THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper
Week of November 13, 2019
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Vol. 45 Iss. 11
Daylight Saving Time
Opinion Daylight Saving Time is a pointless practice. Page 5
Field Hockey Takes NEC Photo Courtesy of Fairfield University Magazine
A digital rendering of future construction plans for the residence halls including 42 Langguth, Regis Hall, and Gonzaga Hall.
The Evolution of Fairfield How construction happens and why: The Strategic Plan By Julia Crews News Editor
Photo Courtesy of Fairfield University Magazine
A digital image of Barone Campus Center.
Retraction of “FUSA Fights for Transparency” By Lexi Thimble Editor-in-Chief Katherine Klima Executive Editor
Returning students may have noticed that Fairfield University’s campus has changed significantly, even since last year. The new Charles F. Dolan School of Business is now completed and in use, as well as the Barnyard Manor Townhouses. In addition, both Canisius Hall and Jogues Hall have been renovated. Back in June, The Mirror reported that the incoming first-years, the class of 2023, is the largest and most competitive class at Fairfield University to date. The construction around campus, though impressive and sometimes curious to students new and old, is happening in accordance with Fairfield’s Strategic Plan, “Fairfield 2020: The Way Forward,” which was enacted in 2014 and can be found on the school’s website. “As we approach our 75th year, Fairfield University finds itself once again at a critical turning point in history,” wrote University President Emeritus Jeffrey P. Von Arx, S.J. in the introduction to the plan. “Eleven task forces examined every aspect of our University’s programs and operations,” continued Von Arx, “and asked probing and at times provocative questions about how we could better serve our students, enhance our financial support for student scholarships and faculty research,
increase our revenue, cut our costs, and expand our reach to meet the growing number of men and women who need further education, but require us to adopt more flexible, affordable and tech-savvy approaches in order to reach them.” Even though these efforts have been in the works since 2014, with the building of new facilities such as the Leslie C. Quick Jr., Recreation Complex and the Daniel and Grace Tully Dining Commons earlier in the process. According to the Strategic Plan, the construction of new classroom, residential and dining facilities was necessary due to “Increasing undergraduate enrollment to approximately 4,000, while simultaneously increasing graduate and continuing studies enrollment.” “It’s definitely a simultaneous planning,” said Jennifer Anderson, vice president for marketing and communications. “We knew that many of the facilities needed to be enhanced to meet the academic needs, demands [and] curriculum requirements. But we also knew some facilities needed to be enhanced to meet the needs of the student body both in growth and facilities of what we offer.” Part of this plan also accounted for sustainability of operations, which was explored Continue Reading Behind On Page 2
Sports Field Hockey clutches NEC Championship in overtime. Page 8
YouTuber Docuseries
Vine “The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star” is a let down. Page 16
Carrie Goldberg is “Nobody’s Victim” Attorney Goldberg is coming to campus Nov. 13 to talk the fight against sexual violence
Julia Monteleone Managing Editor
The Editorial Board of The Mirror would like to offer a public retraction of an article entitled “FUSA Fights for Transparency” that ran in last week’s Nov. 6 issue. The Mirror as an institution is committed to upholding journalistic integrity and proper ethics, and the article in question contained multiple inaccuracies and misquotes that misrepresented those present at the FUSA General Senate Meeting on Oct. 30. We would like to extend our sincerest apology. The Editorial Board understands the serious nature of this event. The Mirror would never intentionally print factually incorrect information, but rather this mistake comes from a lapse in judgement and an assumption of the correctness of the facts as written by the contributing writer. We promise to do better in the future, as an Editorial Board and an institution, to diligently fact-check and eliminate biases in our reporting, and to use this as an opportunity to learn and improve our means of ethical Attorney Goldberg’s book was published on Aug. 13, 2019. news coverage.
By Lexi Thimble Editor-in-Chief
Attorney Carrie Goldberg’s book, released in August of this year, is visually eye-catching to say the least. Entitled, “Nobody’s Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs, and Trolls,” the bright pink cover is emblazoned by a vivid, lipstick-smeared ‘X.’ The story, as told on the inside jacket, follows Goldberg, “on the front lines of the war against sexual violence and privacy violations, as her law firm sues the hell out of tech companies, schools, and sexual predators.” It is the essence of that very story that Goldberg will be speaking about on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. when she visits the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts as part of the Open VISIONS Forum and Jacoby-Lunin Humanitarian Lectureship, in affiliation with the Carl & Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies. Her talk, “Demanding Justice for Victims: From Cyber Crimes to Federal Courts,” will address topics of, “consent, the spread of online harassment and sextortion, and...the solutions within reach, including how each of us can protect ourselves and others,” as stated by the event page on the Quick Center’s website. In anticipation of her lecture, Goldberg took time to speak with The Mirror over the phone about the work her law firm does and details about her new book. Goldberg first commented on the tone of her online and Continue Reading Carrie On Page 2
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
Fairfield’s Plan Continued from Page One
in a Mirror article from September about how dining services disposes of food waste. These specific efforts, among other facility-specific outlines, can be found in the Master Plan, which accompanies the Strategic Plan and can also be found online. An issue of Fairfield University Magazine in Fall 2016 introduced it as, “A multi-phased Master Plan presented to and approved by the Board of Trustees in 2016… tied together the physical needs of the campus with the University’s fundraising and bonding capabilities so that the resulting plan preserved critical financial flexibility while delivering exciting new state-of-the-art living, learning and dining spaces to students.” As far as funding goes, fundraising has been in the process for specific new buildings and renovations on campus since the enactment of the Strategic Plan, so projects like the Convocation Center, which is estimated to require $45 million in total costs, can be possible. “[The Strategic Plan] was done through a series of community groups that were created on campus,” continued Anderson. “So, this was very much a plan that came out as a result of faculty, staff, and students being part of the planning process. There were a number of teams that were established that focused on a variety of different areas outlined within the Strategic Plan and those teams were representative of a cross-selection of individuals throughout the campus.” “I’m in the business school, so once I saw that they wanted to rebuild the business program, I knew that it was important and that it was going to be better than it was before,” said Colleen McCluskey ‘22. “I think it was something that was a plus for me…the new business school attracted me to the school.” The reception from students for the Strategic Plan and all the changes it has brought about so far has been positive. “I do feel that there was significant support for the Strategic Plan because it was a collaborative effort,” said Anderson. Former university president Von Arx hoped that the Strategic Plan would allow the university to reach its full potential, as he stated in the closing of his introduction to the plan. “Above all, this is a plan that offers us the opportunity to more fully explore our Jesuit mission by transforming ourselves from within — boldly recreating our institution to serve the world as it is. Thereby becoming the University community that we are called to become.”
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The War Against Sexual Violence Continued from Page One
States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance,” as quoted on Know Your IX’s website. The law has been interpreted more broadly since it was first enacted to protect against those who are victims of sexual harassment or violence, requiring federally-funded schools to offer them assistance. She also strongly urges victims to save every piece of online evidence they can. “There’s often a knee-jerk reaction that if you’re getting any scary or humiliating communications, you just want them out of sight,” Goldberg said. But that evidence, as she points out, could be the key difference between successfully getting a restraining order issued and a victim being turned away by the police. Finally, Goldberg stresses how important it is for her clients to “take a deep breath and know that they’re not alone.” She explains, “We have an entire thirteen-person law firm that’s completely dedicated to people who have been attacked or who are under attack. There is help out there.” Visit The Mirror’s website after Thursday, Nov. 14 to read the full feature on Goldberg’s lecture.
writing voice with which her readers are addressed and which is reflected in the title of her book. She also brought up the language used on the website of her firm, C.A. Goldberg Victims’ Rights Law Firm, revealing that using more colloquial language was a pointedly strategic choice. “When I started my law firm, I wanted to evoke messaging that I felt would capture the tone of the law firm but also would speak directly to our clients,” Goldberg said. Indeed, the language is direct and to-the-point; one of the first main headers a viewer sees on the site boldly states in all capitals, “Our clients aren’t fragile like a flower. They’re fragile like a bomb! Welcome to our firm!” There are various swear words included throughout the homepage as well, which does not necessarily conform to language that would be considered standard for a law firm. For Goldberg, the choices are purposeful, and can act as a kind of filtering method to determine which clients are best fit for the work her firm does and which are put off by how she communicates. “So many of us who work here, myself included, have been in our clients’ shoes where they’ve been a victim of sexual violence or sexual privacy violation,” said Goldberg. “We want to get off on the right foot and let them know that we get it.” This purpose, which stems from Goldberg’s own personal experience with sexual assault and online harrassment, is what she cites as the reason for her firm’s very existence, a sentiment that resonates throughout her book as well. By the second page of “Nobody’s Victim,” Goldberg has already introduced this detail to the reader, stating that she encounters her clients “when they are desperate, traumatized, even suicidal, which is exactly what these offenders want. The attacks are meant to crush your soul. I know because it’s happened to me.” “I’m always drawing upon that feeling of being a victim and not knowing what to do, or who to trust, or how to get help or how to get yourself out of a frightening situation. And what I went through with my abusive ex was life-altering, and I became a different person from the process,” said Goldberg. She stands by the fact that had she not been in her clients’ place before herself, she “probably wouldn’t have the insight or the knowledge to guide clients through the process of being stalked or harrassed or being a victim of sexual violence.” Highlighted both in the book and over the phone was Goldberg’s three pieces of advice for potential victims of the kind of violent online attacks she defends against. First and foremost for students in particular: get the Title IX office at Photo Courtesy of Life@Fairfield your school involved. Title IX is a section of the Education Amendments of 1972, and states that, “No person in the United Goldberg speaks to reporters.
Be The Match and Make A Diffference The Be the Match Club at Fairfield University started in the fall of 2018 when a group of students were inspired by a fellow Stag who had to withdraw from school when he was re-diagnosed with cancer. The club’s goal is to spread On Wednesday, Nov. 6, the Be the Match Club at Fairfield University hosted a donor registration drive to encourage awareness about the organization and increase the database of donors, so there is a greater chance for a patient to find their students to sign up to be a bone marrow donor. match. Be the Match is an organization that seeks to help “We’re trying to get as many people as possible to sign people who are suffering from blood cancer or blood diseases up,” Brian Gozzo ‘20, Vice President of the Be the Match Club, and are in need of a transplant. Be the Match, operated by says. “Currently we’re at 20 million. We hope to one day have the National Marrow Donor Program, provides patients with basically the entire planet, ideally, on it.” a way to find a transplant match, which could be their last A donor-patient match is found by having the donor chance for a cure. There is a large number of diseases that swab the inside of their cheek to gather DNA that is tested could be treated with a transplant, including Hodgkin and against the patient. If the two have a similar human leukocyte non-Hodgkin lymphoma, different types of leukemia and antigen, they are a close match for a transplant. After signing severe aplastic anemia. up for the registry at Fairfield University, a cheek-swabbing kit will be sent to your house, and then will be sent back for the stem cells to be tested. “It’s super simple,” Gozzo says. “All it takes is a cheek swab, and, like, five minutes of your time, and you’re put on [the registry] ‘till you’re 61. If you’re matched with someone right then, you’ll probably receive a phone call, and then that will take another couple weeks until you actually have to donate.” If a match is found, the actual donation Grace Gelep/The Mirror process could Students line up to sign up for the registry. There are 20 million people on the registry. go one of two By Grace Gelep Contributing Writer
ways. One way to donate is to give peripheral blood stem cells, which is a non-surgical procedure that extracts blood through a needle, puts it through a machine that separates the blood cells and then returns the remaining blood into the body. The other option for donation is to give bone marrow through a surgical procedure that removes liquid marrow from the pelvic bone. Gozzo understands that this can sound scary, but the chances of getting a phone call is pretty slim. He says that only one in about four hundred people on the registry will ever have to donate. “One thing we want people to know is don’t be scared that we’re gonna call you and say the next day you have to be here, across the country and donate,” Gozzo said. “It’s a very lengthy process, there’s a lot of people involved and it’s very safe.” For Gozzo, the most important thing is to spread awareness and increase the number of people on the registry and the chances of a life-saving donation. He says, “You could just sit on the registry until you turn 61 and never once receive a phone call, but just know that, like, you still were there and you’ve still done your part.” Gozzo, a resident assistant, was motivated to form the Be the Match Club at Fairfield University with a few other RAs last year when the student had to withdraw. They reached out to Be the Match for help. “When the student had to withdraw, a couple of the RAs wanted to know what we could do to help. Could we find a match for this kid?” Gozzo said. “Course, that’s very, very difficult.” However, last year’s drive was not the first appearance Be the Match has made at Fairfield University. Senior Julia Giampietro and her roommate brought a Be the Match drive themselves to Fairfield in their sophomore year. She reached out to the Connecticut Be the Match region leader, who helped them set up a drive that brought over 60 students to join the national bone marrow donor registry. Giampietro was influenced to raise awareness for this organization for a personal reason. “I wanted to bring [Be the Match] to Fairfield in honor of my cousin Christopher who passed away from AML Leukemia in October of my freshman year at Fairfield,” Giampietro said via email. “He went through a bone marrow transplant, was in remission and relapsed a year later. He received a second bone marrow transplant but the cancer took over his Continue Reading Be On Page 4
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
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The Mirror Reflects on this Week in Social Media
Compiled by Julia Crews Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety.
11/5 2:53 p.m. A motor vehicle accident occurred at the Fairfield College Preparatory School gate involving two Prep students. No injuries were reported and the Fairfield Police were notified. 7:17 a.m. A student reported a stolen Stag Card. It was revealed that multiple unauthorized vending machine purchases had been made. The card was deactivated and the matter is under investigation. 11/6 11:37 a.m. The Levee staff reported a keg stolen from an outdoor storage area. Students were identified and referred to student conduct. 11/7 9:16 p.m. Cash was reported missing from a room in Regis Hall. The matter is under investigation. The Department of Public Safety reminds everyone to lock their doors. 11/8 1:53 p.m. Student reported damage to their vehicle while parked at the Townhouses. The matter is under investigation. 11/11 11:54 p.m. Checkpoint officer witnessed a motor vehicle accident on North Benson Road at the main entrance to campus involving a student and non-student. No injuries were reported. The Fairfield Police was notified. 8:46 p.m. A student was referred to student conduct for violating a no-contact order with another student.
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Lexi Thimble, Editor-in-Chief Katherine Klima, Executive Editor Julia Monteleone, Managing Editor Editors Sheila McCombs, Chief Copy Julia Crews, News Colleen Vann, Assistant News Catherine Santangelo, Opinion Gracianne Eldrenkamp, Vine Molly Lamendola, Abroad Columnist Julia Lanzillotta, Sports Tobenna Ugwu, Coffee Break Business Department Email: info@fairfieldmirror.com Michael Hoffman, Director of Finance Advisor Dr. Tommy Xie Contact Information Fairfield University 1073 North Benson Road, BCC 104 Box AA, Fairfield, CT 06824 General email: info@fairfieldmirror.com
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
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The Organization Behind Donor Registration Drive Continued from Page Two
body… He was and still is the biggest inspiration in my life and no matter what would always say ‘it’s all good’ which is the motto my family and I live by now.” Giampietro continued work with Be the Match throughout her junior and senior years. She was also inspired by the Fairfield student who had to withdraw last year, so she worked with students in younger grades to put on another drive in the fall of 2018, which is when the Be the Match Club
was born. Giampietro and her roommate decided to put together an event for the student at the Seagrape Cafe, where they raised almost $2,000 for his family from donations at the door and from other Fairfield Students. “That was probably the biggest accomplishment of our 3 years involved with Be the Match and was a great way to close the year and our time in the club,” Giampietro said. “It was also amazing to see how much support we got and the feeling of being able to make a small difference for a local peer and family.” Although her time with Be the Match at Fairfield Uni-
versity is over, Giampietro has high hopes for the club and the organization in the years to come. “My biggest hope really is to have students become more aware and educated about [Be the Match],” Giampietro said. “It is so important for people our age to be educated on this amazing cause because we are the ones who can save people’s lives.” Be the Match will hold their next donor registration drive in the spring of 2020. To learn more about the organization or become a donor, visit https://bethematch.org/.
Human Books Open Up to Students in Annual Event By Colleen Vann Assistant News Editor
On Thursday afternoon, students engaged in conversations with peers and Fairfield University community members posing as human “books” about social stereotypes and celebrating our differences at the Dimenna-Nyselius Library. The library hosted Fairfield University’s fourth Annual Human Library event on Nov. 7 from 1-4:30 p.m. According to the library’s website dedicated to this organization, “The Human Library is designed to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices through dialogue. ‘Human Books’ are Fairfield University students, faculty, staff and alumni who have volunteered to share their story to break down barriers based on race, religion, sexual orientation, class, gender identity, lifestyle choices, disability or other aspects of their life.” Junior Cynthia Moyano was a ‘Human Book’ whose title was “Low Income Students Can’t Succeed.” Her title was a stereotype she hoped to break through her discussion with fellow students. She spoke about her experience both applying to and transitioning into college, and the challenges she faced as a first-generation, low-income student. Growing up in Bridgeport, Moyano explained that her mom decided to make the sacrifices necessary to send her to a private school so that she would have a better chance of getting into college. However, her path to college was not easy, and she described the obstacles she faced, application fees being at the top. “I was constantly asking schools to give me a fee waiver, and I hated it. I would be so embarrassed,” Moyano said. Aside from the embarrassment she felt, Moyano also explained that due to her financial status, she had to limit the number of schools that she had to apply to, and she had to base her final decision on what school offered the most financial aid. Additionally, she explained that her financial situation did not stop impacting her just because she got into college. She said that her transition was rough because her high school did not offer the best resources or opportunities, making her “ill-prepared” for the academic reality of college. That being said, Moyano worked through the challenges and has been successful in her Fairfield career. Moyano is a student leader, a member of the rugby team and was able to study abroad. She expressed that she is grateful that she has been able to do all of these things. “I found my place,” she said. “It just takes time.” Moyano explained what led her to share her story as a ‘Human Book,’ saying, “I want to be someone that somebody that may be in the same position as me can look at and say,
‘if she can do it, I can do it too.’” “It’s okay to have those ups and downs, it’s okay to have struggles, it’s okay to have a different background than everyone else,” she added. Moyano was just one of the many “Human Books,” available for students to “checkout” on Thursday afternoon. Other titles included, “The New Normal-ish,” “Proud Mother of A Gay Son” and “What is A Refugee?” Lisa Thornell, the Student Engagement and Outreach Librarian, and co-chair of the event, said that Photo Courtesy of Fairfield University’s Library’s Instagram The Human Library Seniior Cynthia Moyano tells students about her experience as a low-income student. usually is attended by 300 to 400 students each the world. She added that Fairfield’s event has been looked year, and that first year students can swipe in for an FYE upon as a model by many schools in the area such as Central Thrive credit after completing a reflection. Connecticut State University. “This experience opened up my eyes about specific issues that happen not only here on our campus, but elsewhere, far and wide,” said Olivia Mahoney ‘23. First-year Samantha Whitman said, “I thought it was pretty neat. Not only did our ‘book’ talk about her own personal experience, but we talked about many different things, and stuff that was bothering us all. We realized we are not in this alone.” Thornell explained that The Human Library began in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2000. It has now spread to 85 countries throughout
Colleen Vann/The Mirror
First-year students have a conversation with Olivia Femia ‘21, a ‘human book.’
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
Opinion
Editor Catherine Santangelo» catherine.santangelo@student.fairfield.edu
Daylight Saving Time is Actually a Waste of Time By Stella Henry Contributing Writer
For how advanced our society supposedly is, we sure seem to engage in a lot of customs and practices that, at face value, make very little sense, even if they might have made sense long ago. One prime example is Daylight Saving Time. According to timeanddate.com, this practice was born out of the belief that setting clocks back an hour when it started getting darker in the evenings would conserve energy, which was paramount during World War I, when fuel was a prized resource. Shortly after the war, most places abandoned the practice, but a few, including some parts of the U.S., did not. Daylight Saving was observed very sporadically in the U.S. prior to the 1970s and 80s when, as a response to the energy crisis that had occurred several years prior, Congress enacted legislation that put it into effect for the foreseeable future, as reported by Mental Floss. This explains why every fall we reverse the time on our clocks back one hour, and every spring we advance our clocks one hour ahead, hence the axiom “spring ahead, fall back.” The result is that, although we technically gain an extra hour of sleep in November, the net gain of sleep is actually zero, because we end up losing an extra hour of sleep in March. But surely there must be some method to this madness. Otherwise, why would we continue adjusting our clocks twice a year, every year? As it turns out, though, there are just as many, if not more drawbacks to Daylight Saving as there are benefits, meaning that it is time to seriously consider kicking it to the curb. Proponents of Daylight Saving Time often point to the potential decrease in spending on energy and electricity that is thought to result from it. The idea is that, in the spring, when clocks are pushed forward one hour so that 5 p.m. becomes 6 p.m., people will be able to save money on lighting because, even if it is 6 p.m., the sun will not “know that” and will still set as if it were only 5 p.m., and thus there will be an extra hour of daylight each day. The problem, though, is that the data that has been collected, far from proving that Daylight Saving saves money, is largely inconclusive. Although there is some evidence of a nominal decrease in spending on lighting, this positive effect dis-
appears when the extra electricity and heating fuel that is needed when it suddenly gets much darker in the early mornings and evenings are taken into account. People are also more likely to leave their homes when it is light outside, which usually involves getting into a car, increasing spending on gasoline. What’s more, studies have demonstrated that DST increases air-conditioning use and therefore cost, since the sun is out for longer in the summer and the temperature does not drop as soon as it would if the sun had set earlier. Besides not being terribly efficient, oddly enough, DST can also wreak havoc on people’s health. Theorized to be related to a disruption in circadian rhythm, American Heart Association News reports that there is a small but statistically significant increase in the number of heart attacks and strokes on the Monday immediately following “the spring for-
Creative Commons/Pixabay
ward” in March. According to Vox, Spring DST has also been linked to an increase in car accidents, presumably due to drivers becoming distracted or falling asleep at the wheel due to fatigue from losing an hour of shut-eye. It has been estimated that 30 people die prematurely each year due to DST-related car accidents. In addition to the negative health effects, DST also lessens worker productivity, and due to the confusion caused by countries changing their clocks on different days (and some not changing them at all) it results in an estimated $147 million dollars a year in lost revenue for airlines as reported by Quartz. But if Daylight Saving Time is so awful, why do we still have it? Well, for one thing, people seem to like the fact that pushing the clock forward in the spring results in the sun setting “later” in the summer, making days seem longer, thus making it easier to spend time outside at night. But with people living more and more of their lives indoors (because of smartphones and other technologies), this matters less now than it once did. There are also a few industries that have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Halloween candy manufacturers, for example, benefit from DST because children stay out trick-or-treating longer because of it. Convenience stores also benefit, since people are more likely to stop in to buy something if the sun hasn’t set yet. DST is also a boon to sports and recreation retailers. Of course, that hasn’t stopped politicians and other individuals in power from trying to end the practice. Several states have proposed and even passed and signed into law legislation that would end DST. But because states need final approval from Congress to make the change official, DST remains in effect even in those places. Even if individual states succeeded in abolishing DST, the result would be a hodgepodge of different times from state to state, meaning that Massachusetts could be an hour behind Rhode Island, even though they’re right next to each other. It’s clear that if we really want to end Daylight Saving Time in the United States, there needs to be a concerted effort on a national scale in order to accomplish it. For now, that is unlikely to happen. In the meantime, we’ll just have to keep changing our clocks twice a year, just like we have been for decades, even though it no longer makes any sense (and gives people heart attacks).
Rise of Republican Leadership in Fairfield is the Answer to Citizens' Want for Change majority on the board for the first time in years, a monumental win for the Fairfield Republican Party. As someone who has worked on the Republican campaign in Fairfield since late SepBrenda Kupchick, a Republican state representative, unseated former First Select- tember, I can confidently proclaim that Brenda Kupchick’s decisive win was a victory for the man Democrat Mike Tetreau on Nov. 5 in a historic upset. Kupchick’s running mate, Tom town of Fairfield. Fairfield is also very lucky to have elected Tom Flynn, a fiscally responFlynn, also narrowly defeated Tetreau’s running mate Nancy Lefkowitz. Though sible citizen who is dedicated to the Fairfield community. I have similar feelings for the rest Lefkowitz secured a seat on the Board of of the Republican candidates who worked tirelessly for months to affect change in Fairfield, Selectmen, Republicans a town that has seen serious issues arise under Democratic leadership since 2011. now hold a In this year’s race, Republicans seized on the mismanagement of the town’s fill pile, which resulted in the distribution of contaminated soil to parks, fields and playgrounds around Fairfield. Brenda Kupchick courageously called out Mike Tetreau for his lack of oversight of the Fairfield Public Works Department which allowed the crisis to escalate. The situation led to the arrests of two town employees and Julian Enterprise’s co-owner, according to the Fairfield Citizen. To say the least, mismanagement of the fill pile was irresponsible, putting the health of Fairfield citizens in danger. The town is set to spend millions in the process of cleaning up the contaminated areas. But I firmly believe that this process will be more efficient under the leadership of Brenda Kupchick and Tom Flynn. Kupchick also brought attention to Tetreau’s failure to respond to the concerns of town residents and was criticized for his use of a communications consultant, as stated by the Fairfield Citizen. Tetreau allegedly used a town consultant to discuss political strategy, which is a misuse of taxpayer funds, as reported by Patch. Though Republicans were unable to overtake the Democratic majority in the Representative Town Meeting, they made slight gains since the last election, as confirmed by Fairfield Departments and Services. Republicans also have majorities on the Board of Finance and the Constable. One thing was clear in this year’s local elections for Fairfield: voters were eager for change, so much so that they felt empowered to vote a Democratic incumbent out of office. I am confident that these newly elected politicians will tackle the pressing issues that are facing our Pictured: Republican State Representative Brenda Kupchick poses with campaign signs and supporters. Photo Courtesy of @BrendaKupchick Twitter community here in Fairfield.
By Jack Martorano Contributing Writer
Editorial Board "Documentaries: A Deep Look Into the Unknown" Julia Monteleone Managing Editor
While sitting in my designated seat in the Mirror office pondering what I should use this space to talk about this week, I couldn’t help but think about one of my secret guilty pleasures: documentaries. Today, I signed up for the 7-day free trial for Disney+ and was delighted to see a whole section for National Geographic documentaries for me to binge watch before effectively cancelling my subscription on the sixth day so I won’t get charged. I am not sure what it is that I love so much about documentaries. For one thing, they are deep looks into events or the lives of people you would never normally get to see into. It’s like reading a biography or a great non-fiction book without actually going to Barnes & Noble. There is also essentially a documentary on every topic one can think of. Netflix has four, I repeat FOUR documentaries dedicated to Crossfit
champions. Hulu has a film dedicated to the world’s most renowned sex therapist, Dr. Ruth, who up until I watched it I had never known was a Holocaust survivor. National Geographic made a film solely about climbing giant pieces of rock without ropes, called “Free Solo.” Documentaries have the ability to make us laugh and cry. They leave us speechless and they leave us thoughtful. They give us the ability to not only learn about things we never have, but also help us to learn new things about things we already thought ourselves to be experts on. A few weeks ago I watched “Whitney,” the latest documentary about Whitney Houston’s life, and found myself in shock over all the things I never knew about her despite her life in the spotlight. I have been currently watching the docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” and find myself so disturbed and upset by the details
from the victims that I simply have to turn it off after a while. All of this being said, here are a few of my favorite documentaries in case you, the reader, are feeling inspired by my rambling. The ones I have mentioned above should also be on your mustwatch list. “Blackfish” “Amanda Knox” “Living Undocumented” “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” “Icarus” “Miss Representation” “Feminists: What Were They Thinking?” “RBG” “Valley Uprising” “What The Health”
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Claims Like Sexual Assault Need to be Handled With Fairness, Even When Doubtful By Gabrielle Arlotta Contributing Writer “What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal,” a book written by E. Jean Caroll, may seem like an average book on the average complaints women have against our male counterparts. However, the Elle Magazine advice columnist writes on serious, deep topics, one regarding sexual assault. According to CNN, Caroll made a sexual assault claim against President Donald J. Trump. Her book mentions details of the allegations, as she further claims the assault occurred in a New York luxury department store while she was gift shopping back in the ‘90s. CNN further reported that excerpts were published Friday, June 21 in New York Magazine. The printed first-person account does not appear to name Trump, but he is named in the headline of New York Magazine’s post that states, “Hideous Men: Donald Trump assaulted me in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room 23 years ago. But he’s not alone on the list of awful men in my life.” Trump responded on Saturday, June 22 to the allegations by denying them and stating, "I have no idea who this woman is. This is a woman who's also accused other men of things, as you know. It is a totally false accusation," Trump said. "I think she was married, as I read. I have no idea who she is," CNN stated. There is a lot going on lately, like debates for the 2020 United States presidential election and the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump. Some people may be inclined to believe others are desperate and willing to do anything they can to get Trump out of office. It is shocking that Donald Trump has had, according to CNN, at least 15 other women come forward with a range of accusations from sexual harassment and assualt to lewd behavior. While he is a public figure, that is a lot of women coming forward. It also doesn't help Trump’s case much that these accusations followed the surfacing of a 2005 Access Hollywood video showing Trump bragging that “He was able to grab women ‘by the p**sy’ because he was famous.” This was during his 2016 campaign. Back in 2016, Vox shared a quote by Trump during a rally in North Carolina, where he stated in regards to former U.S. President Barack Obama, “Why doesn’t some women maybe come up and say what they say falsely about me, they could say about him? They could say it about anybody.” Trump wondered why Obama hadn't been accused in the same way he was being accused.
In this situation, it’s pretty revealing that at this time in 2016, Obama had nothing of this nature occur to him, yet Trump had 15 allegations all before he was even elected. In fact, his argument on Obama simply made him look worse. It was also interesting how Trump called Obama “incompetent” acccording to Vox, while Obama wasn’t even the one to have such serious allegations made against him in the first place. It’s as if Trump tried to put the attention on someone else, but failed and still does due to his harsh nature and tactics. While the 2005 Access Hollywood video was caught on camera, Caroll was not able to obtain security footage from the department store where she was supposedly harassed by Trump. They no longer had it from that time period of when she claimed the incident occurred. Again, Trump's argument is that Caroll has no proof, but that doesn't necessarily mean the accusations should be deemed a lie. In the excerpts of Caroll’s book, presented by New York Magazine, Caroll dives back into a detailed and haunting past, stating facts and disclaimers. It’s hard for some people to understand why Caroll waited so long to share this information, but Caroll explained that “receiving death threats, being driven from my home, being dismissed, being dragged through the mud, and joining the 15 women who’ve come forward with credible stories about how the man grabbed, badgered, belittled, mauled, molested, and assaulted them, only to see the man turn it around, deny, threaten, and attack them, never sounded like much fun. Also, I am a coward.” Caroll did however state in the excerpts that she told two friends after the incident happened. It takes a lot to write that transparently about yourself and others, especially when the topic is very serious and sensitive. For someone to put this much time, effort and emotion into a work, just for it to be a complete lie seems unlikely, but again I cannot claim I know what really transpired between the two that day. What I can say is, while a case like this is difficult, the best we can do as a country is practice fair and practical protocols, as well as treat one another with respect and dignity. As I was not there, I can’t say which party is lying or which one is telling the truth. That is not fair. The best idea is to hear both sides out equally and allow the proper individuals to assess any other information further. It’s important to listen to all citizens in regards to any serious claim, which in this case is sexual assault. In this country, we have the right to be treated fairly and equally. You must put aside the rest; even if the allegations are made against someone as powerful as our president.
Pictured: Writer E. Jean Carroll Photo Courtesy of @SNHUWomensCtr Twitter
Age Isn't the Issue, It's Our Obsessiveness By Claire Bellucci Contributing Writer
Creative Commons/Wikimedia Commons
Creative Commons/ GoodFreePhotos
By Mimi Loughlin Contributing Writer
ing to clickorlando.com, scientists recently used to edit genes to help cancer patients battle cancer using their own immune systems. My religious studies classes helped me learn more about Judaism and Islam, two religions which have shaped the flow of cultures across the world. In my philosophy classes, I learned about the development of ethics, the importance of enlightenment in Buddhism and the necessity for compassion in Taoism. The thesis in creative writing is between 50 and 120 pages long. Ultimately, for my creative writing thesis in fiction and poetry, which I wrote in spring 2019, I ended up using a lot of information which I learned from my Core classes-history, biology, religious studies and philosophy. The Core has helped me so much. It is like a caring older sibling who transforms over time from seeming annoying to someone you can genuinely count on to help you become the best version of yourself. The Core has helped me enrich my worldview and connect with people from all backgrounds and class years. It has allowed me to hear diverse perspectives from my classmates and to develop empathy and respect for others through class discussions. The Core has helped me discover new ideas and cultures, times and histories, sciences and philosophies that I never would have known about otherwise. The new Magis Core will allow students to have even more freedom to direct their own learning, while still receiving all the benefits of the previous Core. So thanks, Core. And to the first-years and sophomores who still have a lot of their Core left: actually, you will enjoy it and it will transform your life.
Fairfield's Core Offers Us A World of Discovery The liberal arts Core Curriculum at Fairfield University helps students develop their interests, prepares them for their future careers and increases their understanding of and empathy for others. If you had asked me two years ago when I was a newly-minted sophomore transfer student at Fairfield University, “Do you like the Core Curriculum?” I would have said no. 20 required classes that I didn’t get to pick? What kind of fresh madness was this? But then I took another look at the Core and I realized you do get to pick most of the classes, which range from behavioral and social sciences to religion, history and philosophy. I thought, “Ok, I’m an English creative writing major. Maybe I can take psychology to learn more about the human mind so I can delve deeper into my characters’ flaws and quirks. Maybe history will help me learn about other people, times and places.” In fact, the classes I found the most helpful were the classes I never would have taken on my own. If I had never taken English 12 (which is now English 100), I never would have interviewed the spoken-word poet and Fairfield professor Lizzie Louis, and I never would have learned that I actually enjoy interviewing people, which led me to get a digital journalism minor. In my history classes, I learned about the tumultuous beginnings of the United States and, more specifically, about the family structures in the Chesapeake Bay colonies. In my “Identity and the Human Genome” Core class, I learned about human genomes and CRISPR gene editing, which accord-
you understand life in a similar way, but that could be looked at as a bad thing too. However, if I fall in love with someone who isn’t the It’s cuffing season! But for actor Densame age as me, I wouldn’t want the world to nis Quaid there’s more drama and controversy be over-analyzing my life and my relationship. than the typical cuffing season relationship. But again, that’s just me. Dennis Quaid is 65 and his fiancée Laura I would like to point out that age does Savoie is 26. Just to spare you the time, that is matter in a situation where legality comes into a difference of 39 years, which is almost four play; for the relationship to be okay, it must decades. He was born in 1954 and she was be legal. In Quaid and Savoie’s case their relaborn in 1992. You get the point. According to tionship is legal, and they are allegedly happy. Fox News, this couple has been together for We should let them enjoy their relationship only a few months and is getting married as instead of over-analyzing it. It’s time we focus soon as possible. This news has brought up on ourselves, our own lives and our own rethe age-old question: does age matter when lationships instead of the lives of a couple of it comes to relationships? strangers who we only know because of their Honestly, I don’t see celebrity status. why people are so up in arms The issue isn’t age. The about this whole age gap issue isn’t if it’s a publicity thing. It comes down to the stunt or not. The issue people involved. According is us. We obsess over to Fox News, Savoie posted these celebrities’ lives, on her Instagram that she’s making their business “never been happier.” So, and their relationif they’re happy and ships ours. If it it’s not hurting is a publicity anyone, then stunt, who what’s the cares? They harm? An get the atage gap isn’t tention and for everywe get the one, and “entertainthat’s okay ment.” Make too. the last few Pe rmonths of sonally, I 2019 all about would not you. I am also date someguilty of worone 40 years rying and older than I am. focusing on I would prefer everything to date someone else except who is in my generamyself. So tion. This is for many let’s ditch the reasons, one of which endless focus being that I connect on relationships better with people who in the media and are closer to my age. start to focus on Pictured: Actor Dennis Quaid (65) posing I also think that when the relationships with his fiancée Laura Savoie (26) you grow up around the that shape our Photo Courtesy of @YahooEnt Twitter same time as someone own lives.
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Editor Gracianne Eldrenkamp gracianne.eldrenkamp@student.fairfield.edu
Shane Dawson's Year-Long Project Disappoints
Photo Courtesy of @jeffreestar Instagram CreativeCommons/Pixabay
THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
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Shane Dawson's Docuseries Sparks Controversy By Katherine Klima Executive Editor
According to Cosmopolitan, Dawson may not publish the rest of the footage he has. In an Instagram live video on Nov. 7, he discussed the current status of the docuseries, but mainly focused on his documentation of “dramageddon,” which refers to the feud between make-up YouTubers James Charles “The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star” has been Youtuber Shane Dawson’s biggest project for months. and Tati Westbrook that started in May of this year. The very “hush-hush” documentary series began filming in early January of this year and had plans of Dawson stated in the Instagram live video that he feels “done” with the documentary. The origibeing a big nine-part series. nal trailer not only depicted the unveiling of the beauty industry’s business side, but Dawson had also The first episode of the long-awaited Youtube docuseries dropped on Oct. 1. Throughout the first planned to expose the entire beauty world with things like brand trips to PR packages. Meanwhile, on five episodes, Dawson follows famous beauty Youtuber, JefNov. 4, Star stated in a tweet that there will be more episodes free Star, as they put together a make-up collection inspired to come: “Episode 7 of the series is coming soon & will show by Dawson, with its main focal point being The Conspiracy you everything that happened on launch day and all future Palette. Along with The Conspiracy Palette are other prodplans…” ucts like the mini Controversy palette and a set of liquid lipI’ll be honest–I think that it’s a poor choice on Dawson’s sticks. part if he ends the series here. Granted, it would be a little To begin, the documentary on a technical level, is alproblematic if Dawson decided to release documentation of right. The documentary is better than a lot of his more recent the Tati and James Charles feud due to the fact it may start up videos, but still mediocre nonetheless. trouble again. However, I’m annoyed that Dawson advertised I think my biggest problem with the mechanics is the exposure of the beauty community as a main focal point Dawson does not know how to edit–at all. The main issue and proceeded to fall through on that promise. I feel like I have with this docuseries and many of Dawson’s others is with something he had a year to create, Dawson should’ve he never knows what to cut. In fact, sometimes he has unhad a better and more formatted plan. That being said, if he necessary scenes that go on for way longer than they should. decided to originally only show the business side of beauty, For example, in the very first episode of the series, the first then he should’ve deleted all the hints and ideas alluding to 15 minutes are spent discussing Dawson’s fear of flying and much more drama. his general anxiety. While this content may be fine for his One of my favorite parts of the docuseries is when Dawusual vlogging, if Dawson wants to keep his documentaries son’s soon-to-be sister-in-law, Morgan Adams, discussed on track, he should focus less on his daily life and more so on how she was bullied on a brand trip by a bunch of Instagram the subject he’s trying to capture. models and discussed the cruelty and judgemental nature of Despite my issues with it’s mechanics, the content is the beauty industry. Dawson should’ve put some more effort fairly interesting. I will give Dawson and Star credit–this was into documenting how the beauty world can be a dark place an insanely genius business move. Dawson is documenting where people bring each other down. The beauty world is a the production of this product and its release. By doing this, place filled with feuds–hence, Tati and James Charles. Even it allows Dawson to not only drop the episode but also drop if Dawson finds the posting of the feud to be problematic, I Photo Courtesy of @jeffreestar Instagram the make-up line for fans to buy the very next day. After think it would’ve been interesting to see at least a little bit of, Dawson announced what his make-up collection looked like Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson pose for promotional images. especially since Jeffree Star has invested himself in the drama in the sixth episode on Oct. 29, the make-up could be purchased two days later on Friday, Nov. 1. Star for no apparent reason. is someone who knows how to make money, and he does so through not only this docuseries but the As someone who’s been watching Dawson for years, my biggest problem with him is the fact he’s thousands of products he sells daily. trying way too hard to be on a moral high ground. I understand that he’s trying to build his name back up, The Conspiracy Palette sold out the very day it was released. The website which had been selling the but he can’t do that if he’s being problematic and helping someone like Star, who is extremely problematic, make-up, according to Heavy.com, even crashed. Fans are going berserk over the introduction of Daw- get more fame than he deserves. son’s palette and it’s insane to think about, considering Dawson is someone who has barely any make-up I give this documentary series a 5 out of 10. It isn’t doing much for me, but it’s also not terrible. I experience and is now making millions of dollars off his own line up make-up. Not only that, but because think he has great content, Dawson just needs to learn how to prioritize. I think he also should include of Star, Dawson’s merchandise store got an entire make-over and also sold out within minutes. the footage he cut out, such as the drama and the Tati-James Charles feud, because that’s what the people Regardless of the massive success this experience has had for Dawson and Star, the question of want. It’s what many fans had been looking forward to despite it’s late mention in the year. whether this docuseries will continue is hanging up in the air. Overall, this documentary series can do better, but I’ve seen worse.
The Lumineers Tell a Story with 'III'
By Molly Lamendola Abroad Columnist There’s a special selection of recording artists that fit into the category of storytellers. When you sit listening to it with headphones in or face-first on your carpet as a piece of vinyl spins round, it feels as though you’re listening to a piece of sung poetry, also known as The Lumineers newest album “III.” The Lumineers are best known for their 2012 Smash Summer Hit “Ho Hey,” a song that you’ll remember best from that car ride home from your first boy/girl swim party. You can sit and regret what you said to the boy from second period Spanish. You know, the boy with that haircut? Whatever. They’ve moved on and so have I. In their newest album, “III,” released in September of this year, they’re completely focused on storytelling. They played with this concept in their last album “Cleopatra” (2016), releasing an almost 30-minute long music video, “The Ballad of Cleopatra,” which com-
bined the songs in pieces to tell a full story. They take this concept to a completely new level in “III,” their third album, as each song is one piece to a larger puzzle. When placed together, it tells a story of a family and how each generation continues to struggle with the mistakes of the past. The first section of the album with songs “Donna,” “Life in the City” and “Gloria,” take us back to the two matriarchs of the family. Donna the grandmother and Gloria the mother, with “Life in the City” acting as a transition to further explain Gloria’s story. These songs are the more upbeat, pop-like section of the album, with “Gloria” being the crowning jewel of this section. It’s the song that I could play for anyone and they’d enjoy it. Ironic, due to the subject matter concerning the struggle of alcoholism and a tumultuous marriage. “Life in the City” is probably my personal favorite from the first section, as it repeats melodies and lyrics from the song “Sleep on the Floor” from their album “Cleopatra” that were such a surprise I had to sit and listen again and again. Though with any other artist it’d feel like a lazy attempt to just recycle old material, it feels masterfully intentioned here. It makes us as listeners feel as though we’re part of some larger story that’s being told by every song released. The second section comprised of “It Wasn’t Easy To Be Happy For You,” “Leader of the Landslide” and “Left for Denver” takes a step closer to somber. They’re slower, and thus less attractive to most of my friends who are more of a fan of the Top 100 than “those Indie songs.” But here, the story moves to show us the lives of Gloria’s son and grandson still living in her house. Though The Lumineers’ released “It Wasn’t Easy To Be Happy For You” as a single, I think “Leader of the Landslide” is the better song. It’s similar to “Gloria” in the way it has a more pop-music feel with quite the opposite lyrical meaning, focusing on how Gloria’s grandson struggles with the dysfunctional relationship with his father, who is also an alcoholic. The last section of songs, “My Cell”, “Jimmy Sparks”, “April” and “Salt and the Sea” wrap up the story. The most melancholic section of the album, it seems to speak to the idea of there being no escape from the shattering effects of poor familial relationships. If there’s one thing to be said about this album, The Lumineers were quite bold by telling their story through an entire album instead of just song by song. In an era of music that allows for playlists with multiple artists, there’s a lack of people willing to listen to an artist's entire album from beginning to end. Which really is what’s required to enjoy “III.” I understand where my friends who say that they don’t like this album are coming from. It takes steps away from The Lumineers’ “happy folk” background into more serious territory. But, if you’re willing to take an hour or so and really give the album a listen, I can’t say you’ll regret it. If you want to talk it over eventually, I’ll be here, face-first on my carpet listening to this album yet again.
THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
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Scorcese's 'The Irishman' Is a Masterpiece By Tyler Zikias Film Columnist
When I say “follows the life,” I truly mean the extent of Frank Sheeran’s life, because this movie is 210 minutes of densely packed scenes, spanning from Frank’s years fighting in World War II to his deathbed. The major buzz surrounding this movie is how the three major actors have been de-aged Despite the recent increase in nonsense released into theaters, 2019 is prov- to look younger for the majority of the film, because this film is telling an almost 65 year-long story. ing to be one of the best years of film in recent memory. “The Irishman” Sure, this movie is long, but it’s a Martin Scorsese masterpiece that is one of the year’s finest films. reunites illustrious director Martin Scorsese with a trio of legendary Without much thought, it’s overly obvious that De Niro, Pacino and Pesci are all at the very actors Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci for another turn at top of their games, with a career-best performance from Joe Pesci. These three are Hollywood icons the crime genre. It follows the life of mob hitman Frank Sheeran not because of their star status, but because of how many years they have been consistently been giv(De Niro) and his relationship with the head of the Bufalino ing great performances. It is great to finally see De Niro and Pacino back in a film by a respected filmcrime family, Russell Bufalino (Pesci), and Teamsters maker who knows how to get the most from his actors. The relationship between Frank and Jimmy is union president Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). wholly organic and the emotional crux of the movie. The entire second act is focused on getting the viewer to care and believe in their friendship beyond the work they do for each other. Joe Pesci, as I mentioned, is on the next level in this film. He isn’t playing the loud and witty Tommy DeVito from “Goodfellas,” but an older, more reserved mob leader who always has the ball in his court because of the respect he’s attained. You don’t see the beginnings of Russell Bufalino mainly because it isn’t his story, but because of Pesci’s on-screen presence, you immediately feel his power when he enters the frame. Among the award-worthy performances in the film, Joe Pesci’s is certainly the standout. Martin Scorsese is a master of direction. He’s a legend who has never made a bad film and has an incredibly wide variety of films in his catalog. He is the master of the crime genre, yet “The Irishman” doesn’t feel like the traditional Scorsese crime flick. Unlike the glorified and stylized “Goodfellas,” “The Irishman” doesn’t treat these characters like heroes or utilize their hijinx and crimes as action scenes or comedic moments. This is a very raw film where every bullet fired carries significant weight to the story and characters. It feels like a very new take on the genre but a welcome change that values smaller, quiet conversations over loud, cuss-filled rants. I can’t say I enjoyed watching this movie more than some of Scorsese’s earlier work, like “Goodfellas,” but I can say that “The Irishman” has left the strongest, most meaningful impression on me. I saw the film almost a week ago and not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about “The Irishman.” It’s incredibly hard to put into words why you should see “The Irishman” because there are just too many things that make it great. If a Martin Scorsese crime film, with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci doesn’t already have you hooked, I’m not sure what will. “The Irishman” is one of my favorites of the year and one of Scorsese’s best since “The Wolf of Wall Street.” The movie is in limited theaters at the moment but will be on Netflix on Nov. 27, so Photo Courtesy of @theirishmanfilm Instagram definitely check it out then. Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino deliver amazing performances in "The Irishman." Grade: A+
Heard it Through the GrapeVine: Nick Colorito By Michael Riggi Contributing Writer Junior Nick Colorito is a biology major and math minor from Suffern, New York. Not only is Nick the resident assistant of the first-year Honors Living Learning Community on the second floor of Jogues Hall, but he is also a member of the Honors Program himself. Nick can often be seen listening to music with his headphones in pretty much anytime and anywhere on campus. Whether in Jogues, the Leslie C. Quick, Jr. Recreation Complex or walking to class, music follows Nick wherever he goes. Whenever he has the chance, Nick likes to listen to upbeat songs to help get him through the day (regardless of what genre they are). Nick particularly enjoys listening to music when he is doing homework or studying, and has created a playlist of five songs he will never skip that help him drown out everything else. “Music is such a cool thing,” Nick said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to mean something. It’s there to stir emotion.” “Blown Away,” Carrie Underwood “This is just one of those songs that when I listen to it, I get pure heartfelt emotion. It’s a very good song with an important “get-through-it” type of attitude.” “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up),” Fall Out Boy “Such a great pump-up song for the gym. Whenever I’m not in the mood to do something, this song always gets me to do things.” “Life is a Highway,” Rascal Flatts “This is just one of those songs that I always remember hearing from my childhood that makes me think of family. You just can’t listen to this song and be upset.” “Finesse (Remix),” Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B “Bruno Mars and this song just have such a good vibe to it. It has such a great beat and is always a good song to dance to.” “American Idiot,” Green Day “American Idiot is a great song with a, ‘screw it, let’s just do this’ mindset behind it. This song always gets me pumped-up.”
Photo Contributed byy Michael Riggi CreativeCommons/Pixabay
THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
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Top Five Origins Products to Try Out By Sabrina Trueheart Fashion Columnist I’m all about cruelty-free and environmentally-conscious fashion and cosmetics. I have tried many different products from many different ethical cosmetics companies, but the one company I kept going back to for almost ten years is Origins. I remember using my first Origins product in middle school, and now that I am almost done with college, my skin and makeup collections consist of all Origins products. Not only is Origins dedicated to organic, safe-for-skin skincare and makeup–they are also an incredibly customer-focused company that pays attention to customer feedback and gives loyal customers many free samples! For years, Origins has put out quality products that truly save your skin. Just ask my mom–she’s been using Origins since the ‘90s and hasn’t aged a bit! Here are my top five favorites from this amazing brand: A Perfect World Age-Defense Treatment Lotion with White Tea, $27 This is the ultimate toner for college students, as it is one of their many age-defense products. Once I put it on, my skin feels instantly moistened, even before putting on my moisturizer! I use this product in the morning and at night, and I have to say it is my favorite toner of theirs. The scent is not overpowering and my skin feels hydrated right after putting it on. GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff, $32 I absolutely love this eye cream from Origins. Although it is not an SPF or night time eye cream, I choose to buy this eye cream instead because it makes a huge difference in
how my eyes appear in the morning. The secret ingredient used to make this product so amazing is coffee beans–the GinZing eye cream reduces puffiness, dark circles and gives a noticeable sparkle under your eyes! Tip: They also make an on-the-go version of the GinZing eye cream for just $25! GinZing SPF 40 Energy-Boosting Tinted Moisturizer, $39.50 The GinZing SPF 40 tinted moisturizer is one of the skin products I cannot live without. Not only does it create that “no makeup makeup” look, it also has SPF 40, making it perfect for the summer! I use this product everyday and it never disappoints. I also adore the Vitazing SPF 15 tinted moisturizer from Origins, which is incredibly similar to the GinZing SPF 40 but has a lower SPF and a bit less cover-up. Tip: Do not put this tinted moisturizer on top of a spray tan – it will make you more orange than bronze. Trust me, I’ve tried! Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash, $24 As Sabrina Musto mentioned in her Origins article in 2018, the Checks and Balances face wash is a must-have. I’ve been usPhoto Courtesy of @origins Instagram ing this face wash since I was 15-years-old, and it is definitely my favorite face wash by Origins. It works for all skin types and has always made my skin feel clean! Underwear for Lashes Lash Primer, $23 If you want long lashes but don’t want to spend money on fake ones, look no further. This lash primer makes your lashes appear fuller and longer as soon as you apply your mascara. Simply put the lash primer on right before your mascara and ta-da! Your lashes magically look full.
The Mirror Abroad: Just a Moment with Molly anything you’d find at a Barnes & Noble. But, we’ve got to remember that we’re in a country whose first language is not English, and thus most of the books at Feltrinelli are in I like, love reading. I mean, it’s now part of my “Brand™” after winning PBS’ “Great American Italian. They do have a decent size English book Read” and having boxes of 100 books shipped to my house. Easier to accomplish than shipping section, with the super popular classics and them overseas. So while abroad I’ve had to figure out how to accomplish my whole reading thing some newer novels, but it is just a section. while in Italy. Plus, most of my money spent Have you heard of Overdrive? If not, “Bing-it” and get it. It’s basically a way for you to read abroad is being spent on trips or just grothousands of books completely free and all you need is a library card. I use it while abroad! It works cery shopping. Not a lot of European pennies exactly the same, and because I have a library card to both my home library and Fairfield’s Public left to rub together for a full-priced book that Library, I have double the options when it comes to “Things to Keep Me Busy While Traveling.” Lots I’m going to have to lug home. Thus, we’re on of hours to fill while waiting for various forms of transportation in different European locations. to option two! But I don’t love reading on a screen. I make do, because it’s the easiest and most lightweight Paperback Exchange is my favorite Florpossibility. I just download six books on my computer and I’m good to go. ence bookstore. Even if I wasn’t telling you Especially because I completely blow through books. Meaning, if given a 300 or so page book, about this you’d definitely hear about it in it’d only take me about an hour or so to get from beginning to end. But, my super cool, not-lame-at- Florence, as all of the professors have you get all powers have limitations. the required reading material here. Though or Screens. Can’t do it. I get way too distracted. This has led me to discover quite a few cute book small, only about as big as any cute family irr M shops in Florence that I’m going to share with you all. So my future study abroad friends looking for owned bookstore on any Main Street, U.S.A., e Th a spot to buy books, or just content for their study blogs, listen up! all the books are in English. a/ l do First off, there’s Feltrinelli. Think Barnes & Noble, but in Italy, and yeah... that’s it. It’s basically There’s also quite a wide variety. Though en m just Barnes & Noble. They’re a chain too, so you’ll see them all over Florence. I bought my friend’s I’m more of a fiction fanatic, there’s an entire room La lly o mom a cute book here when she came to visit. They’ve got stationary and cards and basically again dedicated just to non-fiction business. From religion M to psychology to some ridiculously expensive coffee table books, there’s a bit of everything. Plus, they’re cheaper than Feltrinelli. This is where the “Exchange” part of their name comes in. You can exchange your books for store credit, or they’ll buy back old books. They have a selection of gently used, cheaper books for customers. Now I’ll be honest, I’ve done one exchange here before and they did not give me as much store credit as I think I deserved. If we’re using the words “gently used” here, my book was incredibly, incredibly gently used. It was as if I were wearing those art collector gloves every time I read it, and they only gave me two dollars back! But, whatever, I get that they have to A cat Lamendola found at a bookstore. make money back, and this place is seriously cute. So, now you know not only where to grab a book, but look back a couple of articles and you know the perfect coffee shops where you can curl up and read. It hasn’t stopped raining here in Florence for the past couple weeks, so I’m going to read this article over again to see where I can go find a new book. Maybe just Molly Lamendola/The Mirror Overdrive; I really hate getting wet and I don’t want to slip on the cobblestones again. Yay, Italians shop for books. study abroad injuries!
By Molly Lamendola Abroad Columnist
THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
The Vine
Inkwell Spotlight Songs of My Soul By Margaret Moore Contributing Writer at The Inkwell
My favorite song Is the one That mirrors The movements of my heart At any time of day. It’s The one That Pumps me up Before a big race, Presentation, Leaps toward my dreams. It’s The one That’s upbeat In lyrics, In melody. It’s the one That Lifts me up When I’m Down And that Carries me When I’m on Cloud nine. It’s the one That reminds me Of family, Of friends, Of the love That Never Ends. It’s the one
That Inspires Me To put words On a page, To Be Bold And create Something that the world Has Never Before Seen. It’s the one That reflects My faith In a God So Divine, A song That speaks to Each stage Of the journey. Yes, My favorite song Is more than Just one Musical piece. My favorites Are those That speak To the soul As it takes on life And its Beautifully chaotic scene. CreativeCommons/needpix.com
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'Lobby Baby' Is Basic By Gracianne Eldrenkamp Vine Editor I don’t love late night talk shows. Most of them are very stiff, somewhat fake and mostly unfunny. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not in love with “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” It’s one of the less cringey late night shows, and it’s partly because Seth Meyers isn’t particularly loud or flashy. I also happen to be a fan of his work on Saturday Night Live. That being said, when Seth Meyers’ first comedy special, “Lobby Baby” released on Netflix on Nov. 5, I felt fairly neutral. After watching the one hour comedy special, I think there’s some definite highs and lows to “Lobby Baby,” and I see potential for future Seth Meyer comedy specials to come. A majority of the special, as assumed by the title, is about Meyers’ life as a family man. The first half of the special, and for a few stories at the end, he talks about his relationship with his wife. The second part of the special, he talks about his two children, specifically recalling the story of his second son’s birth in the lobby of their apartment. His stories mix the wildly ridiculous with the mundanely relatable, which gives variety to the types of comedy he uses. Personally, as a student who is neither a spouse or a parent, jokes sometimes missed their mark for me, but for the most part they still had me cracking up. The special starts off pretty slow. The whole show didn’t have me falling out of my seat with laughter like some others, but there were times where his jokes really hit the mark. There’s a fantastic bit at the end of the special where, after spending a good amount of the show lovingly joking about his wife, he takes the persona of his wife and recounts the same stories about his wife from her perspective. It’s absolutely hilarious to see him break down their relationship from both of their perspectives. I think where Meyers fails as a stand up comedian is his unoriginality. It’s not that his jokes are blatant ripoffs of other comedians’. It’s that his whole demeanor isn’t bringing anything new to the genre. Often comedians really shine when they have a really unique
style. Either their type of joke or their delivery is completely original. Seth Meyers’ style of comedy is standard. Don’t get me wrong–it’s very funny at times, but there’s nothing that gets him to stand out amongst the sea of comedians other than his late night show and time on Saturday Night Live. What’s interesting about “Lobby Baby” as opposed to other comedy specials is that, since it’s on Netflix, they decided to include a button to skip Meyers’ political jokes. It works the same way as the “skip intro” button Netflix has for many of its shows. On this, Meyers said he felt his audience might be tired of hearing jokes about the current president, especially since he does it so often on his late night show. I first watched the special using the buttons, and, while they technically work well, it seems somewhat pointless. I assume Meyers was trying to get his special out to a wider audience, but, since his political views are so well-known, I doubt a skip button would make more non-political or conservative people to his content. Personally, I think using the skip button forces you to lose out on some genuinely funny bits, so I don’t recommend, but it’s good if you’re sick of political jokes. Overall, “Lobby Baby” was a promising comedy special. I’ll definitely be looking out for future Seth Meyers’ comedy specials, even if his style of comedy isn’t particularly unique.
Tips and Tricks for Thanksgiving Stuffing By Gracianne Eldrenkamp Vine Editor Thanksgiving is coming up, and, although every family does Thanksgiving a bit differently, if you’re m helping out with cooking .co s le infi this year, it’s good to have ma o some basic knowledge up licd b u s/p your sleeve. It’s probably unlikely on m m the chef in your family will allow you Co e tiv to try new techniques on the turkey, ea Cr but if you get the chance to help out with the stuffing, here’s a few key things to try to make this Thanksgiving your best yet. Try a country-style loaf My mom loves to use the standard bagged white bread to make her stuffing, and her stuffing is fantastic. However, I can’t help but think about how a crusty country loaf could turn a standard stuffing into a culinary masterpiece. As stuffing is technically just seasoned and cooked bread, using a quality artisan loaf is guaranteed to give it a more refined depth of flavor. Plus, seeing the torn pieces of a nice loaf in your final creation is more aesthetically interesting, too. Use fresh herbs It’s the easiest way to level up your Thanksgiving game: fresh herbs. I’m not here to tell you that you absolutely have to use a certain herb in your dish for it to taste great as there’s probably a million ways to spice up a good stuffing. No matter if you throw in some rosemary, thyme or parsley, it should definitely be fresh. There’s something so high-class about the look and taste of bright green, fresh herbs in a dish. It adds a good amount of body and freshness to the flavor and looks pretty too. Don’t actually stuff it This is absolutely key. Despite what the name suggests, the best way to cook stuffing
actually isn’t stuffed inside a bird. By cooking stuffing inside the turkey, you’re missing out on how crisp the top of the bread gets when cooked in a pan in the oven. Cooking stuffing outside the turkey gives the dish more variety in texture. And you can fit so much more of it outside the turkey, so there’s more to go around! Cre
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
Coffee Break
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Coffee Break Editor: Tobenna Ugwu tobenna.ugwu@student.fairfield.edu
November Boos and Cheers The Coffee Break Team decided to bring back an old, long tradition of Boos and Cheers, so we hit the streets to relay the things students felt passionately about.
Boos
Boo to the Tully for not having campfire s’mores ice cream. Boo to this weather. Boo to Fairfield U for not giving us Veteran’s Day off. Boo to this guy I saw in DSB today who was wearing flipflops in 30 degree weather, like what’s wrong with you? Boo to the fact that Thanksgiving is a full two weeks away. Boo to the Dallas Cowboys for leading me on again this week, only to lose! Boo to the mashed potatoes letting me down at the Tully. Boo to all the essays and tests I have due next week. Boo to Toby, my guinea pig, who bit me yesterday. Boo to my English professor for his negativity.
Cheers Cheers to the fact that Thanksgiving is only two weeks away. Cheers to my marketing professor who went through my whole test with me today. Cheers to my calc professor for not having class the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Cheers to the first snowfall of the season. Cheers to my capstone professor for being super supportive. Cheers to my mom who did my laundry this weekend. Cheers to our new Assistant News Editor. Cheers to the fact that my friends and I bought matching pj’s.
Bad News: Fairfield University Ranked #272 Alphabetically By Nathan Schmidt Stagnation Editor-In-Chief
This week, Fairfield-sponsored research revealed that the university is only 272nd nationwide in alphabetical order. The news came as a terrible blow, ruining Fairfield’s winning streak and putting its plans for academic growth into total disarray. “This is unacceptable,” said an anonymous professor in an email distributed to the entire faculty. “Fairfield University was founded on the principle that we’re going to be number one at everything forever. We can’t very well put #272 on our promotional posters, can we?” Most students on campus seemed to be mostly confused about the news, especially since many of them had not been aware that America has more than 200 or so colleges in it in the first place. Nevertheless, this event has become a crisis for campus administration, as it flies in the face of Fairfield’s competitive edge. A contest for new names for the university is expected to be held in the coming months, with an emphasis on putting numbers or punctuation at the start of the name. In the meantime, the letter F has been removed, bringing the institution up to 4th place by turning it into Airfield University. Should any planes try to land on campus, students are advised to take cover and hide behind their superior ranking.
Photo contributed by the Stagnation Staff
Read More at: http://myfairfieldstagnation.wordpress.com/
Sports
SPORTS Sports Editor: Julia Lanzillotta julia.lanzillotta@student.fairďŹ eld.edu
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
This Week in Sports: What You Missed
In Case You Missed It: Wednesday, November 6th -Men's Soccer won at Niagara, 2-1 Saturday, November 9th -Women's Basketball lost to Seton Hall, 74-44 -Men's Basketball lost to UMass, 62-60 Sunday, November 10th -Field Hockey won NEC Championship against Rider, 2-1
Photo Contributed by Sports Information Desk
The Fairfield University women's basketball team fell to Seton Hall University (3-0) with a score of 74-44 on Saturday, Nov. 9. They are now 0-2 on the season and will have one more game on the road before they take to their home court on Sunday, Nov. 17. Although the performance was not one of Fairfield's proudest, the Stags were kept afloat from efforts by Redshirt Senior Katie Armstrong who scored nine points and sophomore Rachel Hakes who also added nine. Redshirt junior Callie Cavanaugh contributed eight and Sam Lewis '21 added another six. Just two leads were held by the Stags, and both were initiated by Lou Lopez-Senechal '22 The second half started out promising when Fairfield earned seven of the first 10 points. Sam Kramer '20 was credited with a fourpoint play, but Seton Hall battled back and the Stags couldn't keep up.
-Volleyball won against St. Peter's, 3-0
Upcoming This Week: Wednesday, November 13th -Field Hockey vs American, 2019 NCAA Championship Opening Round 1:00 PM
Photo Contributed bySports Information Desk
Men's soccer closed out the season on a high note with a 2-1 win over Niagara University on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The victory cemented their record at 6-7-4 and 4-4-2 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play for the 2019 season. Fairfield University's two goals were credited to Jonathan Filipe '22 and Dialio Simon-Ponte '20. Four of the men on the roster were named to MAAC postseason teams. Upperclassmen Marcus Nordgard '20 , Matt McGlinchey '21 and Gordon Botterill '21 were all placed to the All-MAAC Second Team while rookie Colman Kim, who started in each of the 17 games this season, garnered recognition on the MAAC All-Rookie team.
-Men's and Women's Swim & Dive vs Fordham, 5:00 PM -Women's Basketball at LIU, 7:00 PM Friday, November 15th -Men's and Women's XC NCAA Northeast Regional Championship, TBA
In this week's issue... - Men's Basketball Loses Grip Against UMass, 62-60 (Pg. 14)
- Monmouth Takes Merciless Win at MAAC Championships (Pg. 15) - Volleyball: Stags Celebrate Succesful Senior Day (Pg.15) - Field Hockey Claims NEC Championship Title (Pg. 16)
Sports
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THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
Men's Basketball Loses Grip Against UMass, 62-60
Photo Courtesy of Sports Information Desk
Jesus Cruz '21 was credited for 14 points against UMass and was recently named co-captain of Fairfield's 2019-20 men's basketball team alongside Taj Benning '21 by Coach Young.
By Wesley Martinez Contributing Writer On Saturday, Nov. 9 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., the Fairfield University men’s basketball team (0-2) fell to the University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen (2-0) by a score of 62-60. It was a hard fought game, but in the end the Stags came up short again, losing another close game. Fairfield’s team and newly appointed head coach Jay Young’s motto so far this year has been, “Next game, next opponent.” Sitting with a defeated overall record of 0-2 to begin the season, Coach Young isn’t going to let this heartbreaking start to the season distract him and his team from their mantra. Fairfield started off slow right out of the gate, but with five minutes left in the first half they turned it around. Junior Wassef Methnani was the key cog in shifting the momentum, as he ran the floor and scored, absorbing hard contact for the “and one” layup. On the very next play he drew a crucial charge, and this defensive stop was vital for the team’s comeback. That sequence ignited the team as they went on a big run behind the scoring of Jesus Cruz ‘21 and Landon Taliaferro ‘20, who had 14 and 15 points for the game respectively. Fairfield ended up taking the lead from UMass and went into the half with a seven point lead and a score of 31- 24. UMass came into the season with a lot of expectations. They have the top recruiting class in their conference, the Atlantic 10, and a top 50 recruiting class in the whole nation. They
Weekly 4x5 Because we have witty things to say ... Julia Lanzillotta Sports Editor
Lexi Thimble Editor-in-Chief
Re: Opinion- Is daylight saving necessary?
Julia Lanzillotta, Lexi Thimble, Katherine Klima and Julia Monteleone Field hockey is set to play in Disney+ is out! Will you be the NCAA tournament! Will subscribing? you be at the game?
No. It's all fun and games until I The king of Christmas himself, lose an hour of sleep in the spring. Michael Buble, of course.
I LOVE IT! I probably should get a coat though.
Absolutely! I will be bundled up to stay warm but I will be there nonetheless!
My short answer is yes. But I really should stop spending money that I don't have.
I don't know enough about day- I'm so surprised at all the Michael light saving to completely dismiss Buble love happening here, and I'm jumping on that train too. it, so...sure? Buble is a good, pure man full of good, pure Christmas bops.
Not to be that person from Mass but you people are lame if you think what happened today was the first snow of the season. Call me when the snow actually makes an impression on the ground.
I will not but I give them a lot of credit for doing so well so far. All the best to them!
Also not to sound like an angry anti-capitalist or something but Disney as a giant monopoly who owns everything makes me ~nervous~ and, like with Apple, I refuse to give them any of my money unless I absolutely have to.
Both!!! But, I do have a big soft spot for Micheal Buble...
Excited!!! I only enjoy snow between the months of November and December. After that, I'm done.
Nah, I'm not much of a sports person. But good luck?
I wish. I love Disney. However, I don't have the time to pay for a million different streaming services.
Michael Buble's Christmas album is ICONIC.
I'm so ready for future snow days!!
No but go Stags!!
Already did lol.
Executive Editor
Julia Monteleone Managing Editor
Your 2019-2020 4x5 Columnists:
Thoughts on the first snow of the season?
I only like it when I get the extra Katherine Klima hour of sleep.
What Kat said.
Mariah Carey or Michael Buble?
were projected to be a tough matchup for Fairfield, but the Stags rose to the occasion and did not allow UMass to roll over them. Not only were they competitive, but Fairfield could smell blood. The Stags came out firing and scored on their opening play of the second half. They managed to extend the lead to as much as 10 points, and for the first four minutes of the second half, they looked poised to earn their first win of the season. UMass was resilient and hung around long enough before going on their inevitable run to get back into the game. Down the stretch, it was a very close and entertaining game as neither side was letting up. Although UMass was pushing the pace to the tune of a 16-2 advantage on fastbreak points, Fairfield managed to make it a half court game during crunchtime. The Minutemen hit timely shot after timely shot, but Fairfield was still in position to tie or take the lead on their final possession. Taliaferro, who had been shooting the ball well all game, created some space off the inbound play, but just missed as UMass escaped. It was a very tough loss for the Stags because they had a good lead and a chance to win at the end. On the other hand, they went toe-to-toe with a quality opponent, and could easily be (2-0) instead of (0-2) right now. This has to be an encouraging sign for the Fairfield faithful that maybe this new regime will bring life to this program. Coach Young insists that he and his players only has eyes for the next team on their schedule, and improving everyday. The Stags will look to get back on track on the road Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7:00 p.m. against the College of the Holy Cross (0-2).
Sports
THE MIRROR | Week of November 13, 2019
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Monmouth Takes Merciless Win at MAAC Championships By Michael Hoffman Chief Financial Officer The second seeded Fairfield University women’s soccer team advanced past the fifth-ranked Quinnipiac University Bobcats (10-8-1, 5-4-1 MAAC) in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals with a 1-0 win on Thursday, Nov. 7. The important matchup remained 0-0 for the majority of the game until Gabby Diodati ‘21 put one home off a feed from Julia McGuire ‘20. Fairfield outshot Quinnipiac 12-5 over the course of the game, but they only managed to get four of those shots on net, equaling the Bobcats’ total. After the game, Diodati noted, "It was important for us to all come together and realize the amount of work that we have to put in to get where we want to go, everyone has been really focused, really tuned in and all want to accomplish that same goal. I think that was really the driving force of why we're going to the MAAC Championship on Sunday.” Fairfield goalkeeper Aytana Muschajew ‘22 kept the Quinnipiac offense dead silent, stopping each of the four shots she faced. Qunnipiac’s offense did not go down without threats, as they had six corner kicks to Fairfield’s two. Additionally, Fairfield’s head coach David Barrett attested to his team’s resolve and fortitude, saying, ‘Our mental toughness has grown, we just battle a lot more, the character of the team came through. They were selfless to put the needs of the team first. They start to see success and I think that definitely helps. I think the message has some merit because we're seeing some of that success when we get onto the field. It was a combination of a lot of things that we have been working towards.” Fairfield moved on to play the top-seeded Monmouth University Hawks (13-2-2, 10-0 MAAC) in the MAAC final on Sunday, Nov. 10. The Stags unfortunately could not get passed the top-seeded Hawks, as they fell largely behind early and could not recover, losing 6-0 in the tournament championship. Monmouth added three goals in each half to clinch the championship. Monmouth dominated from start to finish, and the high score was a testament to that. The Hawks out-shot Fairfield 205. Fairfield’s future looks bright, as they are returning eight All-MAAC selections. These accolaides were earned by Stephanie Tsangaris ‘22 and Diodati, who were named to the 2019 MAAC Women’s Soccer All-MAAC First Team, and Liz Dumas ‘21, Nicole Stryjek ‘21, Brooke Hernon ‘22 and redshirt junior Kelsey Gilbert, who were named to the 2019 MAAC Women’s Soccer All-MAAC Second Team. First-years Olivia Homan and Josie Horosky were named to the 2019 MAAC Women’s Soccer All-Rookie team and Horosky also earned the title of co-rookie of the year alongside Quinnipiac’s Meaghan Phillips. The Stags and Barrett, the MAAC coach of the year, will look to improve on a great 2019 season come next fall.
Photo Courtesy of Sports Information Desk
Gabby Diodati '21 was named to the All-Tournament Team for her efforts against Monmouth.
Volleyball: Stags Celebrate Successful Senior Day By Julia Lanzillotta Sports Editor The Fairfield University volleyball team had the upper hand against Marist College (12-13, 10-5 MAAC) on Wednesday, Nov. 6, Rider University (14-13, 11-4 MAAC) on Saturday, Nov. 9 and Saint Peter’s (3-25, 1-15 MAAC) on Sunday, Nov. 10, defending their 16-game hot streak on the George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall. The Stags were unbeatable and defeated the Red Foxes 3-1, the Broncs 3-1 and the Peacocks 3-0 with individual set scores of (24-26, 25-13, 26-24, 25-12), (25-15, 20-25, 25-13, 25-12) and (25-17, 25-23, 25-16) respectively. For the second time in conference play, the Stags fell short 1-0 when Marist stepped up to give them a run for their money. Luckily, the team promptly responded, surging in the second period. Senior Mayda Garcia showed up ready to fight and recorded her eighth double-double of her final campaign with 16 kills and 12 digs. Joining her on the offensive front were Joelle Battles ‘23 and Laura Seeger ‘22, who each sent home finishers in the double digits. Battles had 13 while Seeger tallied 11. Senior Manuela Nicolini picked up her 14th double-double of the season, amassing 15 digs and 46 assists and added a single kill to the stats sheet. She continued a fast paced attack into Saturday’s match when she added another double-double with 13 digs and 42 assists Fairfield’s win over Rider secured their place as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s top seed looking ahead at the MAAC championship tournament. Nicolini
and Luci Albertson ‘21 guarded the net, delivering seven blocks each to contribute to the squad’s season high of 15. First-year Morgan Doll and Sonja Radulovic ‘20 pulled their weight in the end line with 14 digs and 13 digs respectively. In addition, the victory marked the 2019 season’s 20th win, a feat that hasn’t been reached since 1996. This stood as Fairfield volleyball’s 15th 20-win season of all time. On Sunday, Stag Country celebrated seniors Jamie Calandro, Garcia, Nicolini and Radulovic in a ceremony preceding a match against Saint Peter’s. The afternoon’s three-set sweep indicated the quartet of veterans’ 88th career win. In typical fashion, Nicolini drove the offense and dished out 42 assists plus 11 digs. She leads the conference in assists per set, averaging 11.03 per frame. Her formidable performance over the three games garnered her recognition as the MAAC player of the week. Calandro had a hand in three helpers and, in the libero spot, reached a career best of 18 digs. With just a pair of conference games remaining in the season, the stakes are high to keep the momentum going as the MAAC Championship tournament is just around the corner on Friday, Nov 22. The Stags currently are 21-4 overall, and undefeated in the MAAC with 16 conference wins under their belt. This weekend they are poised to face competition in New York. First, they will take on the Canisius College Griffins (13-15,10-6 MAAC) on Saturday, Nov. 16 in Buffalo, and then they will round off the trip in Niagara against the Niagara University Purple Eagles (12-14, 11-5 MAAC), which will conclude MAAC play.
Photo Courtesy of Sports Information Desk
Seniors Jamie Calandro, Manuela Nicolini, Sonja Radulovic and Mayda Garcia were recognized on Sunday at their last regular season home game at Alumni Hall on George Bisacca Court.
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Sports Editor: Julia Lanzillotta » julia.lanzillotta@student.fairfield.edu
Field Hockey Claims NEC Championship Title
Photo Courtesy of Sports Information Desk
The Stags will play in the NCAA Division I Championship for the fourth time in program history. They will play in an opening round game on Wednesday, Nov. 13 against American University.
By Kevin Stush Contributing Writer The Fairfield University women’s field hockey (now 18-2 overall, 6-0 NEC) team had an exciting weekend with two road wins, one of which was the Northeast Conference Championship. Yes, the lady Stags are heading to the NCAA tournament! The weekend started for the Stags on Friday, Nov. 8 in Staten Island, NY, with a game against Sacred Heart University (5-15, 3-3 NEC). The team defeated SHU by a score of 2-1. Although Fairfield outshot SHU 9-1 within the first three quarters of the game, the score remained 0-0 up until the fourth quarter. Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Madison Hoskins ‘23 scored the first goal of the game for the Stags and her third goal of the season with the assist from Luzi Persiehl ‘22. However, Kelsy Hopkins of Sacred Heart was not going to let the game slip away from them that easily as she tied the game three minutes later at one. Junior Zoe Rosen led the game defensively for the Stags in net with the help of Emily Halderson ‘20 and Kelly Buckley ‘21. Rosen made one save. Offensively, Fairfield was led by Hoskins, Malen Iglesias ‘22 and Emma Matlach ‘21, who scored the winning goal for the Stags on a penalty shot, picking up a narrow one goal win 2-1. This would mean Fairfield would be playing in the NEC
championship. On Sunday, Nov. 10, Fairfield went up against Rider University (13-6) in the championship game. In a nail-biter match with each team registering eight shots, the teams both fought aggressively to send the game into a sudden death round. With a scoreless first half, the game would accelerate in the third quarter when Julianna Kratz ‘23 scored her sixth goal of the season with the help of Buckley to give Fairfield a 1-0 lead. Although Rosen played another astonishing game, her and the Stags’ defense were unable to keep Rider scoreless when Kaitlyn Flemming of Rider was able to find the back of the net to tie the game. Flemming’s goal would send the game into overtime, but it would not last long. Two minutes and forty-one seconds into overtime, Hoskins was able to sneak the ball past Rider goalie Lena Vandam with the help of Persiehl to give Fairfield the winning goal and make them the champions of the NEC. The final score was 2-1 Fairfield. The Stags are slated to battle American University (13-5), ranked no. 25 in the nation, at the 2019 NCAA Field Hockey Championship opening round on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. Whoever takes the win on Fairfield’s University Field will continue the postseason on Friday, Nov. 15 at the University of Connecticut.
Photo Courtesy of Sports Information Desk
A relentless battle against Rider University for the NEC championship title and a chance at moving on to NCAA championship play was decided in overtime when the Stags took a 2-1 lead.