Mirror - Vol. 32, No. 22 - March 22, 2007

              WEEK OF MARCH 22,2007
Vol. 32, Iss. 22 - 20 pages
FREE - Take One MlfeROR WWW.FAIRFIELDMIRROR.COM
The independent student newspaper
of Fairfield University
"This, team has been like my baby that I have raisedfor 28years, andyou never want to leave unlessyoufeel like your baby is OK." -Dianne Nolan
A FOND FAREWELL
After Storied Career, Nolan Steps Aside
BY CHRIS SIMMONS
Head women's basketball coach
Dianne Nolan announced Tuesday
that she would step down after 28
years on the sidelines.
"It's time for a change and the
time was right," Nolan said. "My boys
are going off to college. Actually, one
of them is going to play lacrosse here,
and it will be the first time that I will
have the chance to explore some things
and that is something I am looking forward to."
Her 28 years at Fairfield ranked her as the fifth-longest
tenured active coach at one school, and the
ninth-longest tenured coach in Division I women's
college basketball history.
Her service time at Fairfield is longer than that
of any of the University's eight presidents.
NOLAN
"To be honest, I liken it to a hip play on
Broadway. These types of runs are unprec-edented,"
Athletic Director Gene Doris said.
"Twetny-eight years, you just don't see that
anymore."
Nolan's 517 wins are the 27th most in
women's college basketball history.
After spending the first five years of her
career at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, N. Y.,
she posted a 456-359 (.560) record at Fairfield,
while also leading the team through the transi-tion
Division II to Division I in 1981.
"This team has been like my baby that I have
raised for 28 years, and you never want to leave un-less
you feel like your baby is OK," Nolan said. "I
really feel like this team is in a good place and that
was important to me. When I decided it was going
to be time, everything was going to be in place and
I thought, 'wow, everything is going to be OK!"
The Stags had an-up-and down season this
year, flashing their potential throughout the year.
They finished fourth in the MAAC, but lost on
a last-second shot in the conference tournament
quarterfinals.
But Nolan said that the conference tourna-ment
had no bearing on her decision.
"I had decided before that," she said. "It was
really mutual when Gene and I sat down. I was
like, 'I'm ready,' and he was like, 'yeah, it's time.'
That's why it feels so right and so good."
Doris agreed.
"The discussion was personal between us,"
he said. "But, it was not a snap decision, and
we both agreed it was time, it was a whole long
discussion."
The women will return with all their starters
SEE "NOLAN" ON P. 19
INSIDE:
EDITORIAL:
SIMPLY THE
BEST
P. 7
EXTENDED
COVERAGE IN
SPORTS P. 20
THEN AND NOW
P. 19
Sparks Fly as Basements
Lock for School Year
BREAKING RANK
BY ANDREW CHAPIN
The decision to lock townhouse basements is no longer in the
hands of the University.
In a letter sent out on March 20, Dean of Students Thomas Pel-legrino
explained that, in reaction to a fire which occurred earlier this
month in townhouse 74, the town of Fairfield fire marshal has recom-mended
that the basements be locked to ensure student safety.
All items that cannot be stored in the basements until the end of
the semester must be removed before March 22.
Pellegrino further explained the situation.
"The fire was the primary factor," he said. "We also realize that
safety is comprised by human occupancy and social activity — uses
the basements were not intended for when designed, but which occur
nonetheless."
Pellegrino said that he does not want to punish those who did
nothing wrong, but at the same time he said it would not be "prudent
to make exceptions." In doing so, he acknowledged the limits of the
past system.
"Our past approach to this [townhouse basement usage] has been
to largely seek voluntary cooperation from residents not to use the
basements," he said. "I think most would agree that this is no longer
a realistic or adequate approach."
A resident of townhouse 74, who wished to not be identified, felt
that if the fire alarms gone off to alert them of smoke in the basement,
the issue would not have gone any further.
"We could have easily extinguished it," he said.
However, Lieutenant Christopher Tracy of the Fairfield Fire
Department, who was assigned to the case and present the night the
fire occurred on March 4, felt that the fire could have escalated had
the fire department not arrived.
"The chair was still smoldering and while the students were
making an attempt to extinguish it, [the fire] was still at the base of
the stairs," Tracy said.
While the report regarding the fire was inconclusive, the fire
department has not yet ruled out smoking as the source of the fire.
"Our report says the ignition source is undetermined because,
while we believe, due to smoking materials being present, it was smok-ing
related, we're not able to specifically determine that," he said.
Tracy stressed that the basements are not unsafe, and have passed
Connecticut fire code; they are just not suited for occupancy.
"We do annual inspections. When we're doing a scene call, we
do an on-site inspection," he said. "The fire marshal instructed the
University because basements of the townhouses were not designed
for occupancy."
Director of Residence Life Deb Cady rejected the assertion that
the fire marshal's recommendations did not lead to the realization
that some townhouse basements were not being used "solely for
John Ollwerther/ The Mirror
Crushin' the Crimson: With an 18-11 win over Harvard last Saturday at Alumni Field, the Fairfield men's
lacrosse team improved to 5-0 —its best start in history — and moved into a tie with North Carolina for the No.
12 national ranking in this week's USILA poll. The ranking is the highest in school history. For coverage, see p.
19 in sports.
Seven Year Sentence for Former Student Keegan
BY JESS MITCHELL
SEE 'TOWNHOUSE" ON P. 6
Sean Keegan, a former pitcher on the baseball
team, was sentenced to seven years in prison after
pleading guilty to multiple marijuana charges: sale of
marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell
and two counts of conspiracy to sell marijuana.
Keegan will serve 2 1/2 years in prison followed
by three years of probation, according to a Mar. 17
Connecticut Post article.
The twenty-three-year old former student was
charged with possession of marijuana with intent to
sell and operating a drug factory in February 2006
when 93 grams of marijuana, $179 in cash and a
Mauser 7.65-mm pistol were seized by members of
the Statewide Narcotics Task Force and Fairfield
Police from Keegan's off-campus home on College
Place.
He was arrested at 715
Fairfield Beach Rd. after police
officers found more than five
pounds of marijuana and $842
in cash at this location.
Police sources told the Con-necticut
Post that Keegan, who
admitted to being the "weed guy"
on campus, became the primary
marijuana dealer after Michaela
Marshall was convicted in March 2004.
Marshall completed her prison sentence and
returned to the University as a part-time, non-resi-dential
student in February 2006 while on parole.
Keegan supplied Marshall with marijuana for
selling purposes.
Keegan was expelled shortly after his arrest
last year.
KEEGAN