Fairfield Mirror 10/21/2020

THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper

Week of October 21, 2020

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Vol. 46 Iss. 6

Stags Prepare to Vote on Nov. 3

By Molly Lamendola Vine Editor Though it feels like it’s uttered around this time every October, this presidential election year feels special. It’s not just the COVID-19 pandemic, the questions raised about the safety of mail-in voting or the incredibly polarized nature of politics; but statistically, this election is different.

We’re talking about voter registration. Already, voter registration across the country has shattered previous records. According to USA Today, Texas alone has added an additional 1.8 million voters since 2016, with many other states and counties all over the nation seeing a significant increase as well.

In Connecticut, the record was previously set in 2016, when 2.1 million voters were registered by Election Day. Yet, according to an Oct. 14 statistic by NBC Connecticut, 2.2 million people are registered with just under two weeks to go until registration closes on Oct. 27.

Connecticut too has the option of allowing for same-day registration and voting, and thus this number could extend even further past the end of October.

This collection of two million new registered voters usually leaves out the population of 18 to 29-year-olds, as less

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than half (46.1 percent) of that group voted in the 2016 Presidential Election. The good news is that, as always, there is room for improvement, and the voter turnout for this age bracket was the only range to increase from the 2012 Presidential Election, by about 1.1 percent.

Since that 18 to 29-year-old population constitutes the majority of the Fairfield University demographic, Fairfield is trying to do its part to increase voter turnout this election year.

As reported last week by sports editor and executive editor of The Mirror, Julia Lanzillotta, the athletics department has registered 100 percent of student athletes to vote.

For non-athletes, Fairfield is doing a number of things to not only help students register, but help them cast their ballots as well. The first stop for all should be to check out fairfield. edu/vote where you’ll find information on how to register or submit an absentee ballot for whichever state in which you reside.

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Beach Quarantine

Opinion Fairfield beach students are in a mandatory quarantine due to the rise in Covid-19 cases Page 5

New on Netflix

Continue Reading Voting on Page 2

Who’s Allowed on Campus? New Gate Restrictions Hit Campus

By Danielle Sondgeroth News Editor

Since students living on the beach have been restricted from campus for two weeks, speculation arose as to whom exactly is allowed on campus. As the new

COVID-19 restrictions keep rapidly changing with the exponential rise in positive cases on campus, it’s practically impossible for every student to keep track of all of the new campus traffic regulations.

At the start of the semester, Fairfield created a visitor committee to determine exactly who would be allowed to come to campus.

According to Alison Hildenbrand, director of undergraduate admissions, “the COVID visitor committee consisted of folks from across campus and set policy on every type of visitor to campus- admission visitors, those applying for jobs, people attending mass or weddings in the chapel, guest speakers for classes, corporate recruiters, etc.”

The University was fully prepared to tackle the visitor issue as the virus spread throughout campus.

Outside guests are prohibited, unless they have been approved by the University.

Todd Pelazza, director of the Department

of Public Safety, confirmed this, stating that “currently, access is restricted to students, staff and faculty.”

Tours are still being offered on campus, but they are limited to one family per tour guide.

Ride shares, such as Uber and Lyft, are allowed to pick students up and drop them off, but they are prohibited from leaving their vehicles. Some students have discovered that this also applies to anyone dropping off a student, like a parent or friend.

Just last week, new measures were put into place to monitor every person that enters campus. Pelazza said that the University has been compiling a list of people who are restricted from campus.

“We currently have data on who is not allowed on campus,” he said. “That data is checked, preventing unauthorized entry.”

This week yielded 15 new positive COVID-19 cases among students, bringing the total number of student positives to 300 for the semester. Despite the seemingly large number, 217 students have been cleared, testing negative for the virus after previously testing positive. Compared to the past few weeks, the campus infection rate has decreased significantly.

Students living in Claver Hall have been cleared to return to normal campus life this week, while students living at the beach still have another few days left in their quarantine.

According to vice president of student life, Karen Donaghue, in a webinar on Oct. 9, eight percent of all students living at the beach tested positive for COVID-19—a stark difference from the average campus infection rate of one percent. Zach Dayton, deputy director of athletics, also confirmed that the infection rate among student athletes was 8.8 percent.

That’s about 44 students out of a total of 499.

Fairfield’s COVID-19 dashboard was also updated on Tuesday, to provide more information, including specific data about the remaining beds in the Conference Center and the Holiday Inn, and the average infection rate across campus. However, there is still no information about the infection rates within individual residence halls.

Out of 87 total positive cases currently active, only 18 are present on campus, quarantining in the Conference Center. There are 20 total students being housed

Emily in Paris is just perfectly shallow enough for good TV! Page 8

Women’s Basketball

Continued on Page Three

Weekly Campus COVID-19 Data

By Danielle Sondgeroth News Editor

Vine

in the Conference Center as of Tuesday, two of whom were positive from previous tests in earlier weeks.

There are 44 empty beds. 30 beds are occupied at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, where there are 20 remaining beds left unoccupied.

Fairfield still remains in COVID-19 Status Level: Orange; but, cases have significantly decreased from the high infection rates of the past few weeks.

Sports Lou Lopez-Senechal, Rachel Hakes and Katie Armstrong have been selected as the captains of the Fairfield University women’s basketball team.

Page 16

Data compiled from Fairfield’s COVID-19 Dashboard by Danielle Sondgeroth.

News

THE MIRROR | Week of October 21, 2020

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Fairfield Students are Poised to Vote

Molly Lamendola/The Mirror

Continued from Page One Zachary Quinones, program coordinator at the Office of Student Engagement, has even written a few guides on the Civic Learning & Democratic Engagement portal on Life@Fairfield. Here students can access a “2020 Presidential Election Guide” with some common questions students ask when registering to vote in Connecticut, and a list of all events happening in October in the “Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement October Events” article.

You also may have noticed a few emails in your inbox about voting and what Quinones is doing to help students vote and register easily.

Have you ever wondered if you have to register to vote in the state you’re from? The answer is no! If you live on campus you can register to vote in the state of Connecticut! This means that there’s no need to sign up for an absentee ballot, as you can just pop over and vote in-person, so long as you feel safe and comfortable doing so.

Though voting can be very nerve racking, my

roommate and first time voter, Jasmine Nguy ‘22, says she’s excited to finally vote. When I asked her why she chose this election to participate in, she said, “voting is just something important to do.”

Fairfield seems to recognize that there might be quite a few first-time voters, as not only Nguy, but all of my roommates are voting for the first time this election, and I’ve heard of many students who are in the same boat.

Here are some quick tips if it is your first time voting in-person: Bring either your social security card or any sort of ID that shows your name and address. In the town of Fairfield, your Stag Card is actually an accepted form of identification when voting. Fairfield University will be providing the town registrar with a list of students living on campus so they can easily verify your address.

If you’re worried about transportation to polls, Fairfield is also covering that. Shuttles will depart throughout the day on Nov. 3 from the traffic circle in front of the Barone Campus Center. The University is also partnering with Uber and Lyft to provide discounted rates for students

going to polling locations in the town of Fairfield, as voting can take over an hour, this more flexible transportation might be of preference to students.

Over email, Fairfield University Student Association President Vincent Gadioma ‘22 stated the importance of voting.

“For many students, this year may be their first time voting in a presidential election. It is important to vote because every single vote is an opportunity for widespread impact and lasting changes. By voting, you have a say in what you want your community to look like.”

FUSA Vice President Tobenna Ugwu ‘22 reiterated that sentiment, stating, “it is very important to vote. Voting is an opportunity to use your voice, and many people around the world don’t have the right to do so. By voting, you are standing up for all those disenfranchised and left without a voice.”

If students have any further questions, or need any help regarding voting, please reach out to the Office of Student Engagement at engagement@fairfield.edu.

News

THE MIRROR | Week of October 21, 2020

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Campus Security Increases Gate Restrictions Continued from Page One

Compiled by Colleen Vann Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety.

10/7 1:05 a.m.

An officer observed a vehicle backing out of a parking spot at the townhouses and hitting another parked car.

1:41 p.m.

A student reported that their vehicle had been vandalized in the Jogues Hall parking lot. The incident is currently under investigation.

The LiveSafe green check mark is still required for anyonThe LiveSafe green check mark is still required for anyone entering campus who isn’t just dropping someone off or picking them up. Security guards at the gates are required to scan every student’s StagCard upon entry.

“All members of our community must fill out the daily health verification survey in order to access campus, as well as use other services,” said Pelazza. “Currently we are requiring students to show IDs as well, as they enter campus.”

It seems like the restrictions on who can come to campus haven’t completely changed since the beginning of the semester, but campus security has certainly become tighter as students are required to show proof of identity to prevent restricted parties from arriving on campus. Overall, these restrictions are keeping the student body safe.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

10/10 3:30 p.m.

Large outdoor gatherings in the area surrounding townhouse blocks eight, nine and ten were reported to DPS via an anonymous tip on the Livesafe app. The gathering was dispersed and those involved were referred to student conduct.

11:36 p.m.

A non-student was caught entering campus via the Fairfield Prep gate. They were issued a Criminal Trespass Warning and escorted off campus.

10/11 9:30 a.m.

A microwave from townhouse block one was found outside on the ground, damaged. The students were referred to the Office of Residence Life.

10/13 11:15 a.m.

A two-car motor vehicle accident involving a University vehicle occured at the Central Utility Facility. No injuries were reported.

To Read More of Crime Beat, Visit fairfieldmirror.com

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Mass Goes on Despite Pandemic

By Marc Stacey Contributing Writer The COVID-19 pandemic is still lingering across the country, and is especially affecting college campuses. Stags are happy to be back at Fairfield University; however, campus does look a bit different this year.

Social distancing guidelines have been implemented, and many events either aren’t happening this fall, are postponed or are completely different than in the past. One thing that COVID-19 can’t stop, though, are Sunday services.

As a Jesuit university that has ethical and religious values, and provides opportunities for students to grow in their faith, Fairfield’s Sunday services are of the utmost importance to the community and a weekly tradition for many students.

Even though masses are happening every Sunday, they’ve changed quite a bit this semester. For starters, mass is now held in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts rather than the Egan Chapel of Saint Ignatious of Loyola.

Mass is offered several times throughout the day on Sunday at 11:00 a.m., 5:00

p.m., and 9:00 p.m. A newly added 7:00 p.m. slot has also been in the rotation, but starting Nov. 1 it will no longer be offered, due to lack of attendance. Masses are being streamed via Zoom as well. To make up for not being able to be there in-person for the community aspect that Sunday mass brings, a lot of people are participating in mass virtually.

“I’m really impressed with the amount of people that have been using the Zoom platform to attend mass,” Fr. Michael Tunney S.J. said. “The fact that they are able to find something valuable in mass by being off campus and not there in-person is amazing, so God bless them.”

Although Sunday mass is still happening every week in-person, the limitations definitely make the experience different.

“One thing I’ll say is that those seats in the Quick Center look way too comfortable,” Tunney said, laughing. “I often wonder how long they are going to stay awake before they nod off.”

He mentioned that he’s been trying to bring more energy to the mass and engage the community that is there in-person, despite the experience being limited.

The social distancing guidelines and the fact that mass is contactless provides some difficulties because Sunday services can lose that community aspect with students having to sit six feet apart.

“Two of the biggest things that people come to mass for are community and great music, and it’s not the same.

There are lots of barriers to the experience that are still difficult to overcome,” Tunney noted.

Despite the restrictions, Sunday mass is still a privilege, and an amazing opportunity for students each week.

D.J Ciampi, a Fairfield senior who is also one of the leaders of the eucharistic ministers, explained that it’s been a unique experience, while difficult to adjust to as well.

“It’s been nerve wracking to run,” Ciampi said. “Students are a bit discouraged by the lack of community because of the strict guidelines in place for the semester.”

Ciampi said that although the numbers for attendance have dropped significantly, he urges students to take advantage of the fact that masses are still in-person.

“Although everything is contactless, it gives us a chance to hone in on our individual relationship with God, especially in a time like now, when we’re always thinking,” Ciampi said.

Tunney’s message for those who may feel discouraged about the different mass setup this year is simple: Go to mass!

“The Quick Center can hold up to 150 students, even with limited capacity.

We’re not even coming close to that number,” Tunney emphasized. “It’s no fun preaching to an empty auditorium. Get in the pews, and let the mass do the rest!”

The Mirror is the recognized student newspaper of Fairfield University. Opinions and ideas expressed herein are those of the individual student authors, and not those of the Fairfield University or its Board of Trustees Photo courtesy of fairfield.edu

News

THE MIRROR | Week of October 21, 2020

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Fairfield Celebrates Role of Jewish Women in Women’s Suffrage

By Andrew Murphy Staff Writer Judith Rosenbaum, Ph.D., delivered a lecture on Wednesday, Oct. 14 titled, “Speaking in a Political Voice: Jews and the Fight for Women’s Suffrage.” Rosenbaum, who is the chief executive officer of the Jewish Women’s Archive, held the event in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment being ratified. The event, hosted by Fairfield University’s Bennett Center for Judaic Studies, occurred over Zoom and featured a questions and answers session following the lecture presentation.

Rosenbaum placed emphasis on many Jewish women who contributed enormously to the suffrage movement. She highlighted the stories of upper-middle class figures, such as Ernestine Rose, the first known Jewish-American suffragist, Anita Politzer, a key figure in the National Women’s Party and Maud Nathan, a leading member of the National Consumers League.

The presentation also focused on working class Jewish suffragists. One such figure, Rose Schneiderman, popularized the phrase “Bread and Roses.” As Rosenbaum described it, this phrase advocated not just for the right to basic necessities, but also the things that make life worthwhile and beautiful.

This focus on labor rights extended to other causes, such as civil rights and peace protests, as well. Within the synagogue, women experienced an increase in representation thanks to the suffrage work of Jewish women.

The lecture addressed some of the arguments which prevented women’s

suffrage. Many people believed political participation would erase the traditionally definitive attributes of womanhood at the time. Additionally, Rosenbaum noted how, within the Jewish community, organizations generally dismissed the suffrage movement because of the anti-semitism often associated with it.

The movement was not a cohesive, unified entity. On one hand, Jewish women and immigrants worked towards suffrage both to become involved in American society, and to reach the ideals that the society strives for. At the same time, Jewish women were one of the many groups who faced discrimnation within the movement.

Rosenbaum responded to a number of questions and comments from participants on the call. One attendee pointed out that many Jewish suffragists seemed to live well into old age. Rosenbaum acknowledged that their work involved significantly more logistical steps because of the lack of technology, so these extended lifespans are thus all the more impressive. She mentioned how their fight for suffrage could

very well have provided them a reason to live.

Another attendee asked Rosenbaum what she imagines these suffragists would think of the world today. Rosenbaum reflected on how, in many ways, there would be a large notion of disappointment over the continued need to fight for voting rights, but she also mentioned how many of these women probably would have expected this lack of change in general politics.

By the end of the event, Rosenbaum had clearly emphasized a few key points. In the Jewish community, households and society at large, the movement’s emphasis on male engagement appeared as a recurring theme.

Women’s suffrage also existed as a necessary step towards the advancement of Jewish people and all minority groups. Jewish suffragists recognized an overall increase in social tolerance as a key to promote change for their community.

“The fight for voting rights is obviously not over yet,” said Rosenbaum, referencing the incompleteness of the centennial anniversary being celebrated. “The movement reminds us that to make social change, you have to pursue many different strategies and work within many coalitions of people.”

“Democracy is never a finished product,” she continued.

“Suffrage is such an antiquated and archaic word, that it distances us from the larger issue of voting rights issues within modern politics.”

Rosenbaum finished the lecture by imploring the audience to continue the fight of these suffragists with this one final message: Photo courtesy of fairfield.edu “Please vote.”

Steph Gallo Talks Virtual Internships

By Catherine Howley Contributing Writer

This week Steph Gallo, director of career planning for the College of Arts and Sciences, shared some insight and pieces of advice for students, in regard to virtual interviews and internships. Gallo knows how difficult this time can be for students, so she is here to offer all the help she can to Fairfield University students.

“If you embrace the idea of a virtual internship, there are a lot of opportunities,” Gallo said.

She knows that virtual internships can be daunting to those who have never had an internship before, but cannot stress enough how important it is to keep an open mind.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States so abruptly, no one really had time to adjust back in March. While internships changed drastically over the summer, with many being rescinded, more and more companies have now shifted online, embracing the idea of virtual internships because they know work still needs to be done.

Overall, there has been a slight dip in the number of internships students are receiving. Gallo has noticed this slight decrease and expressed that there are a number of factors contributing to it. It is important to realize that this dip is not due to companies not hiring, but more so due to college students not knowing what to do.

Many college students who are living on their university’s campus fear they have no space in which to conduct their virtual internships, as some students are confined to their dorm rooms, which are shared with a roommate(s).

Now, more than ever, is a great time for colleges to consider becoming a bit more creative and introducing rooms that could be designated for students to use specifically for virtual interviews and internships.

Here at Fairfield, the Aloysius P. Kelley Center has interview rooms that have been made available to students, as well as designated rooms in the library. Any student who would like to reserve a room in the library for a virtual interview can do so by calling (203) 254-4081.

One of the leading factors seen in this recent decrease of student internships is money. There has been a decrease in paid internships, which has led to an issue of equity, as some students cannot afford to take on unpaid internships.

Gallo also shared how Fairfield U has not been able to offer its students as many opportunities to receive internships at companies such as NBC Sports, like the University has been able to in previous years. Fairfield used to have a leg up on companies like NBC

Sports, located in New York City, during the school year. Representatives from NBC Sports would come on campus to speak with students and award them internships that they could complete during the school year. This year the University was not able to do that.

As Gallo pointed out during the interview, there is much more competition among Fairfield students when it comes to internships this year.

Normally, the only competition Fairfield students have are with students at neighboring schools - this has since changed due to the majority of internships Photo courtesy of @stephggallo being done remotely. on Twitter Students now have to compete with others throughout the entire country for remote internships. However, this can also be seen as something beneficial to students. Having virtual internships allows for students to apply for one anywhere in the country. As Gallo stated, “this is the flipside: students are no longer limited to companies in their surrounding areas.”

Gallo has no doubt in her mind that students will continue to receive internships.

“Interns serve as a very important purpose to companies, creating a pipeline of talent that companies need,” said Gallo.

When it comes to the interviewing process, Gallo stressed how important it is to nail all interviews. She also explained how not all virtual interviews are conducted the same way, which is something all students should keep in mind and for which they should be prepared.

The first way a virtual interview can be conducted is via video chat platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. The second way a virtual interview can be conducted is through a pre-recorded interview that you must send into the company. With these types of interviews you must have concise answers, as you are only given approximately 30 seconds to prepare your answer and one minute to actually answer.

Gallo encourages all students who are interested in applying for virtual internships to take a look at Interview Stream. Interview Stream allows students to practice recorded interviews. Fairfield gives all of its students access to this platform.

“It is the best interview prep tool the University has access to,” said Gallo.

It is important for students to remember to smile at the camera during virtual interviews, as the camera serves as the person in this situation. Always be prepared to answer behavioral questions, and reflect on what you have done in the past to make yourself the best candidate for any internship.

“Make employers not want to let you go, become an expert in something, become indispensable...do your work so well that they can’t imagine work without you,” said Gallo.

This last piece of advice Gallo gave is something all students should keep in the back of their minds when they are working any job or internship. Everyone fears how they can remain good at their job or internship, but as long as tasks are completed with perfection and done to the utmost degree, you will have nothing to Photo courtesy of fairfield.edu worry about.

Opinion

Opinion

THE MIRROR | Week of October 21, 2020

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Editor Maria DiGregorio» maria.digregorio@student.fairfield.edu

Banning Beach Students from Campus was Imperative for Safety

By Sam Raffalli Contributing Writer

The increase in cases, and the resultant action by the University should not come as a surprise. It is impossible to control every individual in a given area and it is idealistic to expect full cooperation for practicing public health guidelines. People come from varying places and backgrounds, and some interpret restrictions on their everyday lives as a threat to their freedom entitled to them as Americans. Even if these sorts of people are an anomaly, the negligence of one person can lead to the infection of hundreds.

It should be noted that this is not a criticism of Fairfield University’s students exclusively. Upon speaking to Boyle, she made it clear that the beach environment has been “really quiet” and she has not seen her friends or classmates around.

“The few students I have seen walking around Lantern Point have all been wearing masks...The senior class took Friday’s email very seriously and has done a great job respecting the rules put in place by the University,” Boyle said.

It is important to recognize that students are not the only ones to blame. The beach area is also home to numerous Fairfield County residents who reside there permanently, all of whom have their own obligations and agendas that may involve exposure to the virus.

No matter where the source of the increase in positive cases stems from, the University’s choice to close campus to Fairfield beach students is necessary.

Fairfield has put the health and safety of their students at its forefront, as evidenced by their stringent, comprehensive approach to combating COVID-19.

It is imperative that Fairfield University maintains a safe environment for its students, faculty and staff. While actions such as closing campus to beach residents are unfortunate, they are absolutely necessary in order to keep the on-campus community as safe as possible.

There is still tremendous uncertainty about what the future holds for us, our school and our world. So for the time being, the best course of action is to reduce, as much as possible, the harm that the virus can cause. Even though the eradication of the virus may seem like an insurmountable task, it is a necessary one. We must remember to continue wearing our masks and distance ourselves from others.

This is our responsibility to one another.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been on the mind of everyone since its unwelcome emergence in early 2020. Since then, scientists and health officials have become aware of the pandemic’s magnitude and the rate at which it continues to spread. Mitigation techniques, such as social distancing, mask wearing and quarantines have been employed to slow the spread of the virus. Thus, it should be understood that improper execution of such measures will directly correlate with increases in COVID-19 cases and restrictive decrees by the University.

Here at Fairfield University, the aforementioned mandates, and other directives, are in effect to protect the community at large. Despite this, there has been an unfortunate spike of COVID-19 cases near the widely popular beach area.

In response, vice president of student life, Karen Donoghue, sent the following in an email on Oct. 9: “Effective at 8p.m. this evening, Off Campus Boarders (i.e., beach students), are restricted from campus and associated class related off campus sites for the next 14 days, through October 23rd.”

In the email’s essence, Fairfield University’s students living at or around the beach area are barred from entering campus until Oct. 24.

In the meantime, these students will be taking their classes remotely.

Senior beach resident Kristen Boyle shared her thoughts from a student’s perspective.

“I was really upset when I first heard the news about Fairfield’s decision to ban off-campus students from campus. It’s a difficult time in the semester, with midterms, to not be able to do work or study on campus and I was upset because even though my roommates and I were all negative we were still forced to quarantine.”

Boyle included that while she is unhappy with these circumstances, she understands that the University is making decisions that prioritize Photo Courtesy of @fairfieldu on Instagram the safety of its students and the weakening of the virus.

Election Day Approaches and with it Comes Questions By: Cat Howley Contributing Writer

Election Day is quickly approaching; it is just shy of three weeks away. A common question has been lingering in the back of Americans’ minds: will President Donald Trump win the 2020 election? Where the polls are at right now, former Vice President Joe Biden is in the lead with 54 percent and Trump is not too far behind him with 42 percent.

Many, including myself, are excited to see if President Trump will have the same success as he did back in the 2016 election. We see a very similar situation with this year’s election as we did with the 2016 election. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ran against President Trump for the 45th spot as President of the United States. In the end of that year’s election, Hilary Clinton had won the popular vote over her competitor, but President Trump succeeded in winning the vote of the electoral college. This came as a great shock to me, and led me to consider how deceiving the polls can be during an election, as the decision of who will serve as our country’s president is ultimately up to the electoral college.

President Trump’s win in 2016 came as a shock to most Americans. Many believed Clinton would have won the election, as she was in the lead for the popular vote. President Trump’s victory reminded Americans, myself included, that the popular vote does not determine who wins an election. The ultimate decision is left in the hands of the electoral college.

It is interesting to see that President Trump has found himself in the same position for this year's election as he was in during the 2016 election. While Biden is in the lead right now with polls, I do think President Trump has a strong chance of winning this year’s presidential election.

In our country, history has repeated itself time and time again. There have been 22 presidents in our country's history who ran for re-election and succeeded, while only 10 presidents have run for re-election and failed. These statistics show that the odds are in President Trump’s favor when it comes to who will win the 2020 Presidential Election.

As of right now, Biden is favored to win this year’s election. In an article from The Telegraph, it explained that the 10-poll average indicates over half of Americans will back Biden in the election.

In a polling that was conducted by NBC/Survey Monkey and reported in an article from CNN, a majority of Americans expressed how they have little confidence that this year’s election will be conducted fairly. Specifically, 55 percent of American adults have reported that they are either “not too confident” or “not confident at all” that this year’s election will be conducted fairly.

That leaves only the remaining 29 percent of American adults having somewhat confi-

dence in the election.

President Trump has repeatedly expressed and questioned the fairness of the upcoming election which has also led me to question the fairness of the election. If our very own President does not have confidence in the election, how am I supposed to have confidence in the election? With that being said, I have also taken into consideration that maybe President Trump has questioned the fairness of the election as a result of him not feeling confident in his ability to win. After all, the polls are in Biden’s favor, which can be nerve-racking for President Trump.

This year’s election is like no other. Our country is still being affected by a global pandemic that struck us back in March. Many Americans still fear leaving the comfort of their homes to go places. Due to this, mail-in ballots have been provided as an alternative to having to vote in-person. There has been talk about mail-in ballots being miscounted, which is something that I do think could happen, as counties across the country have been receiving an influx of mail-in ballots in comparison to previous years.

As a college student, and someone who is still learning more about the election process and what it entails, I do have some concerns in regards to the current voting process. These concerns have come from the media and the discussions centered around miscounting ballots.

This is a mistake that I know can, and should, be avoided. It would be a great shame to Americans and our country’s reputation if it was discovered that this election was not conducted fairly.

This is the first ever election I have voted in, and I wish the circumstances of our country’s current state were better. Since I am not a resident of Connecticut, I had to fill out an absentee ballot and mail it back home to the county I am from in New York. All of the talk about the miscounting of ballots has made me fearful that there is a chance my ballot may be miscounted.

Our country has suffered through a lot this year. With that said, I am happy that the 2020 Presidential Election has been proceeding with some normalcy, despite the skepticism and critiques about the election process that have surfaced. While the polls show that former Vice President Biden is currently in the lead, I do think it is possible, and quite likely, for President Trump to be re-elected. As I stated earlier, America’s history has repeated itself time and time again, with a majority of our country’s presidents serving two terms upon running for re-election. In just a few short weeks, our country will decide who they see as the best fit to serve as our country’s 46th president.

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 21, 2020

Opinion

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Legalizing Euthanasia Will Lead to More Problems than Solutions

By Katherine Kelly Contributing Writer

Euthanasia has always been a very difficult topic to discuss. It has been a source of controversy in the world from the very conceptualization of the term. Euthanasia is when someone with severe pain or a terminal illness is assisted in taking their own life, as a way to have a ‘peaceful’ death. Over the past few years in the United States, states have been slowly legalizing medically assisted suicide, with strict regulations.

The topic of euthanasia can be very divisive due to everyone having their own beliefs and morals. From my perspective, as an individual and as a nursing student, euthanasia should not be legalized.

Euthanasia involves a physician physically providing the lethal dose to a patient. In the United States, some states accept assisted suicide, where physicians are providing the medication to the patient, but the patient takes it themselves, without physical assistance from another person. Assisted suicide is only one step away from being euthanasia. Some of these states supporting physician-assisted suicide include Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Vermont, Colorado, Montana and D.C. From the first notion of euthanasia people have been divided on the topic. As a society, the United States has struggled around the discussion of suicide and mental health. Now, in 2020, the topic of purposefully having a medical professional take the life of their patient at the patient’s request is staring us right in the face.

One potential social consequence of legalizing euthanasia in the United States is that we would be devaluing human life at the end of life. At the end stage of life, many people can die comfortably, peacefully and with dignity, through hospice care. In relation to euthanasia, the United States is relatively behind other countries around the world. For example, in the Netherlands they have legalized the right to euthanize children with terminal illnesses. Another social consequence would include the decreased protection of people with poor access to healthcare. The vulnerable population, including the elderly, poor and minority groups who might not have access to healthcare treatments or support that could rid the need for euthanasia.

In the United States, when one requests physician-assisted suicide where it is legal, there are a number of criteria that person must meet to gain access to the lethal medication dose. This involves being 18 years or older, being a resident of said legal state, being qualified as mentally competent to consent and having the ability to self-administer the medication. They also need to be terminally ill, meaning they only have six months or less to live. In the United States, it is illegal for a physician to prescribe the medication for assistive suicide when someone is unable to consent. In other places around the world this is not necessarily true, especially in relation to involuntary euthanasia. Some examples of this are giving euthanasia to someone with dementia or giving it to a child, which has been seen in other countries.

Some people feel that euthanasia can have some benefits, all of which are not true. For someone suffering from a terminal illness or severe pain, euthanasia is thought to bring about a more ‘dignified’ and ‘peaceful’ death; however, there are better options. Euthanasia is not necessary with improved access to palliative care. Palliative care helps people who have chronic or terminal illnesses with everyday activities, staying comfortable and hospice for end of life. With hospice, someone can still have a peaceful and dignified death, with high-quality hands-on care. Another drawback is that the reasoning behind a person’s decision to seek euthanasia may make euthanasia not the best choice. They could be doing it out of guilt because of a potential financial or emotional strain on their family. This could be better addressed with case management and different therapeutic techniques.

Some people feel euthanasia respects an individual’s right to make their own choices based on their beliefs, and not off of others; but, it is a double-edged sword. People have the right to choose, but when euthanasia goes against what makes good medicine good, it will have negative consequences. Those negative consequences include a slippery slope in the ethical standards of medicine. Saying ‘yes’ to euthanasia for terminal illnesses and chronic pain could lead into other areas where said person could actually live for many more years in comfort.

There are multiple problems with legalizing euthanasia in the United States. First and foremost, even if there are strict laws, people can still abuse euthanasia. There was one story when a woman in the Netherlands had dementia, and she legally wrote down her wish for euthanasia before her dementia advanced.

This person then resisted when the doctor tried to give the lethal dose, possibly due to her dementia, or she changed her mind. The doctor had her restrained and gave the lethal dose anyways. This was euthanasia without consent, which was deemed unethical.

As a nursing student, I have been taught to do no harm. For physicians, this is especially evident in the Hippocratic Oath, which has many variations, but the same key messages. The original Hippocratic Oath states: “I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.”

In one article I read, a doctor reflected on a time his patient asked him to kill them as they were dying in the Intensive Care Unit. The doctor refused, and the patient thanked the doctor for the extra time he was given. During this time the doctor and nurse had taken the time to sit down with the patient who was dying by himself and brought him peace before his passing.

Euthanasia in its own right is a medical Pandora’s box. When you open it, it cannot be closed again.

It might have a few positives, but it also has plenty of negatives. I personally do not think euthanasia should be legalized due to what could further develop after the box is opened. The question of the legalization of euthanasia impacts the present and future, and with that in mind, we should all look within ourselves and have an open discussion before legalizing euthanasia.

Creative Commons/Pexels

The Government Has a Duty to Protect the Environment

By Kaitlyn Drake Staff Writer California’s state government passed four new laws at the end of 2019 to help tame the inevitable fires the next year. These preventative measures showed that the wildfires in California were expected to be worse than in previous years. In 2020, that was proven to be true, but the fires did not only impact the climate. They impacted people, exposed the government’s lack of respect for the country they are supposed to be leading and destroyed wildlife.

Parts of California are now a literal manifestation of hell, that has not only been destroying forests, but also residents’ properties. Though wildfires are not an anomaly to California, the size of this year’s wildfires have been disproportionate to past years. Like many other wildfires in California’s past, these wildfires were caused by human beings and sustained by the effects of climate change.

In 2020, the United States Federal Government provided help in the form of issuing a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, which helps Californians who have been impacted to qualify for a multitude of things, such as unemployment or crisis counseling. The Federal Government has not issued any laws about environmental protection or climate change prevention, though, and even though the Major Disaster Declaration does help people, there is more to be done. The side effects of this inactivity have been, and will continue to be, extremely harmful to both our planet and the people on it.

On top of this, a number of groups of people are affected by these fires. Firstly, former prisoners have been replacing the firefighters who have either been hurt, died or did not exist in the first place, for very little compensation. The fire secondly impacts children, as they are breathing in the smoke of the wildfires. Not only will their lungs be unable to develop properly, but their neurodevelopment could be severely impacted as well. Another group heavily impacted is homeless people, who are facing

Editorial Board "Looking Past This Election Season" Sheila McCombs Managing Editor

Election season is rapidly coming to a close, as millions of people have already voted early or by mail, and millions more will continue to do so until Nov. 3. This election has been high stakes from the onset, and this frantic energy grows everyday that we get closer to it being over. The 2020 election has also been a story of chaos and outrageous moments from the onset. This was shown in the first presidential debate on Sept. 29. It was full of yelling and a level of decorum on both sides that is more suited for a kindergarten classroom than a debate over who is going to be our next Commander-in-Chief. As someone who has always loved politics and is voting in my first presidential election, I couldn’t help but feel disheartened about my choices after this televised disaster. This feeling is how I went into watching the vice-presidential debate on Oct. 7, but I was shocked by how different the two events seemed.

One of the things I heard about this second debate between Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence was that it seemed boring compared to the first presidential debate. This was mostly due to the lack of screaming, while talking

the fires without shelter and are forced to breathe out of black trash bags with no filters. These grotesque side effects of the wildfires have put even more lives in danger, and are a testament to the oppression of the people that the government claims to protect.

The lives of real people are at stake, whether or not the Federal Government wants to acknowledge it. Whether or not these people “contribute to society,” no one deserves to be cast aside for being the way that they are. The Federal Government is allowing American citizens to suffer from the effects of a much larger issue.

This has been going on for months, but the Federal Government has yet to make any new environmental policies. In fact, President Donald Trump only just recently reversed his decision to deny California aid due to the backlash that he experienced. However, environmental policies in response to the California wildfires are still nonexistent. This is a blatant disregard of the oath to serve the people. These politicians are more focused on their careers than the issues that should define their careers.

Media coverage was never in-depth in the first place, but with the upcoming election, it has certainly been less attended to. Whether one believes in climate change or not, it is imperative that they at least believe in the importance of the habitats of endangered species that are being ravaged by flames. If more reporters were to give this issue the attention that it deserves, then there would be more pressure on the government to find a resolution.

It’s time that the Federal Government help California in a more effective way. It is also time that they show the American people that climate change is, in fact, something that we should care about.

As a global superpower, it is our responsibility to make the world a better place. America’s duty is not only to protect people from wars, famines and genocide, but to protect the environment and the people who live in it. There is no excuse for the Federal Government putting peoples' and animals’ lives at risk because of their lack of acCreative Commons/Pexels tion. about absolutely nothing important for 90 minutes, as occurred in the presidential debate. I think that this may be a good thing.

Politics is not supposed to be the way that this election has been going. This brand of outlandish statements and a lack of any sense of decorum is unusual, and not something that people should get used to. The vice-presidential debate may have been slightly more civilized, but there was still a lack of substance which was troubling. Elections are supposed to raise the level of public debate, not lower it. There should be a great exchange of ideas, where everyone can be informed and heard. This may seem overly sentimental, but there has always been the concept that politics and democracy are supposed to be about making the informed choice, and debate has always been an important part of that process. There also should be the ability to disagree with each other, while still respecting the views of both sides. Democracy is based on the belief that people deserve the right to choose their leader, and their leaders are supposed to prove to the voter that they are the right person for the job.

Right now, at least for this voter, there is

more grandstanding than proving job effectiveness. There is no intelligent disagreement, only violent clashes of completely different ideologies.

Even though the fundamental differences in this election have made this peaceful disagreement impossible, there is still a hope that in the future we can return to it.

This election feels, for many people, like the choice of the lesser evil, or something where neither of the options are really good, but they are what we have been left with in the end. However, I want to look at this election as the anomaly, not the average. This is a period that, as a country, we need to get past. I have been doing a lot of reading on politics during this election, and I have also been re-watching my favorite show, “The West Wing,” to remember a different way of looking at politics, a way that has a lot more focus on hope for change than the politics in real life. The quote from the show that I can’t stop thinking about, and that I want to leave people with is this: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed people can change the world. Do you know why? Because it is the only thing that ever has.”

Photo Courtesy of @cestdania Instagram

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 21 , 2020

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'Emily in Paris' is Perfectly Parisian and Partially Plotless

By Julia Lanzillotta Sports Editor, Executive Editor

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typical cheesy fashion, the two miraculously clicked, thus establishing their friendship. Not long after that, Emily finds Camille (Camille Razat) at a flower market, who then invites her to an art gallery opening that “Emily in Paris” is an American comedy-drama (dramedy?!) on Netflix about a twenty-something night, mere moments after meeting. Now get this: Camille just so happens to be the girlfriend of pretty-boy workaholic named Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) who is suddenly uprooted from her life in Chicago and Gabriel. Are you lost yet? is sent off to Paris. Why Paris? Well, Cooper’s marketing firm has newly acquired a French partner called There’s a lot of ridiculousness to this show, that you don’t truly see as such until putting things into Savoir, and she’s sent to provide an American perspective. Not only had Cooper never been to Europe before perspective. Let’s think about the time that Cooper went for her daily run through the garden of Versailles; moving there, but she also didn’t speak a lick of French… sounds like a good idea, right? it’s seen as completely normal as she is just exploring some of the city’s most beautiful landmarks, right?

Created by Darren Star, the brilliant mind behind “Sex and the City”, this Parisian dream-world that No- as someone who has been to France just once in my life, I easily connected the dots that distance is not Emily lives in exudes the same magic that was felt by viewers around two decades ago when the world was necessarily joggable. The grounds of Versailles are approximately 23 miles from the heart of Paris, where she first introduced to Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Jones, Miranda Hobbes and Charlotte York on the Upper most likely started her run! Netflix, are you saying she ran almost 46 miles in total? Or would it be reasonable East Side of Manhattan. to assume that she’d drove out there each day, without even having her own car? How did this even make it Netflix aired just ten, 20-minute long episodes which made up season one of the show. Though through editing?! it is a very fun show, “Emily in Paris” is chock full of faux pas that would make any French native cringe, as The show subscribes to an endless array of stereotypes surrounding Parisian people, from their chronic well as plot holes that simply leave viewers confused. infidelity to their snobby arrogance and nicotine addictions. As Cooper explores the big city, she seems For starters, in every scene, Emily is covered head to toe in the newest designer digs, from glisten- absolutely oblivious to even the most common of French mannerisms, almost as though she did absolutely ing Chanel necklaces hanging perfectly around her neck, to an endless array of perfect couture handbags no research before her intercontinental move. This frustrates her pretentious boss, Sylvie (Philippine Leroythat rest in the crook of her elbow. I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that an Emily Cooper outfit is never Beaulieu), to no end, but of course, in keeping with Emily’s uncanny luck, (spoiler alert) she makes it to the complete without a perfect pair of red-bottomed Christian Louboutin pumps to round out the look. show’s finale just fine.

Fashion legend Patricia Field is partially to blame for this unrealistic aspect of the show, however, this The portrayal of such tired clichés is enough to make anyone wonder why French actors would agree is nothing out of the ordinary for the costume designer who is best known for her work with Star on “Sex to contribute to such a show. Bravo and Razat were born and bred in France and addressed the endless critiand the City”- as if a columnist in Manhattan could afford the jaw-dropping wardrobe that belonged to cism that the program received in its first week on Netflix.

Carrie Bradshaw for six whole seasons! Don’t get me wrong, I would do anything to have Cooper’s fashion “I'm not surprised that Parisians don't like the series. Really, I'm not surprised at all because they don't sense, however, I fully understand that the income of really like to be mocked,” Razat dished to Entertainment tonight. a young marketing associate likely wouldn’t “It's a cliche because it's partly and mostly be enough to fund her trousseau. true.” Bravo voiced his own perspective. “We’re Of course, upon moving into her perportraying cliches and we’re portraying one sinfectly gorgeous apartment with a stunning gle vision of Paris… At some point, if you want view of the city, Cooper stumbles upon, to tell a story about Paris, you have to choose an arguably, the most attractive man in all of angle,” he said to Us Weekly.

Europe… and he can cook!

Perhaps the reason why this show is so irLuck of this kind could only be manresistible to Americans at the moment is that it ufactured in Hollywood. Gabriel (Lucas acts as an escape from the suffocating climate Bravo), a young chef, lives in a flat right bethat our country is in right now. After months low hers and immediately steals her heart. of battling through the COVID-19 pandemic, There’s just one catch; the American girl has which has halted most international travel, a a long-term boyfriend at home. Fear not, small Rendez-Vous from the comfort of our own though, because as briefly as this poor guy homes is sometimes exactly what we need to get was introduced to viewers in the pilot episode, our fix of life away from all of this madness. he was tossed to the curb for bigger and better I do believe that this program has the pothings. tential to last far beyond a mere season, and I Cooper manages to extend her circle bemust admit that I quite enjoyed it, despite the yond Gabriel and meets Mindy Chen (Ashley cringe-worthy moments. It’s light, it’s fun and it’s Park). Where, you might ask? In a garden, wieldexactly the type of show that I could use to tune Emily (Lily Collins) and Camille (Camille Razat) out and about in their costumes for the show. ing a baguette- what is more French than that? In out reality from time to time. m

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A Moment with a Masterpiece: 'Salvator Mundi' By: Tyler Heffern Art Columnist Since the time of Leonardo da Vinci, the “Salvator Mundi,” or ‘Savior of the World,’ has been the artist’s most copied work. His pupils and art students created many different versions, but da Vinci’s original remained lost, with no clear work attributable to him.

By the 1980s, one painting was gradually catching the attention of Renaissance scholars who thought they may have found the lost da Vinci piece, though it was damaged and painted over. After an extensive–and controversial–restoration of what was believed to be a copy by a follower of his, leading museums and art historians authenticated it as a da Vinci (some still contest this attribution). After the restoration in 2011, it hung for a year in London’s National Gallery, as well as at institutions across the globe, until 2017 when it was sold for $450.3 million, becoming the most expensive painting ever sold at auction. Although it was bought by a Saudi prince to reside in the newly built Louvre Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, it never arrived. The museum canceled its unveiling and the artwork is still missing.

The painting depicts Christ, donned in detailed embroidered blue and red robes, giving blessings with his right hand and holding a clear orb, representing the earth, in his left. He stares directly at the viewer and holds an emotionless face, typical of Italian Renaissance art. His hair is long, with tight curls that required fine brushstrokes to paint. He stands alone, with no background, to emphasize Christ’s importance and to suggest that he is in deep connection with his audience.

Of the fewer than 20 works believed to be painted by the hands of Leonardo da Vinci, this would be one of his best. It is relatively complete, something he struggled to do with other works throughout his career. The light and shading of the piece, or chiaroscuro, are expertly done, as da Vinci was a principal developer of the technique. Even the smoothness of Christ’s skin and the detail of his drapery surpass many of da Vinci’s other works.

Due to its considerable beauty and exorbitant selling price, the “Salvator Mundi” is now the third most expensive missing painting in the world, just after Vermeer’s “The Concert” and Rembrandt’s “Storm on the Sea of Galilee,” both stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990. Rumors continue to circulate about the whereabouts of “Salvator Mundi,” as some believe that the Louvre Abu Dhabi is hiding the work because of proof it does not belong to da Vinci. Others speculate it was accidentally destroyed in transit or by those who truly purchased it. The most prominent theory, however, CreativeCommons/Flickr contends that the prince who purchased the work acted as an intermediary for Crown Prince Mo- "Salvator Mundi" by Leonardo da Vinci (1490-1500) hammad Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. Reports suggest that he planned on giving it to the museum in the U.A.E., but decided to keep it for himself, and hung it on his yacht sailing the Red Sea. We still do not know for sure the whereabouts of this work, but we do have hope for its safety. Perhaps it will resurface in the CreativeCommons/Pixabay future, either at auction or by donation to a museum, so that the world may view one of the only surviving masterpieces by da Vinci, The inside of the Louvre Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. and one of the most famous paintings in history.

THE MIRROR | Week of October 21, 2020

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S O R K I N'S 'S O C I A L N E T W O R K' R E M A I N S S P E C I A L

By Tyler Zikias Film Columnist

1. It has a (expectedly) killer script.

Aaron Sorkin has been writing in Hollywood for a long time. He’s written some of the most acclaimed television shows of all time, like “The West Wing” and “The Newsroom,” while also crafting a legacy writing feature films. He has received three total Oscar nominations with one win for “The Social Network.”

It’s fitting that his one win is for “The Social Network” because it is, without a doubt, his crowning achievement. Each character is effortlessly well realized with so many great one-liners and tense confrontations.

Jesse Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerberg is consistently frustrating throughout the duration of the film. He speaks softly, but always finds a way to undermine the other person in order to make himself the superior. It’s a perfect blend of strong writing, acting and direction that fill out the character, making him who he is. The script is also hilarious. I could honestly quote some of its best moments all day, but I’ll let you watch the movie first to enjoy them yourself.

2. The cast has excellent chemistry.

For a film where almost every main character is pitted against one another by the end of it, every member of the cast bounces off of each other shockingly well. It feels more natural than it does scripted, but every relationship feels fleshed out before the characters are even on screen. Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, who plays Eduardo Saverin, have excellent interplay that not only establishes where they are as people when the film begins but also several nuggets of information that contribute to their separation. Justin Timberlake(!?) is also really great as Sean Parker, founder of the company Napster, who takes Zuckerberg under his wing and creates the central conflict of the film. He acts and plays the role so well that the viewer isn’t sure whether to trust him or not. He has an innate charm that reels the audience into what he’s saying, even if they don’t really agree with him. It’s exactly what the role needed to be as he sinks his talons into Zuckerberg. Once this

By Matthew Adamski Contributing Writer Many clubs have had to completely change their model for getting together and engaging in meaningful meetings, while staying safe in the age of a pandemic. Fairfield University’s art club has been no exception to this. I recently spoke with art club president Aubrey Hoover ‘21 about her challenges in leading the club during this time. It was clear from The Mirror’s short interview, via email, that she is passionate about the art club because, to her, the club is a place for free expression and an opportunity for students to get away from the stress of school, even just for the duration of a meeting.

Speaking from personal experience, college work can pile up into mountains, and art provides an avenue for stress relief by using your brain in a new way. The left side of the brain is responsible for the logical tasks of mathematical formulas and scientific hypotheses. So, after long lectures of calculus, accounting or anatomy, our right side of the brain is neglected, Two students show off their paintings at art club.

type of love triangle is established, the film has no brakes in making you switch allegiances from character to character.

3. It’s still relevant today!

When the film came out, the consensus was that it might’ve been too soon for a Facebook movie. The production of the movie felt like capitalization on its popularity, rather than having a story to tell. But, when the film turned out better than anyone anticipated, it has been referenced as a piece of why social media networks can be a little shady. One of the first sequences in the film features Zuckerberg creating the first “Facebook,” at the time being a headto-head competition on the looks of Harvard girls. Zuckerberg hacks into the Harvard servers, stealing all of the images and information he needs, somehow foreshadowing the Facebook data mining scandal in the second half of the 2010s. The film is a reminder of the shadier sides of the social media business that we don’t see when we sign up with just our email.

“The Social Network” is a masterpiece of filmmaking from every angle. I haven’t even mentioned the outstanding opening scene, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ knockout score or Armie Hammer’s brilliant double performance. There’s so much good about this film that it needs to be seen on the regular.

I just rewatched it recently, and it still hits as hard as it did the first time that I saw it. If you haven’t seen “The Social Network,” add it to your watchlist on Netflix and view it as soon as you can!

CreativeCommons/Flickr

This month, 10 years ago, one of the most powerful, relevant and well-made films of the last 20 years was released. Not a mega-scale, blockbuster action movie or an 18th century period piece, but an excellently written, tightly-paced drama. Directed with precision by David Fincher, with a flawless script by Aaron Sorkin, “The Social Network” was released on Oct. 1, 2010, and has gained nothing but praise and acclaim since that day.

It was widely considered to be the favorite for Best Picture going into the 83rd Academy Awards, only to lose out to “The King’s Speech.” However, it was nominated for eight awards, taking home three wins, for Best Original Score, Best Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film has aged well over the past 10 years, somehow becoming even more relevant than it was at its release. I even consider it the best film of the 2010s.

Why do I think this? Well…

which is the part related to tasks having to do with creativity and free thinking.

When asked about what events the art club hosts, Hoover said that the club is not about that. It’s about a close knit artistic community whose members continue to come back.

“For the other officers and myself, our greatest accomplishment is getting people to come back week after week,” Hoover added.

This semester’s meetings are different because of having to align with the University’s new health guidelines. Hoover informed me that meetings have had to be kept to ten people or less, with required reservations beforehand. She mentioned how this mandatory limit on attendance has caused a lower energy level in the meetings than what was felt pre-pandemic, but members remain optimistic and try to maintain the space as one of positivity.

In terms of moving forward for the club, Hoover said that they are planning a collaboration with the Art for Change organization, where art club members are paired with people from the organization, with the end goal of creating artworks and galleries online.

In terms of other arts and crafts experiences on campus, Fairfield University has got plenty. Fairfield at Night has been very active in hosting events after hours, especially with Halloween now creeping up on us in the coming weeks. Recently there have been do-it-yourself craft nights to make spooky decorations for your dorm room. A student favorite has been the jacko’-lantern painting competition, where students received brushes, paints and a little pumpkin to decorate in any way they wanted. There were prizes for those entered in the competition as well.

Additionally, there will be an upcoming DIY night to make your own fall wreaths. This event is scheduled for Oct. 29, at 9:00 p.m. check Life@Fairfield for updates.

Autumn may bring with it anxiety over upcoming midterms, exams and assignments.

However, take the time to pause and enjoy the walks on campus. Appreciate the magnificent hues of the leaves, or take some Instagram worthy pictures at a local orchard. Take time to let your inner artist shine.

If you, or someone you know, could use some much needed stress relief and free flowing artistic energy, you can learn more about the art club via their Life@Fairfield page.

Matthew Adamski is a Fairfield University Student Association Senator for the Class Photo Courtesy of @artclubfu of 2024.

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THE MIRROR | Week of October 21 , 2020

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By Brooke Lathe Contributing Writer Unfortunately, with COVID-19 still spreading through our country, a majority of us have locked ourselves in our rooms for hours on end… myself included. However, as our workload begins to increase and midterms come upon us, we have to remember that the library and our dorm rooms aren’t the only safe places to go to study. Here are some quiet and scenic locations on campus to try out when you're preparing for those A’s.

Zen Garden - Thanks to my religion class this semester, I now know about the zen garden. This cute, hidden greenery can be found behind the parking lot on the right side of Bellarmine Hall. There are benches to sit on and a pool of water that gently stirs - a perfect place to relax and hit the books!

Bellarmine Hall - Behind Bellarmine Hall, there is a huge clearing of land where you can see all of Fairfield and the surrounding beaches. It is absolutely stunning, and so is the view of the vivid sunsets each night. I find this spot extremely soothing and a great place to get some fresh air.

Grab a blanket, bookbag and some snacks, and you will be space. set for the rest of the day.

Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Barnyard Fountain - Another spot on campus that Studies - Whether you’re a nursing student or not, all are produces the nice white noise of splashing water can be welcome to come in and work on their assignments in the found near the Barnyard Manor and the Leslie C. Quick Nursing school. This gorgeous building is open until 10:00 Center for the Arts. This pond is home to a beautiful foun- p.m. as well. I’ve used the study rooms in this building a few tain and a family of ducks. There are benches to sit on, but times and it has been a super nice experience.

I personally like laying down on a blanket in the grass inLower Level of the John A. Barone Campus Censtead. ter - The BCC is another great place to study since it has a The Quad - I don’t think I could ever study in the very similar setting to the library. Every time I have walked Quad because of the constant crowd of students walking to into this building, it is so quiet. Plastic tables are socially class, but I always see a handful of people out on the lawn distanced on the lower level for anyone who needs the space chairs or laying in the grass getting their homework done. to do their school work. Along with that, the Stag Micro If you don’t get distracted easily, I would highly recommend Market and vending machines are only a couple of steps away to suppress any study-time cravings. doing your assignments there, at the heart of campus.

Whether you choose to take advantage of these locaAs temperatures drop, these outdoor spots might not be the most desirable places to go and study. Luckily, tions provided on campus or not, I wish you all good luck there are still many more locations indoors that can be used on any upcoming tests and assignments you have. However, to your advantage.

Hall Lounges - Even though you’re still in your dorm building, a change of scenery from your room to the lounges can definitely help stimulate motivation to get work done. Depending on which hall you’re in, you can make reservations online 48 hours in advance to secure a safe, COVID-free environment. I have used Regis’ lounge a couple of times, and it has definitely helped me finish my homework.

Dolan School of Business This incredibly new, clean and beautiful building is open to all students until 10:00 p.m. There is even a self-serve Dunkin’ Donuts where you can get coffee to keep you awake! I haven’t been in here yet, but I know that when it gets Photo Courtesy of @fairfieldu colder outside, I will definitely A few students studying outside with masks. be taking advantage of this study

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Boom! Crash! What’s that sound?! The Fairfield University pep band! I interviewed Katherine Kelley ‘22, one of our pep band’s esteemed trombonists, to ask her about her experience as a member of Fairfield’s favorite musical group, and where her passion for tromboning began.

Kelley first became interested in playing the trombone when she joined her fifth grade band at the age of ten. She continued her musicianship into high school, where she was involved in concert band, jazz band and advanced jazz band. Prior to playing the trombone, Kelley also played the piano and the recorder, beginning both of these instruments around the formative age of five. Lucky for us pep band fans, she decided to continue her musical career in college, where she provides entertainment at sporting events, boosting our school spirit.

Kelley gave us an inside look at the workings of the pep band. According to Kelley, some of the most popular instruments to play in the band are the clarinet, saxophone and drums, while some of the least popular instruments to play are the trombone, flute and keyboard. Fortunately, the school has people like Kelley who are willing to balance out the sounds of the band by choosing to play one of those underrated instruments.

Kelley, being an seasoned trombonist and dedicated pep band member, has played many songs over the years. Some of her favorites include “Buck Jump,” “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Sweet Caroline,”a song for which her love is rooted in her deep admiration for the Boston Red Sox. In the future, Kelley strongly suggests that the band members play the song “Tequila” by The Champs during one of their performances. As an ex-band geek myself, who performed in my high school pep band, I have played many of these songs in the past, and was able to bond with Kelley over our shared musical experiences.

Unfortunately, the pep band has not been able to perform for the student body recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Band members are not able to meet in person at all, even to practice. This is partly due to the fact that musical instruments can increase the spread of the virus. Many instruments need to be blown into, which would require band members to be breathing around each other without wearing masks. Musicians also often need to touch the mouth pieces of their instruments, which can increase the spread of germs. Unfortunately for Kelley, the trombone is one of the worst culprits. Blowing into a trombone can spread the virus further than breathing normally, and the trombone also has a spit valve, which poses a potential health hazard.

To try to cope with these challenges, the pep band has turned to digital meetings via Zoom, where they discuss future plans and any upcoming changes. Members also submit recordings online of themselves playing songs to ensure that they get in the proper amount of practice to continue to perform to the best of their abilities.

Like the rest of the organizations and clubs at Fairfield, the pep band is trying their best to remain afloat amid our current health crisis. We can only hope that one day the pep band will once again be Katherine Kelley '22 poses with her trombone. able to get together and show off their musical talent.

THE MIRROR | Week of October 21, 2020

The Vine

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Q + A WITH THE DIRECTOR OF 'SNOW HoLLOW'

By John Bizub Contributing Writer

There isn’t a better time to watch horror movies than right now! The leaves are changing colors, and the night time is getting colder and darker. Some may say it’s getting spooky out there! As Halloween draws near, many filmmakers try to capitalize on this spooky trend and make films that will scare audiences around the world. However, due to the global pandemic, it is getting increasingly harder to not only release these films to the public, but to make them.

Well, do I have a recent film for you!

In 2017, a small, indie filmmaker named Jim Cummings directed an indie dramedy called “Thunder Road,” about a cop in a small town who is drawing close to a mental breakdown. The film was a hit with critics and audiences and was praised for its use of a $200,000 budget. Now, after three years of rest, Cummings is back to direct a werewolf horrorcomedy titled “The Wolf of Snow Hollow.” Like “Thunder Road,” this was written, directed and stars Cummings, once again as a small-town cop. After a few murders and disappearances occur, it is up to the police to stop this beast. This film also stars the late Robert Forster, Jimmy Tatro and Chloe East.

Like his previous film, Cummings is a master of intertwining gritty and dark subject matter into a comedic story about werewolves, while also making it intense and bonechilling. The film’s presentation makes it come off as a B-rate, campy horror film from the ’80s, and revels in it. “The Wolf of Snow Hollow” is a ton of fun and is seen in vein with ‘80s classics such as “Slumber Party Massacre” and “Gremlins 2: The New Batch.”

The screenplay for this film is both scary and darkly comedic, almost playing like a Jim Jarmusch film. The acting by everyone is great and the characters are fleshed out well, some more than others. Jim Cummings is firing at all cylinders behind the camera, truly experimenting with different camera techniques and angles that display him as one of the most exciting up and coming filmmakers of this generation.

The cinematography captures the realism of the icy cold environments. The score is both unsettling and somber. This film’s main faults are when it tries not to be too serious at times. Don’t get me wrong, the humor lands at many points, but at times I think it is darker than it should be. I understand the reason for having characters fleshed out, and this film fleshes them out just enough for the audience to empathize with them. What Cummings does so well as a writer is his character creation. He wants people to understand each motivation and drive for success.

“The Wolf of Snow Hollow” places Jim Cummings as a filmmaker to watch. It leads you to truly pay attention to the passion he has for filmmaking. This film is both for horror fans and for non-

horror fans who just want a fun time! I could definitely see this film receiving a cult following in the future, and hope this film makes Cummings a household name like other indie filmmakers.

Check it out on Video On Demand or in theaters!

8/10 Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing writer/director Jim Cummings, and he couldn’t have been more excited to talk about his love for filmmaking, and his ambition behind this film!

Q. What are this film's main inspirations? I sense a bit of “American Werewolf in London” mixed with “SE7EN,” a grounded and gritty horror film.

“Zodiac” and “SE7EN” for sure. “The Burbs” as well. But then basically all of the work of John Douglas at the FBI. Q. What made you go from a hard-hitting drama to a werewolf horror film?

I had written it as this love letter to the work of my heroes, like [David] Fincher, Joe Dante, Alfonso Cuarón, Pete Docter and folks. I had the idea for the ending and started working backward, as most do with detective stories, I’m learning.

Q. What was it like to work with the great Robert Forester?

I know his passing has placed a huge dent in the film industry, he truly was one of the best.

He was the best. Super nice dude, always quick with a quip and always amped up to work and do a great job. He was everybody’s dad on set.

Q. I know this is way too early to call, but do you have any upcoming projects that you can briefly discuss?

I made another feature in November and December with my buddy P.J. McCabe about the WGA Packaging fight with agencies that’s super funny.

Q. Can you discuss distribution for “Thunder Road”? I'm aware it was self-distributed. How did you make this process work?

My production team and I started a distribution company.

In the very near future I hope that will become as non-newsworthy as starting a YouTube channel. It will mean true democracy in film.

Q. How was working with a higher budget? I understand “Thunder Road” was made with only $200,000. Was it a jarring experience?

It was a trip. You don’t realize how much everything costs and how fast it’s spent with 55 people on set. It takes forever just to move everybody, but I loved everybody on set and we all had fun.

Q. What are the positives and negatives for directing and starring in your own films?

Running between camera and set can be tricky, especially in cowboy boots; but, I really love it. I get to pretend to be Jackie Chan.

H ow art can Help Yo ur Mental Health

By Anwen Su Contributing Writer This semester has, more likely than not, been exceptionally challenging for many students. First-year students who would normally be relishing in their first taste of freedom away from home now find themselves stuck in their residence halls, deprived of a normal college experience. Seniors are looking at a bleak final year in college, on a campus devoid of the activities they have long become accustomed to and love.

However, no matter what year you are in, these are trying times. Abiding by strict regulations and staring down increasing numbers of coronavirus cases are difficult things for anyone to deal with. Additionally, Fairfield University is now entering the midterm season, at which point many students’ workloads begin to drastically increase.

With coronavirus restrictions in place, and midterms just around the corner, many students may find themselves swamped in not just exams, but also in an endless spiral of negative thoughts.

During this time, it is especially important for students to show themselves some extra compassion and prioritize their own mental health. One particularly creative way to enhance mental health is through art therapy.

Art therapy, which was first introduced in the mid-twentieth century, is a practice that combines the disciplines of art and psychology to help people heal. It incorporates clinical, psychological, spiritual and artistic techniques into its practice to help clients improve social skills and self-esteem, explore their thoughts and work through unprocessed feelings.

Individuals wishing to try art therapy have a vast trove of creative activities from which to choose. Participants can paint, draw, sculpt, make pottery and work with textiles, among various other forms of art. They do not need any prior experience with art to benefit from this innovative healing experience.

Margaret Naumberg, the primary founder of the American art therapy movement, is considered the “mother” of this unique practice. Naumberg, who believed that children who were able to

express themselves creatively would exhibit signs of overall healthier development, likened the creative process to unraveling repressed thoughts and emotions.

Hanna Kwiatkowska, a talented Polish-born sculptor and another major contributor to art therapy, initially hoped her use of the practice would help individuals facing intellectual challenges. However, she came to realize that art therapy also had undeniable benefits to mental health. More specifically, she found that the drawing process was extremely therapeutic.

So how, you may ask, does art therapy fit into the busy life of an overstressed college student? Well, before you scoff at the idea of setting even one second aside to drop your midterm study guides in favor of a paintbrush, consider the many benefits this creative form of therapy has to offer.

For one, art therapy can help with depression. While stuck in dorms and unable to enjoy normal freedom, many college students may be prone to depression. Setting time aside to create something may add some positivity to college students’ lives and even out the chemical imbalances in the brain that cause depression.

Art therapy can also sharpen communication skills.

People who have a hard time expressing difficult thoughts or remembering painful experiences may find it easier to do so through art instead of words. Improved communication skills can help a person who is struggling to reach out to others for support.

Art is also a great way to de-stress. Many college students turn to alcohol to reduce stress, which can take a physical and emotional toll if done in excess. Art therapy serves as a stress outlet that can actually improve health!

Another benefit is improved problem-solving skills. A young person’s life can rapidly change, especially during the current pandemic. Honing their problem-solving skills can help young people take action and find solutions to problems faced during difficult times.

Last, but not least, art therapy provides a wonderful distraction. It can be so easy to get consumed by negative

thoughts. Art therapy may prove a welcome distraction that can help us see the positives that are already present in our lives!

Pexels

THE MIRROR | Week of October 21, 2020

Coffee Break

Page 12

COFFEE BREAK Editor: Tristan Cruz tristan.cruz@student.fairfield.edu

Fairfield Buildings Word Search!

- Canisius Hall - Dolan School of Business - Egan School of Nursing - Rec Plex - Alumni Hall - Loyola Hall - McCormick Hall - Tully Dining Commons - Barone Campus Center - Faber Hall - Kostka Hall - Claver Hall - Dolan Hall - Barnyard Manor - Donnarumma Hall - Jogues Hall - Langguth - Mahan Discovery Education / Puzzlemaker

Disaster Ensues After Campus Unveils Pumpkin Spice Hand Sanitizer

By Nathan Schmidt This week, a new crisis engulfed Fairfield University, completely overshadowing the COVID-19 pandemic: students drinking hand sanitizer because it is pumpkin spice-flavored. The specially flavored hand sanitizer was distributed to students starting last week, in an effort to “celebrate the fall season while staying off the apocalyptic death-plague,” in the words of campus spokesperson Pam Basique. Unfortunately, students have decided that they would rather knock back the 60% alcohol solution than waste it on hand sanitizing.

Stagnation reporters conducted a series of online inter views with students who have already consumed the hand sanitizer, and the results are in: No one is sorr y. Garrett Langvin ‘24 even said, “Quote me on this. If you give me more of that pumpkin spice mojo, I’m drinking it.

I don’t care if it makes my stomach hurt, or if it makes me wake up at 3 AM hearing colors. It’s hard enough for froshes to score any booze without the big ‘rona making ever yone skittish.”

Later in the inter view, Garrett added, “What do you mean, people only say ‘froshes’ in high school?”

This reaction of pure self-destructive debaucher y has frustrated campus administration and faculty, who wanted to distribute hand sanitizer that people would actually use. This week, biology professor Martha Panama commented to one of her morning classes in an outdoor militar y surplus bivouac, “Hand sanitizer shouldn’t be your first choice — that’s washing hands. But if you’re going to use hand sanitizer, sanitize your hands! Don’t just chug it down like it’s a vodka shot. You kids shouldn’t be drinking alcohol at this time in your lives anyway!”

Dr. Panama no longer has any students in attendance for that course.

Distribution of pumpkin spice hand sanitizer has been halted until campus officials can figure out what to do with the remaining 13,600 half-liter bottles of the stuff that they have in storage. The top possibilities are to either distribute the sanitizer to faculty, or reflavor it to taste like Tully chicken.

Stagnation is a satirical newspaper on campus that contributes stories to Coffee Break, so be sure to check them out!

SPORTS Sports

Sports Editor: Julia Lanzillotta julia.lanzillotta@student.fairďŹ eld.edu

Page 13

THE MIRROR | Week of October 21, 2020

This week, in Mirror history...

Photo Taken From The Mirror Archives

In this week's issue...

- Graduate Students Gear Up for Baseball Season (Page 14) - Offseason Movement in Net for the NHL (Page 15) - Coach Bricker Brings in Newest Additions to FairďŹ eld Tennis (Page 15) - Women's Basketball Selects this Season's Captain (Page 16)

Sports

Page 14

THE MIRROR | Week of October 21, 2020

Graduate Students Gear Up for Baseball Season

By Thomas Coppola Staff Writer America’s favorite pastime has been ever present on campus this academic year, with the Fairfield University baseball team being surrounded by a surprising amount of challenges and successes. Although a spike in COVID-19 cases on campus has forced the team to pause their training efforts, there have been many bright spots along the way. The major upside to this flurry of confusion is the return of five players, some who are using their extra year of academic eligibility granted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and some who are pursuing graduate education at Fairfield. Head coach Bill Currier, who has been preparing for his tenth year of coaching at Fairfield, is extremely excited for the upcoming season.

“The players have good character and they’re kids you like to be around,” Currier said. “I’ve been very fortunate to coach them.”

The players he refers to come from many different places and backgrounds. Five members of the class of 2020 have elected to return so that they could play one more season with their team; this was made possible through the ruling of the NCAA in response to the suspension of play last spring.

Other players, though, have transferred to Fairfield University so that they can get more out of their college baseball experience. Coach Currier and his staff welcomed multiple transfer students this year, hailing from schools like Union College, Wagner College and Mount St. Mary’s College. These transfers include Matt Hayes ‘23, a first baseman that Courrier was incredibly excited to pick up. All around the infield, position depth is extremely important, and the Fairfield baseball team gained that with this transfer.

Coach Currier is also pleased with the amount of new first-year players coming into the program.

With eight new rookies being added to the roster, there is an abundance of new faces on the diamond.

“The first-year pitchers seem to be ahead of where I expected them to be with the truncated schedule in the spring,” team manager Colby Rush said. “They need some work on plate discipline, but that’s to be expected.”

It is a blessing that the team was able to add so many star players in one year. This is something that the team definitely needed after the season got cut short last year.

“We were on our spring break in Florida...we bussed over to Tampa from Central Florida and we were going to play a three game series with South Florida. We got over there and we were all ready to start our game, and the season just got canceled.”

Coach Currier and his staff clearly did not let this affect their morale though, as they had an incredibly productive offseason with recruiting new players.

With the resurgence of cases nationwide, it is much more difficult to begin the recruiting process for different players across the nation.

“Just when you are ready to get out there and recruit, the league extends the dead period, meaning you can’t be faceto-face, you can’t go to their games and they can’t come on to campus and talk to you,” Courrier said.

For many sports teams around the United States, the recruitment process has proved to be much more difficult as regulations ramp up.

The team will return to practicing and working out together on Oct. 23, when the campus-wide pause in athletic play ends. “It’s pretty tough getting your players into a rhythm when you keep having stoppages,” said Currier, about the pause.

Instead of dwelling on the negatives though, Currier prefers to look at the positives. One example of this would be the Major League Baseball draft only going five rounds, meaning some of his players who were projected to get picked in later rounds can return to Fairfield to play another season, and possibly increase their draft projections for the next year.

Another upside that is important for the team is chemistry. Many players on the team have played together before in past years, which ultimately builds chemistry between his players.

The baseball team at Fairfield University seems to always be overcoming some type of challenge presented to them; their effort and resilience in this tough time is incredible. In the coming weeks, when they begin play, they will finally have the opportunity to show every opponent what the Stags are made of.

Photo Contributed by the Sports Information Desk Since Bill Currier assumed his role of head coach of the Fairfield University baseball team, he has led the program to their first ever Metro Atlantic Athletic Tournament Championship in 2016.

Weekly 4x5

Your 2020-2021 4x5 Columnists:

Julia Lanzillotta, Catherine Santangelo, Sheila McCombs and Molly Lamendola

How do you feel about finish- Dolan Hall: Haunted or hoax? ing out the semester remotely?

If you didn’t pursue your current major, what would you major in?

Who do you see winning the 2020 World Series?

Is it fair for the school to lockdown beach students since they are off campus?

I’m honestly pretty nervous.

I hope I can will myself to buckle down and focus, as I had a hard time with this last semester.

Definitely haunted, it’s about a million years old… and I don’t jive well with all the creepy nun rumors that have been swirling around.

I would probably major in sports media, but that wasn’t an established major until this fall, sadly.

This pains me to say as a Yankees fan, but I was rooting for the Astros before they got out.

My brother’s college roommate, Andre Scrubb, pitches for them.

In my opinion, no. They should just bar them from campus for two weeks. They seem more heavily monitored off campus than I feel on campus.

Online learning is definitely not the best style for me, but having the experience of being fully remote from the end of last semester will help me get through it this semester!

I’ve heard tons of rumors, but I don’t know if I’m completely convinced. I do believe in ghosts though, and that building is super old, so it could be haunted.

If Fairfield had an education major I would be doing that, but it worked out even better with the 5 year masters program for elementary education that I will be pursuing!

I won in my fantasy baseball league, most likely because I had Mookie Betts on my team, so I’ll say the Dodgers. I have to stay true to Mookie:)

The University is spending a lot of time worrying about the beach and cracking down on them, but what about on campus?

Ok, so I had no idea how Sheila McCombs much time had gone by! But Managing Editor I think that I have gotten more into the swing of online learning this semester, so I feel cautiously optimistic!

I don’t believe in bad or scary ghosts, but I do think there could be something to the rumors. It’s an incredibly old building!

I think communications or digital journalism, which is something I fell in love with through The Mirror.

I am a Mets fan, so my opinion obviously has no value. I would probably say the Dodgers, out of sentimentalism of them being a former New York team!

I think that they can only do so much when they live off campus, I think that on campus communities are just easier to monitor to be honest.

I bought a chair for it and some Christmas tea... so I’m Molly Lamendola all set!

Vine Editor

My friends and I went ghost hunting once but saw nothing, so we sat outside and watched Buzzfeed Unsolved videos instead.

Bioengineering, minor in Catholic studies (#womenincatholicstem)

I see them having a tie and then deciding to never play again.

I’ve never liked the beach. I always feel like a slowly cooking, cheap Shoprite lobster...not even a nice, expensive one.

Because we have witty things to say ...

Julia Lanzillotta Sports Editor

Catherine Santangelo Editor-in-Chief

Sports

THE MIRROR | Week of October 21, 2020

Page 15

Offseason Movement in Net for the NHL

By Julia Lanzillotta Sports Editor, Executive Editor The offseason goalkeeper movement in the past few weeks for the National Hockey League is rather unusual for the sport, as some of the league’s most legendary players have signed with new franchises. Goalies that will be donning new colors on Jan. 1 of the new year include Corey Crawford formerly of the Chicago Blackhawks, Devan Dubnyk formerly of the Minnesota Wild, Braden Holtby formerly of the Washington Capitals, Henrik Lundqvist formerly of the New York Rangers, Jacob Markstrom formerly of the Vancouver Canucks and Matt Murray formerly of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Corey Crawford has led the Blackhawks to two Stanley Cup championships (2013, 2015) throughout his career with the franchise, beginning in 2003, according to an article announcing that he will not be re-signing, on the NHL’s official website. In all 488 games played, his career record is 260-162-53 with a goals against average of 2.77 and a .918 save percentage, cementing his name in Chicago sports history as the third-most winningest player in the organization. He has seen the most postseason wins for the Blackhawks, logging 52 in the books. An article published on Saturday, Oct. 10 on NHL.com states that as of Oct. 9 he became an unrestricted free-agent. That same day the New Jersey Devils agreed to terms with him, locking the goalie down for two years. Crawford is set to rake in $3.6 million the first year, and $4.2 million the second in New Jersey. At 35 years old, the seasoned professional shows no signs of slowing down, having started 39 of 40 games played, and having a save percentage of .917 for the 2019-2020 season. Perhaps next season with Crawford in net, the Devils will have a shot at winning the cup after a 17 year drought.

It’s no secret that Devan Dubnyk helped out the Wild when they needed it most back in 2015, when their star goalie Josh Harding fell ill. Since establishing himself in the league back in 2009, he is tenth in saves with 13,655, per NHL.com. He is a three time all-star athlete, after being invited to join the best of the league in 2016, 2017 and 2019. In the 520 games where Dubnyk has seen ice-time (247-195-52), he has notched a .915 save percentage and a 2.58 GAA. 32 of these games were shutouts on Dubnyks watch, and with eleven seasons under his belt, he has proven to still be in his prime. The transaction will send him to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in the 2022 draft. The wild reportedly will retain half of Dubnyk’s salary.

Braden Holtby is a hockey hero, backstopping the Washington Capitals in 2018 in their journey to win the Stanley Cup. In ten years as a world-class goaltender, he has racked up 35 shutouts with an overall record of 282-122-46, as stated on NHL.com. His 2.54 GAA is commendable, and made him irresistible to the Vancouver Canucks during the free agency period. His repertoire of accomplishments includes winning the Vezina Trophy in the 2015-2016 season, the William M. Jennings Trophy the following year in the 20162017 season and of course led the Caps to their first cup win during the 2017-2018 season.

Holtby’s new contract with Vancouver is for two-years up north, with about $4.3 million per year.

Henrik Lundqvist’s leave from New York is one of most unfortunate things to happen in the history of New York Sports. As elaborated upon in “Lundqvist’s Era Ends in New York”, published two weeks ago, the impact that he has made on the New York Rangers organization is innumerable. In a whopping 887 games played (459-310-96), his GAA was 2.43 over 15 seasons in red, white and blue. His trophy case is glimmering, winning the Vezina Trophy in the 2011-2012 season, however the goalie has not yet hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup. This, in part, has motivated him to pursue a career elsewhere, and after 15 seasons in the big apple, it was time for him to pursue this goal elsewhere. Joining the likes of hockey phenom Alexander Ovechkin, the Caps have signed him to a one year contract, worth $1.5 million, as stated by the NHL.

Photo Courtesy of @NHL on Instagram

The National Hockey League has seen a lot of goalie movement during the free-agency period.

After developing into the athlete that he is in Vancouver BC Canada for the Canucks, in unrestricted free agency, Jacob Markstrom has decided to sign with the Calgary Flames for a six-year $36 million contract, stated by Tim Campbell, a staff-writer for NHL. com. With one All-Star selection during his career, the goalie has started 218 games in net, with an overall record is 99-93-27, 2.73 GAA and .913 save percentage. The average annual value of his agreement with the Flames is a healthy $6 million per year. Markstrom’s ripe age of 30 is a testament to the fact that he has a lot left to give.

Matt Murray has been a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization since October of 2016, and has grown into the athlete he is today in that city. He helped the Penguins in winning back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2016 and 2017, but as of last season split ice time with Tristan Jarry. The NHL’s website announced that following his brief status as a restricted free-agent, he was scooped up by the Ottawa Senators, with a $25 million contract over the span of four years. In Ottawa, he will assume the role of startinggoalkeeper, and with a career GAA of 2.67 and a save percentage of .914, he is sure to bring the heat to the capital city of Canada.

The goalie movement during this free-agency period was rather remarkable, but goaltenders were not the only hockey players to make waves at this time. Next week, The Mirror will cover the period in a more general sense, detailing what other jaw-dropping changes have been made to rosters during the offseason. Be sure to check that story out in next week’s issue, talking about other major moves and acquisitions.

Coach Bricker Brings in Newest Additions to Fairfield Tennis

By Kevin Stush Contributing Writer

ing sure they could get here,” Bricker stated.

Again, he compliments University staff for the help they provided in securing I-20 forms and visas, and being in contact with the Office of Student Engagement’s sector of International Student Life. He also believes that, in general, international students end up being more prepared coming to school because there is so much to do before the trip since it is not easy for them to return home. Some newcomers had to quarantine in the Conference Center while others had a more lenient quarantine in their own residences on campus. Some also had family members here that they were able to quarantine with throughout the summer. In the end, all of them made it here.

“Other than the normal freshmen stuff, they are adjusting great,” Bricker said.

Even though the newcomers are from some far away places, the team was still able to bond pretty easily.

Coach Bricker compliments his senior and junior leadership, as well as international upperclassmen on the teams, for their willingness to integrate these new athletes into the team seamlessly. He knows that these players know what it is like to be a first-year in a new place, so they do a really good job of welcoming everyone to the team and creating comradery.

In addition, the teams had Zoom calls throughout the summer so that everyone could get to know each other and the newcomers could familiarize themselves with their teammates before arriving on campus. He was confident that pretty quickly, the newcomers would be set and ready to go.

Fairfield University athletics are currently on a two week hiatus, as Fairfield’s positive COVID-19 cases have been on the rise these past few weeks. But, once athletics are allowed to resume, Coach Bricker’s goal is simple: lead both teams to MAAC Championship titles.

This week The Mirror had the chance to speak via Zoom with the Fairfield University men’s and women’s tennis teams’ head coach, Jeff Bricker. The 2020-2021 season marks Bricker’s seventh season as a head coach for Fairfield. He was the 2019 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year and mentored several 2019 All-MAAC student athletes. Prior to coaching at Fairfield University, Bricker coached for three years at the University of New Haven and for a year at Albertus Magnus College. As a player at Sacred Heart University, he received the Coach’s Award in 2000.

Similar to coaches all around the world, Bricker is tasked with getting his team ready to compete in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. However, his team was not easily flustered. Bricker feels that the University as a whole “did a really good job of the onboarding process and getting us ready” to return to campus this fall.

For his teams, being back on campus after an abrupt end to their seasons in March is exciting in general. While the process started off slow, eventually the team was all back together and ready to get to work. One thing that Bricker had to manage with his teams was their excitement. He did not want to “just go gangbusters out of the gate.” Bricker and his coaching staff had been virtually preparing the teams by having Zoom calls throughout the summer in order to make sure that there were no surprises for the players.

The goal was to have everyone on the same page when they returned this fall.

One challenge that Bricker faced this summer was that the three newcomers on his team are international students. Because of COVD19, it was unclear if international students would be able to travel to the United States or not, this was the topic of an ongoing debate.

“The biggest challenge was just makPhoto Contributed by the Sports Information Desk

Coach Jeff Bricker of the Fairfield University men's and women's tennis programs was named the 2019 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Coach of the Year to honor his successes.

@Fairfield Mirror Week of October 14, 2020

fairfieldmirror.com

SPORTS 16 Sports Editor: Julia Lanzillotta » julia.lanzillotta@student.fairfield.edu

Women's Basketball Selects This Season's Captains

By Julia Lanzillotta Sports Editor, Executive Editor Three Stags will take on the role of captains of the Fairfield University women’s basketball team. Redshirt senior Katie Armstrong, Rachel Hakes ‘22 and Lou Lopez-Senechal ‘22 were chosen to take on the task. This is following a disappointing last season when the Stags were sent home from the 2020 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a 12-8 conference record. The three are feeling as ready as ever to hit the court again, and expressed their excitement for the season ahead to The Mirror, via email.

How has such an abrupt end to last season inspired your goals for this season? What are these goals?

Armstrong: Having such an abrupt end to the season last year helped fuel the fire during the offseason to train and come back ready for this season. I will never forget the feeling I had when I heard that the tournament was cancelled and our season was over after coming off of a win. That feeling helped push me through the summer during quarantine and kept me focused. My goals are to: 1) Have a season and 2) Win the MAAC Championship.

Hakes: The end of our season last year seriously stung. It still stings to think about it. Our seniors weren’t given the chance to finish out their careers and we were all denied our run at the MAAC title. It has really put a chip on our shoulder coming into this season. You never know when it could be your last practice or game. We have a championship caliber team with a goal of winning the MAAC this year.

Lopez-Senechal: Having to stop the season suddenly last March definitely made an impact in my life, and left some marks.

However, it also made me more motivated for the upcoming season. It made me realize that nothing can be taken for granted, and that some goals can be shut down when we least expect it. We were in a good position to win the championship last year and I want to make it happen again this year and win it all.

With a definitive date set for the first game of this year, do you feel hopeful that the team will see competition time given the current suspension of athletics?

Armstrong: Yes, I do feel confident that we will be playing soon enough. The athletic department, our coaches and the school are doing everything they can to ensure that we will have a season.

They are making every effort to keep us safe, and they are doing everything in their power to see to it that we have a season.

Hakes: I am hopeful that we will see competition this year.

Suspension is frustrating for everyone, but it is important to stay dialed in mentally and physically. It is inevitable that there will be bumps in the road, especially during such uncertain times.

Lopez-Senechal: Yes, I keep feeling hopeful that we will have a season, even though we go through ups and downs. We are all trying to stay safe in order to be able to compete this year, and we don’t lose hope no matter the circumstances. I think it is important to keep having faith, so we all stay prepared and motivated.

How has basketball transformed your experience here at Fairfield?

Armstrong: Being on the Fairfield women’s basketball team has given me some of the greatest friendships and memories of my life. Over the last three years here, I have learned what it means to be a teammate on the court and a friend off of the court. As a student-athlete, pretty much everything you do revolves around either your sport or academics. I spend a lot of time in the gym with my teammates or on the road traveling to away games. The moments in between the action, like the bus rides, the locker room laughs or the Tuesday night movies are memories I will always cherish.

Hakes: Being an athlete at Fairfield has allowed me to find my voice and use it for the better. It has helped me discover opportunities, both academically and athletically, that I never thought were possible. The bonds I have with my teammates and the athletic community are something that I will cherish forever.

Our team truly has a family atmosphere.

Lopez-Senechal: Basketball has had a huge impact on my experience at Fairfield, and it still does. As a matter of fact, it plays a major role in my life and it makes my life here better. It makes the year more exciting and enjoyable. Basketball also helps me to feel more comfortable here and away from home. My teammates are part of the reason why I love being in Fairfield and being on this team.

With formal practices at a standstill, how do you stay in peak physical shape with limited resources?

Armstrong: Get creative! I like to take the standstill as an opportunity to do more workouts that I enjoy. For me, I enjoy going on longer runs and running on grass fields. I also will join my teammates for workouts in small groups. Meg Morelli [‘21] likes to come up with some tough workouts, so we will do those to stay in shape.

Hakes: With formal practices at a standstill, it is so important to be intentional. Simple body weight and conditioning workouts can keep us in great mental and physical shape. We can also get creative by finding heavy things around our apartments/ dorms to lift.

Lopez-Senechal: We have to adapt ourselves to the situation we are being put into, so that means working out in our dorm or at home if we are able to, running outside or finding a court somewhere. It is very hard to go from lifting in a weight room to doing bodyweight in a room, but I think we can all find a way to stay in shape daily and do what we can.

What qualities do you believe are important for you to possess as a leader on this team?

Armstrong: As a leader, I think it is extremely important to hone in on interpersonal skills. A leader is someone who is supposed to bring out the best in others, and make everyone around them better. Communication, consistency and patience are things that I will be working on this season.

Younger players tend to look up to older players, so I want to set a good example for them and try to make them better. Leading by example will be important, and I think that our captains and older players can, and will, do that.

Hakes: I think it is super important to practice what you preach, expect the best out of yourself and your teammates and be willing to hold people accountable. Leaders come in all different forms; they don’t always have to be the loudest voices in the room.

I think Lou, KT and I bring very different things to the table that complement each other and enrich our culture.

Lopez-Senechal: As a leader on this team, I believe it is important to always try to be an example for others so people can look up to you. In competing, every time you step on the court is showing leadership, and this is what I always want to do, no matter what the results are. I also think that accepting your mistakes, keeping your head up and having self-control over your emotions are qualities that a leader should have. Being vocal and communicative is also important in a leadership role, and it is something I continue to work on each day.

What message do you have for your teammates, coaches and fans regarding your intentions as a team captain?

Armstrong: As a captain, I am going to do everything I can to help my team win and have fun throughout the process. I want to continue to learn and grow in this leadership position, so that I can be the best captain and teammate that I can be.

Hakes: I would like to thank my coaches and teammates for trusting me with the role of captain. It is a title that I do not take lightly. I promise to be a constant support to my teammates and to bring intensity and a competitive edge every day. I am willing to do anything it takes to cut down nets at the end of this year.

Lopez-Senechal: First of all, I am very grateful and happy to be a captain for the team, it means a lot that my coaches trust me.

It gives me confidence for the rest of my career. I will always want to show that I can be a good leader and push my teammates to be the best that they can be. I love being part of this program, and I can’t wait to make more memories with my teammates and try to accomplish the end goal, which is to win the MAAC Championship. I also hope that the fans will keep supporting us, no matter what the outcomes are!

Go Stags!

Photos Contributed by the Sports Information Desk

The Fairfield University women's basketball team has named redshirt senior Katie Armstrong, and juniors Rachel Hakes and Lou Lopez-Senechal as the captains of the 2020-2021 season.