”

In the third and final set, Marist continued to be relentless despite their two game deficit.

“Nothing was given to us,” said Paul Malaspina ‘16. “Marist made us fight hard for every point down to the very last point of the third set.”

Down late in the third game, the Stags were able to come back and narrowly edge Marist 25-23.

Cheers and screams resonated through Alumni Hall, as the players and fans joined together in celebration. Law couldn’t have been happier with the team.

“We played really well. There were some spots where we weren’t playing as good as we should,” said Law, “but the leaders on the team really talked to everyone and got everyone to settle.”

After a long season full of many tournaments and long hours of practice, the Stags were finally able to execute and win the championship.

“These guys are the hardest workers and best teammates you can ever come by and they really showed it, not just at this tourna-

ment but throughout the whole year at every practice,” said Malaspina. “So, it is no wonder why we were able to achieve such a great outcome.”

Next season the Stags will have to manage play without their team captain as he is set to graduate this year. But the team has learned from their leader, and they will continue to take what they learned and apply it in upcoming seasons.

The Stags will be returning back for the fall season with nearly a full roster, including Danny Joseph '17 and Malaspina.

The team will look to keep their title achampions of the New England Club Volleyball division.