FREE | Take one Week of February 29, 2012 | Vol. 37, Iss 8
The
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The Independent Student Newspaper of Fairfield University The Reflection of Fairfield
Bridgeport Clubs Threaten Student Safety By Courtney Todd Contributing Writer
Students who frequent clubs in Bridgeport might want to think twice the next time they decide to head out there for the night. Police are now investigating a drive-by shooting that occurred shortly after 2 a.m. on the morning of Saturday Feb. 25 near Club Lo on the corner of Bostwick Avenue and Pine Street. Of the two men that were wounded, one died late Tuesday night, according to the Connecticut Post. Bridgeport police said the victim is a 23-year-old Bridgeport resident. The other victim, who was shot in the buttocks, was also treated at Bridgeport Hospital and later released, reported by the Connecticut Post on Monday. Police on patrol heard multiple gunshots shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday and found the two suspects sitting in their car in front of the nightclub. On Sunday investigators said that a vehicle with passengers was waiting for one of the victims, and when the victim approached the car the suspects opened fire. Sources say the shooting could be gang related but no police officials could be reached for comment. This raises the question; will students still feel comfortable going to clubs and other events in Bridgeport post shooting? “I definitely don’t want to go to
Peter Caty/The Mirror
With a recent shooting in areas close to clubs frequented by Fairfield students, the question remains: Is Bridgeport a safe place for students to spend their weekends?
Bridgeport clubs anymore,” said Nicole Kizielewicz ’14, “I heard about it being sketchy sometimes but I didn’t think there was any harm in going and thought it would be fun, but now after the shooting it is way more dangerous than I thought.” This shooting comes at an interesting time. It was released on Tuesday afternoon that musical events Avicii and Barstool Blackout will both be coming to Bridgeport’s Webster Bank
Arena this April. Others disagree with Kizielewicz. “I would still feel safe at Webster Bank Arena because it’s not a shady setting. We go there for basketball games all of the time,” said Kristin Dangler ’14. Nevin Zais ’14 says he would definitely still feel safe as well. But what many students might not realize is the close proximity of the site of the shooting to Webster
Bank Arena. The corner of Bostwick Avenue and Pine Street is a mere five minutes from the Arena. John Ritchie, assistant director of the Department of Public Safety, said that after sending out an alert about the shooting he can only hope that students will be more aware of their surroundings. “This brings awareness to the forefront, but I don’t think students are scared,” he said.
Ritchie also advises students to always travel in groups, avoid areas with high crime rates and stay in welllit areas. “Going to the club itself isn’t nerveracking,” said Kelsey Mullane ’15, “The worst part is getting to the club from your car or a cab. People know that there is a lot of crime in Bridgeport but most students are in denial that anything bad will happen while they’re there.”
Canisius Bomb Scare Reassessed 10 Years Later
By Tom Shea Assistant Sports Editor
Martin O’Sullivan/The Mirror
Guess Who Won?
FUSA Election | page 2
A shoebox. Tin foil. Wire. That was all that was needed to send panic through the region and destroy a university’s sense of security. Ten years ago this m o n t h , Patrick Arbelo walked into Dr. Elizabeth Dreyer’s “Voices of Medieval Women” class in Canisius Hall, and with an apparent bomb in his hands, held the class hostage for over six hours. With the help of Fairfield Police, as well as federal agencies including the FBI, all of the hostages were eventually released, and Arbelo was brought into custody shortly before 11 p.m. “The first experience (I felt) was surprise,” said Dr. Dreyer, talking about when Arbelo came into her classroom, “The second feeling was disbelief. We were thinking ‘Is this really happening?’ because it was so out of the ordinary.” Since that day, there have been no incidents here on campus that have garnered nearly as much state and national attention, but the event does bring forth some interesting questions. How effective was that hostage situation actually handled? What
Danica Ceballos/The Mirror
Hostages were held on the third floor of Canisius during the bomb scare.
could’ve been better or what could have changed? Is Fairfield ready in the event that another hostage situation were to occur on campus? There are mixed responses when it comes to these questions. According to Todd Pelazza, the director of Public Safety at the University, “We are much better prepared for a crisis situation today than we were back in 2002.” Despite being overall pleased
with how the negations went and how the situation turned out, Pelazza did admit to some areas that could have been better handled. “First and foremost, we would’ve gotten the message out,” says Pelazza. “For example, we told our dispatchers to not give out any information. We realize today that is not the right method. You want to get the word out as
Anniversary| page 3
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
News
Page 2
2012 FUSA ELECTION COVERAGE
The Results Are In!
Mirror Staff
Robert Vogel ‘13 maintains his title as FUSA President
By Jennifer Lance Contributing writer
Santorum. Romney. Paul. Gingrich. There are a total of four Republican presidential candidates currently vying for the Republican nomination in the 2012 presidential election, and press coverage of the race thus far has proven cutthroat, to say the least. This aggressive competition among opponents is what one would expect of a race for the presidency. Unless, of course, we are talking about the 2012 presidential elections for the Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA). Held yesterday in the lower level of the Barone Campus Center, elections for positions within FUSA featured a particularly empty ballot. Beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 7:30 p.m., votes were cast by Fairfield students to determine FUSA’s pending presidential, vice presidential, and senatorial positions. But with only one candidate for president, the incumbent Rob Vogel ’13, and one candidate for vice president, Mark Evans ’13, ballot results left little to the imagination. Vogel, however, explained that running unopposed did little to directly change campaign strategy for either rising senior. “We didn’t want to take it lightly or make it seem like we were backing into the position,” he said.
The newly elected president went on to explain that this, in itself, exemplifies one particular modification he plans to initiate during his next term. In an effort to combat this year’s decreased enthusiasm surrounding elections, Vogel is interested in making FUSA elections one of the principal FUSA events of the year. “If people are excited about elections, than it means we’re on the right track,” Vogel said, concluding that this is a good foundation for any successful organization. In all, the event’s voter turnout totaled slightly fewer than 500 students, which, according to Chair of Programming Katie Shields ‘12, proves average. This modest showing, however, is a detail Vogel would like to see change. And while past elections saw multiple contenders struggling for the esteemed titles of president and V.P., this year’s election saw competition only in the race for senatorial positions. Composed according to graduation year, FUSA Senate offers five positions for representation per grade. A total of 15 candidates competed for ten slots between the classes of 2014 and 2015, seven candidates and eight candidates, respectively. Of these, the winners were announced as follows: For the class of 2013: Edward Lynch, Matt Mastrianni, John Soldano, Mike Elwell and Peter Lyons. For the class of 2014: Paul O’Brian, Alex Long, Nicoletta Richardson, and
Samatha Hart. (The fifth position will be determined with a revote). For the class of 2015: Timothy Manning, Christina Barry, Alex Cucchi, Kaitlin McEwan, and Casey DelBasso. The announcement naming the winning Senate representatives, along with Vogel and Evans as newly elected president and vice president, was made at the Levee shortly after elections, at 9 p.m. Despite the assurance that both were guaranteed the presidential and vice presidential positions, Vogel and Evans plan to work hard in their positions in the coming year. At the after-party that followed, the serving president took a minute out of celebrating to speak about what lies ahead for the student association. “There’s definitely a disconnect present with respect to students and administration,” Vogel said, noting that he looks to bridge this gap in his coming term. Evans agreed. “On a very broad spectrum, I want students outside of FUSA to get involved. It’s supposed to represent the students.” Vogel said that at the root of this year’s election process lays the fuel for a stronger student organization next year. In other words: the more involved the student body, the stronger FUSA as an organization can be. Concluded the current president: “The more we can get people excited, the better.”
Martin O’Sullivan/The Mirror
Vogel greeted the announcement of his continued presidency with a winning smile.
Thought the FUSA Elections Were Over? Think Again.
By Martin O’Sullivan Editor-in-Chief According to the FUSA Election Code, a tie means that "a run-off election will be held between the tied candidates within seven days of the original election." Although the positions of president and vice-president were left unchallenged, class senator roles necessitated student votes for a decision. And as a result, Harry Cintineo '14 and Astrid Quiniones '14 tied with exactly 87 votes each for the position of 2014
class senator. To remedy this indecision, a second election opened to members of the class of 2014 next Tuesday in the Lower Level BCC from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The FUSA Election Code further states that “all policies hat apply for General Elections also apply for any run-off elections.” This includes policies regarding posting flyers and campaigning near voting grounds. Be sure to follow @MirrorFairfield and @FUSA47 for the results of the extended FUSA elections! Martin O’Sullivan/The Mirror
By holding forums like “What’s the Fuss,” Vogel expressed his goal of increasing students’ passion towards FUSA.
News
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
Page 3
10 Year Anniversary of Canisius Hostage Crisis Continued from page 1
soon as you can and as accurately as possible.” A communication breakdown occurred not only between law enforcement and the public, but also between the different law agencies. The switchboard for both Public Safety and Fairfield Police were inundated and overwhelmed, according to Pelazza, which added to the confusion. As a result, Public Safety now utilizes a unified command system that streamlines communication between the different branches of authority in the event of another crisis. One thing that Public Safety now boasts is an incident command system and a crisis management team, which is set up so every member of the department knows what to do. Pelazza was also pleased with their efforts to get the hostages and their families in immediate contact with counselors and added that the creation of the StagAlert system is one of the vast improvements from the previous incident. Lieutenant James Perez of the Fairfield Police Department, who
was on the scene back in 2002 as a member of the SWAT team, shared Pelazza’s regrets about not having a plan already in place. “The one thing I wish we had done is I wish we had a protocol in place for that type of situation,” said Perez. “We would have had the press better informed and at a distance. We also had politicians come down, and they were able to walk freely, almost within 300 feet from the bomber, and we’ve learned that’s not a good thing.” Fairfield Police have also trained a special team for that kind of situation, said Perez, and they have a great relationship with state and federal agencies, allowing them to work more quickly in times of crisis. However, not everyone has the same opinion on the matter. Dr. Donald Greenberg, a politics professor, has greatly criticized the handling of the situation on the whole. “It was the most disgraceful overreaction, and Patrick Arbelo was a victim of the nervous mentalities following 9/11. It was the hysteria of 9/11 which caused this,” said Dr. Greenberg. “People knew that it was Patrick in the room, and anyone who knew Patrick knew what a
troubled young man he had been. He was legally blind, there was no way on God’s good earth that Patrick could’ve put together a functioning bomb, and people should’ve known that.” “I don’t care what they say about ‘We couldn’t take any chances’ or any stuff like that, we knew who the person was,” said Greenberg. “Patrick needed to be dealt with medically, not criminally.” Dr. Greenberg was especially unhappy with how the authorities were quick to label what Patrick had as a bomb, considering his background. “He was legally blind… he had no technical skills whatsoever, he had no science courses. If you looked at the box, which you could see through the window, you would’ve realized what a joke it was,” said Greenberg, “…he had this silly little box that no more could be a bomb than I could be Mr. America. It was just an absurdity.” Todd Pelazza thought law enforcement was justified when they acted the way they did. “We did not know this at the time, but it was a facsimile bomb, which was in perfect working order, but did not contain any explosives. We had to act as
if it was a real bomb.” In addition to being critical of how the situation itself was handled, Dr. Greenberg attacked the administration for not handling the events that followed any better. “They put the kid in jail, and let him rot in jail for close to two years…. Our university and our president [Kelley] and our upper administration did nothing to stop that, they did nothing to interfere,” according to Greenberg. “Not only did we not act courageously, we acted in the most despicable way possible.” “Any attempt we make to argue that we needed to do it because it was the age of terror, is somewhere between mendacity, hypocrisy, and just trying to cover yourself for behavior that you knew was despicable on your part. I think it was handled terribly.” Dr. Dreyer was not critical of how the situation was handled, calling it “amazing”. However, she brought up another point: how many students are actually aware of this event happening ten years ago? “Most of our students don’t even know this happened,” said Dreyer. “I had one class where I brought it up as an example, and
Contributed Photo
Patrick Arbelo, an infamous graduate.
two out of 30 students had heard of it.” Whether students have heard of the Fairfield University bomb scare or not, Lt. Perez wants students and the community to be aware, so that it doesn’t have to be relived. “Everyone must be security conscious . . . to prevent something like this from ever happening. Nothing actually happened [in 2002] but it could’ve been horrible,” said Perez. “It is important that if students see something that is not normal, then let us know.”
Build-A-House Program Expands
By Zachary Albert Contributing writer
Danica Ceballos/The Mirror
Members of the Gender, Sex, and Sexuality Commons, Jesus Nunez ‘14, Alex Cody ‘12, Alicia Bissonnette ‘12, Marissa Tota ‘12, Astrid Quinones ‘14 and Rachel Lang ‘14 pose for a picture.
Students Compete to go to D.C. By Mary Kate McCormick staff writer
How many Fairfield University students can say they have been in the White House? A group of Fairfield student advocates is trying to get there. Rachel Lang ‘14, Marissa Tota ‘12, Alex Cody ‘12, Alicia Bissonnette ‘12, Jesus Nunez ‘14 and Astrid Quinones ‘14 are nominated for a national award and they need your help. Rachel Lang and five of her classmates formed Fairfield University’s Gender, Sex, and Sexuality Commons (GSSC) over the course of the past year. The group entered a nationwide contest sponsored by the White House and MTVU Campus Champions of Change Challenge and is now in the Top 15 finalists. This competition is for student groups who are committed to
President Barack Obama’s quest for change. Currently, GSSC is the only LGBTQ advocacy group in the finals, according to a University press release last week. According to a mission statement posted by the group on feministing.com: “Student leaders felt that it was not always hate that fueled the acts of intolerance, but ignorance. Therefore, they set out to create a safe space to converse about not only LGBTQ issues, but any issues pertaining to gender, sex, or sexuality.” Creating a “safe space” for students to speak freely about LGBTQ issues would alleviate the intolerance and overall create a more diverse, open Fairfield community. According to the article GSSC is currently collaborating other students groups at Fairfield that deal with LGBTQ rights and gender issues and will be conducting
a film screening of Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s “Miss Representation” on March 5, among other upcoming events. According to Lang, “students will be sitting outside of Jazzman’s with laptops having student vote all week.” They will be collecting these votes from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. But Fairfield students aren’t the only ones who can decide the fate of this student organization. It is currently up to a public vote to decide the top five contest winners who will be invited to an event at the White House and featured by MTVU and MTV Act. By going to https://campuschallenge.uservoice.com/ forums/148562-campus-champions-of-change-challenge and casting your vote, students can help Lang and her team to make it to Washington, D.C.
The decrease in the Sophomore Residential Colleges from five to three attracted the attention of many students. However, while other Living and Learning communities are shrinking, the junior and senior Build-A-House program is adding housing locations both on and off campus. When Nathan Lubich, assistant director of Residence Life, began working with the Build-A-House program in the 2008-09 school year, there were only four participating houses. Now, as Fairfield prepares to choose housing assignments for the 2012-13 school year, the program has been expanded to include not only the townhouses, but also all other upper-class housing options and even the off-campus beach community. Lubich commented on the expansion of the program, saying that it was a result of the wider variety of upper class housing offered this year. “Reflecting the fact that we have a lot of new and exciting housing options for both juniors and seniors, we made a very intentional effort this year to highlight the fact that the Build-A-House program was not just for people living in the Townhouses,” said Lubich. Build-A-House is one of only two Living and Learning options offered to upperclassmen. The other is the Manresa House. Build-A-House is unique because, unlike other communities, the program allows students to create their own housing themes. According to the Build-A-House application, “Juniors and seniors wishing to live together are asked to identify a theme they are passionate about that
benefits our campus community in a positive way.” Upon acceptance to the program, students receive University funding to plan and implement four programs for the Fairfield community based on their chosen theme. Another perk which is likely responsible for the growing popularity of the program is the fact that BuildA-House participants receive priority housing. This means that while other juniors and seniors are fighting for position in the lottery process BuildA-House students have already chosen their townhouse or apartment. Howard Rosas ‘14, applied for the program with several friends. He said, “I am looking forward to getting more involved in something I am interested in. Plus, the opportunity to pick my house early is nice.” The advantages of the program, combined with the expanded housing options offered by it, seem to be grabbing the attention of rising juniors and seniors. Lubich remarked that the Office of Residence Life “had a great turnout in terms of applications this year.” Lubich also commented, however, that although the program may be growing in scope and popularity, the number of accepted students is likely to remain constant. “As far as how the Build-A-House program affects housing for juniors and seniors,” he said, “I don’t think we’ll expect anything different … than we’ve seen the past few years as the number of accepted houses is likely to stay consistent with the number accepted the past few years.” The junior and senior lottery nights are likely to be just as significant and passionate as they have been in past years because of a consistency in the acceptances of the Build-A-House program.
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
News
Page 4
Campus Crime Beat
Friday, 2/10 4:19 p.m. As students boarded buses the Service for Justice retreat, Department of Public Safety officers smelled an odor like Marijuana at 70 McCormick Road. Officers traced the scent to students on one of the buses with Marijuana-infused brownies in their possession. Saturday, 2/18 2:18 a.m. A rock was thrown through a window at Townhouse 12 block. No suspects have been identified.
Loud bangs were heard in the Quad as two students discharged fireworks. A DPS officer heard one of the students ask, “Where should I light it?” shortly before identifying those responsible. 3:33 p.m. 35 pairs of vibrantly-colored underwear and two bras were stolen out of the Loyola Hall laundry room. The intimate wear was taken from two separate dryers. Saturday, 2/25
1:14 a.m. A Domino’s Pizza delivery man reported car keys and a GPS system stolen from his vehicle while parked near Townhouse 5 block. No suspects have been identified in the incident.
10:47p.m. Wine, vodka, and a variety of beers were discovered by DPS in Kostka Hall at a room that was playing loud music. 10:49 p.m. DPS found several underage individuals drinking in Campion Hall. One student was hospitalized in the incident for possible alcohol poisoning.
Vandalism
Regis Hall: Garbage can and toilet paper thrown from second floor bathroom Sunday, 2/19 window; permanent marker scribbled on 1st 1:37 a.m. floor corridor wall. A resident in Jogues walked in on several students Gonzaga Hall: Sink torn from wall in 1st floor socializing in his room. The student’s bed had been north side bathroom. taken from the room and was found in a stair well. StuJogues Hall: 2 damaged Exit signs, 2 door windows brodents involved were referred to Student Conduct. DPS ken. would like to remind students to lock their doors. Claver Hall: “USC GTOWN” carved into card-access door. Dolan Campus: 4 damaged Exit signs; 2 car hoods Monday, 2/20 scratched. 2:14 a.m. 42 Bellermine Road: Hole kicked into 3rd floor wall Those with any information about these incidences are encouraged to report it to DPS.
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Saturday March 3 Fairfield University’s Cross Country team will host the 2nd annual Stag 5k beginning at 10 a.m. near Lessing Field. Sunday March 4 2012 Health and Wellness Showcase will inform students on how to care for their bodies. Monday March 5Miss Representation Screening by Jennifer Siebel Newsom will discuss the underrepresentation of women by mainstream media.
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News
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
Page 5
Is Anorexia A Female Disease? Think Again. By Nicoletta Richardson Contributing Writer
What do Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan, Billy Bob Thorton and Elvis Presley have in common? They have all suffered from eating disorders. While eating disorders in females are often identified, male celebrities are not publicized as much but they too have fallen victim to the same disease. In 2008, a student was diagnosed with an eating disorder after witnessing many female schoolmates obsessing over how “fat” they were. Currently receiving treatment four years later at age 14, Avi Sinai is one of many males who have suffered from anorexia nervosa. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, anorexia nervosa is a “life-threatening eating disorder”, but sex or gender is not mentioned. Compared to women, men tend to be more secretive about anorexia due to cultural and social expectations within their own society. Thinness amongst women is advertised within the media, allowing them to battle with weight issues without it being socially unacceptable. An msnbc.com article that was posted February 22nd titled “Boys dying to be thin: the new face of anorexia” is evidence of the spreading of “manorexia” awareness. According to the article, ed-
ucating children to live healthy lives and deliver the message without triggering unhealthy habits is the way to prevent not only males who suffer from anorexia, but people all around the world. It is reported that men who are athletic, have gender issues, act out certain personality traits or are obese are more likely to become anorexic. These situations that lead to the eating disorder depends on what is culturally acceptable within their society. In America, boys become aware within adolescence of their expected cultural image. “From a very young age, boys are surrounded with media message of what they should look like,” said Sondra Kronberg, co-founder of Eating Disorder Associates Treatment and Referral Centers. “Action figures present subtle message of unrealistic Photo Illustration by Nick DiFazio/The Mirror role models of well-sculpted, Contrary to common belief, many men, also experience societal pressures to monitor their weight and muscle mass. heavily muscled, ‘perfect’ bodies that little boys see as their role models.” plete out of control,” Warschef- ders” from October of 2005 talk- there has been recent evidence TJ Warschefsky, who was sky’s mother said, “The illness ed about the increase in number of an increase in men seeking a star athlete and a straight-A takes control, and they become of men developing anorexia. The medical help. student, died at the age of 22 in possessed.” article states that the number of Dr. Jennifer Hagman, who 2007 after an eight year battle Due to males often being men who are developing eating has been running the eating with anorexia nervosa. Accord- too ashamed to seek help when disorders is increasing because disorder program at Children’s ing to his mother, Warschefsky dealing with anorexia nervosa, of society’s “ideal” image. Hospital Colorado, said that it didn’t strive to become skinny, past records reported by docIn study conducted in 2007, was uncommon to see male pabut wanted perfectionism and tors show that by the time males one in four people suffering tients five years ago. had desire for control through go to a hospital to receive treat- from an eating disorder were Now, she always sees one to achieving rock hard abs. ment, they have become too male, surpassing the reported 10 three boys in the program, with “I think there’s a point in physically sick. percent of males out of the total the majority of them being victhis illness where the obsession A CBS News article titled anorexic population. According tims of society’s obsession with and the control turns to com- “More Men Facing Eating Disor- to Children’s Hospital Colorado, appearance and an ideal image.
Future of the RecPlex Will Address Student Concerns By Salvatore Trifilio Contributing Writer
Rusty weights. Broken machines. Missing pins. These are three things you are guaranteed not to find when you walk into the Fairfield University varsity student-athlete weight room, located in the Walsh Athletic Center. But, trek across campus to the student weight-room in the RecPlex, and behold a completely different sight. If you’ve never been to the student weight room, take a look at page two from last week's Mirror. Can’t find a copy of the previous paper? Ask any of your friends that use the weight-
room. “I feel like I need to get a tetanus shot after every time I work out down there,” said sophomore Christopher Del Vecchio, ’14. Del Vecchio was not alone in voicing a strong opinion about the condition of the student weight room. “It’s disgusting,” said sophomore Jeffery Temple, ’14, “The weights are rusty and the place is a mess … it’s just really hard to lift down there.” Director of Recreational sports, programs and facilities Philip J. Palumbo M.A. believes students are responsible for racking their own weights and taking care of their weight room, resting blame for the conditions
on the students. “Students will say, ‘Well, why should we take care of the weight room when the university doesn’t?’ But that’s not the case,” said Palumbo, referring to previous extensive renovations done to the weight room. Palumbo explained that the dumbbells in the student weight room are between seven and eight years old, which he cited as “pretty new” for weights. He continued that they “should” last a long time, adding that the rust is a result of poor ventilation in the weight room. However, he was also sympathetic to the students needs as well. “Do they deserve a better fa-
Danica Ceballos/The Mirror
The current weight room in the RecPlex has broken machines and scattered weights, making it difficult for students to safely and to effectively work out.
Contributed by Cannon Design
Latest plans for RecPlex renovations include an entire second story in addition to various upgrades to existing equipment.
cility? Yes,” said Palumbo. David Frassinelli, Associate Vice President of Facilities Management, also believes that non student-athletes have a “right” to a higher quality fitness facility such as the Walsh Athletic Center. Frassinelli explained that the approximately $20 million renovation to the Rec Plex, which includes the student weight room that was renovated in the summer of 2010, is in its beginning stages. Zoning and planning has been passed by the town of Fairfield and the plans are currently under review by the State Traffic
Commission. Frassinelli does not foresee any complications with regards to the State Traffic Commission. The project, which Frassinelli estimates to take about 15 months to complete once construction is under way, has no set timetable, leaving some students to speculate if this will be done in their time here at Fairfield. Taking into account the current budget deficit and the way the administration has handled the controversy, Gianluca Iaboni ‘14 said, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
News
Page 6
Photo Illustration by Nick DiFazio/The Mirror
Being the second year that the movie series in Gonzaga Auditorium occurs on Friday nights, students debate as to whether or not the program is successful and attractive to the Fairfield community.
Where Do You Want to be on Friday Night?
By Robert hagstrom contributing writer
The Friday Night Movie Series has always been a relaxing and entertaining program to start the weekend off after a hard fought battle with the books. Its purpose not only accomplishes this, but also serves as an outlet for those who don’t want to participate in other activities that are highly popular on a Friday night. Even though the series provides an outside source of entertainment, it has been called into question as to whether or not the student body en-
joys its presence. Is Friday night the best night to show them? Are students even interested in them being shown? These questions center on the idea that the movie series isn’t being fully taken advantage of by the student body. For college students who are looking to release a lot of built up energy developed over the course of a week, maybe going to see a movie isn’t what’s on their minds. The topic of advertising the movies should be taken into account as well. Yes, there are posters dis-
played around the campus that list the movies, and dates. Yes, e-mails are sent out to the student body emphasizing the same message. On the other hand, are these strategies the best way to spread the word about them? It might not be that students aren’t interested in the movies, but that they simply can’t remember that they’re being shown. Kalee Brunelle’14 said, “I think that 70 percent of the movies shown are appealing, but they need to be better advertised. They should send the e-mail out on the Friday that it is
showing instead of at the beginning of the week. People forget.” This is the second year that the Friday Night Movie Series has run consistently throughout the academic school year. In prior years, movies were still shown in the Gonzaga A-uditorium on Friday nights, but infrequently. After a year and a half of Friday night movies, maybe it’s time to determine how students feel about them. Taylor Trenchard ‘14 who has attended five movie showings this year said, “I think that the Movie Se-
ries is a good option for something to do on Friday nights.” In contrast, Danyella Hernandez ‘14, who has only been to two movie showings this year said, “These movies aren’t appealing to our age group.” Some of the top featured films that have been showed this semester are “Remember the Titans,” “Drive,” and “Moneyball.” Movies that will be shown later this semester include “Tower Heist”, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.”
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This Monday night in BCC Mezz from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m., come to the FUSA info session! Talk with current members to learn about different positions and opportunities that are available for next year.
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
Opinion
Online
Send your thoughts to opinion@fairfieldmirror.com.
editorial
fairfieldmirror.com
Page 7
Opinion | 7 Editor: Elizabeth Koubek opinion@fairfieldmirror.com
Martin O'Sullivan |Editor-in-Chief Loan Le |Executive Editor
Confronting Hate
On Sept. 22, 2010, Rutgers University college freshman Tyler Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge and ended his life. As the media world raced to cover his death, people began to learn more about what had happened. Clementi was gay. His roommate, Dharun Ravi, and Ravi's friend Molly Wei, had spied on him and his lover through a webcam. Ravi commented about the incident on Twitter. He tried to use the webcam again. Somehow, Clementi found out about this invasion of privacy. Three days later, after leaving his wallet on the bridge, Clementi jumped. The cause of this terrible suicide is said to be a hate crime. Ravi's trial is ongoing. An article on The New York Times says that his lawyer argues Ravi was just acting foolishly. Prosecutors counter this by saying that Ravi is homophobic. If Ravi is convicted on counts of invasion of privacy and hate crime, he might receive up to 10 years in jail. Earlier this month, Fairfield University experienced another sort of crime that could be equally dangerous to the morale of the student body if it is not put to an end. Someone decided to carve racial slurs and an anti-Semitic symbol on one of the plaques in Claver Hall. To our knowledge, no one has been punished for this crime. Though it is integral for the perpetrator to be apprehended, this pervasiveness of such hate on the campus should also be stemmed. The Mirror is glad to know that since our coverage of the Feb. 3 incident in our Feb. 8 issue, entitled in the article "Anonymous Vandal Strikes Claver," the student body has risen to fight such discrimination. On flyers and emails, students might have seen information about "Students Act Against," which is a forum scheduled for Thursday March 1 at 7:30 p.m. in LLBCC. Service for Justice and other campus organizations hope to spread awareness about the hatred that still pervades in society. The forum wants students to "come listen and share personal stories, grievances, and strategies for change." We at The Mirror do not condone bullying that targets race, gender, or sexual orientation. It's hateful. It's despicable. The students of this campus need to be part of the change to stop such hate because bullying at a minuscule level can hurt other's emotions, but on a larger and more devastating scale, it can lead to someone's death.
Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down
• J.K. Rowling is releasing • Derek Needham broke an adult novel soon. his foot and is out for the remainder of the season. • Avicii is coming to Bridgeport this April.
• Ohio high school shooting this past Monday resulted in three deaths.
• Fairfield has increased security therefore decreased potential harm.
• Ten-year anniversay of student holding class hostage in Canisus.
• Steve Urkel is joining next seasons "Dancing with the Stars" cast.
• Astroid heading towards earth might hit in 2040.
• The weather apparently • It's probably going to thinks spring came early snow or rain today. this year.
Vincent Ferrer/The Mirror
Do you think the media is affecting students' perception of drinking? Have an opinion about something? Send us your thoughts at opinion@fairfieldmirror.com
Simulated Drinking Becomes a Reality By Caleigh Tansey Contributing Writer
The media has been influencing our lives since Myspace took control in the year 2003. Even before social media started clouding our brains, reality television and movies have been establishing themselves in our lives. We've quoted many characters and we've dressed the part for Halloween. It is no surprise that Mike Stoolmiller, Ph.D. at the University of Oregon in Eugene and some of his colleagues published an online study of U.S. adolescent’s intake of alcohol from a comparative standpoint of media and family predictors. The study shows over the course of two years how much media, movies and alcohol-related merchandise seemed to impact the drinking habits of teenagers between 10 to 14 years of age. The experiment was a digital phone survey done with trained interviewers. The social aspect of drinking in college, without a doubt, has an effect on the way in which drinking habits develop throughout a student’s four years. Movies and the media affect adolescents up to the point of entering college, as shown in the University
of Oregon study. “I used to always think that’s what college was going to be like…frat life," says Ashli Kravarik ’12. Peer pressure was also seen as a factor that leads to binge drinking in the teen years. It is known on college campuses across the country as hazing and has been brought to the attention of many administrators. “I think the media can influence underage drinking, but not as much as everyone thinks," says Mike Gabrielli ’15. “I feel as though the media can be a factor in deciding to underage drink or not, but its definitely not the deciding factor. I feel as though peer pressure influences drinking much more than the media.” Over the two-year period that this issue was being explored, they found that the amount of teenagers reporting drinking increased from 11 to 25 percent. The number who reported their binge drinking the numbers increased from 4 to 13 percent. The study further showed that from 532 “selected popular movies” there was an average of 4.5 hours showing partying and drinking. “I think the media popularizes some things through reality television specifically, but it is hard to gauge whether they take
the shows seriously and act out on them,” says Julia Harvey ’15. “I think middle schoolers take what they see on TV more seriously.” As for family influence, it was proven that having parents who drink affects when adolescents begin drinking and also makes it easier for the teens to obtain alcohol within the household. “I think younger generations start drinking at the same time we did," says Ashli Kravarik ’12. “They [adolescents] used to start drinking younger when our parents were our age. I think it’s the same.” This study was conducted in hopes of finding drinking habits related to media and movies. As for drinking on a college campus, media and movies may be the least of the issue. The movies and media portray college life as one big party; academics not included. Young adults are brought up to view the social life of college in this sense. With studies now being done on the affects of media and movies on drinking habits to young adults, hopefully, prevention can be taken to a new level with the issue, though it is inevitable rebellious teenagers may try what is forbidden to them.
The Mirror welcomes the opinions and contributions of its readers: Letters to the editor must be timely and submitted by email at info@fairfieldmirror.com or Box AA. All letters to the editor that are appropriate will be published either in print or online. The Mirror reserves the right to edit letters and articles for content, length and grammatical error. Letters should be free of obscenities and personal attacks and should contain correct and factual information not exceeding 500 words.
Notable and Quotable: "We also had politicians come down, and they were able to walk freely, almost within 300 feet of the bomber and we've learned that's not a good thing." - FPD Lt. James Perez, "Canisius Bomb Scare Reassessed 10 Years Later" pg. 1
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
Opinion
Page 8
Smart to Risk People Having More Kids? Maybe Not.
By Amber Nowak Former Chief Copy Editor
If you haven’t been keeping up with the news lately, you should know that the Obama administration has made a decision that all new health insurance plans must fully cover birth control for women as well as a number of other services without co-pays. That means a woman who is covered by health insurance, whether it be through her job or a school health care coverage, will not have to pay for a prescription to the pill or for the morning after pill. The coverage also includes breast pumps for nursing mothers, physicals that screen for cervical cancer viruses and for
diabetes during pregnancy, and counseling on domestic violence among other services. Of course, many are up in arms over the new mandate, mainly because it will require some religious employers to cover birth control in their employee’s health care plans. “In its present state, the health care bill is an affront to my religious freedoms,” Idaho Republican Rep. Carlos Bilbao commented in a Huffington Post article. I can’t see how that could be. To my understanding, the policy maintains that women who seek birth control methods do not have to pay for them. It does not force women to go on birth control. It does not force religious
affiliated organizations to keep some sort of candy dish full of condoms in the lobby. What the policy does do is make pricey but efficient methods of birth control available to people who wouldn’t be able to afford them otherwise. I pay a $15 co-pay with each month’s worth of prescription to Yaz, but some generic versions of the pill can cost about $9 a month, which amounts to $108 a year. For many, this is not a light sum, and birth control probably isn’t your top priority after food, shelter, clothing, and a mode of transportation. But maybe it should be. The other day I came across a news piece documented by CBN News, The Christian Broadcast-
ing Network. The story featured a Las Vegas elementary school principal who started raising charities from community donations for her students when she learned that 85 percent of the 600 students are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. She realized there was a problem when she saw two boys stuffing ketchup packets into their pockets to make “ketchup soup” for dinner. When I think about an entire bowl of ketchup, I feel sick. When I think about a kid eating a bowl of ketchup because it’s better than eating nothing, I feel like screaming and throwing rocks at people who let this happen. Where is the government intervention?
Christian Broadcasting Network covered a nice story about admirable acts of charity, but nowhere in the article or the televised feature, do they call for government action. Children are eating ketchup to survive, yet so many Christian speakers are outraged with the government over the issue of birth control. If you can’t afford to feed the kids you do have, you shouldn’t be having more. It’s common sense. Hence, why birth control should be affordable for everyone. Without this policy, there will still be vast numbers of women in the U. S. using contraceptives– the only difference is they’ll be women who can afford it. Vincent Ferrer/The Mirror
Letters to the Editor
Exploring atheism is a potential new topic coming to Fairfield in the upcoming year To the Editor: I read with great interest last week’s article regarding the potential of a course exploring atheism (“Exploring the Alternative: Atheism at a Catholic University”). I agree with my colleagues and students who feel that such a course is indeed appropriate at any university, including ours, which seeks to foster the free exchange of ideas. In fact, I will be proposing such a course in the coming year, and in what I would consider its obvious and natural home: the Department of History. Secularism is clearly a tradition within the field of intellectual history, and the European context which informs many aspects of our core curriculum is particularly rich in challenges to theism from various quarters. This topic is an important
one in European, American, and indeed World history. I will therefore be at work this spring and next fall to submit as a formal proposal a course with the working title: “Godless: Atheism and Skeptical Thought in the West.” To my colleagues: look for it at a curriculum committee meeting near you! To students: come one, come all! And remember, you need not be an atheist to study atheism, any more than you need to be a Catholic to study the history of the Church. Looking forward to engaging in this interesting discussion,
Patricia Behre, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History
To the Editor:
In response to Martin O'Sullivan's article on atheism: While there is no course titled “Atheism” in the Department of Religious Studies now, let me clarify that there is no policy against such a course. As is true of other academic departments, RS has a faculty, each of whom is hired to fill out our offerings in the field of religion. At a Jesuit and Catholic institution, of course, it is appropriate that we have experts in many fields of Christianity (theology, ethics, scripture, history) but we also have very active tenured faculty in Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism/Buddhism. Future hires in our department, when these are possible, will continue to expand our scope – perhaps an expert in Hispanic or African-American religions in the Americas, or a specialist in Chi-
nese religions, or a social ethicist. So, no “atheism?” Hardly. The RS department recognizes well the impact of various currents of contemporary culture, particularly the power of media story lines, as these shape all our sensibilities -faculty share this culture with our students and the rest of the Fairfield community. The recent form of modern atheism is one of these currents, as are various movements in humanism or non-religious spirituality, as well as the important voices within the field of religion that approach this study using the critical tools forged by scholars of race, gender, sexual orientation and class. In fact, the Introduction to Religious Studies course (“RS 10”), while taught in different ways by different faculty, almost always includes some context for placing “non-belief” (atheism, agnosticism, skepticism, etc.) as well as engaging serious challenges to re-
ligion and/or religious beliefs and practices. We have structured our contribution to the core curriculum so that this course serves as the gateway to thinking critically about all religions. Finally, note that the Religious Studies majors and minors seminar, to be offered by Paul Lakeland in the Fall of 2012, will be on the topic of “Belief and Unbelief.” There will be a few places available for other interested students (who have taken at least two other RS courses); if you are interested, contact Professor Lakeland. Or just sign up for a major or minor in Religious Studies! It’s a fascinating time to be studying religion!
Nancy Dallavalle, Ph.D. Chair, Department of Religious Studies
The Vine
{The Vine} THE 84TH
ACADEMY AWARDS
Celebrating Movies (without the drama) By Annemarie Veira Staff Writer Photo Illustration by Kelsey Guerin The Vine Editor
T
his past Sunday, the 84th Annual Oscars showed what the Oscars are supposed to be. Each year, the filmmaking industry gets together to celebrate the year’s achievement in film. Back in November, the Oscars had hit a speed bump when Eddie Murphy, their original choice, dropped out along with original choice for producer Brett Ratner, after Ratner had made some controversial remarks following a screening he had. Both declined the job in order to keep the
controversy away from the awards. The Academy then tapped Billy Crystal for the ninth time for the role of host. They thought a veteran would be more successful than last year's hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway. Many people have been arguing now, for a little over twelve hours (this article was written Monday morning, folks) on whether or not Crystal gave a good performance as host.
Oscars| page 10
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
The Vine
Oscars avoids controversy and focuses more on talent Continued from page 9
He did in fact do his signature song and dance medley about the nine feature films up for best picture, and he did do his classic montage of these films while inserting himself into some of these pictures signature scenes. Some viewers may have felt that it was too safe, and to a degree, I think it was. Within the past week, the Academy again had to dodge another bullet when Sacha Baron Cohen initially wanted to attend the Oscars as Admiral General Aladeen, his alter ego from his new film “The Dictator." The Academy had threatened to pull his tickets unless he attended the event as himself. Yet the “Aladeen” character managed to make his way down the carpet, carrying a fake urn of Kim Jong Il remains. Cohen proceeded to speak
Best Picture: "The Artist"
Actress in a Leading Role: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Actor in a Leading Role: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Actress in a Supporting Role: Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
The winners of the night were humble and insightful; many of their speeches included dedications to fellow actors and actresses. Some acknowledged great icons in the film industry who had passed on. The awards themselves were fairly split with "Hugo" and "The Artist," with both winning five awards. The most coveted award for Best Picture went to "The Artist." "Iron Lady" won two awards. The two most pleasantly surprising wins had to go to Christopher Plummer for Best Supporting Actor in "The Beginners," in which he celebrated his first win and also the title of being the oldest actor to win an Oscar at 82 years old.
Page 10 The award for Best Supporting Actress went to Octavia Spencer of "The Help." This calm ceremony, along with a breathtaking performance from Cirque du Soleil, who presented their own interpretation of what experiencing the movies is like, made the evening enjoyable. There wasn’t a point while watching the ceremony where I was outraged or disappointed. This year was a very good group of films and truthfully, they all deserved to win. Next year, if the Oscars can keep this exciting spirit alive with similar film choices and incorporate some of the flare in the past from Hugh Jackman’s hosting, their target audience will come in droves and the true film lovers will be satisfied. Tell us what you think at fairfieldmirror. com in the comments section.
with Ryan Seacrest of "E! News" and then dumped the entire contents of the urn on Seacrest and the red carpet. Even though Seacrest was clearly annoyed, he kept his composure as Cohen and his female company were escorted off the carpet by security. During the awards ceremony, it seemed that Cohen wasn’t present. Luckily, the incident was isolated, as Cohen wasn’t interviewed by any major network outlets and the incident aired strictly during E! Channel’s coverage. However, videos of the incident can be found on the internet. In respect to many other reviewers covering the Oscars, I understand their worries about Crystal’s performance as host and overall coverage of the show which was fairly straight-laced. Many were concerned that the targeted demographic of 18
to 24 year olds wasn't going to be reached. Crystal made fun of this idea by including Justin Bieber in his opening montage for the show. It’s obvious that for this year the Academy focused on the films and not on appealing to a demographic. The host succeeded in reminding viewers and the present audience alike that the Oscars celebrated the joys of filmmaking as well as the experience of watching films. For those of you who aren’t Oscar buffs, I have to admit that this year’s films spoke for themselves. We were all touched by some of the films including "The Help," "The Descendants," and "Moneyball." Many of us were captivated by films like "The Artist," "Hugo" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Directing:
Make Up:
"The Artist"
"The Iron Lady"
Documentary Feature:
Music (Original Score):
Sound Editing:
"Undefeated"
"The Artist"
"Hugo"
Documentary Short:
Music (Orginal Song):
Sound Mixing:
“Saving Face”
“Man or Muppet,” "The Muppets"
Christopher Plummer, "The Beginners"
Animated Feature Film: "Rango"
Cinematography: "Hugo"
Art Direction:
Film Editing: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Short Film Animated:
Costume Design:
Foreign Language:
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore"
"The Artist"
"A Separation," Iran
"Hugo"
Contributed Photo
Short Film Live Action: “The Shore”
"Hugo"
Visual Effects: "Hugo"
Writing (Adapted): "The Descendants"
Writing (Original): "Midnight in Paris"
Fairfield students show "Peace, Love and Soul" at Apollo By Nicoletta Richardson Contributing Writer
I
nspirational quotes by Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and President Barack Obama were
projected in the Gonzaga Auditorium while the audience awaited the start of “Night at the Apollo” last Saturday night. The event not only celebrated Black History Month, but also highlighted the talent at
Fairfield University. Amongst the many influential African American historical figures who were being recognized that night, there was special acknowledgment to three people who
Contributed Photo
The male a capella singing group The Bensonians were one of the student groups who performed at Night at the Apollo.
passed away in early 2012. There was a page within the program titled “In Honor of the Late Great," which honored the memories of Etta James, Don Cornelius and Whitney Houston. “Peace, Love and Soul” was the theme for last Saturday's 4th Annual Apollo Night, sponsored by the Office of Residence Life. Dressed in a plaid suit and a cowboy hat, Ian Brown '14 opened up the night by dancing to “Jump On It” by Sir Mix-A-Lot. The enthusiastic crowd responded eagerly to the sound of the upbeat music. A great variety of singing, dancing, poetry-slamming and lipsyncing made up the first six performances of the night, showing the diverse talent amongst students. Sweet Harmony, the University's all-female singing ensemble, lived up to their name with their “When I Fall in Love” a cappella. A guitar and singing duet cover of
the contemporary song “We Found Love” followed, along with the song “Just a Kiss” from Fairfield Idol winner Mica Diamond Munn '15. Three of the Omega Phi Kappa Fraternity members, also known as the Distinguished Gentlemen, went onstage next. Before the audience knew it, voices similar to those of Kanye West, Jay Z and American soul singer Otis Redding filled the Gonzaga Auditorium. Next, Jessica Mendes '14 poetry-slammed and Crystal Rodriguez '14 sang to the lyrics of “Fantasize." The Fairfield University Elegant Ladies, dressed in all black with green ties, finished the first act by dancing, stomping, dialoguing, and acting in their original performance “Elegant, Sexy and Phierce." After a short break, a dancing competition took place. Students danced to popular songs like “Teach Me How to Dougie," and
Apollo | page 11
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
The Vine
Page 11
Spring into Fashion
"Apollo" Continued from page 10
Bright colors, lace, and florals are this season's hottest trends By Caleigh Tansey Contributing Writer
S
pring Fashion Week 2012 has come and gone, and with an array of fashion shows in New York, Paris, Milan and London, there are exciting new trends that have hit the fashion wave for the spring season. Many old fashions have resurfaced as a hot, contemporary version of times past. The trends that many magazines and fashion designers have decided to mention for this season are floral prints, color blocking (bright colors as a bold statement), tangerines, pastels, birds, 1920s chic and more. The whole point of trends is to help show that your style keeps up with the times. With some of these
spring fashion trends, anything you pick up off the shelves this season should compliment the “new you” in the best fashion-forward way possible. Stefano Tonchi, the Editor in Chief for W Magazine, said, “Fashion, of course, is nothing without the women who actually bring the clothes to life.” Later on in his February Editor’s letter, he asked, “Good girls? Bad girls? Does it matter? This spring, you can play whichever role you please.” Whether you choose high fashion or affordable wardrobe, almost anything can look good if you wear it correctly. A trend that young women have been leaning toward -as a nod to 1920s fashion- is lace. For those seeking fashion insight from the spreads of high fashion designers, this season’s lace can be seen in ads from Valentino, Oscar De La Renta, Prada, Marc Jacobs and more. “I have been wearing a lot of black skinny jeans lately. That is a new trend,” said Caitlin Collins ’15. “I like both lace and floral prints; I have a couple of tops in those styles.” For college student budgets, Forever 21, H&M, Macy’s and local boutiques have the best finds for under $50. But aside from these stores, any of the spring trends mentioned can be found in this area. “This season’s trends are introducing a lot of bright and neon
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colors,” said Amanda Smyth ’12, a Michael Kors intern. “I have been looking at a lot of high fashion ads recently and I have been noticing a lot of these colors.” For those who go for the preppy, chic look, J.Crew never fails to satisfy. It is the place to start for color blocking and bold-color clothing. Although J.Crew can hit the bank account a little hard at times, they give respectable discounts to students shopping in their stores. “A lot of the accessories, like bags and necklaces and stuff, have been showing bright colors, too,” said Smyth. Animal prints have always been a fun print to work with, but this season, high fashion companies are pushing birds. These feather-winged friends offer lots of variety for how they can be worn. If you are flipping through the ads in magazines or shopping around, look out for colors inspired by birds’ vibrant hues or their silhouettes in general. Fashion for the spring of 2012 is going in the right direction. Bright colors, floral prints, lace, and pastel colors are only a few of the new trends talked about and as the year develops, the trends may change. This spring, these trends should be alive on Fairfield’s campus, and whether you are spending a lot or staying on a budget, there are so many ways to stay with the times.
Contributed Photos
Above: J. Crew provides a fashionable (although expensive) example of color blocking. Right: For $15.80. this trendy lace shirt from Forever 21 will keep even the most budget-conscious students fashionable.
the energy came to an all-time high when the audience applauded for their favorite dancer at the end of the competition. The second act had eight performances and started with the allmen Bensonians' singing and beat boxing. Students including Kenny Nwajagu '13, Jamaimah Omictin '12 and Rodriguez sang a variety of musical selections that complimented their original voices. Sarah Krikorian '14 sang “Keep Your Head Up” by Andy Grammer. “I chose to sing this song because I think it’s about loving yourself and not letting anything get in your way,” Krikorian said after the show. "I just focused on having fun up there. It was an experience I will never forget.” The Remixx Dance Team showed off their moves to a mix of songs that made up their number “Taste of Flavor," and the Distinguished Gentlemen made a second appearance with an ode to their fraternity. The last performance by Adavia Thornton '14 and Mendes was a back and forth poetry slam entitled “Dreams Are Illegal." The two students spoke about facing tough obstacles when attempting to accomplish dreams, and they encouraged the audience to never give up hope during tough times. The show ended with the inspirational words of Barack Obama: "If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress."
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The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
The Vine
Page 13
"A Separation:"
Exploring Iranian religion and secularism through film By Jon Lisi Contributing Writer
I
n every given year, a film seemingly emerges out of nowhere to complicate our notions of contemporary cinema and to remind us of the significance of the art form. Iranian director Ashgar Farhadi's "A Separation" is 2011's singular achievement. The film focuses on two families—one secular, one religious—who argue over a series of misunderstandings. As Farhadi's complicated yarn unfolds, he reveals pieces of information about the characters through which he tackles many issues that plague contemporary Iran. Farhadi uses the clash of two families to demonstrate the disconnect between the secular and the religious. According to Farhadi's vision, both the secular and the religious are well intended,
but they are also stubbornly onesided, and their refusal to compromise stifles all communication and bears dangerous repercussions. It is as if they are living on two separate planets. That, I believe, is what "A Separation" is really about, but because Farhadi's film is so masterful, these issues are hidden underneath the surface of a domestic drama. As the film opens, a married couple, Nader (Peyman Maadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami), explain the circumstances of their marriage before an Iranian judge. Simin wants to leave Iran and create a better life for her daughter, Termeh (Sarina Farhadi), in Europe, but Nader wants to stay behind to care for his father (AliAsghar Shabazi), who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Who is right? It doesn't matter. They both have a point, but as
Contributed Photo
Leila Hatami and Peyman Maadi play a struggling couple with conflicting viewpoints in Iranian movie "A Separation."
Farhadi suggests, righteousness is irrelevant, and what truly matters is practicality. The film ends and the audience exits the theater after Farhadi's camera lingers on a final shot of quiet chaos. Certain questions, however, linger in their minds. How do the secular and the religious co-exist? How do men deal with the descent of their privilege?
What about the rise of women's rights? What will ultimately become of Iran? I think that human beings are wired to question the state of things. Artists, then, may bring about these questions in hopes that one day someone will find the answers. I can't say that I've found the answers to Mr. Farhadi's ques-
tions, but I'm glad that he has the courage to ask them. "A Separation" is currently playing in New York City and will expand to more theaters in the subsequent weeks. Although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences failed to nominate this film for Best Picture, it did win the Academy award for Best Foreign Film.
"Wanderlust" keeps audiences laughing
By John Bykowsky Contributing Writer
I
went to see "Wanderlust" under the guise that I was going to get to see Jennifer Aniston's goods. They never appeared in their full glory. Despite that disappointment, watching "Wanderlust" was an uproariously good time. The film begins with George (Paul Rudd) getting fired from his NYC desk job. Stuck in an apartment that he can no lon-
ger afford, George and his wife, Linda (Jennifer Aniston), travel south to Georgia to move in with George’s brother, Rick. On the way down, a wrong left turn and a flipped car lands the couple at a hippie commune called Elysium. At Elysium, the drugs are good, the love is free, and things are simple. It doesn’t take long for the couple to question if the life they left is really one that they want to return to. While "Wanderlust" might sound like a serious, soul-
searching journey, it’s far from it. The film's painfully awkward humor will have you cringing in your seat in between bouts of laughter. Nothing is off limits for the "Wanderlust" writers. Soups made from a woman’s placenta and sex pep talks in guttural tones mark just another day in Elysium. The film is funny, but most of the jokes are about one thing-male anatomy. And though this is a typical Apatow-approach to get the box office bucks, "Wan-
derlust" seems to recycle the joke. Even Paul Rudd’s character has had enough of them by the end of film, asking, "Can’t I at least wake up one morning without a d*ck in my face?” Genitalia aside, though, "Wanderlust" is not what I was expecting. The previews bill the film as a romantic comedy, but the romance gets lost between the stampeding nudists and sophomoric humor. Every scene is humorous, but scenes don’t always add up to contribute to the
overall plot line. This makes the film sometimes seem like a long series of sketches. While previous Apatow-produced films mark the characters coming-of-age with some ostentatious event, "Wanderlust" just teeters out. This leaves the main characters none the more mature than when they started their journey. The good news about this film is that you could just as easily see it with your bros or your girlfriend, making it a safe bet for a night out.
Not even SEALs can save "Act of Valor"
By Richard O'Connor Staff Writer
I
couldn’t tell if this was a movie that was so bad that it appeared to be propaganda, or if it was propaganda passed off as a bad movie. "Act of Valor" shows the before, after and in between of the Navy SEAL commercials. It had so much potential: a film casting real, active members of our nation's premier special forces unit, which showed the contents of their mission and real acts of valor. What actually appeared on screen was poor in all departments: acting, directing and writing. The film was bereft of any human attachment. I’ll give the SEALs some credit; acting is not mission critical for them, so to put them up to high standards would be unfair. Although some earlier scenes of the movie where the soldiers interacted with their families showed sincerity, most of their acting seemed forced. Not that they had much to work with since the lines given
Contributed Photo
Even with thrilling skydiving stunts and exciting action sequences, "Act of Valor" falls short of the mark.
to them were horrible. When not saving the world from terrorists, "Act of Valor" spends its downtime trying to build some sort of emotional connection to two of the film's main characters. That is, if you could say that the movie had any “main” characters in the first place. Less than a quarter of the
movie is spent, in any way, on character development. Instead what you’re given is the SEALs being taken from one mission to the next, and maybe this is for the best. The writing was so unpleasant that to even think about having to sit through more than seven minutes of dialogue would make me cringe.
The only redeeming parts are the action sequences. On their forays into enemy territory, you’re shown the different tactics and technology employed, which is solidly entertaining if sometimes over the top. SEALs are air dropped into the Columbian jungle on a rescue mission and make a quick stop in a nuclear submarine before gather-
ing intel in East Africa. These parts are supposedly realistic. The SEALs were unhappy with the way they were being portrayed, so they were invited to play the characters themselves. If the SEALs really are unstoppable war beasts, then I guess they weren’t far off. The only SEAL I know was an absolute legend on my high school team for his savagery, so who knows. Whether I’d recommend that you see this movie or not depends on what you’re trying to get out of the experience. If you’re looking for some kind of catharsis, you won’t find it here. At an hour and fortyfive minutes, you’re kept waiting and trying to stay awake until the next action sequence. If you don’t really care about seeing the next Oscar worthy performance and you just want raw action, I’d say give it a shot. "Act of Valor" runs on pure, chest-beating American nationalism. So take it with a grain a salt, dumb yourself down a little bit and enjoy the movie.
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
The Vine
Better than fiction:
"Careless" album falls short
Author breathes life into collection of essays
By Richard O'Connor Staff Writer
S Contributed Photo
By Jeannine Nocera Contributing Writer
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yga just recently released his first album with Young Money Entertainment, "Careless World: Rise of the Last King." Comprised of 21 songs, the album has only eight with Tyga rapping by himself; the others are all collaboration tracks with different Young Money artists. “Rack City” peaked at number 8 on Billboard’s Top 100 list and is probably one of the best songs on the album, followed by “Faded” featuring Lil Wayne. The songs are not truly special, and after listening to the entire album, each one sounds strangely familiar to many rap songs by different artists such as Tyler the Creator. Tyga's style of rap isn’t special and doesn’t truly
provide a unique spin on the hiphop/rap genre. After hearing “Rack City," I thought that the album would follow the direction of the single and be a great, providing some competition for Drake’s new release. But it is evident that this album doesn’t even come close to Drake. “Faded” and “Rack City” are the only songs worthy of praise. This album was extremely disappointing, especially after waiting for its debut for so long. Lacking catchy lyrics and good musical accompaniment and consisting of major themes rapped about in almost every other rap song created today, Tyga makes me wonder if he is only destined to be a one hit wonder. Lil Wayne might have wasted his time and money on this rapper.
Open the Door to your Success
Page 14
ometimes the best stories are true. While fiction can take you to places where you’ve never been and can give you hope when you’re looking for it, there’s always that little voice reminding you it’s too good to be true. The stories that stick with you are the ones that leave you thinking,“That really happened?!” It’s difficult to connect a definite overarching theme to the collection called "Pulphead: Essays," by John Jeremiah Sullivan. Some essays are deeply personal. Sullivan describes his brother’s near death experience and recovery from electrical shock, his own apprenticeship under southern literary great Andrew Lytle, and his coverage of Creation, the biggest Christian Rock festival in the United States. Other essays cover obscure blues musicians only known to the hardcore collectors that are “to one degree or another sociopathic," Indian cave art in the numerous unnamed caves of the Cumberland Plateau, and Sullivan’s fear of the inevitable war be-
tween humans and animals. What the essayist absolutely succeeds in doing is breaking down the reader’s preconceptions of an issue and approaching it from a more accepting understanding. Sullivan is quick to suspend judgment on people; instead he chooses to provide deeper appreciation of other people's motivations. His ability to refrain from unduly critique of people no doubt stems from the fact that he carries the “fringe” status that many of the subjects hold. Sullivan goes through what he calls a “Jesus phase” in high school, drops out of college and spends time working in Ireland before eventually returning to finish his degree. The writer is at his best when he relates to others, offering a view into their minds' inner machinations, beautifully capturing the attitude of Louisiana’s post-Katrina environment. He works to juxtapose the kindhearted Bill Melton and Miss Jackie at the Red Cross shelter in Gulfport to the hostile air surrounding those in the expansive line for the only gas station open for miles. Along with illustrating the suddenness of Katrina’s destruction,
Sullivan also writes in his book that “the future had been ripped away and replaced with a massive blank." Less stirring are his pieces about the music culture. While offering insights into the world of obsessive folk blues enthusiasts, and a more personal look at the life of Michael Jackson, the author fails to capture personal elements that make some of his other essays so enthralling. For instance, in “Getting Down To What Is Really Real," Sullivan, who is a self-professed “Real World” aficionado, explores the world of reality television, and the lives of its participants. While Sullivan throws back drinks with the Miz, from “Real World: Back to New York," you get a sense of his giddiness and excitement that only a true fan holds. While in “Michael," Sullivan’s voice seems less enthusiastic, less associated with the story, seeming more like he’s reporting a story than being involved in the telling of it. “Pulphead” is a collection of essays that captures hidden and unrecognized parts of America. Sullivan brings these places to life with his energetic voice and delivers some insights into what it means to live in America.
Fun. brings indie pop into the spotlight
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Fun. band members Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost and Ruess.
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un. is an American indie pop band that has been getting much attention lately with the release of their second album "Some Nights." The band began in 2009 with their first album "Aim and Ignite." The band has traveled with many different groups such as Jack’s Mannequin, Paramore and Relient K before their UK tour in early 2010. Fun. is known for their hit song “We Are Young," which has been performed by the cast of "Glee." It is also known as the “Stunt Anthem” for Chevy’s commercial for their new car, the Sonic, which features the band OK Go as well as skateboarder and TV personality Rob Dyrdek. The band has an interesting sound, which allows it to be very distinctive among other music groups. The band consists of three members, and the instruments vary from the typical to the unusual. Along with the classic guitar, drums and bass, the band also incorporates instruments like the flugelhorn and the glockenspiel.
Who would’ve known that adding in German folk instruments would create a unique sound that could still be enjoyable to listen to? The lead vocalist, Arizona-born Nate Ruess, has one of the most interesting voices heard in a while. With a vocal range more dynamic than popular artists like Ke$ha, Ruess invites listeners to enter a world filled with great instruments, wonderful lyrics and breathtaking harmonies. Each song has a different sound, giving the album much diversity, allowing the album to not sound like one continuous song, which many bands seem to mistakenly do. The songs on the album linger with a sound similar to Queen, as well as Foster the People, another band that has just recently became popular within the last year. As it is part of the indie pop genre -a genre that attempts to stay far away from becoming mainstream- it may be difficult for Fun. to get a great deal of attention from the public and avid music listeners. For now, the band continues to rise in fame.
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
The Vine
Page 15
Theatre Fairfield to give "Raw" performances By Sarah Markham Contributing Writer
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Contributed Photo
his coming week, a festival of new plays will be performed at the PepsiCo Theater. Collectively titled “Theatre in the Raw,” the plays were commissioned using money left to Fairfield’s theater department by Lucille Lortel, a theater enthusiast whose interest lied in the production of new theater. Three playwrights, Dipika Guha, Andrea Vebell, and David Meth were asked to write plays specifically to be performed by Fairfield University students. The purpose of this was not only to enjoy three new plays, but also to teach the process of putting a show together. “A Brief History of America,” written by Guha and directed by Jesse Jou, follows two characters over a period of many years. Students Joe Plouffe, Kate Hoffman, and Abby Treadwell star in this play. The characters, Robert and Sarah, “search for home and love,” Guha stated. The title might seem misleading, as the plot really has no connection to “history,” per se, but it fits the story on a metaphorical level. “The play’s title alludes to the notion that a nations’ history is as contained in the domestic lives of individuals as it is in grand na-
Famous troupe brings comedy and sports to Quick Center By Kelsey guerin The Vine Editor
F
ans of comedy, sports and theater are in luck: the world-renown Reduced Shakespeare Company will be performing their comedy sketch “The Complete World of Sports (abridged)” at the Quick Center this Friday, March 2 at 8 p.m. Written and directed by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, the promotion video brags that this farcical performance will cover “every sport every played on every continent in the entire history of the world in under two hours.” Quite the claim, but if the promo is anything to judge by, the team seems to have delivered. Their performance will cover sports ranging from baseball and football to Pac-Man and Quidditch. The troupe uses a combination of slapstick, satire and wit to deliver comedies that have been called “pithier than Python” by the New York Times and “the funniest act in show business” by ABC Radio. The Reduced Shakespeare Com-
pany was founded in California in 1981 as a pass-the-hat act, but they have since become an internationally celebrated group. Their repertoire includes stage performances, radio pieces and television specials. Some of their previous comedies include “Completely Hollywood (abridged),” during which they crammed 197 of Hollywood’s most famous movies into a single performance, and, for the history buffs, “Western Civilization: The Complete History (abridged).” In spite of the show title, this Friday's performance isn’t only for sports fans. “If you like sports, you’ll like this show,” claims the promotion video, “and if you couldn’t care less about sports, you’ll love this show.” Tickets range from $25-35 and can be purchased at the Quick Center Box Office or online at www. fairfield.edu/ quick. The box office can be reached at (203) 254-4020 for further questions or inquiries.
tional narratives,” Guha said. “Minerva’s Mirror,” by David L. Meth and directed by Jeff Stanely, and features Ashley Ruggiero, Dakota Trick, Joseph Alibrandi, and Allison Hicks. The play is a drama surrounding four college students who struggle when their secrets are revealed. “They must confront their friends with private hopes and public disappointments that they didn’t quite expect to be revealed,” Meth said of his play. “Minerva’s Mirror” has an ending that is not at all anticipated by the audience. “Safeguard,” was written by Andrea Vebell, directed by Jackob Hofmann, and features Owen Corey, Brendan Freeman, Gabrielle Morgan Rodman, and Grace Janiszeweski. “Safeguard” is about three people who have stories they tell themselves to avoid the truth in their lives. Vebell said of truth: “The truth can be messy, inconvenient and painful. Sometimes it’s just easier to live with a lie.” The plays themselves are brief because too much detail would spoil the experience of seeing them for the first time. The commissioned plays had a specific process outlined for production. After they were written, stage readings were done, followed by a talkback. The talkback, which occurred in November, was a new experience for
many attendants, as well as the actors. The format was very informal, and allowed for an honest critique of the three plays. Brendan Freeman ‘15, an actor in “Safeguard,” said the whole process was educational for him as a theater student. “I thought the talkback sessions were [really unique experiences] to be part of because it was one of the first times that I was part of such a dynamic process,” Freeman said. “Normally when you do a show, the script stays as it is, but with this process, nothing was static. We were able to have discussions with the playwright about her writing, line alterations, and even character motivations - and in the end, just putting [it] into full production was awesome." “Theatre in the Raw” has been a fascinating project for both the actors and the audience. Those involved are interested in seeing how the plays had improved since their readings last semester. The three plays will be performed at the PepsiCo Theatre on March 1-3 at 8 p.m. There are two additional performances at 2 p.m. on March 3-4. Tickets are on sale now at the Quick Center box office by phone or in person. For tickets, call 203254-4010. Tickets are $12 for general admission, $6 for seniors and university staff and $5 for students.
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The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
Coffee Break | 16
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His iPhone / Her BlackBerry Joe McConville
The Lenten Test of Power and Will
We have entered into the glorious 40day-long period of sacrifice that is Lent. Giving up something for Lent has been a tradition of many Catholics. Today, we ask if we choose to give up something, is it for religious reasons? Or is it just for the pure personal challenge? Some people give up something they love. By doing this they truly take the sacrificial spirit to heart. Others decide to volunteer or do a good deed a day. Still, others choose to give up stupid things that really don’t affect them at all. Then there are always the people that believe Sundays are days to spoil themselves. I say, “No way.” Go for the gold and make it the full 40 days. You won’t. I’m all about the challenge. Forty days to exercise pure will power? Sign me up. My Lenten sacrifice this year is similar to the one from the movie “40 Days and 40 Nights.” If you have never seen that movie, look up the plot synopsis and you’ll get an idea of what I’m talking about. By the time this is printed I will have about 32 more days to go. I’m sorry you had to find out like this, mom, and no, I don’t want to talk about it. The idea of Lent is actually kind of cool for people who like testing themselves by not eating like chocolate (like Blackberry girl). Some girls probably just use it as a cheating way to diet. I’ve already succeeded in making Black-
berry girl break her Lenten promise once and it hadn’t even been five days yet. Lenten amateur over here didn’t even see it coming; a Godiva chocolate covered strawberry was the ultimate Trojan horse. Temptation is the most fun with dealing with Lent. It becomes a game to try to get other people to break their Lenten sacrifice while remembering to keep the will power going to maintain your own. Someone gave up ice cream? Guess I’m going to have dessert every time I get the chance to dine with them. Mmmm, this chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is scrumptious. My advice: just like smear it all over yourself and roll around in it. Make it look like it’s the greatest thing you’ve ever eaten and watch them just die inside. The best is when people give something up for Lent then break it almost immediately after. Gave up swearing for Lent? What happens when you trip and stub your toe? Boom. You lose. Constant vigilance is needed. No one is safe. If you didn’t give something up yet, it’s not too late. It’s satisfying to look back after 40 days and say that you accomplished what you set out to do. Do a good deed everyday too. Make yourself feel good - ego waffles all over the place. Personally I’d love to give up school but with midterms, it doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to pull that one off. Just remember, there is only 32 more days to go. 32 long days…. - Sent from my iPhone
This past week was the beginning of Lent, which means, for any good Catholic guy or gal, the end of all the things we love for 40 days. I went to Mass, got the dab of ashes on my forehead and felt as if everyone thought I had smeared black eyeliner all over my face for the rest of the day. Insecurities. Usually, I don’t give anything up for Lent. But this year, I thought it would be a fun experiment to actually try to go without something that I love for an extended period of time. People do this all the time. I figured I could at least try. I began to think of things that I loved, and the list goes on and on. It seemed like the easiest thing for me to give up would be food. And what are my favorite foods? Basically anything with sugar in it: chocolate, cookies, candies, and most of all, ice cream. I decided that I would give up all of these sweets for Lent. It is more difficult than I could have ever imagined. I’m having withdrawals. Sweaty palms, trembling, shaking - you name it, I have it. I had to hide the old Valentine’s Day candy from myself in my room to keep myself from eating it. I put it on the top of my wardrobe so that my little self would have to climb on my desk like a monkey to get to the bag of sweet deliciousness. And I’m proud to say I have not climbed my desk to get that candy down. I took the candy out of my candy jar, and replaced it with fruit. Fruit. As if that would ever satisfy my sweet tooth. Now I just sit in my bed all day and go to town on a bag of frozen berries, wishing they were covered in chocolate and sprinkles. I’ll admit to my minor slip up. My Mac-
Megan Forbes
Book Pro took a turn for the worst, and somehow managed to have liquid doused in it. And when I write “doused,’ I mean the Apple workers found large amounts of liquid pouring out of the inside of my laptop. As I sulked in Stamford Mall about the $750 that would now be spent on laptop damages, iPhone Guy thought it would be a good time to brighten my spirits. As any good friend would, he accompanied me to Stamford Mall to see the fate of my little laptop. When I heard the bad news, he galloped like a gazelle into Godiva Chocolatier to get us each a chocolate covered strawberry. Seriously? How could I turn down an offer like that? What would you do if you had a gigantic chocolate covered strawberry in your hand? You wouldn’t just stare at it. You’d eat it. I never said I was a role model. And I’ll also admit to another minor slip up. How could I refuse Sunny Daes ice cream? Obviously I had to get chocolate fudge brownie and peanut butter cup. I’m sure this list of slip ups is going to continue as the weeks go on. Oh well. At least I can say I tried to be a good little Catholic girl. I hope not everyone is struggling as much as I am. I wish you all the best of luck to not give in to these Lent cravings we have. Until next time, I’ll be eating frozen berries with a look of dissatisfaction on my face. - Sent from my BlackBerry
Are you wise? Are you witty? Do you think you can offer snappy insight about life as a Fairfield Stag? If you answered yes to any of the questions above, apply to be the next...
iPhone/BlackBerry columnist! Answer the following question in 350 words: How would you solve the budget deficit? The most well-written and wittiest submissions will win the position. Email your column application as an attachment to info@fairfieldmirror.com by the end of Spring Break.
Sports
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
Page 17
This Week in Sports The week that was in Fairfield Athletics
Sports Shorts
Women’s Lacrosse– Freshman Addie Reilly scored five goals as the Stags defeated Hofstra 12-8 last Wednesday. The Stags scored the last nine goals of the contest, giving them their first ever victory over Hofstra. They are back in action today against Holy Cross. Men's Tennis- The Stags were victorious in all three of their doubles matches, giving the team the edge in a 5-2 victory over Lafayette last Saturday. They travel to St. John's this Friday. Women's Tennis- The team did not drop a single match in their 7-0 win over Lafayette last Saturday. The Stags next host Albany on Saturday at Stamford Indoor. Baseball- It was a group effort as four different Stag pitchers helped to bring a no-hitter into the ninth inning against Youngstown State on Sunday. They improved to 3-1 for the year, as they brought down Youngstown 11-1. The Stags next go on a four game road trip to Delaware this Friday.
New Sports Blog
Sports 3x5 Eric Bernsen Former Sports Editor
Ivey Speight Contributing Writer
John Tessitore Former Assistant Sports Editor
Wednesday- Women's Lacrosse at Holy Cross, 4 p.m.
Thursday-Women's Basketball at MAAC Championships. Friday- Men's Basketball at MAAC Tournament, Springfield, MA. Saturday- Men's Lacrosse at UMBC, 3 p.m. Sunday- Women's Lacrosse vs. James Madison, 1 p.m. Monday- Men's Golf at Lonnie Barton Invitational. Tuesday- Women's Golf at Lonnie Barton Invitational.
By The Numbers
4
The Men's Basketball team enters the MAAC tournament, starting Friday, as the fourth seed.
22
12
The Women's WVOF did a 12 Basketball team hour broadcast as notched 22 victo- a MAAC basketball tournament preries this season, view, involving all the most since the teams in the the 2007-08 seaMAAC. son.
Quote of the Week
Make sure to check out our new Sports Blog with online-only coverage at sports.fairfieldmirror.com, as well as featured Sports videos.
Because they like to talk... Sports.
What To Watch For
“Just to see how hard he’s worked, and not only to get that starting job, but to be in the race to be an All-American, is incredible.” -Men's Lacrosse Attack Sam Snow about Goalie Charlie Cipriano
Your 2011-2012 3x5 Columnists: Eric Bernsen, Ivey Speight and John Tessitore.
Best part about WVOF's 12-hour special of the upcoming MAAC Basketball Tournament?
3X5 crew plus the mate going to Springfield this weekend. Is Massachusetts ready for them?
Both the Barstool Blackout Tour and AVICII coming to Bridgeport in April. Scale of 1-10 excitment?
3 wins this weekend equals an NCAA Tournament berth for the Stags. What's the x-factor?
Biggest rep of the Stags that shares a wall with a small contributing writer?
Got to be the barked Johnny Juice and small man signaling a million different WVOF phone numbers to the mate, who took it in ssssstride.
Between us, the WNEC DF duo, and the elder Bernsen keg....we might leave the Mass Mutual center in a trail of ssssssurped out championship flames.
Wow. After so many years of let down concerts at FU, no better way to end off senior year. Gonna try to use that press pass for that VIP entrance huhuhu.
The elite beeee Barrow for the men and TJ taking over control for the women. NCAA Tournment berths for the Stags=huhuh sssssurpping in Albuquerque.
Tough to choose between the bro and MA, but no question all the stats are recorded with perfection, especially the interest on Ivey's LITE debt.
Definitely has to be the mate calling a female player a "mongrel" because she really gets after the ball and defendssssssssss.
My goal is to meet cheerleaders at the hotel every night. Each team gets its own hour, we just have to get those special scouting reports.
Well the Levee and Grape couldn't handle me. Hopfully I don't end up America's Most Wanted. I will be Speighting into darkness and sipping on the foam.
Take it one game at a time. Both teams are going to go to the big dance. Then the 3x5 crew can surp at the NCAA tourney and have our "one shining moment."
Well, my neighbor Emily constantly brings up the fact that I owe her 3 dollars when I don't. I just think that she wants to keep talking to me.
It has to be hearing the MATE talk to Mike Glover about the shapes in his hair at last year's tournament. No bad hairlines in the booth...I wish :( huhu.
All I know is the ride up will be 1 1/2 of the Chicago Bulls Theme song to get mentally prepared, I would love to see any other broadcast crew match our ssssswagger.
The only thing crazier than March Madness is sssurped out Ivey surrounded by foam listening to house music. Try to picture that thought in your head........ talk about Speighting into Darkness.
The X-factor is John Yessitore, if he can knock down threes like he does in intramural, I don't see any team in the MAAC being able to stop him, JJ Reddick esque.
Gotta be Pat the Silent Sniper Shanley. He is known for his legendary chants at the foul, that includes "FEED" and "THE KEG!" I don't think NBA legend Mark Price could knock a shot down with Pat in the building.
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
Sports
Page 18
Stags Look To Seniors in MAAC Tournament
Laura Toolan/The Mirror
The Stags come together before a home game against Loyola. Senior leadership will be vital to the team as they take on the MAAC Tournament, starting with their opening game Saturday.
By Ivey Speight Contributing Writer When Joe Frager took the head-coaching job for the Fairfield University Women’s Basketball team five years ago, he wanted to bring the program back to prominence. In 2012, he is well on his way of fulfilling that goal, but he is not there yet. The Stags enjoyed another 20-win season, and the third under Frager, which earned them a two seed going into the tournament. They have a 15-3 conference mark, and their only losses came to the six-time defending champions Marist and a road loss to a tough Loyola team. When it comes to success in the tournament, teams rely on their senior leadership. The Stags probably have their best senior core in a long time. They are led by first team All-MAAC selection Taryn Johnson, who is eighth in the MAAC in scoring with a little under 13 points per game (p.p.g ) and third in the conference in rebounds with 8.1 boards per contest. The other starting senior is the heart and soul of the team, Desiree Pina. The Plainville, Conn. native was recently named to the AllMAAC Second team (one of the biggest snubs in the listings). The primary ball handler for the Stags leads the league in minutes per game, checks in 6th in the MAAC in assists and 12th in points - all without missing a game for her entire career. As usual, this squad is known for their defense. They are the best defensive team in the conference and recently held Rider to 30 points. That is where the Stags make their name, but in this tournament they cannot afford many lapses in defense because their opponents could capitalize on those mistakes. The one downside about this team is that they live and die by the three. When the Stags are off, they
are off. They are shooting 32 percent from behind the arc, which is fourth in the league, but if they are having an off shooting night they can struggle offensively. Alexys Vasquez and Katelyn Linney are a combined 15-57 from deep in their last four games. Those two players are the most vital in the shooting game, because if they can hit their shots it opens the entire floor which allows Taryn Johnson to take over.
PREDICTIONS:
they do, they will be in trouble because Iona can make a serious run in this tournament. However, I am going to go with the seniors and not the freshman Martinez in this one. Also, defense shuts down a good offense most of the time. But if Iona was to drop that opening round game against Rider the Stags should be jumping up and down.
SEMI-FINALS
Giorgis led team is by far the most poised and deepest team in the MAAC. It is going to come down to one person, and that is Desiree Pina. She always has her best games against the Red Foxes, and similar to a couple of years ago, I think she will hit the game winner on a jumper from the elbow (her signature shot). The most important things for the Stags: don’t turn it over, hit your foul shots,
and guard the three. If Brandy Gang hits her shots, this game won’t even be close. Preseason Player of the Year Corielle Yard will pick up her points, but I just think that there is something special in this senior class. This class was the first recruiting class under Joe Frager, and it might be the first to help him get the program one step closer to his goal: a MAAC Championship.
(1) Marist 65 (4) Loyola 62
FIRST ROUND (7) Iona 78 (10) Rider 52 (8) Canisius 60 (9) St. Peters 54
SECOND ROUND (1) Marist 68 (8) Canisius 51
(4) Loyola 58 (5) Niagara 42 (3) Manhattan 56 (6) Siena 55 (2) Fairfield 68 (7) Iona 61 This is a very tough opening game for Fairfield. Iona is a sleeper team mainly because of their offensive firepower. The Gaels are led by the MAAC leading scorer Damika Martinez, who is only a freshman! Their point guard Suzi Fergosi also leads the league in assists. The only reason the Gaels are such a low seed is because they do not play defense. They are the second best offensive team in the conference, but they are also the worst defensive squad allowing nearly 70 points-per-game. This might be an easy game for the Stags to overlook, and if
(2) Fairfield 71 (3) Manhattan 64 Manhattan is a very good team, but I think the Stags match up better against the Jaspers than they would if they played Loyola. They have beaten them twice this year (a nail biter on the road but a comfortable win at home). The Jaspers are basically the spitting image of Fairfield. They defend well and rely on threes to propel their offense. I think the difference makers in this game are Taryn Johnson and Katelyn Linney. Johnson averaged 15 points in the two games that the teams played head-tohead and Linney went 3-5 from three the last time they played. If the Stags were to lose this game, it would come down to free throw shooting where Fairfield is dead last in the MAAC. Nevertheless, I think the seniors show up and the Stags win handily.
FINALS (1) Marist 67 (2) Fairfield 69 My mind tells me to go with Marist, but there’s something about the leadership and competitiveness of this senior class. I just think they are going to win a title. Frager knows what it takes to beat the Red Foxes, but the Brian
Laura Toolan/The Mirror
Taryn Johnson will be vital to the Stags in the MAAC Tournament.
Sports
The Mirror | Week of February 29, 2012
Men's Lacrosse Shines in Overtime
Tom McKiver/The Mirror
Sam Snow goes for a goal against an opponent during overtime. Snow leads the Stags with nine goals this season.
By Tom Shea Assistant Sports Editor The Stags won a pair of overtime thrillers this past week, including a double overtime win over Bryant during the weekened and a triple overtime win over Hofstra on Tuesday night. Eric Warden led the Stags with three goals to earn his first collegiate hat trick on Saturday, as the Stags defeated the Bryant Bulldogs 9-8 in double overtime. After a Brent Adams goal tied the score at three with 27 seconds left in the first quarter, the Stags offense went silent for the vast majority of the second quarter, as Fairfield would go almost fifteen minutes without another goal. Eric Warden
scored his second goal of the day to cut the Bryant lead to 6-4 as they went into halftime. When asked whether it was poor offense on the part of the Stags, or a very good defense by Bryant, Stags junior Sam Snow believed it was a little of both. “I think they have a really solid defense…but at the same time, I don’t think we shot the ball as well as we did last week,” said Snow. “Last week, for whatever reason, the ball was finding the back of the net, and this week it just wasn’t the same. The goalie made some great saves and we got a little down, but credit to both sides.” Fairfield cut the lead back to one by the end of the third quarter, as Federico and Warden would
score their second and third goals of the game, respectively. Snow and John Snellman finally got on the board in the fourth quarter, as Snellman’s goal with 7:34 remaining gave the Stags the 8-7 lead for a brief time. Bryant tied the game with a goal by Cody Isdaner, who scored three times for the Bulldogs. In the first overtime period, Fairfield failed to take advantage of three Bryant turnovers, as the teams traded scoreless possessions. Bryant came very close to sealing the win, getting off an open shot near the goal, but Stags goalie Charlie Cipriano made a game-preserving save to keep Fairfield alive. “Charlie is honestly the backbone of this team," said Copelan.
"He’s fantastic." Snow was equally appreciative of the efforts given by Cipriano, who had 11 saves in the win. “I’m so proud of him, he has worked so hard," said Snow. "I know his sophomore year… he didn’t even start. Just to see how hard he’s worked, and not only to get that starting job, but to be in the race to be an All-American, is incredible.” Cipriano, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Defensive Player of the Week, said he was just trying to stay calm and play well. “I’ve been in this position before," he said. "The good thing is being a senior. I’ve been in overtimes before, so the big thing is to stay calm and hope our defense plays well, which they did. They played awesome.” In the second overtime, the Stags finally broke through with a goal by Snow with 1:38 remaining. The goal, which came off an assist by freshman Colin McLinden, was Snow’s second of the game, and seventh on the season. “I don’t even know if I caught it or if I slapped it, but all know is that the ball went in the goal,” said Snow of his overtime goal. “It felt great. It wasn’t really the best game for me,” said Snow. “The credit really goes to our seniors.” Everyone, from players to coaches, was pleased with the effort from the team in the overtime periods. “I think we got a little more focused,” said Cipriano. “That’s crunch time once you get out there, and everyone showed up and played well.” Coach Copelan was pleased to see the heightened awareness he saw out of his players. “If you looked at the guys in the eyes, you could tell they were really committed to win-
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ning that game,” said Copelan. “If we can play with that level of focus and magnify that intensity for sixty minutes, then hopefully we can prevent having to play in those overtime games.” “Nothing came easy today, and the ability to draw from this experience will be really important as the season goes forward. This thing doesn’t get any easier," said Copelan, adding that he was proud with the team's undefeated record thus far, as they are now 3-0. In the second overtime game of the week, John Snellman scored four goals as the Stags defeated Hofstra 10-9 in Hempstead. Brent Adams scored the game-winning goal 113 seconds into the third overtime, his second goal of the game. Coming out of a timeout, Adams charged to the right side of the net, and scored from 10 yards out when the defender bit on the pass fake. Snow added two more goals to bring his already impressive total to nine goals on the season, and is among the ECAC leaders in goals per game this season. Tristan Sperry and Eric Warden each had a goal in the victory, and goalie Charlie Cipriano had a season best 16 saves. This marks the first time that the Stags have played in back-toback multiple overtime games, and Tuesday night's win was the second longest game in program history. The last time the Stags played in two overtime games in a season was in 2005, when they split the decisions. The Stags continue their road trip with University of Maryland Baltimore County, Quinnipiac, and Vermont. Their next home game is March 13 at 3 p.m. against Lafayette.
Stags Get Ready To Race
Contributed Photo
By Jen Calhoun Sports Editor If you’re looking for an opportunity to get in your daily exercise and help out a good cause, Lessing Field is the place to be on Saturday March 3. The Fairfield University Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Team will be hosting their second annual Lucky Stag 5K, with the proceeds going to both teams. The money will be put to good use, as the cross country program can use
the donations as supplements to their funding. While the pre-registration for the event ends today, registration is still available on event day. Registration will begin at 8 a.m., and the gun will sound at 10 a.m. Event day registration requires a payment of $25 for adults, and a lower $10 for Fairfield Students or children 12 and under. Aside from the 5K event, there will also be a one-mile Fun Run for kids that will follow the 5K at 11 a.m. There will be
awards given out for the male and female winners of both the 5K and the Fun Run. If you would like more information on the event, a Facebook page has been created for it and information can also be found on the Fairfield Stags website. If you’re looking for something to do on Saturday that will make you feel good physically and emotionally, make your way out to the second annual Lucky Stag 5K, and support the Fairfield University Cross Country Program.
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Race to the Finish in MAAC-ACHUSETTS
Yuri Sandzimir/The Mirror
Will the Stags be able to overcome the loss of Derek Needham, who sports a foot injury, as they take on the rest of the MAAC in the Tournament in Springfield starting this Friday? Time will tell.
By John Tessitore former Assistant Sports Editor It was an up and down year for the Fairfield Stags as they finished the season in fourth place at 17-13 and 12-6 in the MAAC. Perhaps the biggest concern is how the Stags finished, with two road losses at Iona and Rider. An even bigger concern is that second-team AllMAAC guard Derek Needham will miss the MAAC tournament with a broken bone in his foot. Do the Stags have enough in the tank to make a run to the NCAA tournament?
The Favorite: Iona Iona has clearly cemented themselves as the favorite. They ran through the MAAC finishing the season at 24-6 and 15-3 in MAAC play and are led by three All-MAAC players. First-team member Scott Machado leads the nation in assists at 10.1 per game. Michael Glover, another member of the All-MAAC first team leads the MAAC in field goal percentage while averaging the second highest point total in the MAAC at 18.1 p.p.g (points-per-game). This is a hungry Gaels team. Last year they were the final victims of St. Peters “Cinderella Run”, and it is Michael Glover and Scott Machado’s last chance to get to the big dance. This is a team that leads the nation in scoring (83.4 p.p.g.) and assists (19.5 a.p.g.), and they are the second best shooting team in America at 50.2 percent for the field! However, their defense is average at best. They are sixth in the MAAC, giving up 72.5 p.p.g., and have giv-
en up 80-plus points nine times. They have wins against Nevada, Maryland, St. Joseph’s and Denver, giving them a slight chance at an at large bid if they slip up in the tournament. Their three MAAC losses came to Loyola, Siena and Manhattan, and they have an RPI of 44. The key to beating the Gaels is slowing them down and defending the perimeter, but that is certainly no easy task.
Top Challengers: Fairfield I believe that with Derek Needham, Fairfield is the most dangerous team of the bunch. However, Needham is out, so everyone has to step up on the offensive end if they want a chance to win because the talent is there. First-team AllMAAC player Rakim Sanders is the hardest match up in the MAAC, 7-footer Ryan Olander has the ability to take over the game, and when Sean Crawford is on he is a top-three shooter in the MAAC. However, the Stags have not been consistent offensively all season and are coming into the dance cold with two tough road loses to Iona and Rider. The Stags were running on all cylinders just a few weeks ago, but with the status of Needham being up in the air, their chances become less. It is on the role players to step up. Sean Crawford, Desmond Wade, Jamel Fields and Colin Nickerson have to play with a chip on their shoulder and elevate their offensive game. What I do love is Fairfield’s will to win. Rakim Sanders and Sean Crawford are two of the toughest players this league has to offer, and these seniors are not easily shaken.
When this team is hot, they have proven just how good they can be with a 17 point smacking of Loyola on the road and with a fairly easy home victory against Manhattan. However, the ultimate answer to how the Stags will fair in the tournament is how quickly they can gel without captain Derek Needham. This is where seniors Ryan Olander, Sean Crawford and Rakim Sanders have the opportunity to make a statement.
Loyola Loyola is a mystery. They were the only team to really whip Iona, but they also lost to Marist and Niagara. It is hard to pick a team with those kinds of losses, but it is hard to pick against a team that is 4-2 against the league’s top three. The Greyhounds are the best rebounding team in the MAAC, and junior big man Erik Etherly is the Hounds’ first team All-MAAC player. The potential semi-final match up with Manhattan can be one of the best tournament games the MAAC has ever seen.
Manhattan Manhattan went from dead last in the MAAC, to finishing in third place this season. The Jaspers have the conference’s leading scorer in George Beamon, who finished the season averaging 18.4 p.p.g and who is in the midst of a remarkable streak, scoring in double figures in 46 consecutive games. They also will be playing with a chip on their shoulder, after losing to Loyola 61-60, and 62-60. They are the second best defensive team in the MAAC, and if they can pick up their scoring, they have as good a chance as anyone to win
the MAAC.
Rider It is official: Rider is now a contender. The Broncs are coming into the MAAC tournament with home victories over Loyola, and a Needham-less Fairfield squad, whom they will also see in the quarterfinals. They are an experienced team, with seniors Jeff Jones, Brandon Penn, and Novar Gadson leading the charge. The bad news is that starting guard Anthony Miles, who also averages over 10 points-per-game, is out for the season with a hand injury. His absence could be the reason why the Broncs may be the least dangerous out of the four contenders.
How It Will Shape Out First Round (7) Niagara 77 (10) Canisius 72 (8) Marist 64 (9) St. Peters 61 Second Round (4) Fairfield 68 (5) Rider 55 Sean Crawford rises to the occasion, and Fairfield’s defense gets it done in a hard fought opening round victory. (1) Iona 88 (8) Marist 82 (2) Loyola 72 (7) Niagara 68 (3) Manhattan 73 (6) Siena 55
Semi-Finals (4)Fairfield 71 (1) Iona 67 The Stags come into the game hungry after suffering two close loses to the Gaels. Rakim Sanders and Ryan Olander have big games and the defense of the Stags is too much for the Gaels, who go cold on the wrong night. (3) Manhattan 63 (2) Loyola 61 Finals (4) Fairfield 67 (3) Manhattan 61 The Stags put it all together for one more night. A team that has been doubted all year clicks at the right time. Desmond Wade has a career night, and Colin Nickerson’s defensive pressure wears down the Jaspers. Rakim Sanders makes his mark as one of the greatest players to ever wear a Stag uniform. The reason I like the Stags is because of the adversity they have been through. New coach, new system, new players, injuries - the Stags have been through it all. They are an extremely dangerous four seed, and they are the type of group that has something to prove and nothing to lose. The late season losses to Iona and Rider are only fuel for the fire. Last season, St. Peters won the MAAC tournament as a four seed - the Peacocks of last year's final game of the regular season? A 3-point loss to Rider. Let the best weekend of the year begin!