THE MIRROR Student newspaper
Week of October 16, 2013
Vol. 38, 39, Iss. 23 7
www.fairfieldmirror.com @fairfieldmirror The Fairfield Mirror
Gay atheist kicks off LGBTQ history month By Angela Sammarone Contributing Writer
(From left to right) Seniors Grace Leoning, Elizabeth Girgenti, Allie DeLuca and Brittanie Milang at the Inn.
‘SoCo’ last to recover from Sandy By Robert Joyce Crime Beat Reporter
Six Fairfield students have finally moved into the beach house of their dreams. For the past month and a half, seniors Brittanie Millang, Allie DeLuca, Elizabeth Girgenti, Grace Leonnig, Pierelle Eppie and Jazmin Maldonado have been living at the Inn at Fairfield Beach on Reef Road, awaiting the reconstruction of “Southern Comfort,” the ocean front home located at 705 Fairfield Beach Road.The house received extensive damage from Hurricane Sandy. The students originally made the decision to live in Southern Comfort during late September of 2012, signing the lease and making their first down payment. One month later, the home was nearly destroyed beyond repair by Sandy. Despite the damage and the option to back out of the lease, they elected
Landlord Sue Gould stands at the doorstep of “Southern Comfort.”
to remain as the eventual tenants of the property after being assured by their landlords that the reconstruction of the home would be completed by the beginning of the school year. Unfortunately, because
of numerous unexpected delays, the home has just now become livable again. According to the students, they received inconsistent timetables from landlords Sue Gould and her
husband regarding the reconstruction process. They said that the landlords first informed them the project would be completed by May 1, which soon became June 1, then July 1, then Aug. 1, etc. “We really weren’t concerned until we finished school,” said Girgenti. They even attempted to find another home to rent, but were unsuccessful. When the six girls found out that their home was not going to be ready by Sept. 1, they made the decision to temporarily live at the Inn for what they believed was going to be two weeks at most. A month and a half later, they finally were able to move out of the Inn, and they couldn’t be happier. All of the six girls agree that living at the Inn has been a struggle. Due to obvious space constraints, READ STORY ON PAGE 2
Bridgeport hospital now digital By Salvatore Trifilio News Editor
INSIDE
While students struggle to see the immediate effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Bridgeport Hospital Yale New Haven Health has already finished the “huge undertaking” of transferring paper to electronic medical records. On Oct. 10, Associate Professor of Philosophy Curt Naser, Ph.D., and Michael Werdmann, M.D. of Bridgeport Hospital, gave a talk on the ethics behind electronic medical records to a crowd of about 30
NEWS:
Fairfield residents at the downtown bookstore. “[Electronic medical records], it’s like your credit cards,” said Naser, “how that [information] gets used and who’s using it, are pharmaceutical companies perusing your medical records to sell more drugs to you through your doctor?” While both Werdmann and Naser discussed the many advantages and disadvantages of transferring to electronic medical records through the incentive program established through the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, Naser believes consum-
DPS holds female self defense classes
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OPINION: Page 5
READ STORY ON PAGE 3
What you should know about electronic medical records
ers must be most aware of how their newly digitized information is used in the public and political domain. Hospitals and other medical centers are eligible for up to $44,000 in government funding to convert records to digital copies under Obamacare. According to Director of the Student Health Center, Julia Duffy, Fairfield’s medical facility, which still uses paper records, is not eligible for the Medicare incentive. Although the medical center doesn’t
A student’s take on the government shutdown
Apart from the common controversial conversation of homosexuality and religion, LGBTQ history month’s keynote speaker encouraged students to talk about the subjects in dialogue, not in debate. On Oct. 10, the eve of National Coming Out Day, Fairfield’s gay advocacy club, Alliance, hosted famed author and self-proclaimed “faitheist” Chris Stedman, who spoke on his lifelong struggles. Stedman, who also titled his book “Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious,” talks about his story as an ex-evangelical Christian turned gay atheist and his goal to bridge the gap that divides religious and nonreligious voices through interfaith dialogue. Stedman grew up in a family that didn’t practice religion. He became a born-again Christian at age 11vafter reading accounts on individuals’ suffering, like in “The Diary of Anne Frank.” Soon after, Stedman came out as gay — the only openly gay student in his high school — and was bullied. “I realized I became a Christian because I was looking for a community that cared about justice and suffering,” Stedman said. “I didn’t believe in the doctrine; I just accepted God as part of the package deal.” From then on, Stedman identified as atheist. As students waited for the talk to begin, Stedman looked out at the audience inside of Gonzaga’s auditorium and asked for everyone to shake the hand of a student they did not
They notify doctors of possible allergic reactions that may be caused as a result of a new preAllows software, such as Epic’s, to create large databases allowing researchers to expedite The sharing of information between doctors will no longer be of issue as medical records
EMRs are now available on multiple private devices like smartphones, laptops and tablets, which are often misplaced. EMRs are stored on database servers, which can possibly be hacked, as does any electronically stored information. Private information can be released in certain situations without the patients’ consent.
THE VINE:
SPORTS:
“Glee” episode addresses lead actor’s death
Volleyball continues winning streak
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News
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THE MIRROR | Week of October 16, 2013
Racks of clothes occupied much of the Inn room’s living space.
Students check out of the Inn CONT. FROM PG. 1 they had to leave most of their belongings at home, only bringing clothing and other essentials to school this fall. Their room at the Inn consisted beds, air mattresses, and department store-style clothes racks. They were forced to do laundry at friends’ homes, and lack of a workspace made it hard to study. The size of their living space also meant there was little privacy. Girgenti said that “our friendships have been risked,” as a result of their living situation. The girls said they felt “out of place” living in a hotel, and that they were left out of hosting many senior events at the beach. They received noise complaints from neighbors at both the Inn and Southern Comfort, due to the noisy reconstruction of the home. There have even been is-
sues with people breaking into the previously unfinished house. According to the students, the hardest part of living at the Inn was the lack of a kitchen, forcing them to eat out every meal, which was an unexpected financial burden. During the weekend of Oct. 5, the six students were required to move out of the Inn to accommodate reservations made for Fairfield’s Rugby Alumni Weekend. They had to temporarily stay with friends at Lantern Point. According to the students, their landlord was never concerned with the fact that they had nowhere to live. As bad as it was living at the Inn, the students said they were happy they could still live at the beach, as opposed to living on campus or somewhere further from Lantern Point. Overall, the girls stated that this situation was far from what they
After months of renovations, “Southern Comfort” is now livable for its tenants.
expected when they decided to live at the beach in Sept. of 2012. “We’ve just had the worst luck ever,” said Millang. Gould started the reconstruction process in early November of 2012 by applying for the necessary building permits from the Town of Fairfield, which they did not receive until close to March of 2013. According to Gould, many landlords from the area were not sure how to approach the rebuilding of Fairfield Beach, and were aided by meetings organized by the town of Fairfield that helped direct the property owners throughout the process of restoring their community. Gould said that it has been a “very lengthy process because we didn’t know what we were doing. We had never done this before.” General contractor Fred Genestra, owner of F&G Construction,
oversaw the reconstruction of the home. According to Genestra, the Goulds “couldn’t have got it done faster,” and even spent extra money to expedite the reconstruction process. Extensive water damage made it necessary for the first floor of the home to be completely gutted, Gould explained. Wolfe House & Building Movers from Pennsylvania were then hired to lift and move the home back away from the water. Next, pilings were installed under the supervision of structural engineers to lift the house to FEMA standards, a certain height above sea level. In order to install the pilings, soil probes were necessary to see how far the pilings had to be set into the earth. Numerous land surveys were done, and after the house was finally lifted, it was discovered that the entire subfloor had to be
replaced. Overall, the house has an entirely new first floor. Gould has owned and rented Southern Comfort to Fairfield students for over twenty years, and in all of her years as a landlord, Sandy was the most devastating storm she has ever seen. Gould said that choosing to rebuild was not a hard decision. However, she “would never do it again,” agreeing that the process has been “very frustrating for everyone involved.” The six girls are all relieved now that they are moved in to their home. DeLuca said that the entire community was very supportive throughout the move, and “we’re all really excited to decorate our rooms.” They all can agree that Southern Comfort finally feels like home.
Affordable Care Act taking effect in Bpt. CONT. FROM PG. 1
plan on making the switch to electronic records, Duffy explained that receiving outside digital records is beneficial for the “legibility” of the records. One of the difficulties, Werdmann explained, with having an electronic medical record system is receiving paper records from outside medical facilities. This commonly occurs when a Fairfield student is transported to Bridgeport Hospital. “Every time [emergency medical services] comes in, [since] they are not a part of Bridgeport Hospital, they create a record about the run they had when they brought you to the hospital,” Werdmann said. This becomes difficult when the hospital runs on electronic records because doctors are now required to keep track of “orphan pieces of paper.” “It becomes harder to keep track of one piece of paper, rather
than many,” said Werdmann. After seeing the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy in October of last year that devastated much of the northeastern coastline, the transformation to an electronic system helped alleviate the fear of losing large quantities of data to another natural disaster, the two speakers explained. While damages sustained by Bridgeport Hospital as a direct result from Sandy were not discussed, “A number of years ago Bridgeport hospital had a problem where the basement flooded, and that’s where you put medical records,” Naser said. “There was a great deal of damage done.” Naser explained that with the software Bridgeport Hospital purchased from Epic, their data is backed up and stored in a non-specific location, and then backed up again, much like how Mentor backs up information on their servers.
The talk, which was given as a Learning for a Lifetime event, provided the residents in attendance with information that answered their many questions on the subject. Fairfield resident Bob Stilson attended the event as a former student of Naser. “It’s just further information for my own edification that I will then pass along,” said Stilson. “There is a lot of misinformation out there,” he said, adding that he felt he had a better grasp on electronic medical records. Ann Spencer, a Trumbull resident, agreed with Stilson and said, “I attended the event to get information on the security of my medical records.” The next event to be held at the Fairfield University Downtown Bookstore will take place on Oct. 17 on the second floor at 7 p.m.
Dr. Curt Naser and Dr. Michael Werdmann answer questions from the audience.
News
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THE MIRROR | Week of October 16, 2013
Stedman pushes dialogue over debate CONT. FROM PG. 1
Chris Stedman spoke from the heart to those in attendance. .
know. His purpose in this exercise was not, as he jokingly said, “an excuse to get my notes together,” but to have everyone be more comfortable with one another. Being both gay and identifying as an atheist, Stedman explained how he himself sometimes feels as if he deviates from the “norms” of society. Because of this, he strives to make people more comfortable with each other every day. And, after experiencing religious questioning in his own childhood, Stedman continued to face the problem of bridging the gap of between atheists and believers in adulthood. His solution: interfaith dialogue. He worked with Interfaith Youth Core, a nonprofit organization that brings people of different faiths together to build a better world on the basis of mutual understanding and respect.
Rewarding students for school spirit By Robert Hagstrom Assistant News Editor Students will have the opportunity to win prizes and redeem points by using the new Fairfield Stag Rewards App when attending sporting events this year. The Division of Student Affairs along with Fairfield’s athletic program debuted this program to students on Oct. 1. All students can download the Super Stag Rewards App through iTunes or Google Play. The point system acts as a reference to how many games students attend. The app was developed in order to promote student and community involvement at Fairfield, said Roy Brown, the associate director of athletics and sports marketing and promotion. When students attend games, they simply log into the app, click the event they are participating in and earn ‘Stag Points.’ Students can earn one, two, five or 10 total points, depending on the event they attend. “I personally [use] the app and think it is a good idea,” said Stephen Boundy ’14. “Over my past four years, school spirit for the basketball team
hasn’t been very high, so something like this can only help.” Senior Michaela Pastore said, “I think it’s a great idea and will definitely increase attendance. More people will have an incentive to want to participate and go to more games.” Students are alerted through a “push notification” when they have reached a certain amount of points for a prize. Depending on students’ interest, they can choose to redeem their points for the prize or continue on getting more points for an even bigger prize. Daniel Jones ‘13, student program coordinator and leadership development, said, “Our hope is that the Super Stag Rewards Program is a simple way students can be rewarded for their campus spirit.” The idea behind the app isn’t just to reward students who attend games the most, Brown noted. Students can attend events that relate to the amount of points needed to earn a prize, which allows students to be in control of which prizes they want to win. “You can enjoy event as you are there, but also be recognized by the University and peers for your engagement,” Jones added.
The Super Stags Reward Program’s website says when students attend games, both on and off campus they can redeem points through the Super Stag Store in the app. “I think it’s a good idea and it will encourage people to attend games. Who doesn’t want to win prizes?” said Lauren Racano ’14. According to News @ Fairfield, the prizes that students can win through the app include Stags swag like t-shirts, bobbleheads, string backpacks, sweatshirts along with other fan gear. In addition to these prizes, the Fairfield @ Night announcement also noted that the three best point-earning students will receive gift cards to Fairfield’s bookstore, along with a grand prize of $500. Brown along with Fred Kuo, the director of student involvement, see this new app as an interactive aspect of attending sports events. This program is “really focusing on fan interaction,” Brown said. “It seems like an interesting way to increase attendance and they are offering lots of cool prizes,” said Ellery Newton ’17. “With all the talented athletes we have at Fairfield, it would be great to give them the recognition they deserve.”
“Interfaith dialogue lets us see the humanity in one another,” Stedman said. According to Stedman, dialogue is the precursor toward relationships. He cited a statistic from the Pew Research Center that 14 percent of Americans who used to oppose marriage equality now support it because they have a close friend or family member in the LGBTQ community. While Stedman believes education on the LGBTQ community is important, it is the relationships with members of this community that lead to transformations. Sophomore Amanda Healey believes the best way to deal with life is through community. “People come from all different walks of life: different religions, worldviews and sexual orientation. We should come together to learn about life and make this world a kinder and more understanding place,” Healey said. Stedman encouraged everyone to step out of the shadows, challenge societal barriers and share their sto-
ries. “I place my faith in humanity,” Stedman said, who identifies as a secular humanist. “I believe it’s up to human beings to build the world we want to see.” Senior Ricky Solano, president of Alliance, was impressed by Stedman’s humanist perspective. “Bridging the gap represents what [Alliance] wants to do,” Solano said. Alliance provides an inclusive community and safe space for LGBTQ students and allies to talk, as well as to promote campus-wide acceptance. Senior and Vice President of Alliance Jesus Nunez helped organize events in honor of October being LGBTQ history month. Nunez said Stedman was chosen as their keynote speaker because there isn’t a lot of talk about other religions besides Christianity, and they hope to raise LGBTQ awareness on campus. In Stedman’s words: “We’re here. We’re LGTBQ. Get used to it. Oh, and we’d like to be your friends.”
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THE MIRROR | Week of October 16, 2013
Crime Beat
News
Compiled by Robert Joyce. Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety.
Thursday, 10/10 2:36 a.m. – An unknown person or persons reportedly entered a residence of Townhouses 8 block by removing a rear window screen while the residents were sleeping, leaving a footprint on the couch. Personal items of the residents were discovered in disarray, but nothing was reported stolen. Friday, 10/11 12:18 a.m. – A vehicle that sped past Loyola Hall was pulled over by McCormick Hall. The driver, a female student, appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. A field sobriety test was performed and the student was determined to be intoxicated. Suspected marijuana and an airsoft rifle were also discovered in the vehicle. The student was referred to student conduct. Saturday, 10/12 8:12 a.m. – A water main break outside of 47 Mahan Road caused the need for DPS to have 7 vehicles towed to the Jogues Lot. Sunday, 10/13 7:40 p.m. – A student in Claver Hall was referred to student conduct after they were witnessed walking out of a room holding a bottle of Fireball Whiskey. Monday, 10/14 4:34 p.m. – A University banner was reported missing from outside of Gonzaga Hall. Tuesday, 10/15
Female students learn self defense By Enxhi Myslymi Associate News Editor Freshman Nikki Armstrong began taking self-defense classes as a way to feel more confident about protecting herself if she is attacked. “I used to have my dad and my brother to protect me when I was home,” Armstrong said. “I just realized I have to protect myself now that I’m off on my own in case a situation comes up.” Armstrong was one of the women who participated in yesterday’s Rape Aggression Defense Systems of Self Defense class sponsored by Fairfield. The women-only classes are geared towards teaching women self-defense tactics to protect them from male attackers. Department of Public Safety officer and R.A.D. Instructor Charles Goodwin said the experience is “rewarding, especially being a father of two girls.” The classes are a way to empower women, which counteracts media’s portrayal of women as the victims in these cases, Goodwin explained. When they first started, “A lot of women didn’t think they could do it,” Goodwin added, but by the end of the classes, the women felt “stronger than they thought they were.” DPS Sergeant Rob Didato, also a R.A.D. instructor, explained that the classes began in 2005 after women expressed an interest in the annual one-hour classes that were offered during Crime Prevention month. “There had been a need for a larger scale class that’s more aware of risk reductions than the previous classes we were offering,” Didato said. “There had been an interest in having more in-depth classes.” However, men are not allowed to take the classes, or even be present during them, for fear that a potential male aggressor would take the class and learn how women defend themselves, according to Didato. “We want to prevent any
possible attackers from taking these classes. “If one of the attackers in the class did happen to be a woman, that would be an unfortunate occurrence,” Didato said. “I guess if a female attacker did take this class, we hope to educate her enough to change her ways.” There are R.A.D. classes offered for men, children and senior citizens, according to R.A.D.’s website, but these are not yet offered at Fairfield. According to Goodwin, only one officer is trained as an R.A.D. instructor for the men’s course, which is why a program geared towards men hasn’t yet been available. The 16-hour course is offered at no cost to the participants and it expands over a period of four nights. It is first opened up to the university community and then to Fairfield’s community, Didato said, with classes being a mixture of both groups. Tuesday’s class could draw the most participants, with 27 women expected to show up.
In the world:
11:32 a.m. – A student in Campion Hall reported $50 was stolen from their room.
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“If 100 people sign up, we’ll make it work,” Didato added. For women that were participating, the classes provided a safe environment to learn self-defense tactics that could be useful in the future. Freshman Riham Majeed said, “If I am ever attacked, I just want to be confident that I can handle it somewhat.” Freshman Maria Fedele finds it important to “know a few techniques to defend yourself because you never really know, especially when you’re all by yourself, things can just happen.” According to Didato, none of the women in the classes have had to use the tactics in a reallife situation. “I feel fortunate that nobody has called to say that they’ve had to use the tactics,” Didato said. “Even though it would be a happy ending to the story, I hope they never have to use them.”
Corrections Box In an article published in last week’s issue titled “Mass changes to an FYE event,” the next religious event for credit was inaccurately reported. The next religious event offered for FYE credit is the annual Eid Dinner on Oct. 16 at 5:30 p.m. In the brawl update, Associate Director of DPS Frank Ficko confirmed that a golf club was found at the scene by DPS, but it was not confiscated by Fairfield Police.
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Opinion
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THE MIRROR | Week of October 16, 2013
Opinion
Editor
Third party necessary to end government shutdown By Joshua Peck Contributing Writer Our bipartisan government has once more found itself in an area of stagnation as Republicans and Democrats have failed to agree upon a prospective budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year. The Democrats are blaming the Republicans for this shutdown as a means of protesting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, while the Republicans are blaming the Democrats for instituting a program that presents itself as counterintuitive toward the upcoming governmental loan defaulting. But who is truly to blame? I believe what it comes down to is money, money and more money, and everyone, including ourselves, is to blame. This bipartisan system is growing more and more one-sided. It remains us versus them in name only, and we are the ones to pay the price. Why not institute a party that represents our interests, which represents our safety and protection, and not that of some anonymous billionaire’s offshore bank account?
Editorial Board False Friendship Loan Le Editor-in-Chief Danica Ceballos Executive Editor Luigi DiMeglio Managing Editor
A budget needs to be passed because, as of Oct. 17, the U.S. will face defaulting on its loans, which means the federal government will no longer be able to legally borrow any more money. What Congress specifically can’t agree upon comes from the Sept. 30 passing of Obamacare into law. The passing of Obamacare directly thwarted Republican time, money and effort to see it thrown out, as it calls for extra funds to be allocated in order for it to be implemented. Therefore, the Republican response was to throw a legislative temper tantrum and shut down the entire federal government. In the wake of this shutdown, nearly 800,000 federal employees are on temporary furlough, while another million are still asked to work without pay until Congress can agree upon a budget, although Congress members will still be receiving their usual pay. It’s estimated that should the shutdown continue for at least three to four weeks, it will end up costing the U.S. $55 billion in revenue. This also means that, for the time being, the Food and Drug
Administration will not be doing routine inspections all across the nation, so, especially now, you better be aware of what you eat. The government has at least some of its priorities in order as all individuals in the military will still continue to receive pay throughout the shutdown. Relative to how long the shutdown lasts, the economy could either hardly be affected or see a multibillion dollar loss in revenue should it go on too long. Again, don’t worry, Obama and Congress will still be receiving their paychecks throughout the shutdown ... not that they need them with all the money they’re pocketing from lobbyists and the like. So why are Republicans so up in arms over Obamacare? Essentially it calls for all U.S. citizens to either be appropriated some form of government-sponsored healthcare or to have to pay what will come out to about a $125 fine should they choose to opt out and remain with a private insurance company. One could argue that this whole debacle is simply about the U.S. reaching it’s debt ceiling and each
In May 2013, the Pew Research Center surveyed 1,895 internet users, with 395 people in the age group of 18 to 29. Eighty-nine percent of those users use social media sites Facebook, LinkedIn or Google Plus. Thirty percent uses Twitter. Combined as an editorial board, we have 2,350 friends on Facebook, that is. Guess you can call us popular. But can you be sure that we will say “hi” to all of those people as we walk by them daily? We probably won’t. Or, they won’t say “hi” to us. That’s because Karen, who
is 15 feet away and had her favorite drink at the ‘Grape last Tuesday, would feel uncomfortable if you told her you knew that. Josh won’t say “hi” to us as we walk by him, even though he really liked the song lyrics you posted as a status last night. It's weird, isn't it? To know information that a person would only know about his or her best friend. Social media, while having positive effects on maintaining long-distance contact and giving quick updates when you need it, gives us a false sense of intimacy, even though we have more friends
side having a very different solution. But reading between the lines reveals that a few unfathomably affluent individuals and their respective pockets are directly threatened by the passing of Obamacare and this is worse to them than any life and death situation the general public might have. In principle, I like the idea of Obamacare, but would question it in practice. However, this does warrant shutting down the government while a decision is postponed. When 70 percent of voters consider Congress to be doing a poor job, we find a definitive lapse between public interest and that of Congress. Whatever you choose to believe, the fact remains that we are at a significant impasse in our history, and it’s we the people who are forced to sit and watch as our elected representatives fail to do exactly what their title dictates: represent us. The last time Australia was faced with a legislative shutdown, the queen’s response was to fire every single member of congress in light of their being inept. Might I add that has been Australia’s only government shut down in history?
or followers than we need. So, we’re calling on Fairfield students: Brave a “hello.” Make actual eye contact (as frightening as that might be). This is a better approach to combatting the illusion of virtual friendships; verbally acknowledging another person’s presence will deconstruct the culture of creepiness resulting from our ability to know a person’s birthday, likes and dislikes and favorite pages with a single mouse click. We recognize that social media also serves as a crutch for most people. You would think that when people go to
Should politics really be a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils? Bear with me now, but six out of 10 Americans are currently in favor of the creation of a definitive third party. What if this entire shutdown is yet another signal that our bipartisan system is failing to serve its one and only purpose: to serve the people who created it, and not trample over them as a means of personal gain. It’s time for a change, time for an official who represents the people and not a small circle of special interest groups and factions. The world waiting for the American people to wake up, but how many more times can we hit the snooze button, roll over and fall back asleep? When the government fails to represent us, we are obligated to represent ourselves. The introduction of a third party would grant hope to a truly representative democracy, and act counterintuitively towards that of the current plutocracy. May we the people uphold the Constitution when our elected officials won’t, and may we the people act accordingly.
parties and loosen up, the conversations would start to blossom. Nope. At a party, it’s easy to spot many faces aglow with the light of their phones. It’s an unnecessary and shallow public display of social interaction – and it makes people the worst partygoers ever, because you're avoiding real people in favor of what's really cyber-egos. We ask: If you can’t bear to be in the company of such boring friends, why don’t you just stay in your room? We figure there is only so much you can do with your thumb.
Opinion
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THE MIRROR |
Science killed my dream of chilling with dinos By Timothy Leach Contributing Writer Disaster has struck. The world is ending. Or at least, it might as well be, now that we are never going to be able to clone dinosaurs ever. If you listened closely last week, you may have been able to hear the slow, guttural noises of science fiction fans everywhere dying inside, though that may have just been me exuding extra amounts of misery. A fossil study in New Zealand
has discovered that the half-life of DNA is 521 years. In English, that means that there has not been any sort of dinosaur DNA around for a very long time. After cell death, enzymes break down DNA bonds faster than Aunt Jemima sweetens your pancakes. And considering dinosaurs have been dead for millions of years, the DNA has all shriveled away into a microverse far beyond our scientific reach. There is literally nothing for our dear scientists to work with anymore. “Jurassic Park� could have
been a thing. There were rumors swirling around a year ago about eccentric billionaire Clive Palmer. He was supposedly in talks with scientists on cloning dinosaurs so he would be able to let them loose on his Palmer Resort in Coolum. While people may find him nuts, especially since he also wanted to make another “Titanic,� I must admire him for his ambition and willingness to fulfill the dreams of the many at his own literal expense. This is a man who has been cheated of establishing a legacy that would
have catapulted the world into a new era: an era of wonder, fulfillment and fantasy. But instead we must settle for studying the scraps, gazing longingly at a bunch of rocks, taunting and reminding us of what could have been, rather than what could be. Bingo Players fangirls may constantly lament at never being able to get in their idols’ pants, but at least it is somewhat remotely possible. The only way to salvage this situation is to invent time travel. So what if science has discovered
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we can only move forward in time? We could do it the same way Futurama handled it: traveling to the end of the universe far enough that it cycles back to the Big Bang, the creation of another universe. There is the chance of death and never returning, but I personally would volunteer to pioneer on this venture despite the risks, for the sake of mankind. I have riding and taming a TRex on my bucket list and I will not stand for compromise.
r u So r ŃŽ F HPWFSONFOU JT TUJMM TIVU down. r 8BUFS NBJO CSFBL JO .B han Road. r 'MFTI FBUJOH ESVH hLSPLPEJMh makes its way to America but DEA refuses to recognise it as a threat.
r 7PMMFZCBMMhT 3BDIFM 3PNBO sky '14 became the second player in Fairfield history to reach 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs. r #JOHP 1MBZFST UIJT XFFLFOE r ŃŽ F 8BMLJOH %FBE JT CBDL
Teachers are not defined by sex industry past By Leigh Tauss Opinion Editor
You’d expect the story of a young woman crawling out of abject poverty and an exploitative dead-end career into a professional well-respected vocation to be heralded with praise. But this story does not end well. The woman, having spent years putting a dark past behind her, is once again punished and ultimately ridiculed — kicked back into the dirt from whence she came. Because if you were once involved in the sex industry you can never be a teacher. In fact, that pretty much means that you are never qualified to do any work beside sex work. It’s not the sex industry that is the problem. It’s our inability to separate it from real life and real people. Over and over again the major news networks recycle the same story — small town teacher discovered to have once posed nude is not only fired, but propped up for public scorn. Cristy Nicole Deweese, a high school Spanish teacher in Dallas, Texas, is the most recent subject to be brought under the gavel after it was revealed that she had posed for “Playboy� in 2011. After briefly deliberating, the school board made the decision to terminate her, despite the
fact that the picture was taken before she was ever employed by the school district. Was she a good teacher? How far behind her was this elicit past?
For me, though, the real question is: Why does this even matter? What about posing nude makes her unfit to teach children? Does it make her a bad teacher? Is the fact that she once displayed her body mean that she is going to be more sexualized by her young, impressionable male students, who would have never discovered her pictures if they had not been searching for pornography anyway? They are ripping off her clothes in their minds regardless of what they
have seen online. I don’t think women should be losing their jobs over what, to me, appears as a personal triumph. They climbed out of an industry that exploits and harms women, both culturally and physically, and found their way to professional career. In fact, the amount of strength that they must possess to be able to pull off a transformation like that is amazing. Women like this should be held up as examples, like morbidly obese people who shed hundreds of pounds, for representing the fact that change is possible, that hope can be real. What society is saying by punishing these women is that you can’t change, that you can’t put the past behind you. It will come back to haunt you and there is nothing you can do about it if you haven’t made great choices your whole life. But all of this revolves around an even bigger concept. I’m sure you’ve heard the term “slut-shaming� before, and it must sound especially ironic when talking about actual sex workers. But seriously, what is so wrong about working in the sex industry? Why is this a mortal sin, and yet the capitalist infrastructure that has nurtured sex work into a multi-
billion dollar industry deserves not even an eyebrow raise? If capitalism is good, then sex work cannot be deemed as bad. These women are not whores; they are not trash. They are just doing what they can to make money. Won’t you be lucky enough to choose what allows you to buy bread? Most people don’t get that luxury. And to those bemoaning, “I don’t want a prostitute teaching my
kids!� Well, that’s completely wrong. Generalizing someone by a few decisions they made long ago is the same as calling someone a bigot for
making one racially insensitive comment. Having done something does not mean you are that thing. And it is foolish to assume that any teacher would bring the sex industry into the classroom. If, up until that unfortunate discovery, she was regarded as a good teacher, a few old pictures resurfacing does not change that. Is Anthony Weiner a bad politician because we have seen his wiener? No! His politics and his penis have little to do with each other. Unless of course, it’s the politics about his penis. And still, after all of that controversy, he ran for public office. I applaud you, Anthony Weiner, and all victims of slut-shaming who are able to put it behind them. It’s time we start giving teachers the same chance.
The Mirror welcomes the opinions and contributions of its readers: Letters to the editor must be timely and submitted by email to info@fairfieldmirror.com or Box AA. All letters to the editor that are appropriate will be published either in print or online. The Mirror reserves the right to edit letters and articles for content, length and grammatical error. Letters should be free of obscenities and personal attacks and should contain correct and factual information not exceeding 500 words.
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arts, entertainment, features Editor Dylan Dembin: vine@fairfieldmirror.com
Party into the dead of night Inside: - Get ready for Bingo Players - Fourth season of "The Walking Dead" premieres - Bartaco: serving great food in Westport
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THE MIRROR | Week of October 16, 2013
The Vine
The Food Review: Bartaco
The late Cory Monteith of the iconic Glee cast.
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Glee remembers Cory Monteith By Jennifer Calhoun Sports Editor When the news of Cory Monteith’s death was announced to the world, there was a great outpouring of sadness at the loss of such a talented actor. Everyone turned their attention towards the creators of the show “Glee,” in which Monteith starred as Finn Hudson, to see how they would handle Monteith’s death on the show. On Thursday, Oct. 10, three months after Monteith’s death from a heroin overdose, “Glee” finally aired the episode that would deal with the death of Finn. There were several unexpected things that Ryan Murphy, co-creator and writer of the show, chose to do with the episode. First, he and other creators made the decision to have the episode take place weeks after Finn’s death and funeral. This was a pretty understandable choice to make, as it would have been way too hard on the actors to relive the moment they heard that Monteith died.
The show also did not explain how Finn died. It was the respectful thing to do and I completely agree with it. But that being said, it left me a little empty, because I found myself wondering what happened to Finn and it felt strange not having that answer. There were also, of course, some moments that were heartwrenching to watch, such as when Finn’s mother broke down on the floor of Finn’s room, crying that she has to continue living without her son. Of course, when Rachel Berry, played by Lea Michele, returned to sing “Make You Feel My Love” for Finn, it was an incredibly emotional moment. I felt that it was the “realest” moment of the episode, because Michele had been dating Monteith for several years. Michele couldn’t be in the episode for long, since the death had such a serious impact on her. The moments that she was on-screen were the most heartbreaking, starkly reminding us that we didn’t just lose a favorite
TV character, but we also lost the man who played him, who meant a lot to a lot of people. The episode was a good tribute to Finn as well as Monteith, but as the episode concluded, I found that I had expected something more from the creators. I wanted to see more of Monteith while he was on the show. There were a lot of songs sung in his honor, by Mercedes and Santana among others. I wish they had shown us clips of Finn with those characters during these songs. I think the episode would have done well with more montages of Finn’s performances and scenes from the show. It would have made for a poignant homage to both Monteith and Finn. Although I had hoped for more, I must say that the tribute episode was emotional, had an excellent array of songs to celebrate his life and did well in showing how much Finn meant to the characters on the show, while reminding the viewers of how much he meant to them too.
Bartaco serves up incredibly appetizing food.
By Kristen Filicia Contributing Writer New to Westport, Conn., is Bartaco, which offers great Latin food at a reasonable price. The menu offers a variety of delicious unique tacos, rice bowls, salads, tamales and much more. For those over the age of 21, Bartaco is also known for its signature cocktails. It is easy for Fairfield students to frequent Chipotle or Señor Salsa if they are in the mood for Mexican, but students will miss out on the Bartaco experience. Bartaco is located directly on the water in Westport. When you walk in you are greeted by friendly employees. The décor is beach-themed, creating the feeling that you are on vacation. Once you are seated, your server will explain Bartaco’s very distinctive order forms. You are handed a little pencil and form and are instructed to check off exactly what you want. At Bartaco you cannot go wrong with their tacos. I mean, the place is called Bartaco. The fried oyster taco is highly recommended, but you can order baja fish, red snapper, pork belly, chicken, spicy chorizo, portobello mushrooms, curry shrimp, wild boar, sesame rib-eye, and lobster tacos. I ordered one fried oyster taco, one pork belly taco and one spicy cho-
Miley Cyrus: How far has she come? By Hayley Fitzpatrick Contributing Writer An album’s success depends on a number of factors, but one of the most important is whether or not it flows. A successful, lucrative album is composed of songs that blend together to create a pleasing melodic experience for listeners. Miley Cyrus has missed the mark on her highly anticipated album “Bangerz” and produced a mess of collectively typical and unimaginative songs. With all of the controversy surrounding Cyrus lately, from her Video Music Award performance that dominated the news for weeks, to her shocking transformation to the Rugrats Cynthia doll and overall outlandish behavior, Cyrus has managed to build up a lot of hype and speculation for this album. However, it seems Cyrus should’ve spent less time trying to tarnish her Disney image in the public eye and more time on the production of “Bangerz.” Signs of the old Cyrus show
up on this album with pop-inspired tracks like “We Can’t Stop” and “Love Money Party.” Cyrus definitely knows how to produce superficial club hits that will inevitably help this album reach platinum. However, Cyrus also experiments with her style on this album and produces a variety of unstructured tracks with different vibes. A progression towards songs with a more hip-hop and R&B vibe is exhibited through her tracks “#GETITRIGHT” and “FU.” The slow hip-hop influence within the album is slightly bizarre and unexpected. It’s a sound we’ve never heard before from Cyrus. That’s not necessarily a good thing. Combined with her cheesy pop hits and slow, smooth hip-hop tracks, she throws in a few emotional songs about heartbreak and emotional growth. The songs seem to be offhandedly thrown together to complete the album. Within the album, Cyrus managed to score a few collaborations with big-time artists
like Britney Spears, Future, Nelly, Big Sean, French Montana, and Ludacris. But even with the help of these collaborations, the album comes off as confusing and frankly, a mess. “Bangerz” is Cyrus’s attempt to show the world she’s pushing her old boundaries and making music for a different audience. Thematically, the album mostly focuses on the dramatic changes in her life, the heartbreak she’s experiencing and her love for her party life. Cyrus’s attempt to transform herself from her naïve, teenage self to her wild, yet mature adult self comes off as juvenile on the album. Some would argue that Cyrus has never produced good music with depth in the first place, but her stacks of platinum albums and million-dollar empire would definitely contradict that. There are millions of people that love her music and fit the mold for the audience her music is supposedly catering to. Cyrus’s goal to show the world how much she’s grown definitely transcends her weak performance on the album.
Cyrus is more of a performer than an artist, but her reputation, notoriety and insanely obsessive fans are what will help her to inevitably succeed. Before: Miley Cyrus as the title character in "Hannah Montana." After: The American artist released her new album "Bangerz." Contributed Photos
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rizo taco. The taco shells are soft, made with flour, and came out on a nicely lined silver tray. As a student who calls California home, these little tacos brought a piece of California to Connecticut. My personal favorite was the fried oyster. After I ate these tacos I couldn’t help but want more. The best part about ordering more was that I had only spent 7 dollars. Next I ordered a baja fish, sesame rib-eye and of course, another fried oyster taco. The tacos were beautifully presented, just like the last, and I couldn’t have been happier with the price. If you want to have a night out at Bartaco and step out of your Seagrape comfort zone, Bartaco makes great drinks. They are a little pricey compared to the food, but I would recommend the Bartaco Margarita if you are going to try one. These tacos are quite similar to what you can get at Bodega Taco Bar in Fairfield, but there are more options for a cheaper price. Bodega has the advantage of being more convenient for students, but you can’t beat the atmosphere and views at Bartaco. So next time you want to get festive on a Tuesday night with a Taco Tuesday celebration, or venture out to that little town south of Fairfield, visit Bartaco. I think you will be more than impressed.
The Mirror | Week of October 16, 2013
The Vine
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The scent of wine, de-mystified By Andrew Hoover Wine Columnist
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Wine drinkers of all ages have asked me the following question many times: “If a wine smells like blackberries and spices, does that mean that those ingredients are added to the wine?” For unlearned wine consumers, it’s a valid query, and it makes perfect sense that wines’ inherent complexities baffle them. In basic terms, wine is a product of grapes, yeast and time. No fruit, spice or other flavorful additives are permitted. If you picked a ripe Cabernet Sauvignon grape from its vine and smelled it, you certainly wouldn’t find notes like blackberries and roses, cinnamon and vanilla wafting from the raw grape. So how is wine able to emanate so many aromas that have little to do with the scent of grapes? One word: fermentation. When the grapes have been picked from the vines and have been brought into the winery, the winemaker inoculates them with yeast (this is not the same type of yeast used to make bread). Like all fruits, grapes contain sugar, and sugar is an essential ingredient in the fermenta-
Best Bites: The Dressing Room
tion process as it gives the yeast nutrients to thrive on. As the yeast consumes the sugars and the fermentation process ensues, carbon dioxide, alcohol and more than 200 esters — which are also known as aromas — are produced. For red wines, common aromas created during fermentation include berries (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry), dark stone fruits (plum, cherry), flowers (rose, violet) and herbs (thyme, rosemary, tobacco, tea). White wines often develop scents such as citrus (grapefruit, lime, lemon), light stone fruits (apricot, peach, golden plum), orchard fruit (apple, pear), tropical fruit (pineapple, guava, melon, kiwi) and flowers (rose, orange blossom, honeysuckle). All of these fruity, herbal and floral scents are called primary aromas. So how does a wine get to smell like coffee, chocolate, vanilla and baking spices? After the fermentation process concludes, winemakers may choose to age their wines in wood barrels. The most common type of wood is oak. Before the wine is added, the inside of the oak barrels are often toasted over a flame. The more
char that is created in the barrel, the darker and more prominent the aromas will be in the finished wine. As the wine sits in the barrels, the charred flavors integrate with the liquid, lending the finished product added nuance. Winemakers need to be careful though. The more time the wine spends in barrel, the more the wine will taste like the barrel. Yes, hints of chocolate, mocha and smoke can add to a wine’s appeal, but when these scents dominate the fruit aromas, the wine will smell out of balance. Finally, a wine can develop earthy, feral tones like mushrooms, meats and even autumn leaves. These scents are common in wines that have had time to age in their bottles for several years. Caveat: Not every wine is suitable for aging. But for those that are age-worthy, such as top-quality selections from the regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy in France, they can often rest for more than 30 years in a cool, humid cellar and still taste excellent when they are ultimately opened. To read more about wine, visit my blog: aglassofmagicjuice. blogspot.com, and follow me on Twitter: @magicjuiceglass.
Closed Monday Tuesday – Sunday: From 5:30 p.m. Brunch on Saturday and Sunday: 11:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
$$$ out of $$$$
***** out of *****
25 Powers Court, Westport, CT By Nicholas O'Connell Food Columnist
Tucked behind the Westport Country Playhouse is your home away from home. The Dressing Room is the first farm-to-table restaurant in Westport, opened in 2006 by chef, cookbook author and food activist Michel Nischan and actor Paul Newman. They support a movement for sustainable food and their mastery of comfort food makes this restaurant the ideal fall destination. The warmth of the menu is complemented by the staff ’s positive energy and the comfortable, country décor. Nischan and his wife Tori are often at the restaurant. He joins the manager, Tor Newcomer, and other local friends in a house band that plays live music nearly every Friday. The atmosphere embodies the soul of the Westport community and is extremely inviting. They have excellent beers on tap and a wide selection of interesting spirits. Stop in for a great meal or grab a drink and have a laugh with Johnny O’, the witty and wellversed bartender. Here are my selections:
Recommended Small Plates: Preserved Tomato Soup: paired with grilled cheese and topped with crème fraiche, this dish is light and sweet and will put every other tomato soup you’ve had to shame. The sharp cheddar grilled cheese makes the perfect pairing. Cast Iron Yellow Apple and Leek Corn Bread: served in a cast iron skillet and drizzled with local honey, this is classic comfort food. Rich, buttery and heavy. Kettle Macaroni and Cheese: cheddar cheese, fresh cream, cured pork belly and breadcrumbs. Each individual cast iron skillet of heaven is made fresh to order and the quality is reflected. The pork belly is cubed and easy to avoid but is simply there to add to the richness.
Recommended Entrées: Dressing Room Meatloaf: mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and caramelized onion gravy. This dish is for any meat lover. There is a tangy glaze and the meat is so tender your fork will cut through it like whipped cream. Smoked Connecticut Buffalo Wings: served with blue cheese dressing. These wings are unique
because the sauce is more along the lines of a barbeque-buffalo fusion than a traditional hot sauce. They will be sure to confuse your palate’s expectations. No Goat Left Behind Burger (served in October): ground goat meat with roasted jalapeno, bacon and apple marmalade, cheddar and a farm fresh sunny side up egg. This dish blew my mind. Goat meat is surprisingly lean and tender; it is milder than beef and not as oily as lamb or pork. The staff at The Dressing Room is doing everything in their power to raise awareness about the sustainability of goat meat. Many farmers are killing off their male goats upon birth because they cannot produce milk. The tender and delicious meat is an adequate reason to let them live before being humanely slaughtered. Having this burger was an extraordinary experience and certainly expanded my palate.
Recommended Dessert: S’more in a Jar: unbelievable presentation of crushed homemade graham cracker with marshmallow and chocolate sauce served in a mason jar. When this is on the menu, you have to try it. The presentation is remarkable and one-of-a-kind.
The Dressing Room's S'more in a Jar is hard to resist. Contributed by Nicholas O'Connell
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THE MIRROR | Week of October 16, 2013
The Vine
Who are the Bingo Players and Bassjackers? By Patrick Kiernan Contributing Writer As most of you know, the Bingo Players will be playing at the FUSA Fall Concert this year with the Bassjackers opening for them. So, who exactly are each of these music groups? Hailing from the Netherlands, the Bingo Players are a prominent Dutch Dance and Electro House DJ and production duo. The two members of this group are Paul Bäumer and Maarten Hoogstraten. They have been an active music group since 2006, but have just started seeing success in recent years. Unfortunately, on July 19, Bäumer had announced on the music group’s Facebook page that he had been diagnosed with cancer and would not be traveling for a while because of it. Hoogstraten will be representing the group on the road for the foreseeable future, including the trip for the FUSA Fall Concert. However, Bäumer stated that he will still be working in the studio as well as taking lead in running the group’s Hysteria record label, all while seeking medical treatment. Their two most popular hit songs to date are “Cry (Just a Little)” and “Rattle.” "Cry (Just a Little)" was a Top 40 hit in the Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom, as well as other parts of Europe and Australia. It is also noted as an international club hit, which helped
the group garner worldwide success for a short while. The song samples vocals from "Piano In The Dark" by Brenda Russell, a dance and jazz musician. This track helped the Bingo Players rank at number 66 in DJ Mag's Top 100 DJ’s list for 2012. In 2011, an original song, “Rattle,” gave the Bingo Players another hit. This song charted in the Top 40 in the Netherlands, France, Sweden, and Denmark. Just this year, the duo released a new version of the same song titled “Get Up (Rattle).” It became a number one single in the United Kingdom in addition to becoming a Top 10 hit in countries like Germany, Austria, France and Australia. The single has been certified gold in Canada, silver in the United Kingdom, and four times platinum in Australia. In addition to DJ-ing and producing music, the Bingo Players also own and operate their own record company named Hysteria Records. This label releases singles and other tracks from up and coming dance and electro music producers in the world such as MAKJ, Sandro Silva, Ralvero, Gregori Klosman and the Bassjackers. Ironically enough, the Bassjackers are the group that will be opening for the Bingo Players at the FUSA Fall Concert. This music group consists of Marlon Flohr and Ralph van Hilst, who started their career in 2007. Like the Bingo Play-
“I Am a God (feat. God)” – Kanye West Although his latest album “Yeezus” has been criticized as not living up to some of his previous album’s standards, I think it ranks with others like “Graduation” and “Watch the Throne.” “Yeezus” is much more eclectic and darker than anything he has ever produced before, but that is what makes it so unique. He incorporates several omnipotent-sounding voiceovers throughout the album, similar to his single “Mercy.” Likening himself to Jesus Christ, this song epitomizes the pompous nature made reputable by West, with lines such as the repeated, “I am a God,” along with his casual conversation with Jesus. Nonetheless, Yeezus reigns.
ers, this musical duo is experienced in both DJing as well as producing. Their first career single, “Beat Cut,” solidified their careers as it helped them reach international dance charts. The duo’s most popular single to date, “Mush Mush,” became one of the biggest club/festival tracks of 2011. Now, the majority of the Bassjackers’ music includes remixes of other dance artists like Rihanna, Swedish House Mafia, and David Guetta. Sophomore Jason Alderisio said, “I don’t even know who they are so I won’t be going to the concert. On a scale of one to 10, I’d give their genre of music a five.” Sophomore Jason Moragas seems a bit more favorable about the Bingo Players. “I think their beats are original and the style the group portrays is an immediate party classic,” he said. However, Moragas is not a fan of this music genre either. “They’re actually half decent for a house group, but still not my thing.” Moragas compliments the Bingo Players for their originality, but is not a fan of the genre overall. So Bingo Players along with the Bassjackers serve as questionable options for the FUSA Fall Concert since some students are uncertain about the EDM genre. Regardless, they will both be playing at Alumni Hall on Oct. 19 where their success will ultimately be determined.
The Bingo Players.
The Bassjackers duo.
iPick, YouListen By Allison Radde Contributing Writer
“Future Starts Slow” – The Kills
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“Grace” (album) – Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley, who is most noted for his rendition of the famed “Hallelujah” that is featured on this album, died mysteriously at the age of 30, leaving behind a legacy for not only the music he produced, but also for the exuberant (or extreme) love and passion he had for creating it. Not only does Buckley embody a wide range of genres including jazz, blues, rock, and heavy metal, but his immaculate voice, which ranges from soft to disturbingly powerful, is what makes this album so incredible. This song is a perfect demonstration of just how high a pitch he can reach vocally, while also proving what a talented lyricist he was in lines such as, “And I feel them drown my name, so easy to know and forget with this kiss, I’m not afraid to go but it goes so slow.” “Grace,” is definitely one of the most underrated albums of all time and remains the artist’s only studio-recorded album.
“Hold On” – Alabama Shakes This fairly new band, originating from Alabama as the name suggests, has already proved themselves worthy of being within the top ranks of the music industry. Recently nominated for three Grammys (Best New Artist, Best Rock Performance for “Hold On,” and Best Recording Package for their debut album “Boys & Girls”), they are killing the southern rock/ blues genre of today. Their fresh sound is rejuvenating in comparison to today’s pop chart toppers, due especially in part by lead singer Brittany Howard’s bluesy, soulful pipes that are akin to the late Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse. Their entire album is perfect for a relaxing, laid-back and homework-free Sunday afternoon. It is definitely worth a download.
American singer Alison Mosshart and British guitarist Jamie Hince comprise this indie rock/punk band known as The Kills. This song, from their album “Blood Pressures” produced in 2011, has the perfect amount of energy and angst. From the lyrics to Hince’s awesome guitar segments, this is the ultimate song to pump you up. If you’re into the varied, indie sounds of The White Stripes, the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s or The Black Keys, I highly suggest you take a look at this band. Contributed by Tebben Gill Lopez
The Vine
The Mirror | Week of October 16, 2013
"The Walking Dead" season four: does it meet your expectations?
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'Walking Dead' faces new threat By Leigh Tauss Opinion Editor Our wayward band of ragtag travelers have so far made it through the zombie apocalypse and its remaining malevolent human survivors, but how well will they stand up against their newest enemy, disease? “The Walking Dead” season four premiered Sunday to 16.1 million viewers nationwide, and a rating of 8.2, according to Entertainment Weekly, 30 percent up from the previous season. This season began jumping
enough time into the future that the prison gang has been able to establish some sort of stable community, complete with farmer Rick’s new garden overlooked by an ominous hoard of fence-clinging zombies (literal plants vs. zombies?) The Ricktatorship seems to have sailed, and now the group is governed by an ambiguous democratic council, which Daryl Dixon, played by the astoundingly attractive Norman Reedus, has some part in. Although he is yet to get with his long-time flirtation, Carol, she does refer to him as “pookie” at one point in the episode.
Carl is still a little booger, but puberty does seem to be descending as evidenced by his significantly lower octave this season. Only time will tell how long it takes to shed the Bieber haircut once and for all! His speculative future romantic interest upon his coming age, Beth, has a boyfriend for about five minutes before he dies in a rain of zombies falling from the ceiling. She didn’t cry but did hug Daryl for an uncomfortable amount of time (step off, girl). Meanwhile, Rick wanders off into the forest and meets a girl who is honestly so filthy no zombie
has even bothered to eat her yet. He goes back to her camp, and no surprise she is out of her mind and trying to feed him to the zombie skull of her former husband, Eddie. Obviously Rick does the right thing and kills her so she can turn into a zombie and be with Eddie forever. We are immediately introduced to a bunch of new characters, all of whom we assume will die gruesomely. And of course one did. Harry Potter seems to contract some horrible disease, which he coughs directly into the prisons water supply before promptly collapsing in the shower and bleeding from
the eyeballs to death. Won’t that be a fun mess to clean up in the morning! That is, if any of them make it to the morning locked in a giant cage with a disease ridden zombie. Oh, next week will be fun indeed! The episode ended with a mysterious hand feeding a white rat to the zombies outside the prison fence. No sign of the Governor yet, but perhaps he’s got a man working from the inside? And possibly could this all be connected to Harry Potter’s poisoning? Sit tight for next week’s episode to find out!
THE MIRROR | Week of October 16, 2013
Coffee Break
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COFFEE BREAK Editor
Luigi’s Cocktail LUIGI DIMEGLIO
Robby’s Beer
Managing Editor
I’ll have a Flaming Doctor Pepper (three parts Amaretto and one part Bacardi 151 in a shot glass, set aflame and dropped in a beer and chugged). In a zombie apocalypse, defending Townhouses 12 block is not easy, but we’re used to mobs of drunken underclassmen trying to invade our home every weekend, so we’re prepared. We’ve got big windows in the living room, so the cardboard from empty 30-racks are our only hope for maintaining an appearance of abandonment (light blockage, etc.). The Fire Department’s recommendation to lock the basements never took a zombie apocalypse into account, so we’ve reopened them and dug a tunnel connecting every house in the block. You wouldn’t believe what we’ve found down here. Plenty of old Schlitz bottles to hurl at walkers and even a keg to put in a fire and use as a bomb. There’s still a stun gun left in Townhouse 123 from when the residents here used to electrocute party-goers. We’re totally kicking butt compared to those Loyola kids. Your lounge is too nice for war; we’re at home in the rough. Which leads me to advise: Everyone on this campus should live in horrendous filth and wreckage. Stop taking out your garbage. Break stuff. This way, we’re used to functioning in the conditions of a zombie attack. If you lead too luxurious a lifestyle, your survival will be as short-lived as, well, power at the Townhouses. In our current state, zombie Fairfield is a bit weird. The Bursar’s office is more charismatic. Athletics are less coordinated (baseball is about the same). Did I mention how funny it is to see Fairfield zombie girls stumbling around with messy buns, clutching their Vera Bradley bags in sweatpants and pearl earrings? I will say, this campus has got the best accessorized walking dead ever.
ROBERT JOYCE
Editor’s note:
His Beer, Her Cocktail wants to give students on campus a chance to voice their opinions on specific issues. The topics must be relevant to a majority of the student population and can be serious or funny. If you would like to be featured in the column, contact info@fairfieldmirror.com.
I’ll have a Sam Adam’s Octoberfest – a rich, malty and flavorful seasonal lager from my hometown of Boston. Because, only the best things come from home, and for the inevitable Fairfield zombie apocalypse, there is no better place to call home than Loyola Hall. The Barone food has finally spawned a new species of students: zombified Stags. Even though it seems like all hell has broken loose on campus, and the Quad has been littered with more
Crime Beat Reporter
walking dead than the medical tent at Prez. Ball, Loyola Hall is the place to be. For starters, there are the essentials: food and drink. Residents of Loyola are never hungry, as free food always magically appears in the commons. Nothing about a zombie apocalypse makes me think that would change. Plus, free soda perfectly complements the cold Primo’s Pizza that’s been sitting on the table since yesterday’s community event. Anyone with half a brain (that has hopefully not been already zombified) would elect to live in a four-story building made of stone. This is astronomically better than choosing to defend rundown temporary housing units that were constructed decades ago and have since been virtually disowned by Fairfield. We all know these as the Townhouses. The Townhouse residents think they’re so cool for opening up their basements; in our basement, for the first time ever we’ll actually be happy that DPS is so conveniently located below us. There, we’ll set up an armory, and with all of their cameras and communications equipment, we’ll always be steps ahead of the zombie killing game. We will use furniture to barricade all the entrances, and we will transform the commons into a refuge for those students who would rather stay safe and sound, snuggled up watching a “Harry Potter” movie marathon, than venture out to the dangerous and unruly areas on campus, most notably Townhouse 123. Also, look at those kids in Loyola whom everyone used to make fun of - the ones who played video games on a Saturday night instead of lurking around Townhouses like the familiar breed of inebriated zombies we all thought we knew. Turns out they know more than anyone about how to swiftly and effectively execute zombies. As a last precaution, we will even channel the spirit of Saint Ignatius Loyola to descend from the heavens on a mission from God, shotgunning beers and zombies like no other member of the Ignatian community.
Ask Miss Molly
Dear Miss Molly,
Sometimes I feel self-conscious about my body. I feel like girls nowadays are so skinny and sometimes I feel fat, even though I know I’m not. Am I alone? Sincerely, A Girl with Curves Dear A Girl with Curves, Do not ever let anyone tell you or make you feel that you aren’t beautiful just the way you are. I feel so cliché saying that, but I cannot stress the genuine truth of that statement. Everyone has different bodies, and no body is more beautiful than another; they’re just different. Take it from someone who has been on both sides. In high school, I suffered from an eating disorder. I was stick thin, but was I happy? Negative. I have a very curvy body now, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I love my curves, and you should, too. I run every day, and I eat healthy; I know I am strong, not fat.
I like to call the word “fat” the other “F” word, because that’s exactly what it is. You may be a lot of things, but I can tell you one thing: you aren’t fat. So erase that word from your vocabulary. It’s so sad to me how obsessed girls these days have become with being thin. I understand some people’s natural body type is thin, but it sincerely breaks my heart to see girls participating in unhealthy behaviors to fight their body’s natural shape. Curves are what make you a woman. They are what make us different from boys. They are what make us beautiful. Are there times when I feel insecure in my body? Absolutely. I don’t think I would be human if I didn’t feel insecure at times. But, when I find myself feeling this way, I remind myself of how much healthier and happier I am now, and all of sudden all my insecurities fade away. Whenever you find that devil of insecurity tapping you on the shoulder, just take the time to remind yourself of the magnificent person that you are. Life is too short to get caught up in the little things. Love always, Miss Molly
Sudoku
Answers from last week’s issue
Sports
Page 13
THE MIRROR | Week of October 16, 2013
Weekly 4x5
Because they like to talk ...
Jennifer Calhoun Sports Editor
James Taylor The Heel
Thomas Shea Multimedia Manager
Connor Kelley The Hammer
Fall concert is this Saturday. Are you going?
Your 2013-2014 4x5 Columnists:
Jennifer Calhoun, James Taylor, Thomas Shea and Connor Kelley
Carl Rees got his 100th MAAC win this weekend. Thoughts on the achievement?
Nope.
I can't wait! There's going to be lights, heavy breathing and a lot of movement.
Four teams left in the World Series hunt. Who you got?
Incredible.
New York Comic-Con was this weekend. Who would you go dressed as?
Sox.
"The Walking Dead" returned on Sunday. Who would be your zombie apocalypse buddy?
Nightcrawler.
Thor.
Ohhh so we're talking about that highly-regarded sport with audiences worldwide, now?
Starfox, or 'Eros', has the superpower and ability to 'stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain.' ;)
Where were they last seen?! All I need is my dog, Beck a la "I Am Legend."
Bring on Niagara away, men's soccer and I.
Another big achievement for the Gaffer, congratulations. If you'd ask him, he'd say 101 is bigger and so on and that's a testament to who he is. Important turnover in midfield for the 1st goal, by the way. No big deal.
Next.
So not him, then.
Except she's dead, too. Not even slightly alive.
I heard a few freshmen talking about inviting their friend Molly to come visit for the concert. I expect to see everyone come rolling on in there and getting blasted with some good tunes.
That and volleyball's Pittenger getting her 100th win made it a big week for Stag coaches. With 31 wins this season, women's basketball's Frager will have 150 wins. Something to shoot for this season, eh?
I'm trying my best to catch up with Napoli, Gomes and the rest of the boys, but my beard is just not on lumberjack status yet. Sox will just have to keep playing so I don't have to shave. #Getbeard
I can't think of a better way to spend Columbus Day than to break out the Admiral Ackbar costume. Trust me, you'd rather see me in that than in the Princess Leia outfit.
If the zombies want to throw down in fisticuffs, then I have Tom O'Leary and Jack Johnson waiting right there for them. (This will be one of many "Anchorman" references to be made until the sequel).
I'll only go if I'm assured Father von Arx will be involved in some kind of crowd surf. No need to be bashful, Prez, we all know you get down.
Garnering 100 of anything, let alone conference wins, is pretty impressive. Cheers, mate!
That Tigers lineup is pretty scary, but my Cardinals have the veteran experience and will take care of business.
I think I could pull off a pretty sexy Kitana. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's likely you had a pretty lousy childhood.
Scarlett Johansson, and that's all I really have to say about that.
Intramural Athlete of the Week
Jennifer Calhoun/The Mirror
Mike Xarras '14
MPS
39
Wet Pelicans
8
The Herd
6
Team Sodexo
0
The Little Giants
26
Good For Rubbing
33
Average Joe's
0
The Eliminators
12
10/9/13
Flag Football Box Score 10/10/13
Just a Couple of Guys
24
The Worst Team Ever
14
Frank and the Zimmitt's
0
Fairfield's Finest
7
- Favorite team: New England Patriots
D1 Dropouts
29
The Practice Squad
20
- Favorite player: Tom Brady
Team America
0
Team Ludacris
16
- Intramural sport: Flag football -Team's name: Just a Couple of Guys - Major: Finance with minor in Math
Sports
Page 14
THE MIRROR | Week of October 16, 2013
Schneider Says:
In Week 6, Brady makes big names of receivers By Matthew Schneider Sports Columnist
Tebben Gill Lopez/The Mirror
Another exciting week of football has just ended, and just like the previous one, it included an exciting shootout between two highly skilled quarterbacks. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints visited Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in a game that went down to the wire. Down by four points with less than 10 seconds remaining, Brady threw a strike to Kenbrell Thompkins, putting the Patriots up for good and completing the last minute comeback. This continued a trend that has been developing this year, in which Brady turns no-name players into
useful offensive weapons. Though he likes to spread the ball around (much like Peyton Manning), most of the starting receivers on the Patriots are viable fantasy football players, if only as a flex player or bye-week replacement. These players are even more valuable in Points Per Reception formats, because Brady likes to throw the ball a lot, which leads to many receptions by the receivers. These players are not surefire starters, but I would keep my eye on them, and add them if they develop into better fantasy receivers. Nick Foles has been a pleasant surprise to any who took a chance on him as a bye-week replacement for their quarterback. Foles, of the Philadelphia Eagles, is currently starting in place of the injured Michael Vick. He has raised eyebrows by throwing for five touchdowns and zero interceptions over two games, as well as earning an average of 27 points (in my league at least) in games he has started. There is no guarantee that he will start this week’s game against the rival Dallas Cowboys, as Vick may be back from injury by that point. However, if you need a quarterback for one week, I would recommend monitoring the status of Vick’s injury over the next few days,
and picking up Foles if Vick does not play. Foles is owned in only 2.6 percent of ESPN leagues (since he is a backup quarterback), so you could probably pick him up if you want to. Though it is true that the Cowboys defense has been pretty good this year, Foles is hot right now, and I would hop on for the ride before it’s too late. The St. Louis Rams, whose offense boasts a number of talented young receivers, has largely disappointed to date. Their top two weapons, Chris Givens and Tavon Austin, have not performed up to scratch, and cannot be considered viable fantasy starters at this point in time. Many people (myself included) felt that these young players had enormous upside, and drafted them accordingly. However, they have only combined for 430 yards and two touchdowns through six weeks, which is absolutely horrible. There is still a chance that they will break out this season, but that is getting less and less likely as the weeks go by. I cannot recommend picking either of these players up, despite their upside, and would suggest that those who currently own them bench them without a second thought. Finally, an intriguing player to watch is the former Patriot, and current San Diego Charger, Danny
Woodhead. Although he has not put up outstanding numbers as a running back this year, he has been serviceable to the team. His true value lies in his ability to become a receiver seemingly at will. Woodhead still has yet to score a rushing touchdown in six games, but has caught three receiving touchdowns in those same six games. Considering he is listed
as a running back, scoring an average of a touchdown every other game is no small feat. He can become a very valuable PPR player is his passcatching ways continue, so I would pick him up if your league plays by that format. That’s all the advice I have for this week, I’ll see you next Wednesday with more advice and suggestions.
Creative Commons Nick Foles was a good surprise for owners who took a chance on him this week.
AN INTIMATE SOLO/ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE BY
CITIZEN COPE
UMPHREY’S MCGEE
T H U R
10/17
WITH THE LONDON SOULS
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10/19 MELVIN SEALS & JGB
ORGONE
MELANIE MARTINEZ
THE ALTERNATE ROUTES
OCTOBER 13
OCTOBER 17
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NOVEMBER 2
SISTER SPARROW & THE DIRTY BIRDS
MARC BROUSSARD
RED WANTING BLUE
PASSAFIRE AND BALLYHOO!
DECEMBER 13 & 14
OCTOBER 29
OCTOBER 20
OCTOBER 31
Fairfield Theatre Company 70 Sanford Street Fairfield, CT 06824
Get out. Come together.
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Sports
THE MIRROR | Week of October 16, 2013
Page 15
Volleyball extends win streak to five By Jennifer Calhoun Sports Editor
Thomas Shea/The Mirror Seniors Hayley Moyer and Rachel Romansky in action for the Stags.
With two big MAAC conference games to be played this weekend, Fairfield Volleyball knew they had to come ready to win on the weekend. With a 3-1 win over Canisius on Saturday and a 3-1 win over Niagara on Sunday, the Stags improved their win streak to five games and their record to 6-3. “We’ll take the W’s any way we can get them. They played well against Canisius … the comeback we had against them was really great, and the team played with so much heart. Today we were pretty tired and finally pulled through and fought back, which again was good to see,” said Head Coach Alija Pittenger. Senior Rachel Romansky echoed the sentiment of her coach, saying “This weekend we were just consistent and we were working hard, and we weren't letting the other team affect us. That was huge for us.” On Saturday, the Stags took on MAAC rivals Canisius and beat them in four sets, 25-11, 25-19, 23-25 and 25-23. The dominant first set from the Stags saw the team hit .531 with 17 kills and no errors. In the lone set that went to Canisius, there were four lead changes that ended with Canisius winning 25-23. Apart from the milestone game from Romansky, several other Stags also stepped up and had a big impact on the victory. Juniors Caitlin Stapleton and Marilyn Peizer both contributed an impressive 14 kills in the win, while also stepping up in other areas as well. Stapleton had three digs to add to her kills, while Peizer contributed four digs and a career-high three aces. Senior Hayley Moyer contributed her seasonhigh 12 kills while also adding in three blocks. Sophomore Maddie FitzPatrick tied her season high in both kills and blocks with six and three respectively. Besides the strong offensive effort from the
Stags, the defensive effort was just as strong for the Stags. Red-shirt senior Carsen Mata contributed a career-high 28 digs, which included the 800th dig of her career. Junior Lindsay Weaver had a career 11 digs in the win as well. The Sunday game Niagara saw the Stags take a 3-1 win over the Purple Eagles. The Stags hit .304 throughout the four sets while also adding 63 kills, seven aces and 82 digs. They statistically dominated Niagara who ended the match with 44 kills, six aces and 60 digs. The Stags secured the victory in four sets, 2325, 25-21, 25-20, 25-13. After the slow start in the first set, the Stags entered the second set quickly, going ahead 16-9. From the second set on, the game was all Fairfield, who cruised on to a victory. “I thought yesterday we finally played like ourselves, which was really good. I think we battle back against a hard team…Today we were tired, and we worked through that, and that was really good for us,” said Romansky. Romansky ended the game with her thirdstraight double-double and her tenth of the year, with a season-high 51 assists and 15 digs. Sophomore Hadley Orr also contributed a doubledouble, her third of the season, with 13 kills and 15 digs. “Hadley did a good job. She’s been been passing well, and she was taking some really good swings. When she plays well, she can really give us a lot of momentum and help out the team a lot, and she is definitely a big part of these two wins,” said Pittenger. For the fifth straight game, Stapleton had double-digit kills with 15. Weaver set a new career high for digs, replacing her 11 from the day before with 13. Freshman Megan O’Sullivan left her mark on the game, coming off the bench to have six kills. The Stags will look to add on to their fivegame winning streak when they travel to Marist on Oct. 19, and Siena on Oct. 20. “I think everybody in the league is a little afraid now that we’re coming back and doing well,” said Romansky.
Thomas Shea/The Mirror Senior Rachel Romansky sets the ball up during their game against Niagara on Sunday. Romansky was vital in the team's sweep of their weekend games against Niagara and Canisius.
SPORTS 16 Sports Editor: Jennifer Calhoun » sports@fairfieldmirror.com
Week of October 16, 2013
Record weekend for Romansky By Thomas Shea Multimedia Manager
There have only been two times in the history of Fairfield volleyball when a player has reached 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs in their careers. The first time came when most members of the class of 2014 were in second grade; the other occurred last weekend. In the second set of their contest against conference opponent Canisius, Rachel Romansky '14 accomplished both, joining Liz Bower ’99 as the only two players to have 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs in their four years as Stags. Despite the rare feat, Romansky downplayed the celebration of the event, focusing instead on the team’s performance and thanking others over recognizing her own accolades. “I don’t know, I didn’t even
think about that stuff when I came here. I just came here to play,” said Romansky. “I know I wouldn’t be here without my parents or my coaches.” Before this season started, Romansky had appeared in every single match that Fairfield had played in her three years, missing only one single set in that time. That consistency and skill allowed her to climb up the record books, but this achievement was perhaps delayed a few games due to an injury earlier this season that kept her off the court, something that Romansky had not dealt with as a collegiate athlete before. Since she has healed from the injury, Romansky has returned to the form that Head Coach Alija Pittenger has seen thrive over her time at Fairfield. “It’s awesome. We’ve been working with Rachel for four years, she’s been on the court all
that time,” said Pittenger. “It’s just great for her to make that milestone. She’s worked really hard for it and I’m really happy for her.” Romansky now sits second all-time in career assists with 4,077, trailing Bower’s 5,213 career mark. She is also twelfth in program history for digs at 1,025, and is set to surpass former teammate Haililani Pokipala ’11 among others to climb into the top 10 in Fairfield history. Not only has Romansky accomplished a lot in terms of Fairfield history, but her success can be seen on the national stage as well. Among all active Division I players, Romansky’s 4,077 assists is twelfth in the nation. Those totals come in 406 career games, which is fifth fewest among the top twelve players. She is also just one of seven active players to reach the 4,000 assists/1,000 digs
mark. When asked which record Romansky was probably more proud of, Pittenger smiled before saying that the assists come first. “As a team, as the setter, I got to go with the assists, but I think she had to work harder for the digs,” said Pittenger. “Defense is not something that comes naturally to her, and she had to work for it.” Romansky definitely agreed, saying that the assists may be more rewarding because that is her job on the team, and this is a way to know she is doing her job well. “The assists, you know, that’s my job and to be second at a college is huge. I think that is a personal goal that was awesome,” said Romansky. She will be the second player in three years to join the 1,000 dig club, as Kara Reis ’13 accomplished
the feat in her junior year of 2012 on her way to setting the school record for digs with 1,947. Romansky said that she received a text from Reis congratulating her on the achievement. “Digs [aren’t] my specialty, but it was cool and awesome,” said Romansky. “I mean, I get on a banner now, which is cool. “[Reis] texted me yesterday and told me ‘We’re banner buddies now,’” added Romansky, laughing. The two-time MAAC Setter of the Year still has at least 10 regular season games left to add on to her impressive mark, as well as any potential MAAC Tournament (and NCAA Tournament) games beyond that. But for now, Romansky is still focused on the team continuing to play as well as it has on their fivegame winning streak in order to get the opportunity to play those tournament games.
Thomas Shea/The Mirror Senior Rachel Romansky celebrates with her teammates during their game versus Niagara on Sunday. Romansky hit 1,000 career digs and 4,000 career assists.