Monthly Archives February 18, 2004

If the election for next year's FUSA president is anything like the upcoming U.S. presidential election, George Bush should start sweating. Incumbent Kevin Neubauer '05 barely squeaked through Tuesday's primary, trailing the big winner of the primary, Paul Duffy '05, who received 501 votes, almost doubling Neubauer's 268.

FUSA candidates squared off Thursday on issues they perceive face students at Fairfield University and platforms to woo voters to the polls. Rory Butterly '05, Paul Duffy '05, Ben Manchak '05 and Kevin Neubauer '05 took to the microphone to present their platforms to an audience of a few dozen in the Barone campus center.

Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. plans on taking a sabbatical for one year after his retirement as president of Fairfield University, but still no one is quite sure what to expect. Kelley wasn't even positive about next year. "The simple answer about next year is that I will be taking a sabbatical," he said.

To The Editor: Your Feb. 5, 2004 article entitled "A Quick Study: Online Sites Speed Up Reading" suggests that with the existence of such free Web sites as SparkNotes.com and PinkMonkey.com, students can find plot overviews, character analyses, major themes, and such with the click of a button.

To The Editor: In saying that her four years of hard work have been demeaned, Ms. Carpino is correct, but not in the way she thinks. She will graduate with many classmates who have put forth only a fraction of the intellectual effort that she has, and yet will have the same GPA.

To the Editor: As a graduate of the class of 2001 I take some offense to Professor Abbott's remarks toward grade inflation. Yes, I will admit that senior year I did not study every waking hour of the day and that my entire life did not revolve around school but I did study when I needed to and am proud to say that I graduated with honors.

Enough of this attitude that Fairfield students are somehow sub-par when it comes to academic prowess. Fairfield University has just been honored with 14 nominations for Fulbright grants. These students have been nominated by the United Sates to go abroad to further international relations through education, research or teaching.

If two words could sum up Ani Difranco's most recent album, "Educated Guess", then the two I would choose would be "beautifully simplistic". However, two words can't do this album justice. According to her website, Difranco recorded, sang, played the instruments and mixed this album entirely by herself, exploring the freedom that owning her own record company allows her to do.

For the most part, Valentine's Day is a fabricated holiday that women wait for every year. And guys, as much as you hate the idea of flowers and candy, we love it. You have the Superbowl, we have Valentine's Day. Being deemed the squadron commander of sexual issues, its time to act on any romantic feeling you have in your body.

My earliest memories of Valentine's Day are not fond ones. I can recall how in grammar school every Valentine's day was an over-celebrated occasion. We were each forced to make valentines for every member of our class, even the smelly kid and the girl that everyone made fun of because she was really into horses.