THE MIRROR Independent student newspaper
Week of September 27, 2023
Vol. 50 Issue 2
AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE LEVEE
Food Truck Village to Offer New Dining Experiences to Students
Campus Ministry Unveils Service Map to Amplify Student Engagement BY NATHANAEL WILHELM Contributing Writer
Shea Burns / The Mirror
The new Food Truck Village located in the Kelley Center Parking Lot boasts three food truck options weekdays. One of the permament food trucks, Zuppardi’s, offers students different New-Haven style pizza options Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
BY KATHLEEN MORRIS Assistant News Editor A recent report from Aramark Collegiate Hospitality announced that Fairfield University has witnessed a “143% explosion in voluntary meal plans” since 2021, a shocking increase that evidences a heightened commitment to innovative dining services. This fall, Stags Hospitality welcomed a notable addition to its host of culinary options: a Food Truck Village located in the Kelley Center parking lot. The existence of metallic mobile eateries is not an unknown sight, as the first food trucks rolled onto campus during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, students could access a singular food truck with vendors that rotated daily. Today, the number of food trucks has tripled. The fleet of rotating third-party food trucks will remain. But, students will also be able to enjoy offerings from Zuppardi’s Apizza, Jack*s Burritos and Hot Spot Bowls. Director of Stags Hospitality, Jay DeGioia ‘80, underscored the key role that the fleet plays in building partnerships with the local vendors. “Fairfield University has always prided itself on creating relationships with restaurants in and around the region,” DeGioia remarked. “Restaurant partners provide expertise in different cuisines that allow students to experience many new cultural dining
experiences.” As previously mentioned, Zuppardi’s Apizza is a new facet of Stags Hospitality. While Jack*s Burritos and Hot Spot Bowls will each be open for two days a week, Zuppardi’s Apizza will be open from Monday through Friday.
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Restaurant partners provide expertise in different cuisines that allow students to experience many new cultural dining experiences.” -Jay DeGioia ‘80, Director of Stags Hospitality Nuala Tzovolos, the manager of Zuppardi’s, was “part of many discussions early on about partnering with Fairfield University” and is “excited to be here.” According to their website, the legacy of Zuppardi’s Apizza originated in New Haven when founder and “master bread-baker” Dominic Zuppardi opened his first brickand-mortar store in 1932. Today, the business encompasses three restaurants and a truck that specializes in personal pizzas, which Tzovolos believes “is preferred for this type of service.” “With a personal pie, the students are able to use their meal swipes and get their individual choices in pizza to eat with their
friends,” she explained. Tzovolos also highlighted the opportunity for students to work in the truck, where “they will gain an understanding of business operations, marketing and sales.” The introduction of Zuppardi’s was followed by an announcement pertaining to another beloved on-campus pizzeria. On Aug. 31, the Stags Hospitality Instagram page, @stagshospitality, revealed that The Levee will be closed on Friday and Saturday. “When I heard the Levee was going to be closed on Fridays and Saturdays, I didn’t believe it at first,” Angelo Corsini ‘25 admitted. The Levee was established by members of the Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA) who “felt that there was something lacking for a location for students to go on the weekends,” according to an article published by Andres Peschiera in 2013. Nearly 30 years after it first opened, current students continue to corroborate the necessity of a late-night option for the weekends. Corsini considers a visit to The Levee to be a critical element of his “weekend routine”. The Levee will now be open from Sunday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., a change reflective, according to Stags Hospitality, of the decreased usage of meal swipes during the latter half of the week. “Meal swipes on Fridays and Saturdays across campus are much lower than any time during the week,” DeGioia shared. “The
engages with student organizations about different ways to involve their clubs in the practice of giving back to the community. “Service allows students to use their hands and hearts when doing work instead of just their heads,” said Byrnes. Byrnes explained that service can be a release from the average school experience. She went on to state that service projects are great for first-year students trying to get more involved and meet new people. Service, according to her, is a way of being outside and breathing fresh air. Highlighting the values of the Catholic Church and the Society of Jesus, Byrnes explained that it is everyone’s responsibility to help disadvantaged communities as Fairfield and Bridgeport have the biggest difference between wealth and poverty in the United States. “As men and women for and with others, we believe in using the gifts that we have been given in order to bring justice to the world,” stated Byrnes. For students interested in using the new service map, Byrnes directs students to browse the Life@Fairfield website and register directly to do their preferred service activity or contact her directly by email @kbyrnes@fairfield. edu or in person at the Campus Ministry offices.
Campus Ministry recently announced that they have created a new map with the service opportunities the office offers to students. The intention of the map is to give Fairfield students a better understanding of the service opportunities available to them and how the university and the service office partner with Bridgeport organizations to give back to the community. The map, which is color-coded, indicates the various types of service opportunities available to Fairfield students. Red identifies opportunities to work with kids, green for animal care, purple for vulnerable communities, like working with children with disabilities or senior citizens, orange is food security and yellow indicates quick one-time service projects like giving blood. Katie Byrnes, the campus minister for community engagement, played a key role in the creation of this new and interactive service map. As she now moves onto her ninth year working at Fairfield, she expressed enthusiasm for the new feature. “Our goal is for a year when we can say everyone at graduation has done some kind of service,” said Byrnes. The map is designed so that every student can find what is right for them and connect with a service site. In Bridgeport, service projects depend heavily on the type of neighborhood and what is needed at a particular time. Byrnes also shared her insight on how service should be viewed in communities in need. “We never go into a community and pretend we have the answers to all of their problems. We go into a community to learn how we can help and give help where it’s needed. My dream would be for every student to help out while they’re here,” explained Byrnes. She also expressed how important it is for students to get involved in service while they’re at Fairfield. While some students might be hesitant to take time out of their schedules for service, Campus Ministry encourages all students to get inJulian Nazario / The Mirror volved in community service. The Service Leadership Council, Campus Ministry’s service map is a a group started last year, works to new way to encourage student outreach and engagement. communicate service events and
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News
Opinion
Vine
Sports
Partnership Provides Scholarships to Bellarmine Students
The Importance of Literary Citizenship
Random Roommates Turned Bestfriends
Men’s Soccer Transitions to Conference Play
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