Daily Archives March 24, 2004

For as long as I can remember, my mother has been nagging me about the importance of manners. As a child, I was constantly told to always say "please" and "thank you." I was taught the way to make a good first impression the importance of appearing presentable in important situations.

To everything there is a season, And a time for every purpose under heaven; A time to break down, And a time to build. While most students were resting at home or vacationing in warm areas, eight Fairfield students and two administrative leaders traveled 12 hours in two packed minivans to spend spring break in Flat Gap, Kentucky (don't blink or you'll miss it).

The Rev. Thomas R. Fitzgerald , S.J., a former Fairfield University president, died Washington, D.C. at the age of 82 on Monday. Fitzgerald, the sixth president of the university, died from myocardial infarction at the Wolfington Jesuit Residence at Georgetown University where he retired to in 1999.

Be honest. You've downloaded dozens of MP3s while using Fairfield's network and you've stressed because you don't know what the consequences are for grabbing unpaid music while on campus. "I usually don't feel comfortable doing it, but I still do it occasionally," said Chris Martin '07.

Visiting professors Dr. Peter Bayers of the English department and Jocelyn Boryczka of the politics department have been hired as full-time professors as Fairfield's yearlong search for eight more continues. According to Timothy Snyder, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the university relies more than it would like on adjuncts, which make up one-third of the faculty.

The signs in Kostka and Claver halls appear clear-cut: "Friend had too much to drink? If you can get your friend to the Health Center without the assistance of security or the Residence Life staff, no one will be entered into the judicial system." But students have found actual Fairfield policy is more complicated and can easily lead to judicial punishment.

Tuesday, March 9 10:37 a.m. - A computer was stolen from the Bannow computer lab. 6:42 p.m. - Personal items were stolen from a village apartment. Wednesday, March 10 5:37 a.m. - A Criminal Trespass Warning was issued to a guest of a student for unauthorized entry into a residence.

A license plate from Minnesota. An old rocking horse. A Bart Simpson action figure. A wooden hanger. Separate, these items are just old trash. Together, combined with one-ton's worth of other colorful throwaways, they form a larger-than-life 2,000 pound dinosaur known as the "Trash-o-saurus," just one of many exhibits at the Children's Garbage Museum and Education Center in Stratford.

An independent economist presented a report to professors Wednesday night evaluating Fairfield's financial well-being. The 34 page report by Dr. Rudy Fichtenbaum was obtained by The Mirror prior to the presentation, which occurred after press time. In it, Fichtenbaum notes "the financial condition of Fairfield University has deteriorated slightly over the period 1999-2003," but still concludes "Although the financial condition of the University has declined moderately ... Fairfield University is in good financial condition.

by Ashleigh Egan "It's almost like 9/11 followed me here," said Isabel Depina '05 about the March 11 bombings in Madrid, Spain. Depina is currently studying in Seville, Spain, only a few hundred miles from the attacks.