Mirror - Vol. 28, No. 14 - January 23, 2003

              Fairfield
January 23, 2003 - Vol. 28, Iss. 14 MIRROR University
32 Par 2 Sections
Robberies affect students over break
Mirror file photos; Chris Donato/The Mirror
Stealing privacy? Security has installed new cameras as an extra precaution to prevent crimes like the crime spree that occurred in the townhouses during winter break.
Senior crime spree brought to an end • Rash of thefts plague beach residents
BY MIKE PIGNATARO
Faced by a wave of campus break-ins
and one student's crime spree, university's
security has tightened, including an increase
of surveillance cameras on campus.
"Officers have been asked to
be more vigilant in their patrols,"
Associate Director of Security
Frank Ficko said. "There has also
been an increase in security cam-eras.
We are erecting a couple of
new cameras as we speak."
Although there have not
been any changes in policy or action by the
security department, officers have been
asked to have a higher awareness of student
activity, according to Ficko.
This awareness helped security appre-hend
Michael Giovanni, '03, who has been
accused of committing a series of thefts
within the academic buildings.
EDITORIAL
Cameras help, but
what about civil
rights?
Page 16
After a lengthy investigation by secu-rity,
the Fairfield Police Department charged
and arrested Giovanni, who was unable to
be reached for comment, for thefts commit-ted
in the past two years on campus.
Giovanni, a politics major who was
identified by The Mirror, was ar-rested
during final exams in De-cember
and has been temporarily
withdrawn from the university,
pending judicial ruling, according
to Ficko.
The increase in the number
of security cameras along with
Stag-card access to all university buildings
will help better protect the students, accord-ing
to Ficko.
For prosecution and liability purposes,
Ficko said signs stating that security cam-eras
are in use have been posted at every
SEE "TOWNHOUSE" ON P. 5
BY JESSICA HOLMBERG
As most students prepare for an enjoy-able
spring semester, some junior and senior
beach residents begin the semester with trips
to the Fairfield Police Department to fill out
reports of break-ins during the winter break.
"I came back early for New Year's, and
the sliding glass door was unlocked," said
Lauren Scroope '03, a resident of the Un-dertow.
"The lights were on in the house,
and many drawers were open. The only
bedroom door that locks from the outside
was busted open and off the hinges. I called
the police and reported it."
Luckily for residents at the Undertow,
nothing was stolen. Residents at other beach
houses, however, were not as fortunate.
"I came back to my house on Decem-ber
23, and our screen window on the porch
was ripped, so whoever came inside the
house came through the window," said
Emily Zagorski '03, a resident of the
Seabreeze.
"I noticed one of our stereos on the
porch, thinking one of my roommates had
forgotten it before going home for break,"
said Clare Gill '03, a resident at the
Seabreeze. "Random things were taken, like
my roommate's Coach bag. Jewelry was
left out in the open, but some lamps were
knocked over on the floor."
It is unknown how many houses were
broken into all together, mostly because only
a few residents reported the incidences to
the Fairfield Police Department.
"We all got back from break very late
in the break, and we thought it would be too
late for the police to do anything about it,"
Gill said. "We didn't realize there was more
than one house broken into."
The Fairfield Police must be made
SEE "BEACH" ON P. 4
Less than three months, but still no spring band
BY ZACK FINLEY
FUSA is sure of one thing:
there will be a spring concert.
When it comes down to details,
however, like who will be playing
and how much it will cost, officials
are still scrambling to provide stu-dents
with a good show.
"We just want the student
body to know that we are trying,"
said Allison Goodwin, '04, co-di-rector
of music for FUSA.
FUSA has been trying, but the
time is running out. "There is no
doubt that there will be a concert,"
said FUSA president Karen
Donoghue. "But I am nervous be-cause
all the bands we have bid on
already have been rejected."
Bids for the Dave Matthews
Band and Billy Joel were placed
before winter break, along with a
bid for Jimmy Eat World. Amid
rumors that Jimmy Eat World was
actually the band coming to Fair-field,
the band declined to come,
according to Goodwin.
"We put a bid in for Jimmy
Eat World after we heard that the
Dave Matthews bid was rejected,"
said Goodwin. "We thought every-thing
looked good and were set to
have them come, but they have
decided to go into the studio in-stead
of touring."
According to Donoghue and
Goodwin, there are four bands that
have chances of coming to Fair-field:
O.A.R., Howie Day, Reel
Big Fish and Guster.
"We currently have a binding
bid on Guster to come and play on
April 5th," Goodwin stated. "We
put in a bid last Tuesday (Jan. 14th)
and will find out in 2 weeks whether
or not the bid is accepted. If it is,
Guster will be coming to Fairfield."
"When O.A.R. came here last
year, it was a great show," said
Mike Certo, '04. "There were
people hanging out in the warm
weather, and it was great. It would
be terrible if they stuck us in
Alumni Hall in the heat with a bad
band."
Donoghue stated that when
O.A.R. came, they only charged
SEE "SPRING" ON P. 5
HOT OR NOT?
The Mirror staff
compiles the best
and worst in movies,
CDs and television
from last year.
Pages 12-14
I F4IRDME Don't be ajMORRON
Check out our look back at the rs'
See the insert in of The Mirror.
AROUND THE 'HOUSE
Alison Marshall
offers fresh ideas
on how to kill
some free time
on campus.
Page 11