The Fairfield Mirror 9-11-2013

THE MIRROR

Student-run newspaper

Week of September 11, 2013

www.fairfieldmirror.com fairfieldmirror The Fairfield Mirror

Vol. 38, 39, Iss. 23 2

REMEMBERING A CHRONICLE OF FAIRFIELD’S RECOVERY

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Faculty wants Mentor

By Exnhi Myslymi Associate News Editor

Twenty-five Fairfield faculty members, including some who have retired, signed a letter asking to fully restore Mentor for faculty and students.

One week before classes started, faculty was informed by Chief Information Officer Paige Francis that Mentor’s course management system would shut down due to security concerns.

Considering Mentor’s importance to Fairfield, “the timing and lack of faculty input to the decision to shut down Mentor should give everyone cause for great concern,”

said Accounting Professor Dr. Dawn Massey.

Francis said, “Unfortunately, the issues only came to light the week before fall semester started so the decision was really disruptive for the faculty to prepare for the students coming in.”

Author and creator of the Mentor Course Management and Assessment and co-founder of Axiom Education Dr. Curt Naser said he received an email on Aug. 22 from Francis with specific security concerns.

These included faculty being READ MENTOR ON PAGE 3

By Luigi DiMeglio Managing Editor On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Director of Public Safety Todd Pelazza was seated at his desk. Larri Mazon, director of multicultural relations at the time, went to Pelazza’s office to tell him about an incident in New York. Mazon had a large TV in his office and they proceeded to watch history unfold.

By about 10:30 a.m., Fairfield University had closed its gates and manned the front entrance to campus with an officer. Off-duty officers were called in.

“I vividly remember that day,” said Pelazza, “One of the things that still strikes me is the weather. It was a crystal clear day with literally not a cloud in the sky.

“Whenever there’s weather like that today, it still sends a chill down my back.”

In 2001, it was school policy for student residences to have landlines.

There was no StagAlert system. Calls came pouring in to the Department of Public Safety office from students unsure what to do.

Pelazza had been at Fairfield for almost 10 years at that point, but the situation was unprecedented. Disaster planning had been done, but nothing quite applied to 9/11. The closed gates and checkpoints remained for more than a week after that cloudless Tuesday.

“Because of our location, we knew there would be students affect-

ed,” said Pelazza.

ResLife, Campus Ministry, Counseling Services, DPS and others in the campus community began their search for whom Fairfield might have lost.

The World Trade Center had many people working there every day that it had its own zip code. At the Office of Alumni Relations, Janet Canepa ’82 began combing through files for alumni that were listed under the WTC zip code. When they were found, their home telephone numbers were called.

Canepa remembers what some of those calls were like. “You know, you could hear that there would be a lot of people over the house and the house would calm down [when the phone call started]. … They were there to console.”

It took until the month of October 2001 for the school to determine that 14 alumni perished in the attack.

One of Canepa’s classmates, Patrick McGuire ’82, was at work on the 84th floor of 2 World Trade Center. McGuire was about to evacuate the building, but an announcement over the building intercom said the situation was under control, so he resumed his work at Euro Brokers, Inc. His long-time friend and Fairfield classmate, Michael Murray ’82, had made it down to the 40th floor of that building, but was on his way back up when a plane slammed into floors 78 through 84.

READ STORY ON PAGE 4

"It is hard to see that there is any plausible claim of a “security emergency” of the sort that would justify forcing over two hundred faculty, 500 courses and 4000 students to change week of class ...

Because the CIO has failed to demonstrate any legitimate security concerns with the Mentor system, we call upon the CIO to immediately reinstate faculty and student access to Mentor."

Faculty members want Information Technology Service to bring back Mentor

Loan Le/The Mirror

News:

Opinion:

The Vine:

Sports:

FUSA to announce

Student critiques action in

The Levee gets Nauti

Fall sports preview

fall concert

Syria

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THE MIRROR | Week of September 11, 2013

News

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1. The Nauti Dolphin replaced Mike’s Pizza in the Levee this year as the food provider for the campus hang out.

2. Lessing Field, located across from the Walsh Athletic Center, is sporting a new stone and iron fence for the 2013 season.

3. The renaming of The Ham Channel isn’t the only new feature of the Media Center in Xavier Hall as a new set was provided for one of the shows.

5. Alumni Hall, home of women’s basketball and volleyball teams, has a new roof after many days of work that date back to last semester.

Tebben Gil Lopez/The Mirror

12 years later, campus connections remain deep

CONTINUED FROM PG 1

Ryan McGuire ’16, son of Patrick McGuire, remembers a phone call at his house around 6:30 p.m.

“It was his best friend who worked right next to him and he had gotten out and he was on his way home at that point because the city was locked down – couldn’t get ahold of him, couldn’t get ahold of anybody … “… It was so hectic. We understood it was going to take more than a day to find out if he was dead or alive. Like four or five days later, that’s when we realized, ‘OK, we just want to find him, just have something to bury, something at all, even a little bit.’

“Ten days later … they came up to our house saying they found his entire body. They found every bit of him.”

The first Mass on campus to honor the victims was on October 28, 2001 and was held in Alumni Hall. It was presided by Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., and the Fairfield University Glee Club closed the Mass with a singing of “America the Beautiful.”

“The reason I remember it is because I actually fell asleep during it,” said McGuire ’16. “I’m this little 7-year-old kid who hasn’t really slept at all and then we get into this Mass and I pass out. I wake up 15 to 20 minutes later and my

brother is laughing hysterically at me and my mom’s laughing. You know, it was one of those moments where it was like finally something funny happened and … the tension was settling.”

About 13 months after the attacks, on Oct. 22, 2002, a Fairfield maintenance van drove down to New York City and brought a piece of steel, once part of the towers, to campus.

“Nothing felt right,” Canepa said. “It was just so hard. Everybody was just so lost at what to do. And then we just were lucky.

I think the piece of steel made it easier, you know, to kind of figure out what to do because it would be something really special.”

At that time Fairfield was the first college campus to have a piece of the debris from Sept. 11 memorialized. It still rests today near the front door of Alumni House on a stone carved with the names of the 14 alumni victims: Michael Andrews ’89; Jonathan Cappello ’00; Christopher Dunne ’95; Steven Hagis ’91; Joseph Heller ’86; Michael Jacobs ’69; Michael Lunden ’86; Francis McGuinn ’74; Patrick McGuire ’82; William Micciulli ’93; Marc Murolo ’95; Christopher Orgielewicz ’87; Johanna Sigmund ’98 and Christopher Slattery ’98.

“Each year I visit the site usually a day before [the anniversary], and then of course on the day of,”

A memorial in front of the Alumni House to remember Sept. 11, 2001.

Tebben Gil Lopez/The Mirror

News

THE MIRROR | Week of September 11, 2013

We’re giving away tons of

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Visit us in-store and learn how to WIN BOOKSTORE GIFTCARDS we’re giving away daily.

Rent fearlessly

Goodbye, Mentor

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 able to see students’ ID numbers, gender and class schedules, which would violate the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, data that has been provided by Fairfield since 2003.

Within 18 hours, these security concerns were resolved, and the changes were deployed on Aug. 26 at 6 a.m.

Later that same day, a decision was made to terminate the Mentor course management system, but faculty can still access this same information through the my.Fairfield portal.

There was an additional concern that the Amazon cloud servers used by Mentor were located outside the United States, violating federal law concerning student records.

“Mentor was an incredibly useful tool … and the tools I am left to work with are simply inferior and ultimately students are the ones that suffer.”

Dr. David Gudelunas, Communication professor

You can highlight and write in your books.

Normal wear and tear is OK!

However, Naser said that Francis never asked to clarify the location of the servers.

Michael Graham-Cornell, former director of Computing and Network Services, did ask and was properly informed that student information was not leaving the country.

“All of the data in Mentor is housed in the eastern region of Amazon cloud in northern Virginia,” Naser said. “The reason for shutting down Mentor was based on an assumption which could have easily been answered. No data goes outside of the U.S.” “Nothing we did in Mentor violated FERPA,” he said.

Francis did not provide specific details regarding the security concerns, saying “there are issues deeper than IDs and other FERPArelated display violations … but the decision was made based on protecting university data, nothing more, nothing less.”

Professors and students respond to Mentor shutdown

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With 217 instructors, 4,190 students and 532 courses on Mentor for the spring semester, from all schools at Fairfield, the recent shutdown has led to frustration among faculty and students.

“It’s ridiculous and ludicrous that suddenly we decide two days before class to change the course management system” said Communication Professor Dr. Mike Pagano, who incorporates an online management system into all of his classes.

“With two or three clicks, I could move information from a class I taught in 2008 to a class I’m teaching now on Mentor, and I can’t do that on Blackboard,” Pagano added. “All I know is Mentor provided a way for me to archive my classes and reach my goals of teaching my students.”

Communication Professor Dr. David Gudelunas said, “Mentor was an incredibly useful tool … and the tools I am left to work with are simply inferior and ultimately students are the ones that suffer,” adding that Mentor was a system “superior to the industry standard.”

Considering that the decision was made before the semester began, “a standalone announcement” was not made to students regarding the change, said Francis.

“Students seem to manage new technology well, so we ramped up online training for students and will continue to publish those links,” Francis said. “Blackboard is a leader in online education, it’s easy to use and many Fairfield students already use it in at least one class.”

For students, the change led to difficulties.

Resident Assistant Malgorzata Kielbowicz ’15 said, “With Mentor I could access residents’ schedules, which is helpful when I want to have a floor meeting … I want to know where my girls are.”

Accounting student Marisa Mastrangelo ’15 found it “difficult to have both Blackboard and Mentor so it was good to standardize it to one system, but they should make sure everyone knows how to use the system.”

“I didn’t have readings for one of my classes last week because the professor couldn’t

Tebben Gill Lopez/The Mirror

FUSA teases fall concert

By Loan Le Editor-in-Chief

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Checked-in books must be in resellable condition. See store for details.

With a 27-second teaser video released early evening Sept. 9, Fairfield University Student Association said it will announce the fall concert lineup on Thursday, Sept. 19.

In the lower level Barone Campus Center, from 6 to 8 p.m., FUSA has scheduled a “FUSApalooza,” with food and music provided by the Nauti Dolphin and WVOF, respectively. The concert reveal will also be a part of the FUSA office’s grand opening; the student body organization has moved from its space near the commuter lounge into the former Manor office.

President Alex Long ’14 said FUSA chose the two artists based on the responses from a student survey sent out in May. “Students who are very passionate about seeing the concert will have filled out the form,” Long said.

A hundred students responded, with the top two genres being techno and rap. Following the results, concert organizers Katie Donahue ‘15 and Andrea Butler ‘15 began searching for concert artists over the summer.

“We really think the students will like it,” Long responded when asked about the student reaction to FUSA’s upcoming announcement.

“We have high hopes that this concert will sell out in the first couple weeks of ticket sales.”

Long also said the concert artists represent genres that have already been performed at Fairfield. “In the recent years, we’ve had acts that performed well among students and [with this concert] we hope to capitalize on student interest,” Long said.

Sophomore Christian Eybergen would go to see artists representing techno or rap. “I’m interested in who they’re gonna get,” he said.”

Freshman Taylor Willerup said she will go to the concert, but if she had a chance to see the survey, techno and rap “wouldn’t be my top picks,” she said, adding that she prefers pop and alternative.

For last year’s fall concert, FUSA brought in headliner Diplo with EDM group Krewella as the opener. Between 1,850 and 1,900 tickets were sold and responses after the concert lauded the artist choices.

THE MIRROR | Week of September 11, 2013

News

Crime Beat

Compiled by Robert Joyce.

Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety.

Monday, 9/2

8:52 a.m. – Suspected marijuana was discovered in a glass jar inside a vehicle being towed from a fire lane outside 51 McInnes Rd. The vehicle owner was issued an infraction from the Fairfield Police Department and referred to student conduct.

10:08 p.m. – RAs found a bag of what is suspected to be crystal methamphetamine in the hallway on the second floor of 47 Mahan Rd. The incident is under investigation.

Wednesday, 9/4 1:44 a.m. – DPS identified an individual who allegedly interfered with Fairfield Police Department responding to a prior medical emergency. The individual was issued a $408 fine.

2:33 a.m. – Students were found near the stag statue to be in possession of marijuana and paraphernalia. The responsible parties were referred to student conduct.

Thursday, 9/5 11:07 p.m. – A criminal trespass warning was issued to a non-student at Townhouse 10 block. The non-student refused to cooperate with officers investigating underage drinking. The non-student’s host was referred to student conduct.

Student TV station changes name

By Robert Hagstrom Assistant News Editor After long being called The Ham Channel, Fairfield’s student-run television station has changed its name to Stags TV Members of the club felt that “The Ham Channel” didn’t fully incorporate the news aspect of the station, according to Eve Seiter ’14, the President of Stags TV. “We also wanted to reinvent our image. In the past, many students didn’t really know what the Ham Channel was,” Seiter said. “The name change gives us the opportunity to let students know our purpose here on campus, and also encourages them to come and get involved,” Seiter added.

The Ham Channel began producing television shows at Fairfield in 1995, and according to its website, it “has been the creative outlet for students to tell stories, report news, host talk shows and learn the ins and outs of television.”

This year, Stags TV aims to cover more events on campus, including discussions on new music and a cooking segment, according to Seiter.

The club has 30 members and 13 staff

members who serve on the Steering Committee, which oversees each department within the station.

The name change was first proposed

by Seiter herself, who met with the club’s Steering Committee to discuss the issue.

After agreeing that The Ham Channel should be renamed, the staff held a contest in which students could send in potential names for the channel.

Daniel Bruno ‘13 won the contest, Seiter said, by submitting the name Stags TV. Another name that was submitted which was given consideration was Stag Nation Station.

For freshman, the television station is a great way to get involved in a club at Fairfield. With a new name and a fresh start, first year students who choose to be a part of Stags TV can contribute to the club going forward.

“As a freshman, it’s exciting to be a part of something new. It’s a great opportunity to put some skills to use for the real world,” said Caleigh O’Connor ‘17.

Douglas Daniels ‘14, a Stags TV member, said, “The name change from Ham Channel to Stags TV is an interesting

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idea. I feel that it helps to tie itself down with the rest of the Fairfield community.”

“I believe that [Stags TV] is heading for bigger, better things and I’m excited to see what happens next,” Daniels said.

After the new name was selected, the club had some work to do in regards to its merchandise, logo and website redesign, which will now be called stagstv.com.

The Fairfield community seems to support the change. “If you are willing to change the theme of something in particular, why not change it around and see what options you have,” said Joe Patalano ’15.

The show, which airs on channel 64 and 65.1 in HD, is dedicated to new programming.

“Every week we shoot a new show and bi-weekly we edit the show and then we put it up,” said Seiter.

Stags TV participated at the activities fair on Friday and will hold its first meeting of the semester on Monday, Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Xavier Hall at Fairfield Preparatory School.

Seiter said the club wants “as many enthusiastic people about television as possible to join Stags TV.”

University urges students to be S.M.A.R.T.

Tuesday, 9/10 2:46 p.m. – A student was cited with Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle when they attempted to pass another motor vehicle on Leber Road by leaving the hard pavement at a high rate of speed.

The student was issued a $150 fine and referred to the Director of Public Safety regarding a review of the student’s campus parking privileges.

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By Rob Joyce Crime Beat Reporter The Office of the Dean of Students has launched a new campaign this year against students misusing and abusing alcohol called “Be S.M.A.R.T. About It.” The acronym S.M.A.R.T. stands for “Students Managing Alcohol Responsibly Together.”

This new program aims to prevent alcohol related accidents on campus.

“We’re trying to be very proactive this year and encourage the students to make healthy choices around alcohol,” Dean of Students Karen Donoghue ‘03 said.

Fairfield’s administration is acknowledging the use of alcohol by underage students, and in return they are trying to promote smart choices and responsible behavior regarding its use.

According to Donoghue, the campaign, which targets freshmen and sophomores, explains that “50 percent of first year students don’t drink” and that “70 percent of our students report to be light or moderate drinkers.”

“These are the good drinkers,” Donoghue said. “If you’re going to choose to drink, be a light or moderate drinker.”

Associate Director of Public Safety Frank Ficko said that there is a concern that students won’t report other students because they think they “will be okay after they sleep it off, which is very dangerous.” He said that students can potentially die from vomiting

and asphyxiation in their sleep.

“September, or the beginning of the semester, is when there are the highest number of alcohol related incidents,” Ficko said, adding that alcohol can be a contributing factor to motor vehicle accidents, serious injuries and even death.

Assistant Director of Public Safety John Richie said that this September, during the first week of school, there were seven medical transports for alcohol overdoses. This is comparable to September of 2012, when there were six alcohol related medical transports during the first week of school.

Twenty-five medical transports from alcohol overdoses occurred in September of 2012, four alone happening at FUSA’s Fall Concert that featured electronic dance music artists Krewella and Diplo. Because of these accidents, Richie said he is not excited for the upcoming fall concert.

According to Richie, the majority of medical transports from alcohol overdoses involve freshmen.

Ficko said that with these kinds of accidents, “one student is too many.”

Donoghue added, “Any incident that involves a student going to the hospital is troublesome.”

The Be S.M.A.R.T About It campaign is being advertised and promoted through posters, flyers and items such as water bottles, which are to be distributed to students.

As part of the program, a Be S.M.A.R.T.

About It tent will give out free pizza and water at the Fall Concert, Presidential Ball, Halloween, and other nights that tend to involve students drinking alcohol, said Donoghue.

“What helps people not go to the hospital? Pizza,” Donoghue said.

According to Matt Borda ‘17, “going to the hospital is never good.”

Freshman Claire Holleran said, “I think it’s a great idea because it’s realistic and helpful.”

The Office of the Dean of Students, in cooperation with the rest of Fairfield, is trying to normalize the culture of sober fun while acknowledging its use and promoting responsible behavior around alcohol.

Public Safety and the Office of the Dean of Students both wish to advocate the medical amnesty policy at Fairfield, which assures that when a student calls Public Safety or a Resident Assistant on behalf of another student, there will be no formal disciplinary action.

Donoghue stressed that “the fear of a student getting in trouble should never get in the way of getting someone help.” She assured that “we will not give them that ‘X’ on their folder.”

RA Michael LeBoeuf ‘15 says that it is refreshing to know that Fairfield acknowledges the drinking on campus, and thinks this is a “very positive step” for Fairfield.

Donoghue summed up the campaign by saying that “we’re not naïve here.”

THE MIRROR | Week of September 11, 2013

Opinion

Opinion

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Editor

Cartoon by Tebben Gill Lopez/ The Mirror

Military action will not save lives in Syria

By Leigh Tauss Opinion Editor Over the course of two years, civil war in Syria has reached a boiling point under our noses, but it has taken the photographed bloodless bodies of children to open the eyes of our government. A humanitarian crisis all but ignored by the international community is now the nexus of global debate.

The game of smoke and mirrors is well underway, with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposing a way around intervention if Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad agrees to hand over his chemical weapons to Russia. While some may be fooled into thinking that will actually end the conflict, let’s get real.

No one really wants Russia to have more chemical weapons. And there are a lot of other ways to kill.

Still reeling from the decadelong stint in Iraq, the majority of Americans are opposed to intervening in Syria. In a poll conducted

by The Mirror, 73 percent of the 48 people who replied to the survey

Editorial Board Unconvinced Loan Le Editor-in-Chief Danica Ceballos Executive Editor

stated that they were against military intervention.

Likewise, across the country representatives have received overwhelming responses against retaliation. Maryland Congressman Andy Harris tweeted that his office received 753 calls opposing military action in Syria and only 10 in favor of intervention.

And yet, here appears the golden eagle to swoop in and save the day in the name of liberty and justice for all, right?

Why now? What exactly was the tipping point? Did the pictures make us feel bad? Are we to believe death by chemical weapons is so much worse than death by air strikes, guns or bombs that it warrants our immediate action.

Last night Obama addressed the nation, stating that he will temporarily postpone a congressional vote on a military strike in Syria.

While claiming that America is not the "world police" he made clear that the United States is an "anchor of global security." What exactly the difference is remains unclear.

Obama also said that he "will

We were young. We went to school on Sept. 11 thinking it’d be another day of recess, multiplication tables and art class. Instead, we watched teachers whisper to one another, we watched our classmates disappear as their parents took them out of school and then, in dimly lit classrooms, already in mourning, we watched the news.

The events that transpired after, the call for action against those who attacked us, brought us years of embittered battles overseas and tears at home.

And now, still raw from the

not put American boots on the ground in Syria" but if deemed necessary, a military strike is in order to "send a message" to Assad that use of indicriminate chemical weapons is unacceptable.

As if we are to believe that drone strikes are more discriminating with its victims.

I have some bad news for Obama. We don’t have the best track record in keeping people alive in the countries we invade.

According to the Associated Press, more than 116,000 civilians were killed during our occupation of Iraq.

The United States reported the chemical weapons attack on Aug. 21 claimed more than 1,400 lives.

The United Nations estimates over 100,000 lives have been lost in the conflict since 2011.

How can we not expect that number to double if the U.S. military joins the party?

In this conflict there is no right or wrong. We are not even sure whom we are fighting at this point.

Everyone, I guess. Assad blames the rebel forces for the chemical weap-

wars before us, Americans have decried President Obama’s plan for a military strike against Syria, to punish President Bashar AlAssad for his alleged use of chemical weapons. The link between the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and today’s Syrian crisis has already been drawn; many have considered the potential military intervention reminiscent of that in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Last night, President Obama took the stage to address the national audience and attempted to persuade Americans to stand firm behind him. He targeted our

ons attack on Aug. 21. The U.S. media have led us to believe Assad is big bad wolf.

Putin has sided with Assad’s government, and is prepared to back them should U.S. intervention come to fruition.

How much blood must be shed before enough is enough? Do we really believe that drone strikes and ground forces will save lives?

The truth is simple: War is not about saving lives.

The U.S. media care only about saving certain lives; whose names and pictures get plastered on the nightly news and for whom the nation will reel indefinitely.

That is why, when an armed person enters a school full of innocent children, the priority in the situation is not to kill that person. It is to prevent the children who cannot escape the conflict from being senselessly murdered.

However, when entering a foreign country, we do not hold true to those values. Instead, we blindly strike civilian areas and senselessly slaughter those who are trapped in the country with the goal of killing a

few unnamed enemies.

That is akin to blowing up an entire school to kill a potential shooter.

The truth is, a number like 100,000 is simply too big for us to fathom. It is said that our brains are incapable of processing any number over 1,000. After that, it all just gets chalked up to the same infinitude.

For those pressuring military action in Syria, there is no logistical difference between 100,000 and 200,000 casualties when not a single dead child will be given a name or a story or a favorite color.

They don’t care how many more have to die as long as they come out on top.

It’s clear the American public has recognized the fraudulence of the U.S.’ claim as world peace police.

American citizens oppose the war in Syria because we have already seen how little good more guns and violence in an area of conflict will do.

We pulled out of Iraq with our tail between our legs.

How fast our government has forgotten.

emotions, reminding us of the hundreds of children who were killed. His voice hardly waved in assertion. But we remain unconvinced.

He gave us answers that we knew or heard before. Diplomacy? We’re trying. Why? Common humanity. Let’s just take out Assad? No can do. Obama claims that retaliation from Assad will not happen. But how can we know? How can we know that our defenses will not fail, as Obama implied? Other issues are more unclear. The “limited strike” will be targeted and will not injure

more people than necessary, he said. But how?

Too many questions, too many non-answers. It’ll take more than a 15-minute speech to convince us. And, because this editorial is was written just hours before the twelfth anniversary of 9/11, we remember how America was “steamrolled” into a war – as said by former Secretary of State Colin Powell in a recent interview.

The one thing we can applaud Obama for is his decision to postpone congressional vote on the military strike. This matter cannot be rushed.

Opinion

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THE MIRROR | Week of September 11, 2013

We need to fight for democracy at home

By Luigi DeMelio Managing Editor Today we debate a crisis in Syria – a crisis of people oppressed by their government. That government, like all in civilized and uncivilized history, has probably justified its questionable practices with the alltoo-popular concept of ‘protection.’

On the home front, an American civil war brews. The divide in our nation doesn’t smell like Sarin gas or feel like the detonation of an artillery shell, but it compromises the integrity of our private homes just the same. The instruments of the American government have taken apart our walls and left our businesses naked to the scrutiny of a sprawling surveillance system we barely understand.

The world waits for America and our allies to intervene in Syria, but whom is the American public looking to for intervention here?

The party elected to power under the most attractive promise of personal liberty has a Commander-in-Chief that has strongly upheld the unconstitutional practices of his predecessor. (Has it yet occurred to the American voter that being president requires the abandonment of your campaign platform’s most appealing planks?)

Only very recently, in response to “The Snowden Effect,” has the president begun to acknowledge the

shadow government Americans are at the mercy of.

Our knee-jerk response to being spied on is an attempt to dismantle or, at least, reform the NSA and the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court, which is problematic. First of all, the argument for a constitutional surveillance state and against what we have now is years overdue (The Patriot Act was first signed into law only about a month after 9/11).

It’s embarrassing that America

is surprised by this exposure. This generation can testify that we’ve heard the “terror” threat thrown around to warrant anything that government officers would need a court-ordered warrant to execute.

But those who are now finally in action for our rights are right: It isn’t too late. Unlike the opinion on gun control published last semester in The Mirror, we should not accept our government’s dominance with this issue.

But to whom does the public look as an ally against unconstitutionality? Those in the trenches on this news story are a handful of legitimate news organizations (The Guardian, Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and ProPublica really deserve the credit so far). Wikileaks all of a sudden seems more relevant now, too.

How much can be exposed before ‘terrorism prevention’ logic becomes more than an excuse? After

Cartoon by Tebben Gill Lopez/ The Mirror

all, one of our government’s hardest pieces of evidence in the allegations against the Syrian government is a file of wiretapped phone calls with their military concerning the use of chemical weapons. Thus, espionage looks pro-democracy again. Don’t let that fool you. Stories have broken in recent weeks about our government tapping into the private business of Brazil, Germany, the United Nations and even private companies. With years behind it and an uninformed public voting, America is losing credibility.

What if the public pushes the envelope, too? A town in Colorado is issuing permits for residents to shoot down drones with their rifles (impossibly practical considering drones fly much higher than any kind of rifle round).

A more simple exercise would be to speak the words “Obama,” “Osama,” “Washington D.C.,” “pressure cooker” and “fertilizer” into a telephone conversation. Chances are, the NSA’s advanced surveillance computer would tag your call and store it in some warehouse in Nevada and you could then be detained and questioned.

The worst part is, your own Senator, President or favorite Supreme Court Justice (Ginsburg is pretty attractive) doesn’t have any power in the process. This isn’t Syria, but it doesn’t feel much like democracy, either.

5 reasons I love baseball more than football home runs.

In 2012 the NFL only had nine kickoff returns of that genre, and they were by seven different teams.

Miguel Cabrera hit 44 home runs last year alone, and by the way, became the first triple-crown winner in 45 years. America loves the long ball so much, they have a home-run competition every year during AllStar weekend. Who even watches the Pro Bowl?

Playoffs.

In baseball, that means post-season: best of fives and best of sevens. Sure elimination games are exciting, but I like to see teams fight to earn them, not getting byes in the first round to avoid them. Furthermore, incase you think baseball playoffs are long and drawn out, MLB added a second wildcard team to each league and now everybody gets to enjoy at least one, one-game playoff each year.

Winning the Super Bowl is an accomplishment, no doubt, but epic heroes are born from journeys.

Homer didn’t write about Odysseus’ last minute errand, and Mr. October didn’t win the World Series in 1977 by helping the Yankees only win three or four games. In baseball, fans are given the gift of a postseason; in football you just kind of do a lot of waiting, and then your team loses one game and you have to do a lot more waiting.

But let’s be honest, once the Yankees are out of playoff/world series contention, I’ll be on the same level as every other football-crazed nut. Cheering on my Jets ... mainly not to embarrass themselves.

Cartoon by Jasmine Raghunandan / The Mirror

People today will look at you in America like you’re crazy if you tell them you don’t watch football. I mean come on, you don’t watch the most popular sport in the country?

You don’t dedicate entire Sundays to sitting in front of a TV? Come on, there are sold out stadiums every single week in every city... that is unless you’re Jacksonville, of course. Football is “America’s favorite sport,” but it sure isn’t mine.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the Jets, but with the Yankees in a heated wildcard race, I couldn’t care less about the start of the National Football League season. What’s that? The Jets are playing the Bucs Sunday at 1 p.m.? No thank you, I’ll take the greatest rivalry in sports history instead: Yankees vs. Red Sox. I get that the tailgate scene is fun, but for me it’s always been hot dogs at a ballpark, and I’ll bleed pinstripes long after I’m dead and six feet deep. So here are five reasons why baseball is better than football: NFL junkies boast that quarterback is the hardest position to play in any sport. I agree with that, but the hardest thing to do in any sport is to hit a baseball, and that’s why the hall of fame is filled with guys who were able to only fail seven out of ten times.

Only one player on the team can play Quarter Back at a time.

Every player in the MLB has to hit, except American League pitchers

and National League pitchers when they play in an AL ballpark. In fact, since April 6 of 1973, the AL has had a designated hitter, a position like the QB, that is primarily offensive and exists solely to create scoring opportunities.

Defense, defense, defense: Watching a good defense in football is fun, but lets be honest, we would much rather see a lot of touchdowns, a Quarter Back that can pick apart a secondary, and 100-yard days. It’s like how a lot of people like Tim Tebow, but then again, a lot of people wouldn’t want him on their team.

Don’t get me wrong, I love high-scoring baseball games as much as the next guy, and I’m a huge fan of the long ball, but nothing beats a pitchers duel, or a complete game shutout, or a no-hitter.

And nothing in sports compares to a perfect game. How great is that, another person reaching perfection, even if only for one day?

It’s easy to be a “dedicated” fan in the NFL when you only have to show up once a week. One hundred sixty-two games is a marriage in the sports world; 16 games is just the affair you had in the winter while baseball was away. Sure it was fun, but now that it’s over, baseball will still be there for you in the summer, unlike your wife.

You know what’s exciting to watch? 100-yard kickoff returns for TDs. You know why its exciting to watch? Because it’s an instant score and because everything needs to go right for it to happen. Now, do you know what’s more fun to watch?

Miguel Cabrera crushing 400-foot

POLL

By Salvatore Trifilio News Editor

The Obama administration proposed a limited military strike on Syria in retaliation for Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons on civilians. Would you support this action?

No, I do not support this type of intervention.

(73%, 35 Votes) Yes, I support this type of intervention.

(27%, 13 Votes) Total Voters: 48

The Mirror welcomes the opinions and contributions of its readers: Letters to the editor must be timely and submitted by email to info@fairfieldmirror.com or Box AA. All letters to the editor that are appropriate will be published either in print or online. The Mirror reserves the right to edit letters and articles for content, length and grammatical error. Letters should be free of obscenities and personal attacks and should contain correct and factual information not exceeding 500 words.

The Vine

"I'm on a boat!"

Tebben Gill Lopez /The Mirror

New school year, new pizza: Nauti Dolphin takes over The Levee

By Dylan Dembin Vine Editor New year. New classes. New pizza.

With the school year starting up again, there is always a sense of a fresh start in the atmosphere. There are changes happening this fall and one of them is new management of The Levee at Fairfield.

Students have come to know and love the food and atmosphere of The Levee,

which houses an on-campus pizza restaurant that provides delivery as well as a great place for school events to be held.

However, Angelo’s Pizza, which was the previous food service of the establishment, moved out this summer to make way for a new player.

The Nauti Dolphin has officially moved in. This well-known pizza restaurant was founded in 1992 and in 1997 moved to its current location on 1 Carter

Henry Drive in Fairfield, which is right between the train station and the Fairfield Theatre Company.

The two co-owners of Nauti Dolphin, Greg Roberts and Scott Hartley, said they are optimistic about their move to the Levee.

Fairfield administration expressed enthusiasm to welcome the Nauti Dolphin to the Levee. In an email sent to all students, they said there is a real drive to

incorporate this signature pizza restaurant. Fairfield is a tight community and introducing such a central establishment into the campus can only improve student life, and appetite, the email said.

There will be an extensive Italian menu to choose from in addition to the bar and the famous chicken turnover.

READ LEVEE ON PAGE 8

The Vine

THE MIRROR | Week of September 11, 2013

Page 8

Nauti Dolphin moves in with high hopes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 The interior of the Levee has been revamped with a new look and, of course, some Nauti Dolphin touches all around the restaurant.

“There’s nothing like a good atmosphere. It’s where people want to go,” said Roberts about the new move and renovations to The Levee. He and Hartley said they both want to work with Fairfield administration to put The Levee back on the map and enjoy meeting the new students.

Roberts said, “We’ve been doing Nauti for years and when Fairfield approached us in the spring, things just took off. It’s been a great experience dealing with everyone at the university.”

He said that dealing with great people has been one of the most satisfying parts of this journey.

The co-owner of Nauti Dolphin said he is also very enthusiastic about the food being

served. “We use good ingredients, we don’t skimp and we just think about how to make it better.

We want to get our menu down cold in the new location before we transition to some new menu items," said Roberts.

Bringing the Nauti Dolphin quality is key to making this move work right from every angle.

Many see change as a good thing, and as this new semester ramps up there is a need for a new place on campus where students can kick back and relax. This is the ultimate goal.

How are Fairfield students feeling about the Nauti Dolphin so far?

“I’ve only had a leftover Margarita Pizza so far and it was great, but I can only imagine what it tastes like when its warm,” said Emily Bevacqua ’16.

In addition to the more traditional items on the menu, there are other options as well. “I’m also happy they have gluten free pizza”

Tebben Gill Lopez/The Mirror

she said.

Sophomore Raff Reali said, “They’re so much nicer here. Everyone is really personable and accommodating, too.”

With an ambitious and passionate staff and students hankering for a new taste, the Nauti

Dolphin seems like just the right addition to Fairfield for the new year.

Roberts said that in the short amount of time since they started to renovate the Levee in July, there has been a revamped version of the restaurant that really invites

the students.

New and improved food and environment seem like a sorely needed change for The Levee, and Nauti Dolphin delivers, literally.

Tebben Gill Lopez/The Mirror

Tebben Gill Lopez/The Mirror

The Mirror | Week of September 11, 2013

The Vine

Page 9

Archie Moore's:

If you feel like winging it

By Joseph Marino Contributing Writer Archie Moore’s Bar and Restaurant 48 Sanford Street, Fairfield, CT There are a couple of places to eat in Fairfield that every student will inevitably visit at least once or twice during their college careers.

Archie Moore’s Bar and Restaurant is one of those places. If you had to make a list of the places where Fairfield kids go out to eat the most, Archie’s is definitely in the top three.

Everybody who goes to Archie’s will probably tell you how excellent the wings are. Even

though the menu has all the typical pub grub, for the most part it is universally accepted that wings are what you order.

This is the reason people go to Archie’s in the first place and the reason that people return. However, the reason why the wings are so popular seems to be a mystery because, in reality, they are actually rather mediocre as far as wings go.

In all honesty, having wings with some substance would be much more preferable. For those of you who vacation on Long Beach Island, the “Chicken and the Egg” have some of the best wings you can eat. Some of the wings you get at Archie’s are just frail.

They are thinner than the Yankees’ chances of making the

Contributed Photo

playoffs this season. They look like they came from descendents of Chicken Little. They’re not breaded and their “famous” sauce isn’t anything to include in that first letter home to mom.

Don’t take this the wrong way though; Archie’s is a great place to go with friends. It’s priced affordably, so it fits into a college student’s budget. For those of us who

are 21, the beer list is acceptable.

The good thing about the wings is that they come in many sizes and you can get as many as 49 at once, which is great for splitting up if you and a couple of friends want to go out and grab some eats.

So don’t buy into the hype.

The wings at Archie’s aren’t that great, no matter what people might tell you. Sure, Archie’s might have

the best wing in town, but who is their competition?

Archie’s is still a great place to grab some grub, but temper your expectations slightly. All things considered, you will definitely be hard pressed to find a better place for you and a couple of buddies to go and watch the Patriots beat the tar out of the Jets this weekend.

iPick, YouListen Slow Down Poolside From the "Pacific Standard Time" album, this track is what the recumbent corner of your mind has been searching for. I feel like I’m not seeing how I usually do when I surround myself with the mood invoked by Slow Down. Instead, the details kind of blur and my comfort level inflates. Things don’t have to matter – especially during these four minutes and 45 seconds.

By Luigi DiMeglio Managing Editor

Move For Me (GTA Remix) Kaskade & Deadmau5 I never thought I could dance slowly, let alone get passionately involved with an electronic song. This song’s slower beat does not equate to less energy. The energy is just spread carefully into the sublime wash of Kaskade’s voice. This is where the magic happens. You haven’t really dreamed about grooving with a certain someone until you’ve done so with this song in your headphones.

Soundwoy

Nuyorican Son

Stylo G

Bobby Sanabria Big Band

One night this summer, I decided to look through the BBC Radio 1 website to find some new music. I clicked to listen live. It turns out that at 6 a.m. on a Monday the Brits were waking up to this piece of electronic-layered Reggae. Stylo G is not a new name, but his style in this tune is unlike anything I have heard stateside. Once you get past his use of un-American terms like “fire brigade,” the very cool rhythm and almost Trapstyle verses don’t let you go.

This is my obligatory attempt (again) to inspire Jazz listening in you young people. It can work this time. We can do this. I always feel like starting the semester with some added attitude (before heavy work sucks the life out of me). I’ve been home; my roots have been watered with home cooking and those original, cultivating personalities. This music is intended to bring out the purest form of what you have to offer. It’s soulful. It’s energetic. It’s a wild Latin American block party on your iPod. If you’re a good human, you’ll give it a try.

The Vine

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THE MIRROR | Week of September 11, 2013

Vino Files:

Prowling for wine in Fairfield

By Andrew Hoover Contributing Writer Scenario: You turned 21 over the summer, and up until now you either abstained from consuming alcohol, or you imbibed whatever swill you could scrounge.

Regardless, now that you’re legal, the hitch isn’t finding the booze — it’s deciding what classy beverage to enjoy and where to enjoy it.

Perhaps you never considered that the towns surrounding Fairfield were a haven of all things drinkable.

However, for the budding wine lover, there are several local watering holes that offer delicious selections that are affordable for even students living on a shoestring.

So put down your box of Franzia and hit up one of these hot spots for a tasty glass of wine and a guaranteed good time.

Barcelona Restaurant & Wine Bar Before the summer retires for the year, make sure to visit this trendy Spanish-style eatery and grab a cabana on the outdoor patio. For those who are experimenting with wine, learning what style they enjoy most, Barcelona offers both full-glass pours and tastes (half the quantity and half the price)—the perfect method for discovering your new favorite juice.

Order a glass of Chardonnay—or if you’re feeling bold, a glass of Assyrtiko (a zesty white wine from Greece)—and make

sure to try a few of the restaurant’s wallet-friendly tapas, like jamón and Manchego croquetas (think fried rolls) for $6.50.

The Chelsea Located in the heart of downtown Fairfield, this trendy gastro pub is styled after the casual yet vibrant establishments in the Chelsea neighborhood of London.

The by-the-glass wine list features a diverse selection ranging from robust reds like Cabernet Sauvignon from California, to easy-drinking, crisp whites like Pinot Grigio from Italy. Finger foods including homemade pigs-in-blankets grace the appetizer menu for guests with simple tastes, while choices like figs and prosciutto are a good bet for the urbane.

LUXE Modern Wine & Cocktails Feel like venturing out of Fairfield for the night? Located only seven miles from campus, LUXE boasts a sleek, ultra-modern vibe that makes for the perfect Friday night getaway.

Roughly 40 international wines are served by the glass, and there’s an array of artisanal tapas that makes for perfect late-night eats. And if your friends aren’t into wine, no worries. The cocktail program is equally stellar, featuring eclectic creations that are far superior to dorm-room concoctions of vodka and Capri Sun. Contributed Photo

'Boardwalk Empire' back with a bang

By Leigh Tauss Opinion Editor HBO’s "Boardwalk Empire" returned for its fourth season Sunday night, living up to its reputation of violence, booze and debauchery. Although down about half a million viewers with 2.4 million as opposed to the 2.9 million viewers from the season three premiere, this may be attributed to the opening night for the NFL, and not a decrease in the quality of this riveting drama.

Following the necessary murder of the crazed Johnny Torrio at the conclusion of last season, Nucky Thompson, played by the legendary Steve Buscemi, was in a tough spot with former business partners, New York mafia boss Jon Massaria and entrepreneur Arnold Rothstein. Surprisingly a tentative agreement seemed to be reached, with Nucky bribing his would-be enemies with a serious stack of dough, as well as liquor and girls to sweeten the pot.

Although it may be too early to speculate, Massaria seems a formidable big bad for this season if Nucky crosses him again.

Al Capone gets rustled his name is spelled wrong by a reporter and shows him who’s boss. That’s about it for the prolific gangster. Here’s hoping the best is yet to come, as we are yet to truly see the breadth of Capone’s character.

The climax of the episode was a racially charged voyeuristic sex scene, where Dunn Pursley is tricked into a having sex with the wife of the racist Dickey Pastor for his pleasure. Dunn keeps his cool until Pastor comments , “There's no changing you people,” to which Dunn responds by swiftly stabbing Pastor repeatedly in the face with a whiskey bottle, leaving Nucky and Albert “Chalky” White to clean up the mess.

Michael Shannon, who plays former prohibition agent Nelson Van Alden, did not appear in Sunday’s episode. As a wild card character for the show, we can only speculate that his first appearance will be a bang, having solidified his fall from grace in the last season by joining the dark side of the bootlegging industry in Chicago.

Nucky’s wife and former partner, Margaret Thompson, also failed to appear in the episode. How she will factor

into the action this season also remains to be seen, but seeing how Nucky’s last serious girlfriend was killed in a fiery explosion, her chances of re-entering

Nucky’s life as a romantic interest seem strong.

Overall, prospects seem high for the newest season of "Boardwalk." Let’s

hope they take a hint from "Breaking Bad" and continue to reveal the monster within our favorite fun-loving gangster.

Contributed Photo

The Mirror | Week of September 11, 2013

The Vine

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THE MIRROR

Fairfield University’s award-winning and student-run weekly newspaper

THE MIRROR | Week of September 11, 2013

Coffee Break

COFFEE BREAK

Danica’s Cocktail DANICA CEBALLOS

Dear Miss Molly, I’m a freshman girl at Fairfield, and coming from an all girls school. The last time I interacted with a boy was 5th grade kickball.

There’s this boy in my English class that I can’t stop thinking about, but I don’t know how to approach him without creeping him out. What should I do?

Sincerely, Hopelessly Lovestruck Dear Hopelessly Lovestruck, I feel your pain, as I also went to an all girls school for most of

Dylan’s Beer

DYLAN DEMBIN

These five types of guys make dating pretty complicated and very emotionally draining.

From my amateur analysis, it seems that the “open relationship” is the most common and has been gaining popularity at Fairfield since the beginning of the school year.

From freshmen leaving their hometown relationships to seniors wanting to keep their options open, this type of relationship is the most convenient and realistic.

But w h a t exactly is an open relationship? Basically, the couple does not define themselves by common relationship standards. Rather, they set their own rules and adapt them according to their feelings and experiences.

Regardless of my opinion on the topic of Fairfield relationships, the statistic that 60 percent of Fairfield students will find their spouse here is still a daunting reality for all students. So, I guess Fairfield guys are doing something right.

With all of this speculation of Fairfield relationships set aside, everyone, girl or guy, will always have “the one” in the back of their mind.

Whether it’s their high school sweetheart, their best friend, the cutie across the room in your calc class or that basketball player that you cheer for from afar, the one you’re meant to be with is always on your mind, and if they’re lucky, in your heart.

Relationships. College. Are you sure those two can go together in one sentence?

T h e s e days, college is known as the land of the hookup and the one-night stand. Is there really room to fit a legitimate relationship into a college environment?

I would say that the vast majority of the people I’ve talked to have consistently said the hook-up culture is really the only way to go about raging through your college years.

I won’t lie; the advice that is always given (and I’ve given myself ) is to college with mind and a lationship status

go to an open Facebook rethat says “single.”

If you’re the high school sweetheart type, all power to you, but the sad reality is that most previous relationships don’t make it past the first semester. The same goes for relationships formed in college.

I remember the first week of freshman year, and the mad rush of everyone to get matched up with someone before all the good ones were taken. There was a good deal of “relationships” that started in these first couple months of school.

I feel safe saying that none of these lasted longer than the beginning of the second semester.

From my experience, I’ve learned to take things one day at a time. In the land of college, you can’t keep your hopes

Ask Miss Molly

my life. But don’t worry, there are a few simple steps you can take to get comfortable talking to the opposite sex again.

The golden rule to any good lasting relationship is to be you. Boys are very simple creatures, and they can pick up right away when a girl is trying too hard or not being genuine. If he doesn’t like you for who you are, you don’t want to be with him anyway. Second, all good relationships grow out of friendships, not from a 2 a.m. make out session.

My advice to you is to be confident and talk to your crush just like

Editor’s note:

His Beer, Her Cocktail wants to give students on campus a chance to voice their opinions on specific issues.

The goal of the column is to get people talking and debating. If you would like to be featured in the column, contact info@fairfieldmirror.com.

Editor

Executive Editor

College relationships are hard, even if you’re in an amazing one. If the couple is perfectly content with their relationship, who’s to say that the roommate or the best friend is happy with the way the two are handling their interactions. It seems that in college, the relationship extends much further than two people.

Of all my friends, I can only think of two couples in exclusive relationships at Fairfield. While the statistics vary from school to school, I have some ideas as to why Fairfield’s dating culture is the way it is.

Most guys at Fairfield fit into one of five categories. While not all heterosexual men at Fairfield find themselves solely living out one of these stereotypes, for sake of argument, here are my thoughts.

We all know that Fairfield is known for its hook-up culture. The guys that take part in these activities every weekend will be called the “player.” This type of guy is not interested in any kind of relationship.

He likes to have a good time drinking with his friends and finding a girl to hook up with, no strings attached. These guys are emotionally unattached and just trying to live up the college experience.

Next we have the “dater.” This type of guy is serious boyfriend material. He gets to know girls on a personal level and seems genuinely interested. But, as he becomes more comfortable with her and closer to a relationship, he backs out. This guy dates girls but is afraid of commitment.

In addition to these two types of nonboyfriends, there are three other types of guys that do get into relationships … but it isn’t as peachy as it sounds.

First, we have the “ladies’ man.” With a wandering eye, this Fairfield guy is a flirt without shame. Even with a girlfriend, the ladies’ man is always a little too friendly with other women. Though he might come off as a great boyfriend, as the relationship continues, his true colors shine brightly.

Next we’ve got the “mama’s boy.” This guy’s heart will always be in his hometown.

His family has much say in his school life, no matter how much he denies it. If his mother doesn’t approve of his true love, she’s done for.

Last is the “hopeless romantic.” You know that couple in the library canoodling or those two lovebirds holding hands at the stir-fry station? This is the type of guy I’m talking about.

He’s with his girlfriend and her friends 95 percent of the time and should probably work on improving his own social life.

Page 12

he’s anybody else. See if you can scoot your seat closer to him in class and strike up a conversation. Ask him if he understands the readings or if he wants to study together, or maybe get Barone after class.

But don’t play dumb and act like you’re failing the class, girls. Playing dumb can be a major turn-off to guys.

After spending a little time together, the two of you will either hit it off, or maybe not. Who knows, you may find out he’s a total bore. But, don’t dismay, there’s always Spanish class.

Vine Editor

or expectations too high. I’m not trying to say there is no such thing as finding someone “special,” but there are just a lot of other factors that play into it.

The reality is that if you keep your hopes high, you’ll probably end up being disappointed. If you wake up every day and know you’re just going to be ok with whatever happens, it’s pretty hard to be let down.

There really are so many things going on in college, and focusing on just one of the many can be a real trip sometimes. If you’re anything like me and have trouble just keeping track of where all your socks are, how are you going to focus on another person?

If I were to give advice to anyone coming into college right now, I would tell them two things.

One is that you should really get used to college life in general before getting into something like a relationship.

This is what everyone says about joining clubs, and those are definitely less of a time commitment than a relationship.

On the same hand, I would also say that if you really feel like you can have a relaxed relationship that will make your friends jealous, then go for it. You always just have to remember that it should fit into what you’re doing already.

Take a step back and think about what you really do on a daily basis. You have class, work, friends, meals and parties. You’re pretty important, and you have to make time for numero uno.

I would never take a class if I thought it would take over other aspects of my life; so just think about this before you sign up for a relationship. Trust me, it’s tougher than calc 170.

So, when you’re talking about going from “single” to “in a relationship,” choose wisely, my friends. There’s nothing wrong with dating someone, but you better be sure it doesn’t become overwhelming, because it definitely can.

More than anything else, college is about doing new things and finding the ones that you really like. If you take it one day at a time and focus on what adds most to your every day, you’ll be on the right track. Take it as it comes.

Sports

Page 13

THE MIRROR | Week of September 11, 2013

Weekly 4x5

Because they like to talk ...

Jennifer Calhoun Sports Editor

Got any predictions for the fall season?

Fantasy sports are in full swing.

What's your dream team in any sport?

Bruno Mars was named the Super Bowl halftime show. Who would you want to see perform?

How was everyone's summer?

Take every word I say seriously.

The leaves are going to change color.

Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. What could possibly go wrong?

Oh and "Pretty Little Liars" will confuse me ever more with their Halloween episode.

Achmed Khan, Angela Delvecchio, Pablo Sanchez, Pete Wheeler, Ricky Johnson, Tony Delvecchio, Vicki Kawaguchi and Luanne Lui. I hope someone out there knows what I'm talking about.

I learned that my hometown is a breeding ground for gangs, PCP, heroin, crack and Patriot's tight ends who (allegedly) have a pension for shooting people. So you know, just kind of uneventful.

I believe that soccer will be played. I also think that there will be a Super Bowl; however, my guess is this will arrive AFTER Christmas. That might be too much.

Jennifer Aniston, Meghan Markle and Eve Torres. Define sport.

Yep, you're right, one sticking point: ... not sure they'd want to team up with each other.

A VMA's-inspired Miley Cyrus.

She represents traditional femininity worldwide.

Presumably (I hope) it was fueled by laughter, kinsmanship and whole-hearted enjoyment.

Unless she's overdosed by then.

Went there.

I'm sorry, I think I made the mistake of answering this sincerely.

Much like my waistline and unlike my hairline, we're growing here at The Mirror. Looking forward to being the third funniest person for the second straight year.

I'm forecasting many chilly nights, but don't worry, my housemates and I will be giving away beer blankets all year, because we care about your health.

Lola from "Space Jam," Bryan Cranston, Dave Grohl, Bill Murray and Steve Buscemi. Just because I want to hang out with the last four, and Lola could basically take any team on herself.

Ever since he graduated, I've heard the Mate has been working on his twerking with Miley or Hannah or whatever she's called. That'd make a great show.

I went to the beach once. They mistook me for a seal who rolled in the collective razor clippings of Zach Galifanakis and Brian Wilson.

The person who let me on this thing must have been zooted.

Volleyball repeats, men's soccer surprises in the MAAC and men's cross country wins the National Championship.

The late 90's Seattle Mariners.

Who isn't itching to see a Wiggles comeback?

What is this? Is this an awkward conversation in the BCC? It sucked. I hate sunshine, people and happiness.

I don't joke.

I'm just happy to be here.

m Thomas Shea Multimedia Editor

Jennifer Calhoun, James Taylor, Thomas Shea and Connor Kelley

First official week of 4x5! Any opening statements?

Ever.

James Taylor The Heel

Your 2013-2014 4x5 Columnists:

For companionship, if nothing more.

Connor Kelley The Hammer

Look up that squad and be amazed.

Sports Standpoint

Home Games Ahead

Stags' take on fantasy sports

Jennifer Calhoun

Thomas Shea

Sports Editor

Multimedia manager

Ah, fantasy football, what a heartbroken mess you can make people. You're the cause of my anxiety and exasperation and my pure ecstasy when you actually turn out the way I want you to.

You were a gift from the gods when you bestowed my team with 64 points from Peyton Manning, and a curse from Hades when you capped CJ Spiller at 3 points (really?).

But in the dying moments of a Sunday night football game, while I watch, alone in my living room, as Eli Manning throws a touchdown pass to Brandon Myers that secures the victory for Belli-check Yourself, we are friends once more.

My relationship with fantasy football is a roller coaster of emotions ... and it is only week one. I'm not sure I can handle the stress of another week.

But we check the waivers, rebuild our team and bench Isaac Redman who gave me an abysmal -2 points in the flex position (thanks ESPN for telling me to start him insted of Jordan Cameron).

Come Thursday night, it's game time and this week, my team is taking home another win ...

This is one of the first seasons I can remember that I don't have a fantasy football team.

And honestly, I've never felt more relaxed.

I thought this was going to be one of the most miserable football seasons. No bragging rights every weekend, no rooting for players that have absolutely nothing to do with the Eagles, no trash talk that goes way beyond inappropriate. My last league had three members put on probation because of excesive use of phrases that involve mothers, human excrement, body extremities and orifices and certain actresses.

While I do miss all that, I've discovered a new Tom that is much less stressed on Sundays. I can watch Saints vs. Falcons and not worry that Roddy White only had two catches for 19 yards, but rather watch the game for what it was — a pretty good football game between two of the top teams in the NFC. Last Sunday, I was even able to pay more attention to a Red Sox vs.

Yankees game in September than every other football game. Imagine that: paying more attention to a baseball game with a great rivalry and huge playoff implications, than a week one non-conference game between the Raiders and Colts just because I have the Raiders defense.

It almost feels weird.

Actually, forget that. I can't wait for next year to start already.

... But probably only if Peyton scores 8 touchdowns.

Wednesday: Men's and women's tennis vs. Rider, 2 p.m.

Friday: Women's soccer vs. American, 7 p.m.

Sunday: Field Hockey vs. La Salle, 12 p.m.

Women's soccer vs. Holy Cross, 2 p.m.

Have an interest in writing a column about fantasy football?

The Mirror is looking for someone who might be interested in writing a column about fantasy football on a weekly basis throughout the season.

If you think you might be interested, email

Sports

Page 14

THE MIRROR | Week of September 11, 2013

Volleyball learns from slow start

By Thomas Shea Multimedia Editor

The last time the Fairfield volleyball found themselves down two sets to none on their home floor, they pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in program history to claim their first MAAC Championship title since 2002.

Last Thursday, they found out that history would not repeat itself just yet.

Playing on their home court for the first time since defeating Siena in the MAAC Tournament finals, the Stags lost 3-0 to the University of Missouri Tigers on Thursday at Alumni Hall.

“Missouri’s a really good team, I think they’re the best team that we’ve played against so far,” said head coach Alija Pittenger.

“I was disappointed we didn’t fight back a little bit more. We played some tough teams over the weekend, and got progressively better, and I would’ve liked to see what we did over the [past] weekend translate more to this match.”

The game began in the Stags' favor, as they got on

the board first thanks to a kill from Caitlin Stapleton ‘15. The Tigers then went on a 4-0 run immediately after, but the Stags were able to battle back and had the game tied at seven apiece.

That would be as close as Fairfield would get in that first set, as Missouri would continue building their lead for the rest of the set, even-

“I like playing the good teams. I think it pushes us.

It points out a lot of the things we need to fix.”

-Coach Alija Pittenger tually winning by nine, 2516.

The second set started out very much the same for Fairfield, as the Stags got the first point of the set once again, this time on a kill by Marilyn Peizer off a blocking error by Missouri’s Carly Kan. This time Fairfield would not hang around nearly as long, as they soon

found themselves in a 7-3 deficit. The closest the Stags would come in this set would be trailing 12-8, but Missouri gained all momentum when they went on to score 10 of the next 11 points. The Tigers won the second set handily, 25-11.

“I want to see our mental focus be better, because I think that was one of the main problems we had today,” said Pittenger after the game.

Fairfield kept the game closer in the third set, as they trailed by just two points, 14-12. However, Missouri had an answer for everything, as it seemed all afternoon long, and went on to score seven of the next eight points en route to clinching the set and the game, 25-17.

“Today was interesting. I think we were a little scared to be honest; they’re a big team,” said Rachel Romansky ’14, the team captain for this year. “I think we could’ve played a lot better than we did, I think we were back on our heels the whole time. It was hard.”

“I like playing the good teams. I think it pushes us. It

points out a lot of the things we need to fix,” said Pittenger regarding the team's tough schedule to start the season so far.

“I think it makes a statement with the team also, to show them what we need to work on and the things they sometimes take for granted, where they need to push themselves. As long as we can learn something from losing like this, I’m happy with that,” Pittenger said.

Statistically, Michigan State transfer Hadley Orr ’16 tied with Peizer for the most kills on the team with eight each, but Orr also struggled at times with the tough Missouri defense, and had eight errors to lead the team as well. Romansky also struggled at times, as she had just 24 assists in the game, which is lowing considering she averaged over 30 assists per game last season.

The loss kept Fairfield winless for the season, as they fell to 0-4 at the time, following earlier losses to the quality opponents they played in the Utah Classic, including Utah, Utah State, and Northern Iowa.

Despite the tough start

to the year, Romansky was happier with her and the team’s performance in Utah than on Thursday against the Tigers.

“We fought every point.

They were big girls just like [Missouri],” said Romansky about their previous games out west. “We didn’t fight today, and I think that’s what we were missing — we had that desire, the heart to win [in previous games], and that’s what we were missing today.”

Since the home opener, the Stags have won two of their three matches up in the Boston College Invitational.

Their loss to the hosting Eagles team was sandwiched between wins over Bryant and Hampton, winning both those games in straight sets, 3-0. Fairfield’s record now stands at 2-5.

Fairfield plays Colgate this Friday in the LIU Brooklyn Blackbird Tournament, with their next home game to come at the end of the month against the last team to fall at Alumni Hall: the Siena Saints.

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Sports

Page 15

THE MIRROR | Week of September 11, 2013

A look at fall sports in Fairfield

By Jennifer Calhoun Sports Editor

It’s that time of year again. Fall sports are getting underway and it’s time for us to tell you all about your fall Fairfield Stags.

Men’s Soccer The Stags are looking to return to dominance in the newly altered MAAC Conference. With the addition of Monmouth and Quinnipiac and the loss of Loyola, the Stags will hope to advance in the MAAC Tournament, which will be hosted on campus this year.

After four successful seniors graduated after the 2012 season, graduate student Nuno Rodrigues returns to the team for his final season.

Seniors Daniel Shaw, Jon Clements, Reco McLaren, Sean Fahy and Matt Danaher will lead the team throughout the season alongside Rodrigues.

There are several new faces joining the team for the 2013 season. Following the trend of years before, the freshman class has a strong foreign contingency. Goalkeeper Joe Martin ’17 and defender Ben Whitcomb ’17 hail from England. Defender Martin Lindgren ’17 has joined the Stags from Sweden and defender Joan Brachmann from Germany.

The final member of the freshman class is goalkeeper Austin DaCunha, from Brookfield, CT. Martin has earned the Stags their first MAAC award of the season as he was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Martin made 3 saves in 110 minutes of play against Hartwick College.

The Stags have begun their season with an 0-1-1 record after tying Hartwick on Aug. 30 and falling to Northeaster 5-2 on Sept. 7.

The Stags have been predicted to finish 3rd in the MAAC according to a preseason poll. While MAAC competition doesn’t begin until October 5th against Monmouth, the Stags play their next game on Sept. 13 at Yale University.

repeat as champions.

Four Stags were also named to the Preseason All-MAAC team. Fifth-year senior Nikki Stanton, Carly Beyar ’14, Megan O’Brien ’15 and Kathleen Early ’15 represent the team on the list.

Thus far in the season, the Stags have fallen 1-3 after tough losses at Army, Wagner, and Stony Brook.

The Stags have gotten back on track with a 2-1 win against Hartford.

So far, Ashley Small ’15 currently leads the scoring for the Stags with two goals, coming against Hartford and Wagner. O’Brien has the only other goal for the Stags to date, with her goal coming in to win at Hartford.

The Stags added 11 freshmen to their team ahead of the 2013-2014 season. The roster is now comprised of 29 players, including four seniors and one graduate student to lead the team.

Fairfield will host the Fairfield Women’s Soccer Invitations from Sept. 13 to the 15. The Stags will play American and Holy Cross in the invitational.

MAAC play will begin for the Stags on Sept. 25 when they travel to Saint Peter’s.

Men’s Cross Country Men’s cross country has started the 2013-2014 season on a strong note. The Stags tied for first at the Fr. W. Laurence O’Neil, S.J. Invitational on Aug. 31.

At the Invitational, Fairfield tied with Central Connecticut, while beating Hofstra and Stevens Institute.

The freshmen impressed

from the start as Noah Parsley ’17 and Mike Flanagan ’17 were the top two finishers for the Stags. Parsley finished third overall and Flanagan finished in fifth.

The Stags ran well again as they raced to fourth at Fordham Fiasco on Sept. 7.

The upperclassmen took the lead in the race with Howie Rosas ’14, Connor Kelley ’15 and Brian Cleary ’14 the top four finishers for the Stags.

Cleary, John Lobo ’14 and Rosas lead the Stags as the senior class, while the team has welcomed three freshmen: Sam Dalyk Flanagan, and Parsley.

The Stags will race in the Fr. Victor F. Leeber, S.J. Invitational on campus on Sept. 21. The Stags have won the meet three consecutive times and will hope to make it four this season.

Women’s Cross Country Like their male counter parts, women’s crosscountry started their season with a bang. The Stags won the sixth annual Fr. W. Laurence O’Neil Invitational with 41 points.

Also like the men’s side, two freshmen finished in the top two spots for the Stags. Freshman Stef Vickers finished second overall in the 4K, followed by Hayley Roberts ’17 who finished seventh overall.

At the Fordham Fiasco, Cate Forte ’15 finished first for the Stags and ninth overall in the 5K and was followed by Jacqueline-Ann Willsey ’17, Danielle Renzi ’15 and Maureen Crimmins '15, respectively.

The Stags are led by a strong group of seniors: Juli Bassett, Danica Ceballos, Casey Gerety, Molly Leidig,

and Hillary Maxson. The team has also brought in six freshmen: Sarah Morrissette, Roberts, Gabriella Vezza, Vickers, Willsey and Julia Wood.

The Stags finished in a solid fifth place in the meet, ahead of Hartford, Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Peter’s.

They will be looking to take home first at the Fr. Victor F. Leeber, S.J. Invitational on Sept. 22.

Volleyball The Stags are coming off of a wildly successful 2012-2013 season that saw the volleyball team win the regular season, MAAC Tournament, and make it to the NCAA Tournament.

The team will be looking to build off the success and make it even further in the Tournament.

Although the Stags lost powerhouses Kara Reis and Brianna Dixion, they will look to seniors Rachel Romansky, Carsen Mata and Hayley Moyer to lead the team to success. With the addition of three freshmen, the team will be looking to the upper classmen for support.

Seven games into the season and the Stags are currently holding on to a 2-5 record. Their victories have come against Hampton and Bryant at the Boston College Invitational.

Field Hockey Field hockey is looking to build on a successful 2012-2013 season that saw the Stags make it to the America East Tournament for the first time since joining the conference in 2007.

The Stags are on track as of now, with a 3-1 record.

They have defeated Lehigh, Hofstra and St. Joesph’s to date. Their only defeat came at the hands of Princeton, who are ranked third in the nation, in a painfully close 4-3 defeat.

There is a strong contingency of seniors on the team, Nikki McLucas, Shealyn Testa, Christy Starsinic and Hillary Fitts.

Junior Felicitas Heinen is leads the team with four goals, followed by Julie de Paeuw ’17 with three.

The Stags have the makings to repeat their successes from last season. They open their America East play at Vermont on Oct. 5. Their next game is against fourth ranked UConn on Sept. 13.

Rowing One of the most consistently successful teams takes to the water again in three fall races apiece. Both men’s and women’s rowing will race in the Head of the Housatonic on Oct. 12.

They will also race in the Head of the Charles Oct. 19.

Fall Metropolitan Regatta rounds out the fall season on Nov. 2.

On the women’s side, two sisters who are a part of the class of 2017 secured gold medals for the intermediate lightweight pair at the U.S. Rowing Club National Championship. Melissa and Ashley Iannucci '17 finished the race with a time of 9:27 and defeated competition from across the country. The sisters are part of a 22-rower freshman class that encompasses both the men and women teams.

Women’s Soccer The Stags are going to have the opportunity to see what it’s like to have a target on their back from day one as they begin the season as the favorite to win the MAAC regular-season title.

After winning the regular season in the 2012-2013 season, the preseason poll saw the Stags predicted to

Thomas Shea/ The Mirror

SPORTS 16 Sports Editor: Jennifer Calhoun Âť sports@fairfieldmirror.com

Fall Sports Preview

Contributed by Sports Information desk Clockwise from top left: Field Hockey's Shealyn Testa '14, women's soccer's Ashley Small '15, men's soccer's Reco McLaren '14, men's cross country begins their race, women's cross country races, and Rachel Romansy '14 and Lindsay Weaver '15.