Once the audience quieted down, Stephen Cohen began: “Well, I suppose 90 percent of you are here to celebrate the Russian Program and the other 10 percent of you are here to heckle me.”

Th is past Th ursday, Feb. 5, Fairfi eld celebrat-ed the 20th anniversary of the Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies (RECAS) program by inviting Stephen F. Cohen, PhD. to present a keynote lecture on the Ukrainian crisis.

Known for his provocative beliefs, Cohen delivered a speech presenting his controversial viewpoint regarding the Ukrainian crisis, evenly distributing blame between the U.S. and Russia.

According to Cohen, Western media has wrongly portrayed Russia as being the sole cen-

ter of the crisis due to their deep historical ties in the country.

“America is going to war without any public discussion about it,” Cohen said. He added that the United States shares some of the blame for the confl ict and that it is “far more serious” than news outlets are leading the public to believe.

Th e talk raised vocal controversy among audience members, including prompting mem-bers of Maidan United, a nonprofi t foundation for Ukrainians, to attend the lecture and present counter arguments.

“We are an organization to defend the truth and protect Ukraine. Dr. Cohen presents an al-ternate reality – the naked truth is nothing like it,” said member Myron Melnyk.

@Fairfi eldMirror

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Fairfi eld Mirror

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Week of February 11, 2015 Independent student newspaper Vol. 40, Iss. 15

THE MIRROR

Contributed by Fairfi eld University Media RelationsClarence Jones honored Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy during his keynote speech at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on Feb. 4.

Jones remembers friend MLK Jr.

Page 7 Page 16

Fairfi eld’s Mens Club Ice Hockey defeated Farmington College 4-2 on Sunday, February 8.

Opinion#VaccinesWork

In light of the recent measles outbreak, it is more prudent than ever to have children vaccinated all over the USA.

Fairfi eld professors bring Duke Ellington’s music to life for black history month.

Page 5

Bush & Pelosiforum

delayedby snow

By Catherine VeschiAssistant News Editor

Cohen sparks controversyBy Alisia LoSardo

Contributing Writer

Vine SportsNew Duke Club Puck

Political adviser, counsel and draft speech-writer for Martin Luther King, Jr., Clarence Jones honored King’s legacy during his keynote speech celebrating MLK Convocation week.

“If you were fortunate enough to be alive from 1956 until April 8, 1968, and you went outside at night during that period … and you saw a shooting star … more bright and incandescent than any oth-er shooting star in the heavens, that shooting star was Martin Luther King Jr.,” Jones said. “It is un-likely that we will ever, ever, ever see that shooting star again.”

Alongside the MLK Committee, Wylie Smith Blake of Campus Ministry and Kris Sealey, asso-ciate professor of philosophy, organized “Dare to

Dream” to celebrate the life and infl uence of King. Activities included “Poetry for Peace” and a memo-rial march around campus.

Th e Convocation on Feb. 4 at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, three members of the University community were presented with this year’s Vision Awards: Nicole Davidow ‘15, Jocelyn Boryczka, associate professor of politics and Will Johnson, associate dean of students.

“Th is is an honor both as we attempt to live up to King’s hopes and dreams in what we do and an honor to work with the hardest working committee at Fairfi eld U,” said Blake.

“Dr. King said, ‘intelligence plus character — that is the goal of education,’ … and so for this eve-ning we concentrate on Dr. King’s legacy of equal-ity and the question of, ‘Have we done enough?’”

‘Tell them about the dream’Jones is the fi rst diversity professor at the Uni-

versity of San Francisco and a scholar writer in res-idence at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, accord-ing to a university press release.

While most famously known for assisting King in draft ing the “I Have a Dream” speech deliv-ered at the March on Washington, Jones refused to call himself a draft speechwriter.

“We collaborated on what [King] might say, and what I simply did was give him a written sum-mary,” Jones said. “Th e only diff erence was this time I gave him an example of how he might ac-tually say it.”

Recounting that fateful day on Aug. 28, 1963,

By Enxhi MyslymiManaging Editor

READ DARING ON PAGE 2

READ RECAS ON PAGE 2READ NINTH ON PAGE 4

The Ninth Annual Students’ Forum, featuring guest speakers Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of President George W. Bush, and Al-exandra Pelosi, daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, was scheduled to take place on Mon-day, Feb. 9.

Due to inclement weather on Monday, however, the forum has been rescheduled for March 25 in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

“Realizing how perilous the road conditions would be, we thought it was prudent to defer the event to a later date,” said Philip Eliasoph, professor of visual and performing arts and founding di-rector and moderator for the fo-rum. “The next availability when the ‘sun, the moon and the stars’ could all be in alignment — the

two invited speakers, our student participants, and the Quick Center was open — became March 25.”

The forum, titled “Growing up in the Political Eye: Private Lives in Public Spaces,” will be the first time members of both the Bush and Pe-losi families will work together on a project, according to Sophomore Class President Jason Abate, a stu-dent panelist for the forum.

Abate and the other student panelists were chosen based on their leadership positions at Fair-field.

At the forum, Hager and Pe-losi will discuss what it was like to grow up in two of the most influen-tial political families of early 21st century America, as both Hager’s father and grandfather were pres-idents, and Pelosi’s mother was the first female Speaker of the House.

Contributed by Fairfi eld University Media Relations

Realizing how perilous the road conditions would be, we thought it was prudent to defer the event to a later date.

-Philip Eliasoph

Professor of Visual and

Performing Arts

THE MIRROR | Week of February 11, 2015News Page 2

Irene Komarynsky, mother of a former Fairfield student, said, “I was so angry to hear they were bringing him to celebrate the Russian studies program; at least they should have made this a debate representing both sides of the issue.”

According to Vox.com, the Ukrainian crisis began in November 2013 as a result of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to reject the European Union’s integra-tion deal. This led to massive protests.

Russia supported Yanukovych while the U.S. and Europe sided with the protesters, resulting in internal conflict in Ukraine as its population continues struggling to decide whether it will identify with Russia or become a part of the European Union, explained Vox.

Since then, protests have run Yanukovych out of office; Russia has invaded Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine and rebels are thought to have shot down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 over the summer. These events have resulted in high tension between Russia and the West, according to BBC News.

Cohen said that the tension is far worse than most think and that the U.S. is heading towards a Cold War that is potentially more dangerous than the last. “Our lives - our futures are at

stake,” he said.“All will end once Putin stops his

aggression,” Cohen mocked. He argued that America uses Vladimir Putin, cur-rent president of Russia, as a way to es-cape taking some of the blame for the crisis.

Cohen explained that after 9/11, Putin was the first national leader to contact George Bush and offer help.

Bush took his offering, yet soon after, expanded the North Atlantic

Treaty Organization to Russia’s borders and put prohibitions on missiles. Ac-cording to Cohen, Russians still mock Putin for his trust in the U.S.

At the end of the speech, Cohen accepted questions from the audience.

Some members backed Cohen’s arguments, while many critiqued key statements.

An audience member near the front of the room was the first to stand up saying, “I find your presentation

completely biased and one-sided.”The floor was then given to George

Sajewych, an American-Ukrainian who spent a year in Kiev working for the special defense unit. “I challenge ev-ery point that Dr. Cohen has just artic-ulated,” he said. “When I heard Dr. Co-hen was coming, I knew I had to come to defend the Ukrainian side.”

Sajewych argued that there is no basis for a civil war in Ukraine and that Russia’s main goal was to take over

the country. “Putin’s goal is to destroy Ukraine as a state,” he said.

Cohen responded to Sajewych’s backlash by simply saying: “Most of what George is saying has some ba-sis. But he only represents one side of Ukraine.”

He went on to say, “We don’t know who George actually is; we don’t know where he came from.”

Despite the controversy Cohen’s lecture spurred, David W. McFadden, PhD., who presented Cohen at the event, felt that the event was success-ful overall, saying that “not only did [Cohen] provide a perspective on the Ukrainian crisis not often heard, but many representatives of the Ukrainian community turned out.”

Many students and audience members enjoyed the presentation and benefited from Cohen’s ideas.

“I was mostly excited to go to the talk because of how controversial a speaker he was,” said Justine Ferrara ’18. “It was very interesting to hear him speak on something that the general American media has been so biased about.”

Freshman Phil Amarante agreed, saying that he liked “how he explained how both sides made mistakes which led to Putin’s annexation of Crimea … Overall I thought it was very informa-tive.”

Daring to dream in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.

Continued from page 1

Jones remembered standing 50 feet behind King and not realizing “until the sixth or seventh paragraph that [King] was actually going to use that which I had suggested. The speech was his speech.”

King was interrupted during the speech by gospel singer Mahalia Jack-son, who said, “Tell them about the dream, Martin,” Jones remembered. What the videos of the speech don’t usually show, he added, was that King turned his text over and began speak-ing spontaneously.

“I’ve never heard any human be-ing speak the English language with such power,” Jones said.

Bringing Equality to FairfieldIn response to the deaths of Mi-

chael Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice in 2014, students organized pro-tests on campus last fall semester to demonstrate against police brutality and social injustice.

The protests included a die-in in the DiMenna-Nyselius Library that attracted about 50 students, faculty and members of the Fairfield com-munity, known as #RacialJusticeIsSo-cialJustice.

During the MLK convocation, President Jeffrey von Arx, S.J. refer-enced the protests in saying this has been a year where the “stubborn ra-cial prejudice” has been brought to Fairfield’s campus.

“Even some racial instability in our campus has highlighted once again why it’s important we do this every year … to reaffirm our willing-ness in a free and just society,” von Arx added.

In light of recent protests in the U.S. against police brutality, the question becomes whether or not the dream King called for will ever be

attained.“Yes it will,” Jones said. “I can’t

give you a definite solution. I just know that there will be a solution.”

In remembering the words of King, Fr. George Collins S.J., said, “Our lives begin to end the day we be-come silent about things that matter.”

Jones suggested to those protest-ing: “Keep it nonviolent, disciplined and stay away from provocateurs. Reach out across sections of the com-munity.”

“All lives matter in the face of police brutality,” Jones added. “It’s not just black lives.”

For students, the Convocation was a way to connect with memories from the civil rights movement, but to also remember that issues of social injustice are still pertinent.

“I was a little star struck that we had Dr. Clarence Jones come and talk to us,” said Jesuit Universities Hu-manitarian Action Network fellow Deirdre McElroy ’17. “It was amazing to talk to and have a chance to hear from someone who was so close to Dr. King and had a role in the civil rights movement.

For Tim Manning ’15, it was sig-nificant that Jones related his speech to today’s issues.

“Jones said the issues that King would care about today are: voting rights, income inequality and 24/7 gun violence, which is the greatest challenge to his legacy,” Manning said. “One thing he pointed out was that there is no single leader today like MLK was during the civil rights movement, which makes it difficult to organize when you don’t have some-one to look up to.”

According to Jones: “Nothing is more powerful than the power of love. Nothing is more engaging than when we become infected and con-sumed with the virus of compassion.”

Continued from page 1

RECAS celebrates 20th anniversary with Stephen Cohen

Jennifer Calhoun/The MirrorThe above map depicts Russian military involvement on the northwest border of Ukraine in February 2014.

The MirrorIn 2008, Clarence Jones published “What Would Martin Say?” chronicling his relationship with King.

THE MIRROR |Week of February 11, 2015News Page 3

During the week of Monday, Feb. 9, the Offi ce of Residence Life hosted open houses for the three sophomore residential colleges: Service for Justice (70 McCormick Road), Creative Life (Faber Hall) and Ignatian College (Loyola Hall).

Th e open houses, which took place on Monday at McCormick, Tuesday at Faber and Wednesday at Loyola, served as a way for rising sophomores to take a tour of the dif-ferent residential colleges, as well as learn more about what each program entails.

Sophomore Patricia Masi, a cur-rent resident of the Ignatian College, hopes that through these open hous-es, rising sophomores will be able to

see how residential colleges diff er from other living options in that they provide more of a “community as-pect” to college life.

“It’s a really strong community in Loyola. I met a lot of new people, as well as some new best friends,” Masi said.

Junior Heather Mooney, a res-ident assistant in the Service for Jus-tice residential college, also added that “people in Kostka and Claver just don’t have the community that you get in residential colleges.”

Th e community aspect that liv-ing in these residential colleges entails is something that the Offi ce of Resi-dence Life puts into consideration when selecting applicants.

According to Assistant Director of Residential Colleges Jodie Fitz-Patrick, the Offi ce of Residence Life

“looks at students’ desire to partici-pate in an intentional community set-ting. Th ese desires include participa-tion in the retreats, academic courses and Mentor Program.”

Many rising sophomores look-ing to apply for a spot in one of the three residential colleges are eager to

explore the communal opportunities that the residential colleges off er.

“It’s very important to continue the community that you built in the place where you live right now, and I

want to be in that community in the future,” Aura Cristina Agudelo Rivera ‘18 said.

Freshman Dan Gatazka pointed out the fact that applying to live in a residential college saves rising sopho-mores from a lot of hassle in the long run, since “if you get into a residential college to start with, you’re in the door already, as opposed to having to wait until the big lottery where everyone’s trying to fi gure out where they want to live.”

However, not all freshmen are as intent on living in a residential col-lege next year. According to Mooney, many students “are intimidated by [residential colleges]. I think that they think the two retreats and monthly mentor meetings are a big commit-ment, but they’re really not. Th ey are really the best part of the program.”

Freshman Kaitlyn Godberson also added that a benefi t of living in the Village over a residential college is that “the Village off ers a more inde-pendent living opportunity, allowing college students to grow into adult lifestyles.”

Masi also mentioned the benefi t of the retreats students take through the residential college programs, say-ing that they provide students with “a nice break” from their school work.

Th ere is still time before the Feb. 23 deadline for freshmen to apply to live in a residential college next school year, and FitzPatrick encourages stu-dents to take advantage of this oppor-tunity in order to gain “a better under-standing of themselves and how they are called to live an inspired life as a student and beyond their collegiate years.”

Residential colleges offer living & learning communitiesBy Catherine Veschi

Assistant News Editor

NBC News anchor Brian Williams has been suspended without pay for six months after controversy surrounding claims he “misremembered” from his days reporting on the war in Iraq.

Part of the controversy has surrounded an account Williams recorded during a 2007 interview with Fairfield’s The HAM Channel before speaking at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, in which he claims he “looked down the tube of an RPG fired at us and it hit the chopper in front of ours.”

The seven-year-old video, which is still available on The HAM Channel YouTube account, has accumulated over 51,000 views as of Tuesday evening, over 10 times as many views as most other videos on the account, as a result of being linked to and talked about by many international online news web-sites including The Huffington Post, CNN and The Daily Mail.

THE NEWS: In BriefBy Robert Joyce

News Editor

NBC’s Brian Williams suspended for ‘misremembering’ war stories

Fairfield’s Office of Conference and Event Management has made an agreement with Zipcar, a car rental agency, to have two rental cars on campus for any member of the campus community to rent out at both hourly and daily rates.

According to a press release from Zipcar, “gas, insurance, mainte-nance, and 180 miles/day are included in every reservation.” For stu-dents, there is a one-time fee of $25 to join the service, which comes with $35 worth of driving credit to use during the first month of ser-vice. For community members, the fee is $60. After that, a rate of $7.50 per hour or $69 per day applies.

Fairfield no longer uses Hertz rental cars, and the new Zipcar vehicles will be parked in the Jogues Parking Lot near the University vans, according to Daniel Buono ‘17, conference assistant in the Con-ference and Event Management office.

Zipcar comes to Fairfi eld U.

People in Kostka and

Claver just don’t have

the community that

you get in residential

colleges.

-Heather Mooney ‘16

THE MIRROR | Week of February 11, 2015News Page 4

Compiled by Robert JoyceInformation contributed by the Department of Public Safety.

Crim

e Be

at

CAUTIONCAUTION

Tuesday, February 3

9:40 p.m. - A male student was discovered to be in possession of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia in Claver Hall. He was is-sued a citation by Fairfi eld Police and referred to student conduct.

Wednesday, February 4

4:16 p.m. - A female student reported that she was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend, a non-student. DPS was able to make contact with the male non-student and issued a no-con-tact warning to the individual.

Saturday, February 7

1:35 a.m. - A male student in Jogues Hall was issued an infraction by the Fairfi eld Police for possession of suspected drug paraphernalia and referred to student conduct. A second male student was documented for intoxication and possession of a pocket knife suspected to be in violation with the university weapons policy. The pocket knife was confi scated by DPS and the student was referred to student conduct.

11:32 a.m. - An unwanted and unknown male guest was reported to be found asleep on the couch of a female’s apartment in Dolan Hall. The male, a non-student, had accidentally fallen asleep in the wrong apartment and left without further incident. As he was an unregistered guest, the male’s host was referred to student conduct for guest policy violations.

2:59 p.m. - A female student reported her vehi-cle was damaged while parked unoccupied near the Townhouses 9 block. A male student had accidentally thrown a metal lawn chair at her Lexus causing damage to the vehicle. The male student was referred to student conduct and is expected to pay restitution for the damage.

3:43 p.m. - A student reported a pumpkin was thrown at their Subaru parked on Riel Way, which is located by the Townhouses 4 block. The front turn signal and front fender of the vehicle were damaged.

Shauna Mitchell, Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Calhoun, Executive Editor

Enxhi Myslymi, Managing Editor

EditorsRobert Joyce, News

Catherine Veschi, Assistant NewsAriana Puzzo, Opinion

Charles DeFilippo, VineAllison White, Coffee Break

Patrick Kiernan, SportsMatthew Schneider, Assistant Sports

Jesse Erickson, Assistant SportsAngela Sammarone, Chief Copy Editor

AdviserDr. Tommy Xie

Contact InformationFairfi eld University

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General email: info@fairfi eldmirror.com

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OnlineRyan Wessel, Web Master

However, the forum will focus more on “what they accomplished as students and where they took their careers,” Jo-anna Durgin ’15, a Resident Assistant in Loyola Hall and vice president of the Economics Club, said. “We want to hear how those experiences shaped them, rather than just their parents.”

Hager is a special correspondent for NBC’s TODAY show and a contributor to the NBC Nightly News, as well as an author and editor-at-large for Southern Living magazine. Pelosi is a director, producer, cinematographer, writer and political activist.

“They are two very successful people independent of their last names,” Abate added. Going into the forum, Abate and the student panelists wanted to see “how they could give advice for succeeding in the media beyond getting that diploma.”

From Hager’s and Pelosi’s talks of the different career paths they took, Durgin hopes that her peers can realize how “you don’t necessarily have to go in the same directionv that your family leans towards, and that you can really make a name for yourself.”

Abate and Durgin hope the fact that Hager and Pelosi have never worked to-gether before for an event will draw in a substantial crowd, aside from the fact that both speakers come from highly in-fluential families.

“With such big names as these, I think a lot of students might recognize

the names, but it’s also going to draw in a lot of people from the community,” Durgin said. “So I think the tickets are definitely going to be in high demand.”

For Eliasoph, the postponement of the forum should lead to “an even larger student audience awaiting this much an-ticipated event next month.”

Ninth annual student forum highly anticipated by Fairfi eld

Continued from page 1

By Patrick KiernanSports Editor

THE NEWS: In the United States

Wickliff e, Ohio - An 11-year-old girl has been charged with murder aft er she alleged-ly beat a two-month-old baby to death. She went before a juvenile court judge on Mon-day, and was ordered to undergo a mental competency exam before her next appear-ance.

New York City, NY - NBC News is suspend-ing managing editor and Nightly News an-chor Brian Williams for six months without pay aft er a review of his comments concern-ing his experiences during the Iraq War.

New York City, NY - On Tuesday, February 10, Jon Stewart announced that he will be leaving “Th e Daily Show” on Comedy Cen-tral, the channel’s second longest-running program.

New York City, NY - Police offi cer Peter Li-ang charged for fatally shooting an unarmed Akai Gurley and his girlfriend in a stairwell.

Boston, Mass. - Th e city has faced up to six feet of snow in the last month and counting.

Yellowstone, Wyoming - Grizzly bears at Yellowstone National Park are emerging from winter hibernation weeks earlier than normal because of the early arrival of rain and spring-like weather.

Chicago, Ill. - President Barack Obama will designate part of Chicago’s Pullman neigh-borhood, a site known for the history of ur-ban planning and the civil rights movement, as a national monument.

Helena, Montana- Th e death of hundreds of Yellowstone National Park bison spurs protests from Native American activists over federal-state management of the bison.

Kansas - On Tuesday, February 10, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, a conservative Republican reelected in November, rescind-ed an executive order issued by a Democrat-ic predecessor that off ered protection for gay and bisexual state workers.

Contributed under Creative Commons

By Catherine VeschiAssistant News Editor

Photo courtesy of Fairfi eld UniversityJenna Bush Hager and Alexandra Pelosi are scheduled to visit on March 25.

Page 5THE MIRROR | Week of February 11, 2015Opinion

In light of the recent measles outbreak that originated in California from a visitor at Disneyland, it is now more prudent than ever to have chil-dren all over the country vaccinated.

The outbreak that has since im-pacted the lives of many people has opened our eyes to the very real fact that measles is still a dangerously rel-evant virus.

Considering that there are many students in all levels of education that remain unvaccinated, it is important to consider how the outbreak may im-pact not only small communities, but also university campuses.

Additionally, considering that the virus is no longer contained on the west coast and has, according to The Washington Post, now spread to east-ern states such as New Jersey, there is no longer the illusion that the measles outbreak cannot impact any of us.

However, the topic of whether or not children should be vaccinated at an early age remains a persistent point of contention. Despite the debate, giv-en the seriousness of the most recent outbreak of the virus, I believe that it is imperative for all people to be vac-cinated.

Although some people contin-ue to argue that it is the right of the child’s parents to choose whether or not their child should be vaccinated, more medical professionals and edu-cators are demanding that children should only be permitted admission into schools after they have had their round of preventative shots.

Given the knowledge that we now have regarding measles, the seemingly sensible reason for more common-place school vaccination requirements

is based on how contagious and virtu-ally undetectable the virus can be in its early stages of being contracted.

Medical professional Dr. Richard Besser, chief medical correspondent for ABC News, recently discussed with ABC news anchor George Steph-anopoulos the importance of receiving vaccinations at an early age.

In discussing the controversial topic, Besser addressed the aforemen-tioned concern of how it is possible for people who are exposed to measles to not show any indication of sickness for up to three weeks following their ex-posure to the virus. His urging of peo-ple to get vaccinations comes from the position that even before the symp-toms become apparent to the person infected, it is possible for him or her to already be spreading the virus to those around him or her. For that reason alone, it is evident that vaccinations should be a requirement for everyone under all circumstances, if solely for the health and safety of the public.

As the virus spreads throughout the country and people continue to grow increasingly aware of the con-sequences of not receiving preventa-tive vaccines, some short-term actions have been taken.

A California school in an affected area has already declared that all stu-dents who are unvaccinated should remain home during the period that measles can remain undetected simply for everyone’s well-being.

Given the overwhelming medical knowledge of the contagious nature of measles, I find the decision to have un-vaccinated students remain home to be a practical one. However, I do not believe that the decision is a long-term solution considering that it continues to allow unwilling parents to circum-vent vaccinating their child.

There remain too many people who still oppose exposing their child to the measles vaccine. These people maintain the school of thought that vaccines may be harmful and can have dangerous aftereffects, one of which has been the popularized myth that vaccines can cause of autism in chil-dren.

Kentucky Senator and Ophthal-mologist Rand Paul’s recent contro-versial statement that he has “heard from parents whose children had suf-fered ‘profound mental disorders’ after being vaccinated” exemplifies how the myth has infiltrated the public’s con-sciousness as truth.

Rather than helping our commu-

nities make decisions based on facts, I believe Paul’s actions have instead ex-pedited the likelihood of people mere-ly believing medics who give their “expert opinion,” despite their opinion being based on myth, as well as out-side the realm of their field of study.

Measles was eradicated in the United States by the year 2000. The in-creasing number of non-immunized children, coupled with increased in-ternational travel, is what has caused the disease to resurface.

Last week, President Barack Obama, in stark contrast to his state-ment at a campaign rally in 2008 where he stated, “We’ve seen just a skyrocketing autism rate. Some peo-

ple are suspicious that it’s connected to the vaccines” has now stated that the science behind vaccines is “pretty indisputable,” urging parents to im-munize their children.

On Feb. 5, 2015, Autism Speaks, a well-known autism advocacy group also urged parents to vaccinate their children, citing extensive research that does not support a link between vac-cines and autism.

But perhaps Hillary Rodham Clinton, a likely Democratic presi-dential candidate, put it best when she weighed in on the debate with a simple tweet: “The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork.”

By Ariana PuzzoOpinion Editor

Science maintains that vaccines work

Opinion Editor Ariana Puzzo» ariana.puzzo@student.fairfield.edu

Contributed under Creative Commons

Editorial Board

We live in a world in which information can reach people in a variety of ways. It can come from updates on Twitter, through articles in the New York Times, or for many people, from Jon Stewart and Brian Williams.

On Feb. 11, Williams, anchor of NBC Nightly News, was being given a six-month unpaid leave from his position for being caught in a lie from 2003 about a plane he was in being shot down in Iraq.

Within the same 24 hours,

Stewart announced he would be retiring from the "Daily Show."

Both Stewart and Williams were the big names for how millennials were getting their news and political information.

There’s no denying that what Stewart did with the "Daily Show" was a television revolution.

It’s a really twisted way of getting political news, but for the past 16 years, it was Stewart and the "Daily Show" that many of us watched to find out what

was happening in the Republican National Convention, foreign diplomacy or in our federal government.

He oftentimes gave a voice to those who struggled to get their voices heard. Of course it led with humor, but that’s why it had the impact it did.

For a generation that is seen as passive when it comes to politics, Stewart understood the way to get us to stand up and pay attention. He may have been seen

as less prestigious than anchors like Williams, but all the same there is a sense of sadness that both Stewart and Williams are going to be off the air.

They were two of our most prominent windows into the world of politics and there is a sense of fear that perhaps we can slip into apathy in their absence.

But the reigns can be handed over to people like Lester Holt, John Oliver and Larry Wilmore. We just have to be open to them.

Shauna MitchellEditor-in-Chief

Jennifer CalhounExecutive Editor

Enxhi MyslymiManaging Editor

End of an Era

I am going to preface this with the following: I am not alone. I am in a long-term relationship going on five years. I will probably spend Valen-tine’s Day doing all the sappy couple-y things that Hallmark writes about.

That being said, here is the truth: Valentine’s Day never meets our ex-pectations. Think about it.

When is Valentine’s Day ever the “perfect day” that greeting cards and movies speak of? When have you ever been swept off your feet on a roman-tic escapade with your meant-to-be love? When has Valentine’s Day met its expectations? Never, that’s when.

Instead, we spend Valentine’s Day like any other day. There are er-rands to run, chores to do and goals to meet. Instead of spending the day

celebrating the joy that is love, we spend it lost inside of ourselves and our lives.

We celebrate with a hurried din-ner or a bouquet of flowers hastily sent. Many people consider Valen-tine’s Day a joke.

They move onto the next big thing. Let’s be serious, the only worthwhile part of Valentine’s Day is the day after because of the 80 per-cent off candy.

But what if we spent this Val-entine’s Day a different way? What if instead of spending the day ignoring the holiday, or lamenting how dif-ferent it is from the 2010 movie, we spend the day celebrating love?

Love is not just for your roman-tic partner.

You can show love for your fami-ly, your friends, for soccer or for food. Love is what you care about. You love

the things that matter to you. Even the most insignificant thing can still be loved, as long as you care for it.

So this year, let’s celebrate the love that we have for each other and for the world.

Spend the day smiling. Spend the day doing the things that you love - spending time with your cat or binge-watching “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Spend some time by calling your best friend and saying, “I love you.”

Celebrate the day by making the world a little bit of a happier place, for yourself and for others.

This year, let’s spend Valentine’s Day being present, because that is what the day should be - a present. And then go get that 80 percent off candy at CVS on Sunday.

Four dollars for 96 Reese’s Pea-nut Butter Cups is a deal that doesn’t come every day.

By Britta GunnesonContributing Writer

Valentine's Day for sale

Page 6THE MIRROR | Week of February 11, 2015Opinion

While many were hoping for the Seattle Seahawks to take home the title of back-to-back Super Bowl champions, the Budweiser puppy stole their thunder.

Last year, the Budweiser commer-cial “Puppy Love” won the Super Bowl ring of commercials and this year’s se-quel, the “Lost Dog” featured the same puppy and won itself another ring.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Brian Perkins, Budweiser vice president told USA Today. This year’s 2015 Super Bowl averaged approximately 114.4 million

viewers per minute on NBC’s Sunday night broadcast, making it the most watched event in American TV history. Some of the 114.4 million people watch-ing were Patriots fans and others were Seahawks fans, but collectively, most were Budweiser fans.

Costing $4.5 million for a 30-sec-ond ad, there are always high expecta-tions for the ad bowl. In the marketing world, the Super Bowl is not a football game, but rather a contest to see who can make the most “buzzworthy” com-mercial. All companies try to get their message across and sell their product in the most memorable and creative way

possible.What better way to sell your prod-

uct than with puppy love and the Pro-claimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)” playing in the background? For me, that is about as good and memorable as it gets.

“It’s a storyline that people of all walks of life can relate to,” Perkins told People magazine.

The commercial tells the heart-warming story of the friendship between a Clydesdale, a man and a puppy. When the puppy gets lost, the man puts up signs around town and is upset that he cannot find his dog. While the puppy is

lost, there is a huge storm and the puppy is saved by the Budweiser Clydesdales from a wolf. The commercial ends with the hashtag #bestbuds, leaving the audi-ence heartfelt and with each room filling with the sound of multiple “awwwws.”

In my opinion, Budweiser defi-nitely won the ad bowl and was closely followed by Always’ “Like a Girl” com-mercial.

On the other hand, I was unim-pressed by Nationwide’s “Make Safe Happen” ad. Although all companies try to make memorable commercials, an ad should not put a damper on the fun of the Super Bowl, and it most certainly should not create a negative buzz.

Yes, putting out a rather disturbing ad did create talk and gave the ad atten-tion, but little to none of the attention that the ad is getting is positive.

The little boy who starred in the commercial was saying lines such as, “I’ll never learn to ride a bike or get coo-ties.” He also said, “I’ll never learn to fly or travel the world with my best friend.”

At the end of the commercial, the little boy said, “I couldn’t grow up because I died from an accident.” Instantly, when people see a cute little boy and hear that he has died from an accident, the mood and atmosphere is hindered.

Twitter feeds filled up with reac-tions from this commercial such as co-median writer Rob Fee’s tweet, “Hope you guys are having a great day. Did you know your kid is probably gonna die soon? Enjoy your nachos & funeral plan-ning! – Nationwide.”

The message that the Nationwide commercial was trying to get express is a serious matter and one that cannot be avoided or portrayed lightly. However, I feel that the way the message was con-veyed in this ad was far too disturbing and blunt.

All in all, the Super Bowl was a huge success and the vast majority of the ads were entertaining and up to par with Super Bowl standards. Only one year un-til we get to see what next year’s game has to offer so stay tuned.

If you are like me, April 12 is a day that you circled, highlighted and starred on your calendar. This day marks the return of dragons, kings, queens and murderers who will once again make an appear-ance on our televisions and into our nightmares.

For those of you who are un-sure of what I am referring to, sea-son five of HBO’s widely acclaimed show “Game of Thrones” is set to premiere in just two short months and after watching the recently re-leased trailer, I do not think that I can wait that long.

Although many, including myself, were disappointed by the shortcomings of the previous sea-son, I have high hopes that season five will be the season that recap-tures both mine and other viewers’ interest in the mythical show.

Despite my high hopes for season five, many people do not share my optimism for the return of the show.

Although many of us had high hopes for season four, the general consensus among fans is that the previous season fell flat when tell-ing the most crucial storylines of many important characters.

Additionally, following the finale of season four, many of us continue to ask the ever-present question, “Who will be vying next for the Iron Throne?”

This question has been re-peated for the past four seasons and, for many, is growing rather redundant.

I find the question to be grow-ing rather cumbersome because although it is clear that the seven kingdoms cannot be conquered in a day, some answers as to who will

ultimately rule would be appreci-ated.

I also fear that if answers are not provided in a timely manner that the show will become stagnant and wane in its viewership.

It also does not help matters that the writer of the show’s book series, George R.R. Martin, is not set to publish any new work this year.

Martin’s fifth and most recent novel, “A Dance with Dragons,” was released back in 2011 follow-ing a six-year hiatus.

The excruciatingly long four-year hiatus since Martin’s fifth novel has been a source of distress for fans that are impatiently await-ing the answer to the seemingly eternal question.

However, if another six-year intermission is what it takes for

Martin to lay the groundwork for his penultimate epic fantasy novel, then I am ready to begrudgingly await its release.

Most recently, the talk that has been surrounding season five has been regarding the trailer released online earlier in the month.

I personally found the trailer to be thrilling and captivating giv-en the fact that it has been months since I have last seen my favorite characters.

The character whose fate I am most anticipating upon the return of the show is Arya Stark, who was last seen heading off to a far-away land.

Her story throughout season four has become more compelling and I have been eagerly awaiting her transformation into an assas-sin since last June when the season

ended.Contrary to my excitement of

the trailer, many fans believe that the soundtrack chosen to represent the show in said trailer was inap-propriate and ill-fitting.

Although fans believe that the soundtrack is foreshadowing an-other disappointing season, I per-sonally do not view it as a direct reflection of how the upcoming season will present itself.

Who can honestly say that the song choice for the trailer de-tracts from the excitement of what will happen next to characters like Arya, or characters like Tyrion Lannister whose fates are tremen-dously uncertain?

Rather than focus on a song that you may or may not like, it seems perfectly clear to me that characters such as the aforemen-

tioned simply outshine any type of trailer music.

After viewing the trailer for the upcoming season, I have the utmost confidence that season five will be a huge step up from season four due to the compelling story-lines that will be further addressed.

When ending a season on such a high note, such as with the death of Tywin Lannister delivered by his own son Tyrion, and the sudden ascension of unsuspecting characters such as the previously viewed as weak Sansa Stark, it is only natural that season five will be a huge success.

For these reasons alone, I have no doubt in my mind that “Game of Thrones” will once again reclaim its glory as one of the highest rated shows currently on HBO.

Budweiser puppy outshines Super Bowl commercials

Winter is ending, Game of Thrones is returningBy Erin Joyce

Contributing Writer

By Jane Holland Contributing Writer

The Mirror welcomes the opinions and contributions of its readers: Letters to the editor must be timely and submitted by email to info@fairfieldmirror.com or Box AA. All letters to the editor that are appropriate will be published either in print or online. The Mirror reserves the right to edit letters and articles for content, length and grammatical error. Letters should be free of obscenities and personal attacks and should contain correct and factual information not exceeding 500 words.

Contributed under Creative Commons

Editor Charles DeFilippo vine@fairfi eldmirror.com

arts, entertainment, featuresThe Vine

NEW DUKE

Brings Ellington To Life

THE MIRROR | Week of February 11, 2015 Page 8The Vine

In less than 20 years, Chadwick Stokes (“Dispatch,” “State Radio”) has proven to be one of the most prolifi c songwriters of our genera-tion. His new album, “Th e Horse Comanche,” is

a well-executed masterpiece brimming with vivid imagery and heartfelt lyrics that express Stokes’ interest in lost love and political corrup-tion. Each progression from “Prison Blue Eyes” to “Our Lives Our Time” feels fresh and original, never attempting to be the next “Dispatch” or “State Radio” record.

Long before the recording of the al-bum, Stokes traversed both the U.S. and Europe, playing both new and old material in fans’ living rooms. In these shows, Stokes tested out the new material to gauge the reactions from a more intimate audience. Th is new material would later become “Th e Horse Coman-che.”

Th e fi rst single from the album, “Our Lives Our Time,” takes Stokes’ songwriting abilities into the politi-

cal sphere, which feels organic with a unique

acoustic progression that carries the song’s strong political message. Any avid listener of “State Ra-dio” will surely appreciate this piece, which ques-tions the morals of big government and presents current ethical issues in a pleasantly melodic way.

Notable in this album is Stokes’ ability to create multilayered sounds, which allows for the album to fl ow freely between compositions. “Mother Maple” takes Stokes’ traditional har-monic bliss, but places in a drum machine back-ing that gives the song a vitality that is quite un-expected from his music.

Th e lyrics are profound in this piece with Stokes showcasing his expressive love in the cho-rus: “And Mother Maple I drink from your syrup /And I am thankful for the blood that you bleed.”

Stokes seems to enjoy expressing this idea of lost love in “Th e Horse Comanche”; it seems to be interwoven into almost every piece. “Prison Blue Eyes” and “I Want You Like a Seatbelt” show Stokes’ desire to fi nd a past love.

“Prison Blue Eyes” expresses Stokes’ desire to attain a mysterious blue-eyed woman, while “I Want You Like a Seatbelt” expresses Stokes’ de-sire to begin a family with this woman (and he throws some comedy in for good measure). Both songs demonstrate an attempt by Stokes to tell a complete love story.

Th e pinnacle of this lost love culminates into “New Haven,” which is easily the most emo-

tional piece of work that Stokes’ has ever written. Th e lyrics were inspired by Stokes’ internal strug-gle with lost love in high school, which seems comical when analyzing the composition. How-ever, Stokes masterfully creates one of his most personal pieces in his ever-expanding catalogue.

Stokes also enjoys taking breaks from his sappy romances to bring forward creative sing-alongs, which balances the album out perfectly. “Dead Badger” has such a simple arrangement, but Stokes’ passion for lyrical perfection allows this song to achieve its potential, especially dur-ing the verses. “Walter (First Hello)” takes a more solemn approach to this sing-along concept, but ultimately delivers a powerful one-two punch of great lyrics and solid composition.

“Th e Horse Comanche” further solidifi es Stokes as the songwriter of our generation and establishes him in a league of his own. Stokes is a man who is able to sell out stadiums around the globe (look no further than the three sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in 2007), and also complete projects like “Th e Horse Coman-che” which make him appear like a small fi sh in a big pond.

Th is album is personable and self-refl ective of the songwriter we have today and marks an achievement that most musicians seek to attain in their lifetime, let alone 20 years in the music industry.

By Andrew DaRosaAlbum Columnist

Contributed under Creative Commons"The Horse Comanche," released Feb. 3, 2015, delves into Stokes' inter-

Album Spoiler: 'The Horse Comanche'

NEW DUKE: Music, American culture and the stories that make it all come to life

New Duke is an eight-piece jazz ensemble that reinterprets the sentiment of Duke Ellington’s music with a fusion of rock, hip-hop and reggae

grooves. The Ensemble performs mashups of other music giants such as; Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Stevie Won-der and The Doors. New Duke has proven themselves as a melting pot of of music history, while displaying their pas-sion of music and adding their own stories into the mix.

New Duke has close ties to Fairfield University. Music Pro-gram Director and Bandleader, Brian Torff, is responsible for the contemporary arrangements of El-lington’s charts. Darryl Tookes (vo-cals), John Fumasoli (trombone) and Dave Childs (piano) all teach at the University. Rick Saldon (alto sax, clarinet, flute) is a presenter with the National Endowment for the Humanities Teacher Workshops on Duke Ellington held at Fairfield.

Drummer, Don Mulvaney is challenged by every as-pect of New Duke. Although the music is written out, each musician must be on their toes in order to make the music sound and feel good, while maintaining a high-energy per-formance. These elements are critical and require each mu-sician to listen and react to the spontaneity of New Duke.

“I love the challenge of trying to play all these styles, grooves the best I can while leaning towards a jazz ap-proach. Meaning - with improvisation and Experimenta-tion,” stated Mulvaney

Beyond their ties to Fairfield, members of New Duke all come from rich musical backgrounds. Music was passed down from parents, siblings and relatives and inspired each of these accomplished musicians. Tookes recalled the life-changing influence that his mother, grandmother and aunt had during his youth.

“My mother was a great singer and pianist. She taught me piano, the standards and how to be authentic. She would listen to the way I would practice and could tell what mood I was in, if I was happy or sad that day,” said Tookes.

As a boy, Tookes matured singing in with his “har-monically dense” church choir and was inspired by his grandmother who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1931 for her per-formance in ‘The Green Pastures’. He still has a picture of her singing in a jazz club “and she is older than I am now,” said Tookes.

“I really don’t have a choice. It is written in our DNA! If this [music] is who you are, you will not regret it,” added Tookes.

Mulvaney, Fumasoli and Saldon all had similar experi-ences growing up listening to their siblings play in awe or playing with their school bands. Each musical encounter left a lasting impression on all of these, now fruitful, musi-cians. Collectively, the members of New Duke have per-formed with staples in the music industry including; Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, Dizzy Gillespie, Lio-nel Hampton, Stephanie Grappelli, George Benson, Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand (to name a few).

In honor of Black History Month, New Duke will per-form a free concert in Gonzaga Auditorium on Thursday, February 19 at 7:30 p.m. The opening band will be The Lionfish, a rock band formed by a group of passionate Fair-field Music students.

This special performance is all about bringing the past forward, musically and historically. Ellington once stated that “Jazz is a provocative subject.” When we think of Black History Month jazz may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but voices like Ellington's are the ones who chal-lenged our minds to see past the color of our skin. As a bandleader, Ellington grew close to many of his musicians and would write specific charts based on their unique voic-es and style.

“Duke Ellington’s music is part of our American cul-ture and history. Americans should be aware of their own culture. I am glad to be part of a group that explores and continues the Ellington tradition,” stated Seldon.

Ellington’s message provokes listeners like the messag-es of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Brown vs. Board of Edu-cation, The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington. All of which are impossible to sum up into words.

When Fumasoli thinks about Black History Month he recalls Dr. King’s Message of peace and equality. “We can all live by this on a daily basis. Take the time to under-stand other people, their feelings, their beliefs. Our diver-sity should be celebrated! Support the arts and live music!” stated Fumasoli.

Darryl Tookes was kind enough to share a very in-

timate experience that sums up the importance of these critical issues. Tookes saw Bobby Short perform for the first time at the Carlyle Hotel (35 years into Short’s run). Short would hang out after each performance or in the kitchen hanging out with Cole Porter. That night Bobby was so powerful sitting be-hind the piano, said Tookes. It was 2 a.m. and Tookes saw a man hobbling on a cane in the lobby. It was Short and his last words to

Tookes were “just enjoy playing music!”

“Within a year Short died. Those words resonate

with me to this day and appear on every syllabus I write,” said

Tookes.Moments like these are

the ones that you will re-member for a lifetime and

they are the ones that we relive through mu-

sic. These are the stories of New Duke and they are what bring E l l i n g t o n ’s music back to life.

Hats off to Torff, Fair-field Univer-sity Music

P ro g r a m , Dr. Laura Nash and the Black S t u d i e s Program for mak-ing this p e r f o r -m a n c e possible.

NEW DUKE at Gonzaga AuditoriumTh ursday, Feb. 19 @ 7:30 p.m.

Free Admission!

Performing with New Duke is a blast! First and foremost it is great music with excellent arrangements. More importantly is the listening and rapport the group has with another. A very creative endeavor! - John Fumasoli

ences growing up listening to their siblings play in awe or playing with their school bands. Each musical encounter left a lasting impression on all of these, now fruitful, musi-cians. Collectively, the members of New Duke have per-formed with staples in the music industry including; Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, Dizzy Gillespie, Lio-nel Hampton, Stephanie Grappelli, George Benson, Tony

In honor of Black History Month, New Duke will per-form a free concert in Gonzaga Auditorium on Thursday, February 19 at 7:30 p.m. The opening band will be The Lionfish, a rock band formed by a group of passionate Fair-

This special performance is all about bringing the past forward, musically and historically. Ellington once stated that “Jazz is a provocative subject.” When we think of Black History Month jazz may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but voices like Ellington's are the ones who chal-lenged our minds to see past the color of our skin. As a bandleader, Ellington grew close to many of his musicians and would write specific charts based on their unique voic-

“Duke Ellington’s music is part of our American cul-ture and history. Americans should be aware of their own culture. I am glad to be part of a group that explores and

Ellington’s message provokes listeners like the messag-es of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Brown vs. Board of Edu-cation, The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington. All of which are impossible to sum up into

When Fumasoli thinks about Black History Month he recalls Dr. King’s Message of peace and equality. “We can all live by this on a daily basis. Take the time to under-

critical issues. Tookes saw Bobby Short perform for the first time at the Carlyle Hotel (35 years into Short’s run). Short would hang out after each performance or in the kitchen hanging out with Cole Porter. That night Bobby was so powerful sitting be-hind the piano, said Tookes. It was 2 a.m. and Tookes saw a man hobbling on a cane in the lobby. It was Short and his last words to

Tookes were “just enjoy playing music!”

“Within a year Short died. Those words resonate

with me to this day and appear on every syllabus I write,” said

Tookes.Moments like these are

the ones that you will re-member for a lifetime and

they are the ones that we relive through mu-

sic. These are the stories of New Duke and they are what bring E l l i n g t o n ’s music back to life.

Hats off to Torff, Fair-field Univer-sity Music

P ro g r a m , Dr. Laura Nash and the Black S t u d i e s Program for mak-ing this p e r f o r -m a n c e possible.

Performing with New Duke is a blast! First and foremost it is great music with excellent arrangements. More importantly is the listening and rapport the group has with another. A very

- John Fumasoli

By Charles DeFilippoVine Editor

The Mirror | Week of February 11, 2015 Page 9The Vine

Nutrition 101: What you need to know about exercising

Along with a proper diet, the second most important component of living a healthy lifestyle is exercising. Exercising is oft en diffi cult

to fi t into your schedule, but it is truly essential to your health. Exercising can improve your health by reducing the

risk of health conditions and diseases, boosting your energy, improving sleep and even enhancing your mood.

Essentially, when you exercise, your body releases endorphins into your system which instantly make you feel happier and more relaxed. By exercising regularly, this will improve your physical and mental well-being.

Th e biggest problem people have when it comes to exercising is not knowing what exactly to do.

Th e gym can be intimidating, and by not using machines properly, there is a greater chance of injury.

Th e most benefi cial type of exercise is strength training. It's the most eff ective because not only are you burning calories in the moment that you are exercising, you are also burning

calories when you sleep. You may question how this is possible.

Th e idea behind strength training is that it involves building up your muscles, which in turn causes your body to burn more fat; this happens even when you are not exercising.

Strength training is the most eff ective way to burn fat and lose weight, but it also has other benefi cial factors. Strength training supports bone health, protects your joints, makes you stronger and fi tter and ultimately burns more calories.

So when heading to the gym, think twice before you just hop on a machine.

Th e treadmill and elliptical are good machines to use, but doing cardio only burns calories in the moment. If you are trying to lose weight and stay healthier, your best bet is doing strength training exercises.

Strength training is not just lift ing weights, but involves a variety of body movements. Th e most eff ective strength

training exercises are ones that use weights in combination with cardio.

Th is includes squatting while holding free weights, jumping

jacks with free weights and push-ups, to name a few.

One of the biggest

concerns with strength training for women is they are afraid of bulking up. It is physically impossible for women to bulk

up from just lift ing weights. Th e reasoning behind this is that

women do not contain enough of the hormone testosterone that men do to

bulk up from heavy lift ing. So, ladies, do not be afraid to try some strength training exercises. Ultimately, you will

feel and look healthier by developing a strong, toned body.

A vital part of health and wellness is exercise.

However, exercise is only eff ective when

coupled with proper

nutrition, so remember

to always be mindful of

what you are eating.

By Stephanie PiccoloNutrition Columnist

Photos Contributed under Creative Commons

Her Campus

Celebrates

First

BirthdayFor any of you who have had the pleasure

of taking one of Dr. Pearson’s classes, particularly Irish Literature, you will know what I mean when I say he has a true passion for his work.

Th is book refl ects that passion for Irish literature as he navigates the choppy waters of the development of the modern Irish writ-er, as epitomized by James Joyce, Elizabeth Bowen and Samuel Beckett.

Th ese three writers highlight in their works the struggle between embracing the world at large and retaining one’s national identity.

In fact, as Pearson argues, it is this very overlap that creates Irish modernism. Th ere is a yearning within their characters as they constantly evolve, looking for the global fu-ture, yet are still tied to their native roots.

Pearson posits that you must travel away from your country of origin to truly grasp its identity.

He uses the example of Stephen Deda-lus in James Joyce’s “A Portrait of the Artist of A Young Man” in that “his process of ascer-taining an Irish consciousness….comes to co-exist with, to infl uence and be infl uenced by, his developing international conscious-ness and ideas about the human universe.”

What results from this intersection of national and international concerns is Irish mod-ernism.

“Irish Cosmopolitanism” explores the chang-ing term “cosmopolitan” in relation to Ireland’s his-tory of decolonization as seen through the lens of quintessential Irish expatriate writers. It is a schol-arly treatise, yet still lends itself to the average reader who wants to increase his or her knowledge of Irish literature.

Take a further step and consider taking EN 161 (Irish Literature) with Pearson next year. Th e course work spans from medieval poems to feminist writer Edna O’Brien to modernist Sebastian Barry.

You will glean a broad understanding of Ire-land’s tumultuous past and the brilliant writers that

it spawned.Come to the Fairfi eld University Bookstore on

Th ursday, Feb. 12 at 7:00 p.m. to meet Pearson and learn more about his new book.

Interview with Nels Pearson:GW: What sparked your passion for Irish lit-

erature and history?NP: Reading James Joyce’s works as an under-

graduate and then going to Ireland were the two in-spiring factors that led me to my passion for Ireland. I actually was studying abroad in Italy and went to Ireland for my spring break that semester and mostly traipsed about Dublin following the paths of Joyce’s characters.

GW: Have you ever lived in Ireland or have you traveled there frequently? If so, which area is your favorite?

NP: I have traveled to Ireland several times and co-taught a course there last year. My favorites are the west coast towns of Sligo (where W.B. Yeats was from) and Doolin.

GW: Are you planning to use this book in any course you teach?

NP: No. I think it is really too special-ized or geared to graduate students and col-leagues in the fi eld. But I might certainly make smaller sections available for reserve/optional reading and put it on reserve for certain research paper topics.

GW: What is your favorite aspect of teaching at Fairfi eld University?

NP: I appreciate the balanced climate of active researchers and devoted classroom teachers.

GW: What topics are you currently re-searching that you will be writing about in the future?

NP: I am currently starting a new book project on the role of water (sea, crossings, coasts, maritime economics) in Irish 20th century literature.

GW: Who are your top three favorite authors?NP: Tough call. Probably James Joyce, Samuel

Beckett and W.B. Yeats.

GW: What books would you recommend to a person who is new to Irish literature?

NP: Great question. Wish we could crowd source my EN 161 students. I would say, for earli-er 20th century works, Joyce’s “Dubliners” and the early poetry of Yeats. But for some great more recent stuff , anything by Roddy Doyle, Seamus Deane’s “Reading in the Dark,” Edna O’Brien’s “Th e Coun-try Girls” and John McGahern’s “Th e Dark” and “Amongst Women.

calories when you sleep. You may question how this is

Th e idea behind strength training is that it involves building up your muscles, which in turn causes your body to burn more fat; this happens even when you are not exercising.

Strength training is the most eff ective way to burn fat and lose weight, but it also has other benefi cial factors. Strength training supports bone health, protects your joints, makes you stronger and fi tter and ultimately burns more

So when heading to the gym, think twice before you just

Th e treadmill and elliptical are good machines to use, but doing cardio only burns calories in the moment. If you are trying to lose weight and stay healthier, your best bet is doing

Strength training is not just lift ing weights, but involves of body movements. Th e most eff ective strength

training exercises are ones that use weights

of bulking up. It is physically impossible for women to bulk up from just lift ing weights.

Th e reasoning behind this is that women do not contain enough of the

hormone testosterone that men do to bulk up from heavy lift ing. So, ladies, do not be afraid to try some strength training exercises. Ultimately, you will

feel and look healthier by developing a strong, toned body.

A vital part of health and wellness is exercise.

However, exercise is only eff ective when

coupled with proper

nutrition, so remember

to always be mindful of

what you are eating.

exercising is not knowing what exactly to do. Th e gym can be intimidating, and by not using machines

properly, there is a greater chance of injury. Th e most benefi cial type of exercise is strength training.

It's the most eff ective because not only are you burning calories in the moment that you are exercising, you are also burning

hop on a machine.Th e treadmill and elliptical are good machines to use, but

doing cardio only burns calories in the moment. If you are trying to lose weight and stay healthier, your best bet is doing strength training exercises.

Strength training is not just lift ing weights, but involves a variety of body movements. Th e most eff ective strength

training exercises are ones that use weights

Photos Contributed under Creative Commons

So when heading to the gym, think twice before you just

Th e treadmill and elliptical are good machines to use, but doing cardio only burns calories in the moment. If you are trying to lose weight and stay healthier, your best bet is doing strength training exercises.

Strength training is not just lift ing weights, but involves of body movements. Th e most eff ective strength

training exercises are ones that use weights in combination with cardio.

Th is includes squatting while holding free weights, jumping

jacks with free weights and push-ups, to name a few.

One of the biggest

Book Look: 'Irish Cosmopolitanism'

By Georgina WhiteBook Critic

Read COLLEGE on Page 10

By Monet MonterrosoContributing Writer

On Feb. 4 in the Aloysius P. Kel-ley Center, Her Campus celebrated their fi rst birthday by hosting a pink party with both Brittany Lewis (Director of Community Develop-ment & Strategic Programming) and Windsor Hanger Western (Co-founder, President & Publisher) as special guest speakers.

Her Campus is a digital media magazine that is produced by women for college-age women. Th e issue is put out online fi ve days a week, and its purpose is to both inform and en-tertain. Her Campus Fairfi eld is led Amanda McKelvey ‘15 and Amanda Marrone ‘15. Both Campus Corre-spondents are truly responsible for Her Campus’ successful inaugural year. A year ago, they both felt that Fairfi eld was missing something in the digital media fi eld and so they brought Her Campus to Fairfi eld with help from Stephanie Gallo, as-sociate director of the Career Plan-ning Center and acting staff advisor.

“I’m here to guide them, but re-ally these two are independent and so strong just on their own,” said Gallo on the passion of the Her Cam-pus team.

Her Campus immediately grew into something much bigger than Fairfi eld. Since the Internet is such a simple tool to reach out to many people, that is exactly what it did.

THE MIRROR | Week of February 11, 2015 Page 10The Vine

By Andrea ButlerFashion Columnist

Hey Stags! Th e Grammys are more than just an occasion to honor the most talented in the music industry—it’s an

occasion for the best and the boldest to show off their most daring looks. Sunday’s red carpet certainly did not disappoint, and while you may not be attending any awards shows in the future, you can still take style cues from the stars’ looks.

Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga both wore dresses that were sexy and simple. If you have a good silhouette that hugs your body well, it’s all in the details to take an outfi t from hot to trend-setting. Like the aforementioned singers showed us on Sunday, glitter and strategic cutouts can instantly make a piece more interesting.

Anna Kendrick wore a menswear inspired pantsuit and looked so chic and classy. If you want to borrow a look from the boys but still look feminine, the key is to make sure your clothes fi t your own individual shape. Unless you’re lucky, oft entimes the only way to do this is by getting your jackets and pants tailored. It’s not always cheap, but if you can aff ord it, it’s a really good investment to make sure you always look put-together.

Taylor Swift looked fl awless (per usual) in her structured iridescent teal dress, and her purple heels were the perfect addition to her incredible outfi t. Mixing colors works really well if they’re in the same palette, as Taylor’s cool-toned ensemble showed us.

Beyoncé looked regal and elegant, and just like every time she graces us mere mortals with her presence, she showed the world that she truly is Queen B. Take the most important fashion lesson of all from her—if you are confi dent and carry yourself with power and grace, you will always, always look good.

Stay beautiful! Love,

DrePhotos Contributed under Creative Commons

By Andrea ButlerFashion Columnist

Let Dre Dress You

Fairfi eld blog gains international recognitionMcKelvey felt that “Her Cam-

pus’ success couldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for our readers. We used to get 3,300 views and now we get over 75,000 views because now friends of friends are reading it from all over the world and we have to thank them for the success we’ve achieved in this one year.”

Before the celebration of their fi rst birthday, both Hanger Western and Lewis spoke about their own per-sonal experience with Her Campus and their strength as a woman. Th e talk given by the two speakers had a big impact on the Her Campus team, both professionally and emotionally.

“I really liked how they touched on the topics of resumes and cover let-ters. As a freshman we don’t know a lot about it. Th ey mentioned great tips and advice for the future,” said Adelyn Galang ‘18.

In addition to professional ad-vice, the speakers also increased the morale of the group, leaving many members feeling empowered aft er lis-tening to Lewis and Hanger Western speak.

“It’s really important for college women in this industry to hear from women who came from the ground

up. Being a freshman it’s so nice to hear from such infl uential women,” said Caroline Metcalf-Vera ‘18.

“I enjoyed how they both fo-cused on women empowerment. We need to be inspired,” added Katherine Duncan ‘18.

Both speakers continually praised what the progress Her Cam-pus has made at Fairfi eld in just one

year. Fairfi eld is among 13 schools internationally recognized as a Pink Chapter, which is the highest level at-tainable. Th is feat truly impressed the Her Campus representatives.

Additionally, Her Campus Fair-fi eld has started a new program with Lord & Taylor, which allows hands-on experience in career paths that are of interest to the Her Campus team.

Th e Lord & Taylor program isa collaboration between Her

Campus and Lord & Taylor. Th e goal of this program is to promote career opportunities at Lord & Taylor for the collegiettes on campus.

Th e reason why Lord & Tay-lor was chosen for this program is because this department store gives power to women, given that it is the

fi rst department store to ever name a female president.

“I was apart of the Lord & Taylor new program that we have here and it’s a great hands on program starting with a really good start with getting involved. It’s also really nice to work with a committed and well rounded team,” said Rachel Anderson ‘18.

Th e Her Campus team ended their celebration with a “Happy Birth-day and Th ank you” toast, cupcakes, a group selfi e and lots of mingling. With the celebration at the back of their heads, the Her Campus Correspon-dents are now left with the hard deci-sion of who to pass the torch to aft er graduation to continue the chapter’s success.

“I need someone that will take care of it and I want to see it grow. Her Campus is about having an outlet to give their passion to for the love of reading and writing it,” said McKelvey.

Senior Danielle Tullo agreed with McKelvey, and stressed the opportuni-ty Her Campus gives to Fairfi eld wom-en: “Th rough it all, [Her Campus’] goal of giving women on Fairfi eld’s campus the opportunity to write has been fulfi lled with the success of al-lowing them to get into a program that is focused on the concept that ‘You make dreams happen for yourself.’

Cont. from page

Fashion Columnist

Th e Grammys are more than just an occasion to honor the most talented in the music industry—it’s an occasion for the best and the boldest to show off their most daring looks. Sunday’s red carpet certainly did not disappoint, and while you may not be attending any awards shows in the future, you can still take style cues

Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga both wore dresses that were sexy and simple. If you have a good silhouette that hugs your body well, it’s all in the details to take an outfi t from hot to trend-setting. Like the aforementioned singers showed us on Sunday, glitter and strategic cutouts can instantly make a piece more

Anna Kendrick wore a menswear inspired pantsuit and looked so chic and classy. If you want to borrow a look from the boys but still look feminine, the key is to make sure your clothes fi t your own individual shape. Unless you’re lucky, oft entimes the only way to do this is by getting your jackets and pants tailored. It’s not always cheap, but if you can aff ord it, it’s a really good investment to make sure you always look put-

Taylor Swift looked fl awless (per usual) in her structured iridescent teal dress, and her purple heels were the perfect addition to her incredible outfi t. Mixing colors works really well if they’re in the same

Beyoncé looked regal and elegant, and just like every time she graces us mere mortals with her presence, she showed the world that she truly is Queen B. Take the most important fashion lesson of all from her—if you are confi dent and carry yourself with power and grace, you will always,

Th e Grammys are more than just an occasion to honor the most talented in the music industry—it’s an occasion for the best and the boldest to show off their most daring looks. Sunday’s red carpet certainly did not disappoint, and while you may not be attending any awards shows in the future, you can still take style cues

Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga both wore dresses that were sexy and simple. If you have a good silhouette that hugs your body well, it’s all in the details to take an outfi t from hot to trend-setting. Like the aforementioned singers showed us on Sunday, glitter and strategic cutouts can instantly make a piece more

Anna Kendrick wore a menswear inspired pantsuit and looked so chic and classy. If you want to borrow a look from the boys but still look feminine, the key is to make sure your clothes fi t your own individual shape. Unless you’re lucky, oft entimes the only way to do this is by getting your jackets and pants tailored. It’s not always cheap, but if you can aff ord it, it’s a really good investment to make sure you always look put-

Taylor Swift looked fl awless (per usual) in her structured iridescent teal dress, and her purple heels were the perfect addition to her incredible outfi t. Mixing colors works really well if they’re in the same

Beyoncé looked regal and elegant, and just like every time she graces us mere mortals with her presence, she showed the world that she truly is Queen B. Take the most important fashion lesson of all from her—if you are confi dent and carry yourself with power and grace, you will always,

Photos Contributed under Creative Commons

Monet Monterroso/The Mirror Her Campus contributors hosted a party celebrating its fi rst birthday on Feb. 4.

The Mirror | Week of February 11, 2015 Page 11The Vine

Koala On CampusPost-Impressionism

On display in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts

since Dec. 2 are various paintings by John Mendelsohn, adjunct pro-fessor in the studio art program at Fairfield.

The main exhibit in the Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery consists of 48 different paintings from Mendelsohn’s collection ti-tled “Passing.” These works were painted from 2010-2011.

For the past 15 years, Men-delsohn has worked with the idea of movement in his paintings. They are abstract works that show different kinds of movements and patterns in painting. The collec-tion is made up of five series: ‘Tur-bulence,’ ‘Crosswalk,’ ‘Vanishing,’ ‘Flayed’ and ‘Paradise.’

“Each series has its own char-acter,” wrote Mendelsohn in an essay describing his works, “but they are all involved with states of radical change. Instability and dissolution appear in many forms; absence and presence are in con-tinual dialogue.”

Describing the physical look of the paintings, Mendelsohn wrote, “The paint itself is treated physically: combed, marbleized, wiped off and scraped away.”

The first series of the paint-ings on display in the Walsh Gal-lery, ‘Turbulence,’ use shades of orange, yellow and red that invoke the idea of a sunset.

Scan QR code to read MENDELSOHN online

Adjunct professor on display at Walsh GalleryBy Juliana SansonettiContributing Writer

By Matthew LazickyContributing Writer

Th is Sunday was the midseason premiere of “Th e Walking Dead” and it was a great episode to start the season up again. From this fi rst episode and the clips of what is to come, it seems that the rest of the fi ft h season will be Rick’s group fi ghting the growing feel-ing of hopelessness.

Th e survivors have been out for too long, as Michonne says to Rick and Glenn in the returning episode, and it seems that the group is beginning to lose hope as another possible home is found destroyed. Th e biggest example

of the group’s growing despair is in the death of Tyreese aft er the group had al-ready lost Beth in the midseason fi nale

Th is episode was one of the more hauntingly beautiful episodes that has come of the series so far. It opens with a confusing series of images from the past and some images that won’t make sense until the episode continues.

Th ese images include past set-tings, like the prison and the town of Woodbury, and even a funeral of what we are led to believe is Beth’s, but by the end we know is actually Tyreese’s. As the images end, we see Noah lead-ing the group into a town that hope-fully was going to be a new sanctuary

for them, but it was destroyed and left in ashes. While there, Rick agrees that they should head to Washington D.C., which I think will be the plot for the rest of the season.

Tyreese and Noah go to Noah’s house and fi nd his mother and one of his twin brothers brutally murdered. As he is staring at the photos of Noah’s younger twin brothers, a walker comes up from behind him and bites him in the arm.

Th e walker was not the quietest and Tyreese has gotten himself out of more dire situations, so the idea that he was bitten seems a bit unlike his sur-vivalist self. Once bit, Tyrese sees the

ghosts of those that have died before him including the cannibal Martin, Beth, Bob, the two little girls and Th e Governor. Th ey help him through what he believed were his mistakes, like al-lowing Martin to live, and then tell him that it would be all right to accept death. Aft er saving Judith and forgiving Carol, the ghosts tell him that “it’s better now.” Tyreese accepts his fate soon aft er and dies as the group is trying to save him.

Th is was the fi rst death where the audience was allowed to view it through the eyes of the character and see his thoughts throughout the death process. In the beginning, Tyreese says that his father would listen to the news

on the radio and Tyreese would listen to these gruesome stories and would not ask his father to turn it off . As Tyreese is dying, the radio goes on and tells the story of the group’s survival, but in terms that he would hear when his dad had it on. When Tyreese realizes he could not help the group anymore, he asks the ghost of Bob to turn it off .

Th is leaves the group in mourning over the death of yet another survivor. It was a bold move to kill another beloved character in the mid-season opener. Hopefully, the rest of the season is just as interesting as the fi rst episode leads us to believe and will satisfy what has been an interesting season so far.

returns with 'haunting' episode

THE MIRROR | Week of February 11, 2015 Page 12Coffee Break

... As Overheard in Barone

How to play: Complete the puzzle by fi lling in numbers one through nine (with no repeats or missing numbers) in each column, row and 3x3 square.

Editor: Allison White

COFFEE BREAK

Ask MegNeed horrible advice? Submit a question to info@fairfieldmirror.com

Sudoku

Don’t

Play some...

Dear Meg,

Since we have been snowed in due to class cancellations, I have developed a problem. I fi nished “Gossip Girl” and “One Tree Hill” on Netfl ix. What am I sup-posed to do now? How can any other series compare?

I devoted my life to these shows and now they’re over. It was so cruel of these producers to not continue these shows forever. Now, I actually spend my time doing homework. Help! Sincerely, Netfl ix Addict

Dear Netfl ix Addict,

I am very sorry to hear that you have fi nished both series. I, too, was a fan of “Gossip Girl” and “One Tree Hill.” Only time will heal the pain that you feel. Soon you will be enchanted by a new series. However, it will take time to get over your fi rst loves. Netfl ix is a cycle of ups and downs, much like life. Once you fi nd a new series, you will binge watch it and forget about your homework in no time. Netfl ix is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.

Always keeping it real, Meg

Overhear something funny in Barone? Tweet us @Fairfi eldMirror and be featured next week!

Compiled By Allison WhiteCoff ee Break Editor

Scan the QR code below with a smartphoneto read this week’s overheard quotes!

“His face always smells like popcorn.”

“Thanks for dinner Mommy … I mean Sodexo.”

“Barone must pick the best cows.”

“There’s no such thing as a diet when you eat here.”

“Ice cream for breakfast or dinner today?”

“The unlimited meal plan is dangerously good.”

“Almost got snowed in at Barone.”

“The only reason I walk through the freezing cold: food.”

“Pretty sure I saw Olaf sledding down the library’s hill.”

@lovinsweets08: “We’re like sister wives except with no husband.”

“Other than dinner, the best time of the week is Late Night at Barone.”

THE MIRROR | Week of February 11, 2015 Page 13Sports

Your 2014-2015 4x5 Columnists: Patrick Kiernan, Jennifer Calhoun, Matthew Schneider

and Jesse Erickson

Because we have witty things to say ...

Pshh, Rangers of course. And Brodeur's going to sign to back up Cam Talbot in the wake of King Henrik's injury. No, I wouldn't want for that to happen, but yeah, Rangers.

What NHL team are you picking as a Stanley Cup candidate right now?

Th oughts on club ice hockey be-ing #1 in their league?

Who wins in a fi ght: Mario or Luigi?

What movie are you looking for-ward to this year?

Th oughts on the Grammy's?

Go team that I found out was really good about a week ago. (let Bobby Shmurda lyrics ensue.) Really though, hope they go on to win it all.

Luigi. In any Mario game I've played throughout my life, I've used Luigi to win. And Luigi always wins, especially over that chubby brother of his.

Disregard Jesse, she thinks she's all cool now 'cause she endorses herself on Instagram via 4x5. My answer is really Fast and Furious 7.

Ehh, I never watch that. But did you see Rihanna's Quinceanera dress??? Or the bird's nest Iggy Azalea created with her hair??? Impressive, if you ask me.

Am I allowed to pick Fairfi eld hockey?

See previous answer? Um, Yoshi. My capstone. LOL. Where was One Direction?! WHERE WERE THEY!

Th e New York Rangers baby. Rick Nash is too hot to handle right now.

Awesome, at least maybe they will stop beating us up in intramural fl oor hockey now.

Mario, no way Luigi can take a punch; he's wirey AF.

"Star Wars: Episode VII", it's going to be epic.

How did Ariana Grande not win anything?!

Patrick KiernanSports Editor

Jennifer Calhoun Executive Editor

Matthew SchneiderAssistant

Sports Editor

Weekly 4x5

Bruins??? Imagine if Fairfi eld was Division 1? Ugh. How fun would this school be? P.S. the game was really fun anyway yesterday, more people should go, and congrats and win everything.

I would just like to thank my fans for their support which never ceases to amaze me, my mom and dad for never giving up on me, and my dog, who you can see more of on my Instagram. (waddupjesse)

Jesse EricksonAssistant

Sports Editor

Inside the Sports section this week:

-Playoffs may be in sight for Islanders and Rangers (Page 14)

-2014 losses won't stop softball (Page 14)

-Baseball looks to top best season (Page 15)

-Atlanta Hawks lead the NBA at the All-Star Break (Page 15)

-Club ice hockey wins final regular season game (Page 16)

Princess Peach. Pat told me he couldn't wait for "Fift y Shades of Grey" this weekend.

Stag Spotlight: Men's Tennis' Cameron Amyot '15 and Ofi r Solomon '16

When did you fi rst gain an interest in tennis?

What sport would you play if you couldn’t play tennis?

Junior player Ofi r Solomon.

Amyot: I think the competition has been a lot tougher over the past couple years with Mon-mouth and Quinnipiac, but I think that we can rise up to the challenge and come out on top.

Solomon: I think we have a very, very talented team from every freshman to every senior, from the number one player to the number six player and the bench. I think as long as the team stays together and stays focused, we’ll have a great sea-son.

If you could meet any person in history, who would it be?

Have you ever met a professional tennis player?

Amyot: Ronald Reagan because he was my favorite president.

Solomon: I would meet the old Prime Minis-ter of Israel, Ariel Sharon. He was one of the best in politics there, and is just a person to look up to.

Amyot: I would play hockey. I started grow-ing up playing it, but I had to give it up be-cause of tennis. So, I would have probably continued to play hockey.

Solomon: I would defi nitely play soccer. It’s one of my favorite sports and I just love watching it and playing it, and a lot of my friends are on the team so it would be a great time.

Amyot: Yeah, I’ve met a couple of them. I think growing up, my favorite was Andy Roddick, so get-ting his signature was pretty cool.

Solomon: I’ve met a lot of pros. I go to the U.S. Open every year. It’s just 30 minutes from my house, so I get to walk around and see all of them.

Amyot: I was seven when I started and my dad got me into it.

Solomon: When I fi rst started playing, I was four years old. I got a real interest when I started play-ing in tournaments and travelling when I was about 14 or 15.

Photos contributed by Sports Information Desk

What is your best tennis moment in life?

Amyot: Mine was winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship my freshman year. It had never been done on the team before, so it was a big, big moment.

Solomon: In college when we made the semifi -nals of the MAAC Tournament. Th at’s my fur-thest journey personally, and last year was just the greatest year of tennis for me. I just played my best.

What are your team expectations for this spring?

See even more answers at the new Fairfi eldMirror.com!

Senior player Cameron Amyot.

THE MIRROR | Week of February 11, 2015 Page 14Sports

Th e NHL playoff race is heating up, with teams jockeying for post-season positions as the March 3 trade deadline looms. Once the deadline

hits, it will be up to each team’s GM to decide whether to be a buyer, a seller or to stand pat. Th is is serious business, as any moves made at the deadline can have serious ramifi ca-tions for the team, not only this sea-

son, but for many down the road. Th is season, there have been

a surprising amount of teams that have defi ed expectations. Take, for example, the defending Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings. A team with a strong, young core, the Kings were projected to make a deep playoff run this year in an attempt to repeat as champions. Instead, the team has dropped off recently, losing seven of their last 10 games and fall-ing out of playoff position. Th e Kings would be a good example of a team that should stand pat at the deadline as, given the team’s recent struggles, it may be unwise to squander the future for a chance to win this season.

Another team that has had a sur-prising season is the New York Is-landers. As a team that will be moving next season, the Islanders have done a pretty good job of sending their cur-rent arena, the Nassau Veterans Me-morial Coliseum, out with a bang. Th e surprising team from Long Island has found stability through trade-ac-quisition Jaroslav Halak, a goaltender that brings enough skill and talent to the table to keep the Islanders in games, which is key considering the struggles in net that the Islanders have had in recent years. Th ey have also used salary-cap dumps Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy, both de-fensemen, to improve their perenni-ally awful defensive game.

Th is increase in goaltending and defensive skill, along with another strong campaign by star center John Tavares, has put the Islanders in good position to challenge for the Stanley Cup (they are fi rst in the Metropoli-tan Division and fourth in the Eastern

Conference as of Tuesday morning). A recent injury to Tavares’ linemate Kyle Okposo will pose a challenge to the Islanders, but given their perfor-mance this season, they should have no trouble making the playoff s and perhaps making a run.

Th e Islanders should be buyers at the trade deadline, as this is the best the team has been in years, and may be the best opportunity for the team to become champions for the fi rst time since the 80s.

In other local news, the New York Rangers are having another strong campaign, while the New Jersey Dev-ils are faltering when it matters most.

Th e Rangers have been very hot lately, going 20-6 since Dec. 8 and de-feating many of the NHL’s best teams. However, a recent vascular injury to star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has put the Rangers in a tough position; he will be out for at least three weeks.

Th eir backup goaltender, Cam Talbot, is a good fi ll in for Lundqvist, as he has shown himself to be capable of holding down the fort during any of Lundqvist’s absences.

However, it remains to be seen if Talbot will be able to keep the Rang-ers in their playoff posi-tion (they are fourth in the Metropolitan Divi-sion and seventh in the Eastern Conference), as he just lost back-to-back games against Western Conference foes - the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars - and didn’t look that sharp.

Th e Rangers must be buyers at the trade dead-line, as they require a bottom-six grinder that can win face-off s (their face-off percentage is aw-ful), and may acquire a veteran goaltender in or-der to take the slack off of

Talbot until Lundqvist returns. With the right tweaks, the Rangers can re-turn to the playoff s and possibly chal-lenge for another championship.

As previously stated, the Dev-ils have been struggling this year. Th ough they have turned their game around lately, winning six of their last 10, the Devils still sit in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference.

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching and the team too far out of the playoff s at this point, it is time for the Devils to be sellers. Th ey have a number of pending free agents that they should ship out for draft picks, including the NHL’s current oldest player, Jaromir Jagr, who has played very well these past two seasons in New Jersey.

Despite decent play from goal-tender Cory Schneider, the Devils just haven’t done enough to win this season, and must write it off as a loss and get what they can for their aging veterans.

Aft er falling short of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship by just two games last season, the Fairfi eld soft -ball team will look to win the championship once again this sea-son.

However, like many other teams, the Stags have graduated some teammates who have contributed signifi cantly to the team’s success in the past.

Th is upcoming spring season, the team will be forced to play without Rae Ball ‘14, who was named MAAC Pitcher of the Week on multiple occasions and at the end of her senior year, went on to be named the MAAC Pitcher of the Year.

During her last year with the team, she posted nine consecu-tive strikeouts against Quinnipiac and fi nished the season with a 2.96 earned run average. Her talent helped the team fi nish 8-2 overall in the MAAC.

Recent graduates, Kristen Filicia ‘14 and Lauren Liseth’s ‘14 off ensive contributions will be ones that the Stags will defi nitely need to fi nd substitutes for this season.

Filicia led the team in hitting, posting a .375 average, placing

her third overall in the MAAC. She posted a seven-game hitting streak and fi nished out her season with nine doubles, four triples and two home runs. On the fi eld, Filicia was just as talented and during her senior season, she recorded zero errors.

Like Ball and Filicia, Liseth will also be greatly missed. Th e athlete doubled as shortstop and catcher, and as a hitter, she ranked as one of the highest RBI contributors in program his-tory.

Liseth drove in 122 of them, which tied her for second place in program history. She also had four home runs, which tied her for fi rst in the program, and she is currently placed second in the program for her 14 triples.

Although overcoming the loss of some extremely talented seniors may be diffi cult, there are several key players on the team who have been on the team since their freshman year. Th eir ex-perience and talent will be needed to get the team where they want to be this season.

Senior Sammy Ruff olo has become a vital outfi elder for the team. She is the team’s primary centerfi elder because of her ex-traordinary play on the fi eld.

Last season, she played in 42 games and had two assists

against one error. Ruff olo is one of three seniors expected to lead her team to meet their goals this spring.

Following in her sister’s footsteps, Lauren Filicia ‘16 posted 42 hits in the 45 games in which she played. Her .361 batting average placed her fi ft h in the MAAC, and on the fi eld, she had just two errors in 76 chances. Her talent as a batter and a fi elder will be an extraordinary force for competitors to deal with in the spring.

Sophomore Gianna Kinhofer was one of the most successful freshman the program had seen and if she continues the mo-mentum she set last year, she could become one of the most suc-cessful athletes in program history.

Last season, she played in almost every game, just missing one, and posted a .317 average. She had 19 RBIs and in the fi nal fi ve games of the season, she had three home runs.

With the depth that the Stags already have from past seasons, the upcoming season will be a competitive one, and hopefully, the team will be able to get back the MAAC Championship they fell short of last season.

Th e Stags are scheduled to take on Providence at Towson University for a tournament that begins on Feb. 27.

2014 losses won't stop softball

This week in sports:

Contributed under Creative Commons

By Matthew SchneiderAssistant Sports Editor

By Jesse EricksonAssistant Sports Editor

Playoffs may be in sight for Islanders and Rangers

Contributed under Creative CommonsNew York Ranger Rick Nash (above) is leading the team in goals, and will have to make the offense a priority after goaltender Henrik Lundqvist's injury.

Wednesday, February 11 Swimming and Diving at MAAC Championship, All Day

Women's Basketball vs. Manhattan, 7 p.m.

Thursday, February 12Swimming and Diving at MAAC Championship, All Day

Friday, February 13Swimming and Diving at MAAC Championship, All Day

Women's Basketball vs. Canisius, 5 p.m.

Men's Basketball vs. Quinnipiac, 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 14Swimming and Diving at MAAC Championship, All Day

Men's Lacrosse vs. Holy Cross, 12 p.m.

Women's Lacrosse vs. Sacred Heart, 3 p.m.

Sunday, February 15Men's Basketball at Manhattan, 2 p.m.

Tuesday, February 17Women's Lacrosse vs. Hofstra, 3 p.m.

Men's Lacrosse at Providence, 3 p.m.

THE MIRROR | Week of February 11, 2015 Page 15Sports

With the All-Star Game right around the corner, the first half of the season is just about over. So far, this season has been full of excitement, surprises and of course, great games. One of the biggest surprises has been the play of the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks, who hold the best record in the NBA.

The Hawks went undefeated for the month of January as they went 17 to zero, a new NBA record for the most wins in a month. All five starters for the Hawks (Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague, Al Horford, Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll) were selected to be the Eastern Conference players of the month of January; this is an NBA first.

This group has been the perfect example of total team production, as the starting five averaged double figures scoring in the month of January, showing a balance of scoring throughout the team. At this point in the season, the Hawks look to continue their hot play and defend their position atop the Eastern Conference.

The debate for the best team in the Western Conference continues, but for

right now the Golden State Warriors seem to have the upper hand as they hold the best record among Western teams.

As usual, the West is stockpiled with great teams who are all chasing a spot in the playoffs. It will be tough to take down the Warriors, as both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, also known as “The Splash Brothers,” lead them.

Both guards are averaging over 20 points per game and shooting over 40 percent from the three-point line. The Warriors are doing great under new Head Coach Steve Kerr, as they have transitioned well into a new system that consists of pushing the ball and passing it more often.

As the season progresses, teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and the Houston Rockets will chase the Warriors and look to take control of the West.

With every season, comes unfortunate injuries, and this season is no different. Many have been sidelined due to on-court incidents, most notably the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, who has injured his shoulder and will be done for the remainder of the season.

Highly-coveted rookie Jabari Parker of the Milwaukee Bucks, the favorite to win Rookie of the Year coming into the

season, also went down early when he tore his ACL. The list goes on and on, but with every injury, an opportunity arises for players on their respective teams to step up.

Trade rumors always circulate throughout the league, but many of those speculations became reality this season. The Boston Celtics made a tough decision by letting go of their star point guard Rajon Rondo and sending him to the Dallas Mavericks, where he has fit in just right.

Another big trade was the acquisition of J.R. Smith by the Cleveland Cavaliers from the New York Knicks.

Austin Rivers may not be a big name, but with his trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, he became the first NBA player to play under his own father, Head Coach Doc Rivers. The trade deadline is on Thursday, Feb. 19, so don’t be shocked if you see more trades.

At this point of the season, the play of both James Harden and Curry has been incredible, as they lead the MVP race thus far in this season. Harden leads the league in scoring and has become the leader of his Houston Rockets after years of working toward

it. He has led his team to a top three seed in the West and looks to continue his great play for a playoff push. Just as Harden has been productive, the same can be said for Curry, as he continues to produce in many aspects on a daily basis.

If you thought all the attention New York gets is crazy, wait until All-Star

Weekend. This year’s All-Star Game will take place in the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.

The other All-Star events, like the slam dunk contest and Three-Point Contest, will be held in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. All-Star Weekend will begin on Friday, Feb. 13, so don’t miss the show.

The Fairfield baseball season begins in just nine days, and the Stags are looking to improve on a very good 2014 season in which the team went 32-24, the best record in program history. The team made it to the 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Cham-pionship game against Siena, but fell at a close score of 4-3.

Going into the 2015 season, the Stags will be without a number of players integral to last year’s success, most notably, catcher, outfielder and cap-tain Ryan Plourde ‘14. Plourde started in every game and led the team in runs and hits. He was named to the MAAC Baseball Championship All-Tournament Team as well as the All-MAAC First Team, and signed with the Chicago White Sox over the summer.

However, the Stags surely have a backup ready for him at the catcher position with Sebastian Salvo ‘15. Salvo started in just 29 games last year and led the team with a .354 average and sported a .985 fielding percentage. Now, presumably taking over the every-day job behind the plate, there is no reason to believe that Salvo cannot produce in the 2015 season.

Fortunately, the Stags only lost two other starters to graduation last year: infielder Rob LoPinto ‘14 and Jack Giannini ‘13.

This season, however, will be very much about Fairfield’s pitching staff. The Stags will be welcoming back with open arms their three main starting pitch-ers: E.J. Ashworth ‘15, Mike Wallace ‘16 and Aaron Howell ‘16. Ashworth finished last season with a 6-2 record to go along with a 2.85 earned run average. He has been given high expectations for this season by being named to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team.

Aside from him, Wallace and Howell held 3.32 and 4.50 ERAs last season respectively, and will look to build on their pitching prowess this season. Mike Wallace’s brother, Gavin Wallace ‘18, will be pitching with the team as well this year, and could make an impact of his own on the mound.

Aside from the starters, Fairfield is also return-ing a number of bullpen aces to the team in 2015, in-cluding Andrew Gallagher ‘15, Tucker Panciera ‘15, Joe Randall ‘16 and Tim Duggan ‘16. Each of these relievers held an ERA below four and Gallagher led the whole team with a 1.64 ERA, allowing just four earned runs throughout the entire season.

Aside from them, the Stags will be greeting a large freshman pitching class this year, some of whom may become bullpen or even starter worthy.

The offense for Fairfield is going to be above aver-age this season as well. The Stags are returning six of their usual starting lineup, and have some fine players off the bench to place in those roles.

The most necessary piece to this starting lineup is third baseman Jake Salpietro ‘16. Salpietro was named to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team and is the powerhouse of this team. Last year, he led the team in most offensive categories, including doubles (16), home runs (five) and runs batted in (44).

If he puts up similar, if not better, numbers this year, Fairfield’s offense should just soar throughout the season with him hitting in the cleanup spot. The one thing he will have to improve upon, though, is his fielding. Last season, Salpietro held a .862 fielding percentage and committed a team-high nine errors. Aside from improving in the field, he will surely be the cog that keeps Fairfield’s lineup running smooth-ly.

Other notable players returning to the lineup in-clude speedster outfielder Alex Witkus ‘15, who stole a team-high 29 bases last season, outfielder Billy Zolga ‘15 who did not commit a single error last sea-son and infielder Brendan Tracy ‘16 who led the team with 306 putouts.

Overall, the Fairfield baseball team will benefit from having the core of their players back from the 2014 team that led the best season in program history. In addition to that, those aforementioned players now have the experience of playing on a big stage, some-thing that may very well happen again this season.

By Alfredo TorresContributing Writer

By Patrick KiernanSports Editor

Atlanta Hawks lead the NBA at the All-Star Break

Contributed under Creative CommonsThe play of the entire Atlanta Hawks starting five has been phenomenal thus far in the season, including that of All-Star point guard Jeff Teague (above).

Baseball looks to top best season

Contributed by Sports Information DeskJunior third baseman Jake Salpietro (above) will be a great bat in the lineup

while starting pitcher E.J. Ashworth '15 (bottom) should be stellar on the mound.

SPORTS 16 Sports Editor: Patrick Kiernan » sports@fairfi eldmirror.com

fairfi eldmirror.comWeek of February 11, 2015

@MirrorSports

Fairfi eld Mirror Sports

Playing as the underdog of the game can always be a daunting task, but Fairfield University’s club ice hockey team didn’t let that get in their way as they took on Farmingdale College in their last regular game of the season before upcoming regional and na-tional play.

The Stags, ranked fourth in the league, defeated the conference third-seed Farmingdale Rams 4-2 on Sunday, Feb. 8.

Headed into the first period of the game, Farming-dale immediately attempted to prove dominance over the Stags when they scored their first goal from the top of circle just about five minutes in. About four minutes later, the Rams scored yet again, putting them ahead 2-0 in the first period. However, the Stags didn’t let the goals get in their way.

With about six minutes left in the first period, Fairfield was finally able to get a shot on the board. After an assist from Cormac Kennedy ‘17, Matt Pea-cock ‘17 was able to net the first goal for the Stags. The team wasn’t going to let Farmingdale finish the first period out on top and with about a minute left, Kennedy was able to score another goal off of a power play, tying the score 2-2.

“When we move our feet, we are the fastest team in the league,” said Captain Brendan O’Malley ‘15. “It was clear when we were going at 110 percent, Farmingdale couldn't handle us.”

Penalties proved to be a reoccurring problem for both teams, but the Stags were able to push past the penalties and use Farmingdale’s penalties to their ad-vantage.

“We took a few more penalties than we would have liked yesterday,” said O’Malley. “Patrick Gill [‘15], Matt Engel [‘16] and Glenn LaFountain [‘16] really helped us kill those off and without their hard work, the game could have been a different story.”

Three minutes into the second period, the Stags posted their third goal of the game when Dan Gib-erna ‘18 scored off of an assist from J.P. O’Malley ‘17. For the first time in the game, Fairfield was finally ahead and the Rams made every attempt to get the goal back.

However, the Stag’s defense was anchored heavily by O’Malley, Thomas Balanda ‘15, Christopher Joyce ‘15, and Brendan Joyce ‘18. Goalie Ralph DiSpigna ‘16, according to Marc DeLuca ‘15, “had a huge game in the net and kept Fairfield solid throughout the game.”

By the third period, Farmingdale was relentless, but between Fairfield’s offensive attacks and defense, the Rams had no luck. Junior Christian Habberstad

was able to make the fourth and final goal for the Stags off an assist from LaFountain and Vin Rella ‘17. In the last three minutes of the game, Farmingdale at-tacked the Stags offense, but they were shut down by the team’s defense. As the buzzer went off, the team celebrated as this victory ensures a higher seed in up-coming regional and national play.

“The top four teams in our conference play in late February to see who will become the Emperor’s Cup Champion,” said O’Malley. “We are very happy head-ing into that at #1 and going 8-0 in conference play this year.”

The Stags are already looking beyond the Emper-or's Cup and are eager to be awarded the opportunity to compete in regional and national play.

According to O’Malley, the team’s number one goal this season was to get to nationals and if they are ranked second or higher in the region, the team will be guaranteed a spot to compete in nationals which take place in Alabama. If they are ranked any lower, the team will compete in regionals and then hope-fully, advance to nationals.

“We committed to taking the program to a seri-ous club organization that is competitive, dedicated and accountable for their actions,” said DeLuca, co-president of the team. “The team has made a name for themselves not only at Fairfield University, but in the American Collegiate Hockey Association East-ern Conference, and the Empire Collegiate Hockey League.”

As the team continues to have a larger presence in the Northeast, the team has set even bigger goals for itself.

I would love to see the recognition grow for the team and eventually see them get back to a Nation-al Collegiate Athletic Association program,” said O’Malley. “We have a great program here that really flies under the radar.”

Although getting back to the NCAA is a big task, the team will start with nationals and if they succeed, the national play will get the team even more recogni-tion which they hope will help develop the program back at Fairfield. According to DeLuca, the team owes a lot of their success to the continued support of the Fairfield community.

After the last regular season win, the team is look-ing forward to the next couple of weeks in front of them.

“The team will have a few nights off to rest their bodies, but will be back on the ice by the end of the week to start preparing for regionals and nationals,” said DeLuca.

On Friday, Feb. 13, the team will find out where they will be seeded for upcoming tournaments.

By Jesse EricksonAssistant Sports Editor

Jesse Erickson/The MirrorFairfi eld's club ice hockey team was propelled past Farmingdale thanks to the strong defense of players like defenseman Thomas Balanda '15 (top) and goalie Ralph DiSpigna '16 (bottom right).

Club ice hockey wins fi nal regular season game