Issue 12.02.15

S A C R E D

H E A R T

U N I V E R S I T Y

F A I R F I E L D ,

C O N N E C T I C U T

“SHEDDING LIGHT ON CAMPUS NEWS SINCE 1983”

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2015

VOLUME 35, ISSUE 10

INTHISissue

3 4 7

HE SAID/ SHE SAID

Melanie and Anthony discuss what they wanted to be when they were kids

WAR ON TERROR

Student perspectives on their reactions to recent violence around the world

ALUMNI AUTHOR

Chris Nicholson ‘94 publishes photography book on the National Parks

8 9 11

FANTASY SPORTS

Controversy over popular betting sites FanDuel and DraftKings`

THEATREFEST

Festival highlights the work of student playwrights

CLUB FOOTBALL

The team are the 2015 North Atlantic Conference Champions

SACRED HEART/MARK CONRAD

CAMPBELL BROWN SPEAKING TO SACRED HEART STUDENTS

TWEETS of the Week @nschmidt “The next 3 weeks of the semester will feel like I’m wearing a life vest of cinder blocks swimming up a rapid river with sharks feasting on me.”

@tinasall “I need it to be December 19th like yesterday.

@GabbyBorzillo “There’s something about cold weather that gets you thinking about the guys you never texted back in the summer LOL”

“Tweets of the Week” are taken from a public forum on Twitter. Tweets are opinions of the individual and do not represent the opinions of Sacred Heart University or The Spectrum Newspaper. If you want to see your Tweet in the newspaper, use the hashtag #ShuSpectrum and you may be featured!

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Women Can Have It All: Campbell Brown

BY EMILY ARCHACKI Editor-in-Chief

Sacred Heart University’s Martire Forum was filled with students and faculty on Nov. 12.

All were in attendance to hear award-winning journalist Campbell Brown speak about her career experience as a woman in the workplace. This was the fourth installment of Linda McMahon’s “Women Can Have It All,” series sponsored by the Jack Welch College of Business.

Brown was the former co-anchor of NBC’s Weekend Today, and during that time won an Emmy Award for her coverage of Hurricane Katrina. After leaving NBC, she was the host of the “Campbell Brown Show” on CNN. Today, she is the co-founder and editor-inchief of The Seventy Four, a non-profit news site focusing on the education of America’s children.

Prior to launching The Seventy Four, Brown founded both the Partnership for Educational Justice (PEJ), and the Parents’ Transparency Project. PEJ is made up of parents advocating for reform in public schools. Parents’ Transparency Project is a watchdog group that reports and investigates inequality and failures found within the public education system.

In addition, Brown has also written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Slate and The Daily Beast.

Q: How did you get involved with the event today, and what will you be discussing?

A: Linda invited me. She’s a good friend and someone I have long admired. As a woman who has accomplished a lot in her life and tried many different things in terms of her career. She is also a person who cares a lot about service, and is dedicated now later in her career and in her life towards trying to solve problems. [Doing] things that benefit all of us. That’s really inspiring to me. The conversation today is going to focus on “can women have it all?” It’s an interesting question. I think it’s one we all answer sort of in our own way. It depends on where you are at what stage in your life. It’s fun being back on a university campus. I remember the feeling I had about what I could and couldn’t accomplish. When I was this age, when I was graduating college versus where I am now as a mother.

Having sort of had a change in my career after I had kids. I think it

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will be interesting today to reflect on that, on that arc that I think all of us women, more then men, probably experience because of what it means for when we have kids. How it impacts our careers and how we deal with it and try to find that elusive balance.

Q: You’ve had a wide-ranging and successful career in broadcasting and journalism. Can you briefly talk about your career experience as a woman in the workplace?

A: I’m very lucky because I’ve benefited, I believe, from the struggles that people like Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters and Andrea Mitchell went through when they were the first women who were doing this job. How much they had to fight for airtime. They’ve all talked about it and written about it a lot. They were the generation sort of ahead of me, and so I feel like it was much easier for me because of the fights they engaged in. I found for my career, the most critical thing was having mentors. The first one, Debbie Bell, was my first boss at my local station in Topeka, [Kansas]. Had it not been for her, I don’t know what I would have done. I was terrible, all of us were. We were all just starting out and it was like graduate school. She really focused on mentoring us and teaching us. Not sink or swim, but really bringing us along. I think everybody who worked there under her has gone on to bigger and better things because she was so committed. Having her was critical. I was lucky enough to have Tim Russert be my boss, and Tom Brokaw, who were fantastic mentors along the way.

Q: Why did you decide to step away from broadcasting after you left CNN? A: The business has changed a lot. I stepped away at first because my kids were young and the schedule was crazy. I couldn’t do it all. But when I was deciding whether or not to go back, I felt that it wasn’t what I wanted to do anymore. I wanted to do something that was more meaningful, that I felt mattered and could be more impactful. The kind of journalism that’s unfortunately not that possible in primetime news. Where ratings are driven largely by celebrity, crime stories and that kind of thing. It wasn’t what I wanted to do anymore.

Continued on page 2

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December 2, 2015

Terrorists should not be given the opportunity to malign an entire people, nation, or religion.

- Professor Madeleine Golda

Women Can Have It All: Campbell Brown

BY EMILY ARCHACKI Editor-in-Chief

Q: Can you talk more about your organization The Seventy Four?

A: It’s a non-profit news site that focuses on education.

Having kids changed my view of the world in terms of appreciating how critical education is. How lucky I am that I was in a position because of the success I’d had in broadcasting to give my kids the kind of education I wanted to give them. Coming to the realization that that’s not possible for most people. There are often cases where they are stuck in certain neighborhoods and the school they go to is determined by their zip code. In many cases that means a bright, young, ambitious kid may be stuck in a failing school and not have the opportunity that a great education provides. That’s unfortunate. So I really wanted to address the inequality issues around it, but also generally what it means for our country if we are not educating kids.

That’s what The Seventy Four is about. Trying to bring attention to some of those challenges.

Q: Do you think it is important for journalists to become advocates for specific issues?

A: People ask that question, “Are you an advocate or a journalist?” of me now. When I went into journalism I went in with this idealistic notion that a journalist was supposed to advocate for those people who don’t have a voice in our society. That is your role. That you are in fact an advocate for the powerless. Your job is to give them a platform to ensure that everyone has a voice in our debate, that’s what democracy’s about. I don’t feel that those two things are mutually exclusive. I feel that if you tell the truth, sometimes that it does mean you’re advocating for a particular side. But that our job first and foremost should be to tell the truth.

Q: Where do you see the future of journalism going?

A: It’s exciting right now; it’s kind of like the wild west.

Media is going through this massive transformation. Nonprofit journalism is on the rise because people are finding it very hard to make money doing journalism. But that’s an opportunity for people who really believe in journalism as a calling. You may not make as much money as you would in the old days, but you can do the kind of journalism that matters. There are so many different outlets now. Digital media has changed everything. You have the ability to reach a lot more people and to go deeper on issues. These single-issue news sites, like we’re doing with education [The Seventy Four], like InsideClimate News is doing and

#TerrorismHasNoReligion

BY CLAUDIA RUIZ Staff Reporter

The extremist group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, has claimed responsibility for a series of terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 that killed over 120 people.

Since then, the hashtag, “#TerrorismHasNoReligion,” has been trending on social media in response to those blaming Muslims in general for the attacks.

Even though some of the terrorists involved in these attacks lived in European countries, Middle Eastern Muslims are taking a lot of the criticism because of ISIS’s involvement.

Sophomore Tori Oates is not convinced that this trending hashtag will bring about any big changes to the way all Muslims are assumed to be connected with extremist groups like ISIS. “Personally, I don’t think the hashtag is going to help people around the world,” said Oates. “Terrorism is greater than any social media. So it’s up to the government to help the situation, not Twitter.”

There are also doubts in other people’s minds as to whether this hashtag will have any effect on how people perceive the Muslim community.

“We only see hashtags on social media,” said former Muslim Student Awareness Club President and Sacred Heart alumna Hajira Butt. “We don’t see it on television or radio, which is what people see and listen to every day, so it’s not having as much of an impact as it should.”

Current Muslim Student Awareness Club advisor, Madeleine Golda, agrees it’s wrong to group Muslims with terrorist groups like ISIS and blame attacks on their religion as a whole.

“Terrorists should not be given the

opportunity to malign an entire people, nation or religion,” said Golda. “Terrorists may claim allegiance to certain values that are hand selected from a religion or from a culture, but that does not mean that other people belonging to that religion or culture are also terrorists.”

Butt said that all Muslims should not be blamed for the actions of terrorists and growing up as a Muslim made her deal with this issue firsthand.

“I don’t understand why people blame all of Islam based on a small percent of the community that acts out,” said Butt.

“There should not be a connection between people creating acts of terrorism and their religion.”

Ever since the attacks in Paris, there has been a great deal of concern in the United States about letting Syrian refugees into the country without doing extensive background checks. Several governors have said that they don’t want to accept refugees into their states. Others like Connecticut’s governor, Dannel Malloy, have said that they will be taking them in.

People in the United States are hesitant to open their arms to Syrian refugees out of fear that these refugees will be members of ISIS and bring violence to the states.

Stereotypes may pin Muslims as people who condone violence and murder.

However, there are passages in the Quran that condemn such acts. One passage states, “whoever kills an innocent human being, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind.”

Golda said that people who believe in stereotypes of the Muslim religion feel this way because they don’t fully understand the beliefs and traditions Muslims have.

“I would tell anyone who is curious about what the Muslim religion means to ask someone who is Muslim,” said Golda.

“Ask them what their religion means and avoid any judgment.”

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2 | News

Syria Deeply is doing on foreign policy. [They] provide an opportunity to do the kind of journalism that’s not happening anymore at the major media outlets.

Q: If you could offer one piece of advice for college students studying journalism what would it be?

A: The traditional job description of journalism, rip it up and throw it away. You should think about what you’re doing as being defined however you want it to be. Media is multidimensional. You have to be able to operate on social media, tell your stories through social media, incorporate video even if you’re a writer and vice versa. If video is your thing, you’re going to have to be able to write. You’re going to have to be able to do it all. Instead of being afraid of that, which I think a lot of us who came from old school journalism were. You’ve got to learn to embrace it and take advantage of all of these platforms because they allow you to reach a much bigger audience. I see the changes as exciting and a real opportunity, especially for young people. You don’t have to wait your turn anymore because you have skills that my generation doesn’t. You grew up with these tools. It’s actually an opportunity if you’re creative and you’re entrepreneurial, to do things that wouldn’t have been possible for me.

SHU Joins SALT

BY CHRISTIAN CARTER Staff Reporter

The Office of Student Financial Assistance at Sacred Heart has a new financial literacy tool, SALT, that is available for all students and alumni. SALT is a free educational program that provides ways for every student to attain a college degree in a financially responsible way.

“The goal of this program is to have students ask questions, seek out ways to reduce loan debt, and how can they work to pay this off,” said Morgan Kelly, director of Student Financial Assistance.

According to the website of American Student Assistance (ASA), there are more than 260 participating schools including Sacred Heart and over one million active members who utilize the program.

“At some point you’re going to have to deal with the fact that money is a part of everyday life. Whether you have student loans or not, everyone should utilize the program,” said Kelly.

According to its website, American Student Assistance has combined its long term work in the field to create an approach for responsible borrowing. ASA said it has had success with lowering student loan delinquency and default through its programs.

“SALT sounds like a good program, although the majority of college students are less concerned with their finances because our main focus is towards school work, and other involvements around campus,” said sophomore Clifford Parvelus.

However, Kelly urges students to take a course in financial literacy, and not put financial planning on the “back seat.”

“We want students to be active, to not take a passive role in their finances by letting their parents handle everything. I want students to take an active role with

their money because what they do now financially impacts the rest of their life,” said Kelly.

Kelly also said the implementation of SALT has become a required segment of discussion during freshman orientations. It will later be introduced to upperclassmen and graduate students in the upcoming spring semester.

“We are looking to host programs in the evening to offer SHU students more access to understanding money literacy.

If students are showing more initiative in desiring to learn more about SALT then I think we have a greater chance of developing this program into a course,” said Kelly.

Sacred Heart has yet to have any statistics to determine the success rate of the SALT program since it has just begun on campus. But some students have already had experience working with the program.

“Over the summer, I helped inner-city students learn how to use SALT while working at the boys and girls club in Dorchester, Mass. They were able to learn how to prepare for college financially, how to take out loans, deal with debt, and search for scholarships,” said junior Kayla Lawrence.

Lawrence added that SALT helped the students manage their money more efficiently than before they started the program. The students learned to understand the concept of a savings account and use of debit and credit cards.

The goals of financial literacy are clear to those who work with the issues facing students.

“We don’t want students to graduate with a lot of debt while having the available tools to assist them in handling their own finances,” said Kelly.

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December 2, 2015

The Sacred Heart Spectrum

Perspectives

Perspectives | 3

When I Grow Up...

He Said

She Said

ANTHONY...

MELANIE... ...

At the ripe old age of five, I had everything figured out. That’s right, you read that correctly. I had the world figured out at age five. Let me explain.

When I was getting ready to graduate from kindergarten and move on to the prestigious first grade, my teacher, Miss Tuttle, decided to host a ceremony for the graduates. A commencement, if you will.

All of the graduates’ family members were invited and food and drinks were provided. It was quite the soirée.

My mom dressed me in my best black dress with yellow flowers and sent me off to school for the big day.

We spent all morning practicing the songs we were going to sing when the parents arrived. I even got to sit next to the love of my life at the time, Tanner.

Score.

Finally, the big moment arrived. The parents filed in, got cups of coffee, and sat down in the chairs we set up to make our classroom look like a theatre.

Miss Tuttle began by giving a speech on change and the wonderful transition period we were embarking on. Moms cried, dads passed tissues and babies fussed. It was one for the ages. We sang our song, the name of which eludes me at this time. It was probably the alphabet song or ‘The Wheels on the Bus’- whatever was popular at the time.

Then, it was time for each of us to stand up and announce what we wanted to be when we grew up.

I was close to dead last, as tends to happen when you have a last name at the end of the alphabet. So I sat through a multitude of “I want to be a firefighter” and “I want to be a nurse” monologues.

After what felt like hours, it was my turn at last.

I stood up tall in my black dress with yellow flowers and raised my chin high.

This was my time to shine. I saw my mom poised and ready with the camcorder (because, yes, that’s what we had in the nineties).

“When I grow up, I want to be the lunch lady,” I said, beaming.

And then, the most embarrassing thing of my life happened. Everyone began to laugh. It wasn’t a small chuckle or a giggle, but an audible cackle.

Everyone thought it was hilarious. I began to cry and ran out of the room.

Later on, my mom explained that everyone was laughing because a cafeteria job is not a dream job and no one should aspire to have that type of career.

“You’re so smart sweetie. You can be anything you want. Especially not a lunch lady,” she said, brushing the tangles and tears from my hair.

What the adults didn’t understand was that I didn’t want to be a lunch lady, I wanted to be the lunch lady.

She was always laughing and loving and dancing around using her ladle as a microphone. She asked about my day and had a smile that competed with the morning sky. I wanted to be that happy when I grew up.

“Nobody wants to be a lunch lady, Melanie.” None of them understood.

Yes, I’m a college student and I’m incredibly thankful for my education.

But what I want to be when I grow up cannot be defined by a degree. I see people stressing everyday about their career and the decisions they need to make to get there. If I put my mind to it, I could probably stress about my future too.

But I think five-year-old me had it right. five-year-old me in the black dress with yellow flowers just wanted to grow up to be happy.

I don’t plan on disappointing her.

When I think about my future, I feel partly sure of myself and partly unsure of what’s coming my way.

The sureness comes from my feeling blessed to be getting a college education, having a great support system of family and friends, and living (when I’m not at Sacred Heart) in the city of New York, which is home to many industries.

However, I’m also not a naïve young person. I know that nothing in this world is a guarantee (besides the classic examples of death and taxes).

I could have all A’s in school, amazing help from friends and family, live in the Empire State, and I could still fail. Sometimes when a curveball gets thrown, we swing and miss—like Yoenis Céspedes in the World Series.

But it’s not good to think like that, right? We have to have confidence in ourselves! Henry Hudson didn’t shy away from the river that’s now his namesake, did he? He explored the unknown and achieved a lot by doing so.

Now: what do I want to do for a living? I’m still thinking about heading in a number of directions.

I chose to be a media major for many reasons. I like to write (the reason I’m here); I enjoy watching films and picking apart the devices used in them (although I’m usually an apologist and say most movies are at least “pretty good” anyway); I follow sports coverage quite extensively; I crave comedy and music; and I like the versatility of the field.

So even though I’m not sure if I’ll turn out to be Bob Costas or the guy in Bob Costas’s ear during a broadcast, I still feel confident that I’m going to pursue a career that is centered around media.

But even so, there’s that little voice in my head that casts doubt on whether

or not my ideal career will pan out. It’s like the little voice just wants me to feel pressure sometimes. He’s my heckler.

Fair enough.

Pressure is what builds champions. I believe that.

Jesse Owens was an exceptional athlete, but I’m sure the pressure he put on himself to excel is what separated him from his competition. I probably take more afternoon naps and eat more saturated-fatty foods than Jesse Owens, so my Olympic gold medal will have to wait another four years.

It’s not really pressure so much as it is motivation that gets things done, though. Oftentimes pressure can be destructive—usually if it’s from the wrong source. But if it’s honed into motivational fuel, then one’s ceilings start to crumble and things look up.

The reality is people need incentive.

If there’s a goal to accomplish, there’s a reason to wake up in the morning. That could range from being a proper President of the United States to making sure your first grade class understands the ABC’s.

I don’t want to be the President, and I don’t think I’d make a good schoolteacher, but I do share common desires with people in those positions. We all do. We all want to improve ourselves, right? I could be wrong, but I hope I’m not.

Essentially, I just hope to make something of my imminent professional career that I’m truly happy with. I want to smile like Jimmy Fallon does when he gets to do somersaults with supermodels. I want to smile like Magic Johnson when Adrian Gonzalez hits a homerun for his Dodgers.

And I’m going to get there.

When did we trade in our childhood fantasies for reality?

Here’s a collection of what Sacred Heart students wanted to be when they were kids.

“I wanted to be a Mermaid. Wait, that’s what I want to be now.” ~ Junior Alex Grobleski

“Hilary Duff.” ~Sophomore McKenzie DeGroot

“I wanted to be Indiana Jones.” ~ Junior James Minteer “Batman.” ~ Junior Richard Cuerulli

“A conductor. Trains blew my freakin’ mind.” ~ Junior Jacob Adinolfi

“A billionaire Playboy philanthropist.” ~ Sophomore Dominick Gustin

“I wanted to be a rock star. And then my Uncle bribed me to cut my hair...” ~ Sophomore Christopher Kantor

4 | Perspectives

The Sacred Heart Spectrum

Perspectives

December 2, 2015

When Will the War on Terror End?

BY ANTHONY MATTARIELLO Staff Reporter

Since the start of civilization there have been disagreements between mankind.

As a result, wars have been started and there have been acts of terrorism. Terrorism can come in different forms, domestic and foreign, and the people involved often have radical views.

But what is the cause of terrorism? What could cause a person or group of people to commit acts of violence against innocent people?

“I think one of the main causes of terrorism is the strong hatred that a group of individuals, who have joined together, have for other groups of individuals whether it be religious organizations, ethnicities, or nations,” said junior Cailey Smith. “Sometimes the terrorist groups are under the belief that they are committing their acts for a greater power, other times it’s strictly to get rid of certain people.”

Some people think that the cause of terrorism is a group’s pure sense of hatred toward a certain people. Others believe the cause of terrorism is far too complicated to be explained with a simple reason.

It’s a result of many different political and economic decisions.

“I think it is very important that we understand just how complex the issue of terrorism is, and thus not accessible to easy or simple answers,” said Professor June-Ann Greeley. “Terrorism is a consequence of several factors. To name just a few: geo-political rivalries and hostilities in the establishment of centers of power and authority; economic demands; demand

for resources; expression of cultural and/or social aggrievements; military retaliation or reaction to current social/political/economic situations; resistance to or demand for social, cultural and political change.

You will notice that religion plays no real role in the causation of terrorism but it certainly can be and has been exploited by terrorists for their own perverse purposes.”

Today’s terrorists are highly trained and very organized. Terror groups are able to conduct acts of terrorism across the world in an orderly and effective manner, making it that much more difficult to fight against them.

It is because of their efficiency that some students think the only way to defeat them is for allied countries to join together in arms.

“If I were head of a country, I would show the strength that my country has to defend against terrorism. I would join with other nations to fight against the terrorist groups so that the groups know they do not intimidate or have power over the greater good of the other nations, including my own,” said Smith.

Others feel that fighting violence with violence is not the answer.

“I would like to build a strategy that is based on Jesus’ teaching of non-retaliation, non-violence and meeting the ‘enemy’ in a constructive place,” said Greeley. “Of course, masterminds and robust advocates of such horrific acts must be imprisoned, but to engage in policies of ‘lex talonis,’ meaning ‘an eye for an eye,’ will only result in more anger, resentment, antipathy and violence. As Gandhi said, ‘an eye for an eye and we all become blind.’”

With multiple acts of terrorism in different coun-

The (Star)Buck With The Cup

BY JENNIFER BAUCH Staff Reporter

JENNIFER BAUCH/SPECTRUM

STARBUCKS NEW RED CUP DESIGN IN SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON

The first day of November officially marked the beginning of the holiday season for Starbucks coffee fanatics.

Starbucks introduced their seasonal coffee blends as well as a new bright red cup design that is much different from previous years.

However, the drastic change in the cups previous seasonal design to a simple holiday red created controversy for some.

“I don’t know why everyone is freaking out over the red cup,” said senior Carly Augustis-Kokoni. I think it’s very festive.”

Each year for the holiday season, Starbucks releases a new cup design. However, the snowmen and decorative ornaments that are typically found on the cups did not make the design cut for the company this year, which caused commotion among some consumers.

“There are more important things going on in the world than Starbucks’ new cup design,” said

Augustis-Kokoni.

Some Sacred Heart University students who are in favor of the new design enjoy the festive and simple approach Starbucks has introduced this year.

“The red Starbucks cup is perfect for taking good Snapchat pictures with the different filters. The red color really pops and looks way better than the regular cups,” said senior Marissa Carbonara.

Starbucks’ approach to the solid red cup design allows consumers to create their own holiday story, just as the company has in the past with their previous cup designs. However, making the switch to no holiday design created controversy among some consumers and their religious beliefs across social media.

People worldwide have been outraged by the Starbucks cup, claiming that it is anti-Christmas.

Junior Morgan Carolan said, “I believe it doesn’t reflect anything to do with Christmas because Starbucks refers to the cups as ‘holiday cups’ and does not only reference one religious holiday during this time of year.”

Although there is no holiday design featured on the cups, Starbucks offers coffee sleeves that have white snowflakes around the logo, which some students found to be just as festive.

“I think that the cups are perfect just red because there are snowflakes on the cup holder which gives it a holiday feel,” said sophomore Danielle LaPorta.

While the outrageous red cup controversy has taken different social media platforms by storm, some students have found no interest in this topic and will continue to buy Starbucks beverages, regardless of the cup’s design.

“The cup design is not going to stop me from buying a drink from Starbucks,” said senior Amanda Mounayar. “I couldn’t care less what the cups look like, I just go for the coffee.”

For those who are not against Starbucks’ new design choice, the hashtag #ItsJustACup became a trending topic on social media to show support of the company’s decision.

tries, a new issue has surfaced. People from war-torn and dangerous countries are trying to flee to other countries like the United States, Germany, and Hungary in pursuit of safety.

Some students think that it is not worth risking our own nation’s security for the safety of others.

“I would not invite refugees into my country. It may seem harsh or unkind but I could not stand being held responsible for not only letting a terrorist into my country to attack my people but also inviting that occurrence. I would have to keep my country safe first,” said Smith.

Others feel that it is our duty as humans to help these people.

“We are a nation of immigrants, founded on the belief that we should welcome all those who have been rejected or abandoned by other nations,” said Greeley. “In fact, one way to combat terrorism might be to create for those communities that have been vulnerable to terrorist overtures as many opportunities, schooling for example, as possible for people in those communities to experience human dignity and human flourishing.”

The fear of future attacks of domestic terrorism has been put imto people’s minds. However, should we let this possibility of terrorist attacks interfere with our daily lives?

“Threats of terrorism should not affect how we go about our everyday lives: to do so would be to yield to the terrorists. Life-free and humane living-must continue,” said Professor Greeley. “Persistent engagement in our usual ways of life is one of the best ‘weapons’ we can wield against the terrorists.”

Black Friday Frenzy

BY ALEX DECHNO Staff Reporter With the holiday season quickly approaching, thousands of Americans have geared up and saved a significant amount of money for Black Friday.

Black Friday has become a widely known event where people can get their Christmas shopping done early while getting the lowest prices possible at their favorite stores.

“I love Black Friday,” said junior John Vrasidas. “The deals are great, but just the excitement of being at the mall late with the place packed with people is exhilarating.”

Some see Black Friday as an opportunity to get all of their Christmas shopping done in one place.

“I ended up only spending 150 dollars on presents for my entire family and don’t have to worry about rushing to get things when Christmas comes around now,” said sophomore Kelly Finnigan.

Black Friday is a great time to get the best deals, but some would rather stay away from all the chaos.

“The news shows how crazy it gets with mobs and stampedes, all over some half priced Barbie doll,” said junior Joe Calaca.

In past years, many people have been injured in the rush of Black Friday shopping.

“I think it’s so dumb people step over each other and start fighting out in public for something like video game,” said junior Nikki Haber. “You will not catch me Black Friday shopping.”

What are some options for those who want Black Friday deals without the stress of going out the day after Thanksgiving?

“My parents never liked me going Black Friday shopping, so I usually just do cyber Monday and save all the time and hassle dealing with all the crazy people in the mall,” said freshman Taylor Pelcher.

Cyber Monday has increased in popularity since the use of the Internet has increased.

Cyber Monday advertises deals as good as Black Friday, but accessible from the comfort of one’s home.

Instead of going to the mall, one simply has to click to purchase.

“I don’t know why people even go shopping anymore,” said junior Nick Deleonardis. “There’s no need to go out and possibly get hurt when it can just be delivered to me.”

December 2, 2015

meetTHESTAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF EMILY ARCHACKI 2016 MANAGING EDITOR MELANIE HOLEC 2016 COPY EDITOR JESSICA CHALOUX 2017 COPY EDITOR BILLY SANCHEZ 2016 NEWS EDITOR ALLY D’AMICO 2016 NEWS EDITOR GABBY NUTILE 2017 ASST. NEWS EDITOR CHRISTIAN COLON 2017 PERSPECTIVES EDITOR MELANIE VOLLONO 2016 ASST. PERSPECTIVES EDITOR GIOVANNA GATTO 2018 FEATURES EDITOR NICOLE CANNIZZARO 2016 ASST. FEATURES EDITOR MARINNA DESANTIS 2016

The Sacred Heart Spectrum

Editorials

Editorials | 5

Five Reasons Why the Upcoming Election Should Concern Every Student

JENNA BILLINGS

PUBLIC RELATIONS & CIRCULATION MANAGER It’s still early, but the campaign ads are starting to be more and more common. Debates are heating up as candidates from both parties lobbying for the presidential bid in 2016 narrow down.

When talking to the student population, the number of people who one, know about the candidates, and two, care about the outcome of the election, appears to be extremely small. When I asked non-political science majors about the election and about current political news this past week, responses varied from, “The only one I know is Donald Trump” to “I don’t keep up with politics, I’m not even registered to vote.”

This is a problem.

As young adults preparing to enter the workforce in the next few years, we are the future of this country’s economic and social systems. Any policy endorsed by a candidate will greatly affect us both in our personal and professional lives.

As a political science buff and concerned citizen, I have taken it upon myself to convince students who do not keep up with the election why it is imperative that you make a lifestyle change.

So, I have come up with five solid reasons why, if you are not currently in the loop, you should tune into the next debate, read up on the candidates and their issue platforms, and for God’s sake at least register to vote.

1.) You are (gasp) an adult now. You are most likely managing your finances to some degree, and even if you are not paying bills, you and only you are in charge of how you are spending that work-study check or babysitting cash. Shouldn’t candidates’ platforms on taxation and economic reform concern us as we take on more and more responsibility with our finances?

2.) Our age group has the most experience and contact with current media outlets. Social media has made political

news extremely accessible. If following candidate’s accounts or downloading a news app is all you need to do to stay more informed, why not make it a part of your nightly before-bed newsfeed scrolling?

3.) You are investing an obscene amount of money in education. Which means that current policies being debated regarding reducing student loans and making college more affordable for future generations is something you have direct experience with. You should be passionate about considering that our age group is currently dealing with it. In addition, for all this money we are spending on school, we should feel confident in the fact that we are informed citizens and should therefore exercise that knowledge by voting.

4.) According to Rock the Vote, a campaign designed to increase voter participation among young people, millennial voters are the most diverse eligible population in terms of ethnicity. With that logic, our interests best represent a wide constituency. Thus learning more about issues and candidates and then voting on them works to represent the entire country better.

5.) Many people fought hard for your right to vote. In light of recent events, we have to be grateful for our democracy.

Especially the fact that we are free to help decide for ourselves how the country should run. Honor the sacrifices that Americans for generations have made in order for us to have the voice that we do, and get informed on issues so you can use it and elect someone who represents what you stand for.

There you have it. You owe it to yourself, your family, your future employer and your country to change your ways (starting now) regardless of your major.

A&E EDITOR NATALIE CIOFFARI 2017

The Media World Is Changing

ASST. A&E EDITOR HALEY TANELLA 2016

SHAWN SAILER

SPORTS EDITOR SHAWN SAILER 2017 ASST. SPORTS EDITOR ANTHONY SANTINO 2018 ASST. SPORTS EDITOR TAMARIC WILSON 2017 ADVERTISING MANAGER BRIDGET HUGHES 2016 WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER HALEY TANELLA 2016 PR & CIRCULATION MANAGER JENNA BILLINGS 2017 PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR FILIPE LOBATO 2016 ASST. PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR ALEXA BRISSON 2017 GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITOR GINA BATTAGLIA 2017 GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITOR JULIANNA DIDONATO 2017 FACULTY ADVISOR PROF. JOANNE KABAK

SPORTS EDITOR

The media world is changing. Print newspapers are dying.

All media is going online, whether it be through news websites, social media, online radio/video or a combination. Companies are laying off employees due to the change of the news medium; the same amount of workers is not needed.

There are many examples I have seen locally in the past few years of companies that have made changes. The company formerly known as Hersam Acorn Newspaper first created a radio outlet in Nov. 2013 called Hersam Acorn Radio. That evolved into radio and video this past February with HAN Radio and the Hersam Acorn Network. Also, in January, Hersam Acorn stopped printing three of their newspapers and went online only with the Valley Gazette, the Greenwich Post, and the Fairfield Sun. The New Haven Register recently laid off upwards of 40 staff members. To help protect and extend their brand, the NHR sports department created “Gametime CT,” an online 21st-century media outlet with reporters covering all Connecticut sports. Gametime CT has writers from the NHR, the Register Citizen and the Middletown Press. All of those papers are part of the Journal Register.

In a non-digital media change, another local news outlet, Hearst Connecticut, condensed their staff. They have writers and editors covering multiple beats in order to report on more sports with fewer people. For example, Chris Elsberry used to cover college sports, including Fairfield University and Sacred Heart, for the Connecticut Post, a Hearst paper. Now, in addition to covering the colleges, Elsberry has also covered high school sports for the Fairfield Citizen, another Hearst paper.

The reason for these layoffs, for the lack of money to pay fulltime employees, is the industry’s move to digital. Companies are not looking to put ads into the online paper the way they would in print. The majority of revenue that a news outlet brings in to the company is from advertisements. Also, it is possible that

online advertisements do not bring in as much revenue as print advertisements did.

Due to the fact that print newspapers are dying, an online and social media presence are very important. I know that I get most of my news from Twitter. Also, I read a lot of articles online before a physical paper copy is delivered. Timeliness is very important. Social media and having the paper online allow for news and information to be sent out to the public quickly. For example, people do not have to wait until the next day in order to find out scores of a game. In the past, this was the case. My mother asks me if I saw a certain article and I tell her that I read it a few days prior on the website. I feel like an online presence is also important because it is easy to promote and share articles whether it be on social media or via email. It is a lot easier than having to physically mail the newspaper.

I look to social media for news and articles and I post and promote a lot of information on social media. I think news organizations at all levels need to have a strong online presence in this day and age. College kids are very attached to their smartphones, therefore I think it is important for a college newspaper, like the Spectrum at Sacred Heart, to have a strong online and social media presence.

As a college paper it is also important to keep the people outside of the college who want to read the paper in mind. This includes, alumni, local community members, and the parents of students. This is why it is essential to have a strong online presence.

Media companies need to find ways to set themselves apart from the competition. Many news outlets often are reporting on the same event or game, so each tries to report the news in a different way that makes them stand out.

With the changing of the media culture, it is definitely a necessity to have an online presence.

The editorial page is an open forum. Editorials are the opinions of the individual editors and do not represent the opinions of the whole editorial board. Letters to the editor are encouraged and are due by Sunday at noon for consideration for each Wednesday’s issue. All submissions are subject to editing for spelling, punctuation, and length.

Letters to the editor should not exceed 400 words and should be e-mailed to spectrum@sacredheart.edu. The Spectrum does not assume copyright for any published material. We are not responsible for the opinions of the writers voiced in this forum.

6 | Features

The Sacred Heart Spectrum

Features

December 2, 2015

Restaurant Review: Local Kitchen, Fairfield

BY JORDAN VENTURA Staff Reporter

As college students, we sometimes need a break from the school atmosphere. I visited Local Kitchen on Mill Plain road in Fairfield with my sister after a long day of classes. I had heard some buzz about this place and decided to check it out; I was unimpressed to say the least.

For starters, the entrance of the place was not quite clear.

We had raced to the front door due to the poor weather conditions to find ourselves stepping in a large puddle of rain on the inside.

This was the beginning of a series of unfortunate events throughout the night. There was no sign for the front door and no lighting to show us where we were stepping. The hostess was dressed in casual attire and placed us in a booth by the door.

Since it’s November, you can imagine that it is not very comfortable to sit by a door on a cold, rainy night, especially when trying to enjoy food. It was clear to us

that the place was not packed, and there were other seating options, yet the hostess was not the most friendly about us requesting another spot.

As we were seated, I noticed the atmosphere was very appealing. The bar is a large, square shape in the middle of the room and the décor is quite modern. There is dim lighting all around and the restaurant had a warehousetype look to it. I also noticed that there were two floors to the restaurant and the room was filled with today’s most popular tunes.

The menu is quite large, giving various appetizer and entrée options. The appetizers varied from $4-$9 for the “little” plates, and $10-$20 for the “lots,” meaning larger appetizer portions. Initially, the waitress was helpful, but it took her quite some time to greet our table.

Halfway through ordering, I noticed the wall was dripping rain onto our table. When I questioned this, the waitress nonchalantly told us that it happens when it rains outside. My sister and I looked at each other confused, and proceeded to ask if we could switch to the bar top

VARIOUS ENTREES SERVED FOR DINNER AT THE LOCAL KITCHEN IN FAIRFIELD

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JORDAN VENTURA

across the room.

The prices on the menu were quite expensive, especially if you are on a tight budget like most college students. We decided to split wings for $16 as an appetizer, along with the little plate of crispy brussel sprouts for $8 and a lots plate of popcorn chicken for $14.

For my own meal, I decide to get their signature burger for $14, the Local burger. My sister settled for a wedge with a burger on top for $18, which was completely overpriced for how small the portion ended up being. We also asked to have our wings brought out first, and the waitress completely denied our request telling us that she was going to put everything in at once to make it easier. As you can see, the customer service at Local is not up to par.

Further along in the night, the service only got worse. It took us about 45 minutes to an hour for us to get any of our food and our waitress barely stopped at our table to refill our drinks or see how we were doing.

The wings ended up being good, having their own spicyoriginal kick to them. The popcorn chicken had a teriyaki flavor to it which we both enjoyed as well, although there were only about six small pieces for a $14 dish.

My burger had avocado, bacon, American cheese, frizzled onions, and black pepper mayo. It was below average. And the most overpriced and least tasty dish of all happened to be the wedge, which was $18 for a ball of iceburg lettuce, mixed with bleu cheese dressing, tomatoes and a burger on top.

Overall, I’d have to say that Local is not a place I would suggest anyone in the area to go eat. I also realized that there is a Local in Norwalk where I commute from and I would not pay it a visit to try it out again.

For those who want to reach a verdict for themselves, The Local is located at 85 Mill Plain Rd, Fairfield, Connecticut 06824.

Veteran Spotlight: Ivanna Dobrodeeva

BY NICOLE CANNIZZARO Features Editor Ivanna Dobrodeeva is a veteran of the 82nd Airborne division of the United States Army. She worked in a Support and Infantry battalion for over four years.

Q: What are your best memories of your service?

A: Shooting, driving armored vehicles, conducting missions overseas to help and understand locals, being deployed and away from all the drama, jumping out of airplanes, and meeting incredible people from all around the world in the military.

Q: Why did you decide to come back to college?

A: I always wanted to get an education, but I just didn’t know what I wanted to study or become before the military.

Q: What’s something you’d like people to know about young veterans like yourself?

A: Getting out of the service, we have to relearn the English language and civilian culture that can be overwhelming. Being in the military, most veterans love to engage in physical activities. Thus, most try to find that camaraderie we had in the military in team sports.

Adjusting back is challenging; without a great support group, a lot of veterans get discouraged in going back to school or even interacting with civilians because of the misunderstanding and miscommunication. Students and civilians should not be scared to interact with veterans.

It may be hard for both parties but neither should get discouraged. [The] military was a fast paced world where people are thrown together and forced to interact with one another to get the work done. But being able to put our differences aside, we are able to become great friends that one can count on fairly quickly, and I believe that is one of the best qualities we have to offer.

Q: Do you have any regrets about your service or your decision to attend college?

A: Not at all, I believe everyone should serve at least a year or two in the military. The experience a person gains in the service is irreplaceable and I am a strong supporter for everyone getting an education.

Q: What are your plans for after college?

A: Travel the world and attend grad school in Europe for

physical therapy and neuroscience. Then, wherever life takes me.

Q: Do you want to serve again?

A: I would love to, but it wouldn’t be the same and due to my injury I don’t think that will happen.

Q: How did your family deal with you being in the service?

A: My family is mostly military, so they understood the military lifestyle and are my greatest supporters.

Q: What is your major and how did you choose that subject?

A: Health science pre-physical therapy. I witnessed some of my guys having to get PT treatment after they were injured overseas and I personally had to get PT treatment after I got injured on an airborne jump. I knew I wanted to help people, [and] once I worked at the VA within the PT department, I knew immediately that this is what I am meant to do.

Q: Do you think you had a different experience being a woman in the service?

PHOTO COURTESY OF IVANNA DOBRODEEVA A: Most definitely, nevertheless everyone’s experience in IVANNA’S FAVORITE PICTURE FROM THE MILITARY the military varies [due] to multiple factors.

Q: Were there many other women you served with?

A: Airborne units consist of mostly men with only a hand full of females. I can’t recall exact numbers but will try to paint an image for you guys. In my support unit, we might have had a max of 100 females out of 600 soldiers. When I went into the infantry unit, I was the only female within the unit that had 800 men. Nevertheless, the infantry had a support company attached that had no more than 20 females.

Q: Was transitioning back and forth hard?

A: The transition back into the civilian world and college was hard due to multiple factors. I find most veterans feel isolated due to the dramatic change in lifestyle. The military consists mostly of young men and women that are still developing into adulthood and while serving, they learn to take orders and become leaders. Thus, the military becomes part of them and their identity. When they get out, leaving a structural organization where there are set guidelines, security, purpose and limited freedom, a person may feel lost and vulnerable. Furthermore, some that have been away from families for a long period of time and

overseas find it hard to reconnect with them, let alone with strangers. This is only a fraction of what a veteran goes through after the service. I personally find it hard to talk about the military experience or communicate with others that haven’t gone through it themselves.

Q: Has the military supported you since your return to civilian life?

A: The military has developed various programs to help veterans readjust back to the civilian world. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend school and not have to worry about the finances as much as I would have without their help. Nevertheless, there are still some flaws in the systems preventing veterans from receiving any type of aid. I believe there should be more emphasis on reaching out to all veterans. Some do not know about these opportunities nor have a strong social support in the community. There are great people everywhere, but veterans have some exceptional values, skills, and experience that can be beneficial to them and others.

December 2, 2015

The Sacred Heart Spectrum

Features

Features | 7

Club Spotlight: Best Buddies

BY CARA HOYT Staff Reporter Among the many clubs found at Sacred Heart University, Best Buddies is unlike any other. Best Buddies is a non-profit organization and international volunteer movement. Its main focus is to provide first hand friendships and help with leadership skill development among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This volunteer program provides students with the opportunity to work alongside those with disabilities. The club is open to all students and is promoted around campus through events as well as promotional emails.

For sophomore buddy Katherine Horne, the decision to become a buddy was triggered by reading a club email.

“I heard about Best Buddies at the beginning of my freshman year through an email. It sounded like an amazing program and everyone that I had asked about it told me it was awesome,” said Horne.

Although emails are one way to find out details about getting involved in an on-campus organization like best buddies, freshman Brittany Welkes’ decision was made after an orientation presentation on the Best Buddies club on-campus.

“I got involved because when I heard about it during

orientation it seemed like a great organization to be part of.

I would definitely recommend joining,” said Welkes.

Being part of Best Buddies provides students the opportunity to gain an immediate friendship with their buddy, who is usually a stranger to them at first.

“You usually don’t get to pick your buddy, but if you know them from previous years you can put in a request for them. Or in other circumstances, like if you find you have a connection before the buddies are assigned, you can place a request. In most cases however they will randomly pick for you,” said Horne.

Once students involved are paired up with a buddy, they begin to form a bond.

“I love the time I spent with my buddy a couple weeks ago and it was an amazing experience meeting her for the first time,” said Welkes.

According to Welkes, along with gaining a friendship and volunteering your time to this organization, students who join Best Buddies will leave with many memories.

Students in this club attend events and meetings along with spending time with their buddies.

“We have monthly events where all the buddies get together along with members of the club. We have snacks, crafts, games, music, and a dance party. Everyone always has a blast. Last month we had a Halloween Party. We are attending the last football game together and having pizza and we also usually have a Christmas party,” said Horne.

You can get together with your buddy as often as you want and form a relationship that exceeds the Best Buddies organization.

“Lots of buddies get lunch or dinner together each week.

Sometimes they all just get together to play games, go to the mall, movies, and even the beach. You can really do anything with your buddy once you are paired up,” said Horne.

Students in this program also get to communicate and get to know the families of their buddies to reach a real valuable relationship with them.

“You get so involved with their life, especially talking to their parents and getting to know their family,” said Welkes.

Best Buddies is a great organization for students who find happiness in making others smile. According to Horne, if you’re looking to brighten someone’s day and get some volunteer work, you should check out this club.

“It definitely is a fabulous organization and watching your buddy light up when you are together instantly puts a smile on your face. It is such a rewarding program and it makes so many people happy,” said Horne.

To learn more about Best Buddies, contact club president Laura Lampert at lampertl@mail.sacredheart.edu.

“From Acadia to Zion”: Photographing National Parks

BY EMILY ARCHACKI Editor-in-Chief What do you think of when you hear the words National Park System? Do you envision sweeping landscapes and vast scenery filled with a variety of wildlife? Or do you think of a host of tourist destinations along a road trip across America?

“Photographing National Parks,” written by Sacred Heart University alumnus Chris Nicholson, offers techniques and tips on how to capture your best photographs while visiting the national parks.

“I grew up around nature. As a family we’d go camping a lot. A family vacation may be to Great Smoky Mountains [in Tennessee] or driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway [in

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN RYAN

NICHOLSON TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS AT ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

North Carolina and Virginia]. When I got into photography I was drawn to nature as a subject because of where it was ingrained,” said Nicholson.

There are a total of six chapters in the book. Knowledge of the parks, the logistics of planning a trip, what photography tools to utilize, and the different park environments a photographer may encounter are all covered within the first four chapters.

“I think a lot of photographers, whether professional or serious hobbyist, think of National Parks as something that only the National Geographic photographer can do. It’s not true. You can go do this,” said Nicholson.

The techniques chapter offers the reader advice and tips on how to shoot different types of photography subject matter, such as how to properly shoot water motion, sunbursts, and even star trails.

“I think I had almost finished writing the book when I decided that that chapter needed to be in there. That was actually the last thing I wrote. It was not in the original or the revised outline for the book,” said Nicholson. “It kind of comes down to a service thing. I realized I kept telling people they should go do this kind of photography in the park; well, maybe I need to tell them how to do this kind of photography.”

The final chapter of the book, The Parks – From Acadia to Zion, features photography shot by Nicholson himself at each of the 59 national parks. The earliest photo in the book is from 2003, taken at Joshua Tree National Park located in Desert Hot Springs, Calif.

“The parks have so much to offer, and the second half of the book talks about every park and what the photographer might be interested in there. I want people to read that and be inspired to go visit these places,” said Nicholson.

In 2016, the National Park System will be celebrating its 100-year anniversary.

“The National Parks are some of the best subjects for nature photographers. I would argue they are the best ones we have to offer,” said Nicholson. “It doesn’t take a lot of work to go do it. It’s not as intimidating a project as it might seem. I wanted the book to inspire people to go do that.”

During his time at Sacred Heart is when Nicholson became involved with photography.

“I grew up around a few photographers, but didn’t start doing photography myself until I was at Sacred Heart.

In fact working for The Spectrum.” said Nicholson. “I was assistant editor at the time, and we only had a couple of photographers on staff. It was something I grew up interested in and the photo editor asked if anybody wanted to help out. That’s how I got started.”

Nicholson was the editor-in-chief of The Spectrum from

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS NICHOLSON

ALUNMNUS AUTHOR’S COVER OF HIS NEW BOOK

1992 until 1994.

After graduating from Sacred Heart in 1994, Nicholson worked for Golf Digest and Tennis Magazine for 10 years.

Since 2004, he has been a freelance photographer. He continues to be involved with the Sacred Heart community today offering his services to the Office of Marketing and Communications.

“Photographing National Parks” is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com For more information on Chris Nicholson or his book you can visit his website, PhotographingNationalParks. com, Twitter account @PhotoNatPark, or Facebook page facebook.com/PhotographingNationalParks.

8 | A&E

The Sacred Heart Spectrum

December 2, 2015

Arts & Entertainment Artist Corner

PHOTO COURTESY OFSHABBIR BATA

PHOTOGRAPHY FROM BATA’S HOME COUNTRY

New York’s Fight Against Daily Fantasy Sports

BY ANTHONY SANTINO Asst. Sports Editor The rise of daily fantasy sports giants like FanDuel and DraftKings has been met with mixed reception.

Fans of daily fantasy contests see them as a great way to enhance their interest in particular games, exercise their knowledge of sports, be competitive, and have the chance to win lots of money for as little as a one dollar entry. In recent years, a jump in popularity has made the industry a multi-billion dollar one.

However, opponents, such as New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, find the practice to be unlawful.

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Schneiderman declared daily fantasy sports to be illegal gambling in New York. This came after a month-long investigation (started on Oct. 6) of the companies. The attorney general sent cease-anddesist notices to FanDuel and DraftKings as part of the decision.

“Each DraftKings/FanDuel wager represents a wager on a ‘contest of chance’ where winning or losing depends on numerous elements of chance to a ‘material degree,’” said Schneiderman in his letters to the two operators. “Daily Fantasy Sports are creating the same public health and economic concerns as other forms of gambling, including addiction.”

What FanDuel and DraftKings use in their defense for such allegations is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, which exempts them as “game of skill” services. This clause is what kept them out of the line of fire for a while and allowed their businesses to

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grow.

The exemption is reiterated in FanDuel’s response to Schneiderman’s order.

“Fantasy sports is a game of skill and legal under New York State law,” said FanDuel in a statement. “This is a politician telling hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers they are not allowed to play a game they love and share with friends, family, coworkers and players across the country.”

Sacred Heart junior Brian Utkewicz can sympathize with FanDuel, but he sees both sides of the debate.

“I love FanDuel, and I do FanDuel, but it’s 100% gambling,” said Utkewicz. “I feel [legislators] shouldn’t leave it alone. You also get the same feeling you get when you are gambling—that anticipation you might win.”

Sacred Heart sophomore Devin Stark agrees with FanDuel’s assessment of the situation.

“I do think FanDuel and DraftKings are a game of skill, as I believe sports gambling is a game of skill,” said Stark.

“As opposed to the lottery, which is clearly just gambling regulated by the government.”

Stark feels sports betting should operate legally with government regulation.

“For [the New York] government to say that FanDuel and DraftKings are pure gambling and not a game of skill—which it is, as is sports betting—and such a menace to society; well how they basically prey on poor people with the lottery games is flat-out ludicrous.”

Besides Schneiderman’s action, the two companies have been hit with a flurry of lawsuits as of late. The increase in attention is largely attributed to the increase in advertisement campaigns the two companies have undergone since the beginning of the fall.

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According to ESPN’s David Purdum and Darren Rovell, over the past month, 34 lawsuits in 13 states have been directed towards FanDuel and DraftKings.

In another instance, DraftKings employee Ethan Haskell came under fire for winning a $350,000 NFL FanDuel contest. This increased public speculation of whether or not employees have professional sports knowledge not accessible to other participants.

Although it was found that Haskell had no unfair advantage over other contestants, the idea of employees being allowed to participate in such games raised eyebrows from DraftKings’ corporate partners like Major League Baseball. Since then, workers for both companies have been banned from prize money competitions on each site.

Even with the scrutiny they’ve been put under, FanDuel and DraftKings have been getting user support during this time through online petitions.

Supporters and opposers will soon see if Scheiderman’s ruling on the industry’s fate in New York upholds through appeals.

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December 2, 2015

The Sacred Heart Spectrum

Arts & Entertainment

A&E | 9

Justin Bieber & One Direction

New album releases for two of pop culture’s most popular artists

BY BRITTANY EGER

Staff Reporter

JUSTIN BIEBER AND ONE DIRECTION SINGER HARRY STYLES

AP PHOTO

Nov. 13 was an important day in the pop music industry. Pop star sensations One Direction and Justin Bieber both released their highly anticipated albums on the same day.

It was pure madness for “Beliebers” and “Directioners” across the world as they battled to make their favorite artist’s album come out on top.

Since the release of both albums last month, Bieber and One Direction have remained neck in neck with each other, making it difficult to tell whose album will ultimately be number one. As of Sunday, Nov. 22, Bieber grabbed the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart, giving him his sixth number one album and fifth number one debut.

“I think Justin Bieber’s new album is the best album he has ever made. The lyrics have

meaning behind them and they’re also really catchy,” said sophomore Alena Gonsalves.

Other fans can definitely agree.

“Justin Bieber’s album is by far the best album he has ever produced. I’ve been waiting a long time for him to come out with a new record but this one was worth the wait,” said sophomore Renee Flores.

It has been three years since Bieber’s last studio album release in the summer of 2012.

Meanwhile, the release of One Directions’s album, “Made in the A.M.,” is the band’s first studio album without previous band member Zayn Malik. The album also marks the beginning of the group’s hiatus for an unknown period of time.

While the band didn’t quite clinch the No. 1 spot, they came in right behind Bieber, taking No. 2 selling more than 450,000 copies of their album.

“I thought One Direction’s album was overall good. You can definitely tell there’s something missing with Zayn being gone but the album had a good sound,” said junior Kim D’Adamo.

Both albums already have popular singles on the radio like “What Do You Mean?” and “Sorry” on Bieber’s album and “Drag Me Down” and “Perfect” coming from One Direction’s album.

“I love ‘Life is Worth Living’ from Bieber’s album because the lyrics are meaningful to me and I like a slower side from him,” said sophomore Hailey Erwin.

And One Direction fans love songs from the bands new album as well. “‘Perfect’ is my favorite song from One Direction’s album because it has a good beat and I like the lyrics a lot,” said D’Adamo.

While it’s no question both Bieber’s “Purpose” and One Direction’s “Made in the A.M.” have become extremely popular albums worldwide, the question is who has the better record.

“I think Justin Bieber’s album was better because the songs show a side of him I have never seen before. I think it shows who he really is,” said Gonsalves.

The dispute continues.

“I thought One Direction’s album was better because their music sounded more real to me than Justin Bieber’s,” said junior Christina Fratto.

Even though Bieber’s album reigned victorious over One Direction in album sales in their first week post-release, both doubled their odds in sales by selling over 400,000 copies each worldwide.

With the release of these new albums, Bieber announced his Purpose World Tour beginning in March 2016, while One Direction will be taking some time off.

TheatreFest to Showcase Student Playwrights

BY LISA CARBONE

Staff Writer

From Dec. 4-6, Sacred Heart’s Theatre Art Program will host its series of Student New Play Workshops as a part of the second round of TheatreFest, located in the Little Theatre.

TheatreFest is unlike any other production within the TAP program. It is unique because it features studentwritten and produced plays.

“The shows of TheatreFest offer students the opportunity to hear the creative voices of their fellow students in ways they never have before. It’s amazing to see the unique shows that come out of the year-long event,” said sophomore Edward Feeley, who wrote a play for TheatreFest.

TheatreFest is broken up into three stages. The first stage is called the Student New Play Readings. During this round, a number of new plays are read at a round table style performance. Audience members are then allowed to give feedback on the performance and engage with the show’s cast and creative teams.

The second stage is called the Student New Play Workshop, in which the offerings from the first round are cut down to about seven or eight shows. These plays are performed in a black box style, meaning the plays are put onto a small stage and are acted out in a black theatre without the use of a set, costumes, or props. And finally, the third and final stage is the fully produced TheatreFest production of each play. In this round, two shows are chosen and are full produced with sound, lighting elements, costumes, and props.

During this weekend, the workshop will feature the shows that made it to the second round. This calls for changes to the script and the performances; it is like an intensive editing process, giving the creative teams a chance to improve their work based on feedback. The audience, the director, and other actors are there to help critique the show.

“My favorite part of TheatreFest is sitting in the audience and getting to watch the shows perform, and watch all the hard work they have done pay off,” said junior Nicholas Patino.

However, these shows are not performed with a full

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM PURNELL

STUDENTS OBSERVE THEIR FELLOW ACTORS AT THE ANNUAL THEATREFEST HELD IN THE EDGERTON THEATRE

stage, rather a “black box production.” They will have a minimal set design and minimal movement. This allows audiences to really focus on the acting and writing of the shows.

“The hardest part when writing a play is having to conjure something out of nothing. This year will be my third year working on TheatreFest and I have learned something new each year,” said senior Jordan Rodriguez, who wrote a play for this year’s TheatreFest. “The best part of all is to create something that people enjoy. It is rewarding to see your own work come to life.”

TheatreFest is an involved process behind the scenes.

“TheatreFest is a year-long process featuring student written plays. Everything in TheatreFest is done by the students: acting, stage-managing, directing, writing, and tech,” said Patino.

The students involved in TheatreFest not only write their own plays, but help each other out in every aspect possible.

“I am the only freshman that went through to round two.

The play that I wrote was ‘The Eighth’ and I had received so many helpful comments and opinions from the cast. I trust them to give me the best comments to improve my play,” said freshman Alessia Nestico.

In past TheatreFest productions, the types of plays that were performed ranged from comedies to tragedies.

“Overall, TheatreFest is a celebration of new plays that showcase the talents of the students. The experiences we have doing this will translate to our lives,” said Rodriguez.

According to some students, the scripts from TheatreFest speak to this generation.

“I think students will enjoy the plays their fellow students wrote. I think people will like that the plays are written by our generation and our age group,” said senior Megan Telford, president of TAP. You can see the TheatreFest second round performances from Dec 4-6 in the Little Theatre. Admission is free for all members of the campus community.

10 | Sports

The Sacred Heart Spectrum

December 2, 2015

Sports

Student Section Resurrected as Newly Named “SHU Crew”

BY MARIAH WARDIUS Staff Reporter

School spirit is on the rise as the Sacred Heart fan section, previously known as “Heart Attack,” makes a comeback as the newly named “SHU Crew.”

With Heart Attack inactive last year, the Athletic Communications External Affairs Department got together in hopes of arranging something for this school year. They decided on a contest for naming the fan group, in order to get students involved and to build anticipation.

“We basically wanted to rejuvenate the students at Sacred Heart,” said Tiana Williams, Director of Promotions, Game-Day Operations and Event Management. “There wasn’t an active fan section last year so we wanted to make it something new, something hip, and really get the students involved on campus, and for them to have ownership over their group.”

The contest was held over social media and via email.

Over 50 submissions were sent in through the duration of the contest.

“We narrowed it down to top five, and then once we narrowed it down to top five we had another voting process for students to vote on which one they liked best,” said Williams.

The students were the deciding factor in the naming of the fan section.

“We had two people that submitted the same name, so we are going to do a drawing to see who is going to win the ultimate prize of an iPad Air,” said Williams.

The fan foundation is to be completely student-run and operated, with students able to alter things and throw their ideas out in trial. This began with the name voting process to install a sense of leadership in the students.

“It was completely student led, which is basically the foundation we want to start with the SHU Crew of it being a student-led organization,” said Williams.

SHU Crew made its first public appearance in the Pitt

The NFC East Scramble

BY DIANA CANNIZZARO Contributing Writer

All signs pointed to the New York Giants staying atop the NFC East, but after Sunday’s loss versus the Washington Redskins, the tables began to turn. The Giants and Redskins are currently tied for first place at 5-6, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys rounding out the bottom two with a record of 4-7 and 3-8 respectively.

The Cowboys lost to the undefeated Carolina Panthers on Thanksgiving, and it looks like they may get caught staying in last place as they once again are without Tony Romo due to a shoulder injury.

The quarterback cannot catch a break this year as he suffered a hairline fracture in the same shoulder he injured in September, according to a NFL News source.

This puts the Cowboys in a tough place as Romo will be out for the remainder of the season.

With the upcoming schedule for the final five weeks of the regular season, the Giants will battle against the New York Jets in week 13. Head coach Chip Kelly of the Eagles will face Bill Belichick’s formidable New England Patriots, whose only loss so far this season came last weekend at the hands of the Denver Broncos.

The Cowboys will have a break until Dec. 7 for a NFC East showdown against the Redskins.

With just a handful of games remaining in the regular season, can the Giants regain momentum and obtain first place again? Can Eli Manning seal enough wins to potentially capture a wildcard spot in the playoffs? Time will tell.

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STUDENTS ENJOY CHEERING ON THE BASKETBALL TEAMS IN THE NEW FOUND “SHU CREW” SECTION

Center on Nov. 15 at the women’s basketball game versus New Hampshire. T-shirts were handed out to the first of the foundation’s VIP members.

“The SHU Crew is going to be like the fan section, but we are offering a VIP membership for people who want special incentives as the year goes on. They help plan, they are going to be eligible for SHU Crew specific games, raffles, pregame stuff and essentially we want to create a student-led board within the SHU Crew,” said Williams.

With its fast start, the SHU Crew is likely to spread quickly throughout campus, spreading the school-spirit driven energy and eagerly promoting membership and involvement opportunities.

“Our first line of promotion was through the first 75 members receiving free t-shirts,” said Williams. “Everyone who joins the SHU Crew is going to get a welcome t-shirt as well, and then we are just going to keep pushing it via social media and email until people are banging on our

door just trying to become a part of the SHU Crew.”

Through the new fan section, the Sacred Heart athletics department hopes that school spirit will increase and be seen by our competitors.

“The main goal is Pioneer pride. We want to support all 32 of our sports and, with a foundation like the SHU Crew, we are able to reach everybody,” said Williams.

Student members are already excited for what’s to come.

“It’s been great so far and I really enjoy it,” said freshman Julia Hutchinson. “I see great things happening. A lot of fun events, games to play, and free prizes to win.”

The SHU Crew is expected to be a noticeable factor in upcoming Pioneer games.

“SHU Crew is going to be one of the most exciting things on campus in the very near future,” said Williams.

“Just with our launch the other day, a lot of people are excited about it, so we just want to continue building the school spirit and students’ support of Pioneer athletics.”

Pioneer Palooza Promises Fun For Everyone match itself, an MC will explain to the crowd how and why points are awarded as well as positional changes that occur Staff Reporter throughout the match.

“We wanted to change the dry, dull atmosphere of a dual If you want to enjoy a little Saturday fun, heading up to meet in the past and turn it into a new, exciting, engaging the Pitt Center for “Pioneer Palooza” on Dec. 5 is not a bad environment for the people who attend,” said Moore. “We idea. want to show the fans that this sport is fun.”

Pioneer Palooza is an event the Sacred Heart men’s In addition to the pre-game festivities, there will be a wrestling team puts on each year to attract those who are sumo-wrestling match between the Greek life organizations not familiar with the sport and culture of wrestling. to raise money for charity.

“We copied the idea from Drexel University,” said head “I guarantee that this year’s event will be better than last coach Andy Lausier. “They did a spirit night at their school year’s,” said Moore. “Hearing the feedback from students where they created a competition between the student who enjoyed the event really encouraged us to one-up organizations and gave away a cash prize to the winner.” ourselves and make the event even better than it was last “Our goal was to turn a dual meet into an entertainment year.” environment where people who didn’t know much about “For us coaches, it’s [an] opportunity to share our careers wrestling can still have a great time,” said Lausier. “There and the work that we put it in each and every day with will be cool music, lights, and a fan fest, which create the our wrestlers,” said Moore. “It’s an opportunity for our high energy at the event.” wrestlers to get a great atmosphere during the match.”

Last year, Pioneer Palooza attracted over 2,300 fans. This Sacred Heart’s opponent for Pioneer Palooza will be year, the wrestling team is giving away $300 to the campus the Davidson College Wildcats. Their record is 2-3, while organization with the most attendees and $1,000 to the club Sacred Heart has lost their last two matches to Michigan that displays the most Pioneer pride during the meet. and North Carolina State.

“Last year, we were coming up with ideas on the spot and The Pioneers look to get back on track against Davidson. trying to find a way to execute them,” said Lausier. “After “The guys are really excited to get out there and get a doing it last year, I think it gave us a better idea of what we win. We only lost by a match at last year’s event. This year, wanted to do, and it gave us a better setup for the people I am very confident that this event will continue to motivate who attend.” them.” said Moore.

“It’s important for us to give our wrestlers an atmosphere “For the wrestlers, seeing the fans in the crowd of 2,000 or 3,000 fans cheering them on,” said assistant cheering them on really helps them,” said Moore. “Seeing coach Derek Moore. “The competition for $1,000 definitely the enthusiasm among the people in the crowd really contributes to that atmosphere with the cheering for our contributes to their performance and makes the day that student-athletes. It creates such a unique experience in the much better.” sport of wrestling.”

The pre-game festivities will begin at 4:45 p.m. and the The fan festival before the match will have a live band, wrestling match will take place shortly after at 6 p.m. tattoo artists, a photo booth, and free popcorn. During the

BY WILLIAM CALLAHAN

Comments or Concerns? EMAIL us at SPECTRUM@SACREDHEART.EDU

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SHUSpectrum Newspaper

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11 | Sports

The Sacred Heart Spectrum

Sports

December 2, 2015

Club Football Closes Out a Strong Inaugural Season

BY CHRIS CAIOZZO Staff Reporter

The Sacred Heart Club Football team booked a trip to nationals after a 34-7 win over Vermont in the North Atlantic Conference title game, which took place on Nov. 14.

“I definitely didn’t expect this,” said senior captain Vin Narong. “Now looking back on it, it seems about right.”

Sacred Heart finished the regular season 6-1, with two forfeit wins against the University of Hartford.

“I think our toughest opponent was Eastern,” said sophomore captain Jesse Menghini. “They had a lot of talent and were physical. They almost got us the game before the championship, but we pulled through.”

With this being the team’s inaugural season at the university, head coach Greg Jones has been receiving many congratulations from people around campus.

“This has been good for club sports,” said Jones. “I’m talking to the Vice

President and the President, and I’m also getting emails from Human Resources and Chartwells, our dining service on campus.”

Most first year programs are weak due to the inexperience of their players, but that was not the case for this team.

“A couple of the guys played on the Div. I team, and dropped down for [various] reasons, but we are happy to have them,” said Narong.

At Sacred Heart, club sports are walk-on and there are no cuts made, so you can be at any skill level and play.

“You never know what to expect with any first year program. You don’t know what budget or talent you’re going to have, so we had to figure out what the team could do,” said Jones.

Ray Mencio, director of club sports at Sacred Heart, approached Jones about this program last winter.

“Ray [Mencio] and Larry Wielk, our dean of students, have been pursuing this opportunity for the past two [years] and Ray has been a supporter this whole time,” said Jones. “He has been absolutely amazing.”

Jones, who graduated from Sacred Heart in 2005 and received his masters here, has

Valentine Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

BY TOM PETICCA Staff Reporter

Some in the Sacred Heart community may know Bobby Valentine only as the school’s athletic director. However, before coming to Sacred Heart, he was a huge internationally-known baseball icon.

Now, he has been awarded for his years of Major League Baseball.

After spending 10 seasons as a player for five different teams at the professional level and then 20 years managing five different teams between the United States and Japan, Valentine received the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Valentine’s accomplishments at the Major League level include managing the New York Mets to a National League pennant in 2000 and winning the Branch Rickey award in 2002. The Branch Rickey award is given to an individual in baseball who has shown exceptional commitment to community service.

In addition, during his time in Japan, Valentine was also a Japan and Asian series champion in 2005 as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines.

“As an avid sports fan, I honestly think of Bobby Valentine as one of the top managers in the history of baseball,” said junior Michael Kiesel.

For a man who was able to reach the Major League level at the young age of 19, it seems appropriate for Valentine to now be spending his time with athletes around the same age, developing their skills in their respective sports.

Valentine himself had to receive help from experienced mentors when he was first coming up to the big leagues. In a story on MLB.com, he reflects on how his first Major League manager, Tommy Lasorda, instilled confidence into a young Valentine when some of the pitchers on the team said they wouldn’t pitch with the 19-year-old at shortstop. Lasorda responded by telling the other players to “go get Valentine’s autograph because one day you will want to say you played with him.”

“What he showed me when I was a 19-year-old kid was, if a manager believed in his players, his players could do incredible things. I tried to bring that lesson through my 23 years of managing, and tried to get my players to believe that I believed,” said Valentine in the same talk with MLB.com Valentine instills the same type of confidence into many of the studentathletes at Sacred Heart.

“Bobby Valentine really does care about our school and our athletics,” said junior and former Sacred Heart javelin thrower Mario Prassas. “I believe he has turned our school into a legitimate Div. I program.”

Since Valentine became Sacred Heart’s athletic director in July of 2013, Pioneer sports teams have increased performance across the board, winning conference championships in multiple sports including football, baseball and cross country.

Many students love having Valentine around campus, and he can often be seen eating at popular on-campus dining spots like 63’s or Linda’s.

“To have such a high profile baseball legend be a part of our campus is amazing,” said junior Matthew Calton.

“Whether he’s attending sporting events or riding his bike around campus, he is always around, never acting like he is bigger than the school, despite his long list of accomplishments.”

Valentine offers a wealth of experience to the students and faculty of Sacred Heart. In addition to his obviously impressive baseball career, he also has experience in broadcasting and media.

He has worked for both ESPN and CBSSports.com over the years.

Freshman Nick Simmons feels Valentine offers a lot to the Sacred Heart community.

“It is such a great honor to attend a school that gives me the opportunity to be around such an incredible sports icon, especially in America’s national pastime,” said Simmons.

been part of the university for almost 10 years.

“You always want to see what’s going on with your alma mater,” said Jones.

The club football team faced Vermont twice this year in the regular season. The first time they played, Sacred Heart lost 25-8.

“It was a six hour bus ride,” said Narong.

“We got off the bus and it was freezing, 20 degree weather. We got our butts kicked [in that first game] but then played them again and played a totally different game in totally different circumstances.”

Finding a coaching staff for a team that is just forming can be a difficult challenge, but not for Coach Jones, who came from the Div. I team.

“I got guys who I coached like Dennis Reagan, Pat Casey, Troy Moore and Dan Paloski, who graduated last year. These guys were leaders and their teams always found a way to win,” said Jones.

Club athletes at Sacred Heart don’t get scholarships to play the sport they play.

They do it because they love the sport.

“It’s a lot of fun; I enjoy it,” said Menghini. “I love playing for Coach Jones

and the rest of the coaching staff. Every day we go out there and have fun.”

On Saturday, Nov. 21, the team traveled to Virginia to play Miami University (Ohio) in the NCFA playoffs. Miami was the #1 seed in the national tournament, which consists of the top team from each of the NCFA’s four conferences.

Prior to the game, Sacred Heart felt as though it would be a battle.

“We have no film, but we expect athletes.

They also have guys from Div. I, so it’s nothing we can’t compete with,” said Narong.

Coach Jones shared similar views on the contest.

“I expect a hard fought game,” said Jones. “I want them to have a sense of pride.”

Despite their desire for a competitive game coming to fruition, Sacred Heart fell just short, losing the game 24-21.

Even though the Pioneer side came very close to a national title game, their final loss is not one they are dismayed by.

“This [run] has been good for club sports,” said Jones. “[It made] a statement.”

Cheerleading: More Than Fun and Games

BY MARIAH WARDIUS Staff Reporter

The Sacred Heart cheerleading program has more depth than perceived by onlookers.

With 50 members among two teams, red being competition team and white being game team, the program is fully loaded to excel in all competitions.

The team has a rotating schedule, allowing both the competition and game teams to cover the main events of the Division I football and men’s and women’s basketball programs.

The teams also take part in covering other events, such as hockey, men’s and women’s volleyball, wrestling, and club football.

Aside from sporting events, the team takes part in open houses for prospective students as well as many charity events like the annual liver walk, breast cancer walk, Alzheimer’s walk, and MS walk. In the fall of 2014, the team was awarded most community service hours completed by a sports team.

The team works endlessly throughout the year, beginning with practice in July and then a camp in August, only to start up full force when classes begin. Practices are held Tuesday through Friday, with early morning lifts twice a week.

As this is all going on, the team competes in many competitions locally, striving to achieve their goal of reaching the Universal Cheerleader’s Association Collegiate Nationals in Orlando, Fl. “You have to be selected to go and it is in January, so that is what we are preparing for now,” said head coach Aimee Piccin.

“This year [at nationals] I would like us to place in the top ten again, and I truly believe that top five is attainable,” said Piccin.

Having made an appearance at nationals for the past four years, the team is extremely optimistic about their chances and aims to beat their standing of sixth overall in last year’s competition.

“I went to nationals twice and they were both amazing experiences. I love working throughout the year for that main goal because it’s the best feeling when you get

to the mat at the end,” said junior Victoria Galvin.

The team has a strong support system and are pushed to overcome any limitation.

The ultimate goal is for the team to have no regrets when looking back on their college careers as Sacred Heart athletes.

“I tell them I am not going to settle for mediocrity. I know they can do better than mediocre,” said Piccin.

Cheerleading requires a level of support and spirit that the athletes believe few other sports can replicate.

“It’s the only sport you’re actually cheering for the other teams to do well. I see my team watch other teams in their division hit perfect routines and my girls being like ‘Good job you got it’,” said Piccin. “It’s insane that in this world of competing against each other you feel so good when someone hits a perfect routine or does something to save a stunt from coming down.”

In looking into next year’s potential, Piccin has the highest of hopes for her team.

“The real backbone of our team is our juniors, so it will be really exciting next year when they are all seniors. This team is insanely motivated and talented. There is not a person on the team preparing for nationals that doesn’t practice harder each day,” said Piccin.

With the right attitude, drive, and motivation coming from both the coaches and athletes alike, the team is hoping to achieve great things not only on the competitive level, but in making a difference in the lives of each of its student-athletes as well.

“I truly hope to build confidence in my student athletes. When they become more confident they start to believe in themselves and what they can accomplish. This is a young team, an energized team, and a team that’s all in. I feel fortunate to be their coach,” said Piccin.

The team is united and eager to help each other succeed.

“I really could not see myself not cheering. It is a huge part of my life and I met all of my best friends on cheer. The team is not really like a team: it’s more of a family,” said Galvin.

December 2, 2015

The Sacred Heart Spectrum

Sports

MEMBERS OF THE CHEERLEADING TEAM CHEER ON THE BASKETBALL TEAM AT THE CROSSTOWN CLASSIC

Sports | 12

MARK CONRAD/SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY