Mirror - Vol. 01, No. 11 - February 15, 1978

              THE
FAIRFIELD Volume 1, No. 11 February 15, 1978
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY, FAIRFIELD, CONN. 06430 MIRROR ^ Incorporated 1977
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 34
Fairfield, Conn.
O'Brien, Collins
Take Primary
The condition of this Volkswagen, leaving Fairfield Beach Road, is symbolic of the effects of the
blizzard that swept the Eastern Seaboard from Feb. 6-8. The storm, which left two feet of snow,
kept most beach residents indoors, as rising tides left chest-deep water in many places, damaging
houses and automobiles. For details on the storm, see page 14. [Photo by Vince Howley.]
Flu Epidemic Hits Here;
infirmary Flows Over
By Claudia Mapp
On Feb. 6, the University was hit by
an outbreak of the flu that mid-week
reached epidemic proportions. An
estimated 850 students came down
with the flu by last Friday afternoon.
10% of these students were sent home
by the infirmary and throughout the
week the nine beds in the infirmary
remained full. Many students acting
on their own initiative left the campus
for the weekend to escape or recover
from the flu.
The flu's symptoms began with head
and body aches for the victim. A sore
throat, cough and fever soon followed.
Many students saw their temperatures
rise to 103 degrees before it finally
broke. Student's whose temperatures
went above 103 were confined to the
infirmary's beds.
The infirmary gave out vast
amounts of cough syrup, throat
losengers, Tylenol, Coricidin 'D', and
salt. Dr. Santella (the University
doctor) felt that the best thing for
students to do was "drink alot of fluids
and rest."
Dr. Santella stated that by mid-week
the flu was considered an epidemic,
"but only among the students." There
had been no sign that the faculty was
also coming down with the flu. This
was one of the reasons classes were
not cancelled for a few days as
rumoured. Even though 33% of the
students were ill, the faculty remained
healthy. If the faculty had begun to
call in sick at the same rate as the
students, then school may have been
cancelled for a few days. A second
hinderance to the University's closing
was the condition of Connecticut and
Massachusetts roadways after
Monday's blizzard. Most of the roads
in these two states were off limits to
any vehicle except for the police and
doctors. In order for the school closing
to be effective all students would have
been sent home to rid the campus of
the bug. Since the roads were in a
"state of disaster" many students
would have had to stay in the dorms,
thus letting the flu germs incubate
instead of being destroyea by having
no one to live off of for a few days.
Last Wednesday afternoon students
had to wait up to two hours to see one
of the three dedicated nurses on duty
in the infirmary. Mrs. Pitt, Mrs.
Kennedy and Mrs. Alexander put in 7
a.m. to 9 p.m. shifts during the out-break.
"We didn't have time to stop
for lunch or dinner breaks," said Mrs.
Pitt, but still these women remained
cheerful and showed concern for each
student they helped.
Students who remained well were
able to get food for sick friends in the
cafeteria. By presenting the sick
person's I.D. card to a Macke worker,
he would put together a meal to be
brought back to the dorm. Also in
answer to a Food Committee
suggestion, orange juice was available
at all meals.
Dr. Santella said on Friday that he
felt the worst of the epidemic was over
and that the flu was on a "down swing
right now."
By Marianne O'Connell
Vinnie O'Brien and Kevin Collins
were the winners of yesterday's
primary election for F.U.S.A.
president. O'Brien received the most
votes with 661 votes. Collins followed
.up with 574.
Jim Hoefner finished third with 533
votes. Greg Blair was fourth with 259
votes. Fred Mascolo finished last with
73.
Turnout for the election was high
with 1,300 students casting votes, a
turnout far ahead of recent years
which rarely saw more than 1,000
students vote.
OBrien commented on his victory,
"I want to say thank you because a lot
of people voted. That's what's im-portant.
We want to get even more
voters for the run off. Both Kevin and I
will work very hard to get the best
person elected."
Collins said, "I'm pleased with the
results, the turnout was very good.
Vinnie is a great man. I think Fairfield
will come out a winner either way.
And I'd like to thank my other op-ponents
who all ran a very good-campaign."
Jim Hoefner commented on the
results stating, "it was a great ex-perience.
I'm greatly indebted to a
large group of people who put a lot of
effort trying to make me their next
F.U.S.A.* president. I made a lot of
friends during the campaign and I'll
never regret the experience of run-ning."
Greg Blair siad, "The election was a
good experience. I have no regrets. I
would also like to thank all the people
who helped me especially my cam-paign
manager Dave Clem. I'd like to
throw my support to Kevin Collins
because he is the best candidate in the
run off election."
Fred Mascolo, the last of the
candidates, commented, "I hope the
candidates will keep their respon-sibility.
The students could be great
power here if guided correctly. "I'm
not a sore loser, but the circumstances
might have been different if I had
received some publicity in the paper. I
hope in the future, things like ripping
down signs will stop at Fairfield. That's
dirty politics and this is only a
college."
In addition to Greg Blair's comment
that their should be limit on campaign
spending, which he feels has gotten
out of hand, a few of the candidates
felt that the election commission
should review the policy of selecting
two choices in the primary election.
They feel that making the students
elect two Candidates gives some
candidates a ghost vote and possibly
an unfair advantage.
The Mirror and WVOF will co-sponsor
a debate between O'Brien and
Collins on election eve Wednesday,
February 22 in Gonzaga Auditorium.
Dorms OBrien Collins Hoefner Blair Mascolo Total Voting
Fareast 39 40 25 14 11 92
Gonzaga 63 40 64 36 2 130
Southeast 42 44 50 8 1 105
Northwest 106 70 60 56 6 185
Comuters 48 120 26 24 9 151
Loyola 45 61 71 25 3 120
Regis 97 64 76 48 11 170
Julie Hall 37 13 5 5 2 142
Off Campus 184 122 156 43 28 -
TOTALS 661 574 533 259 73 ma
Playhouse Still Dark, Future Dims
By Tony Tamell
'Ten years ago the University used
to have Shakespearean and Greek
drama regularly in Bellarmine. What's
wrong now, are we a progressive or a
regressive University?" stated Bill
Timoney, Class of '80, regarding the
future of the playhouse. Bill, an
English major who is planning to
transfer to Seton Hall University next
fall due to the general lack of theater
at Fairfield, said "the deficiency in
organization is criminal."
For the last year and a half, theater
at Fairfield has practically been a
nonexistent entity. The last per-formance
to be seen at the Playhouse
was Sleuth, last fall, starring Steve
Kallaugher, a student in the Graduate
School of Communication, and Bill
Timoney who also produced the show.
Prior to Sleuth, the history of the
Playhouse for the last year has been
full of change. Last fall, the theater
was under the supervision of a Board
of Advisors, comprised of students.
During Fall '76 the Board produced
"Legend of Lovers" which closed
unapplauded due to what Bill
Timoney noted as "lack of community
appeal." At this junction the Board
recommended that Fr. Fitzgerald
dissolve the board and seek out a new
system.
Fr. Fitzgerald complied with these
wishes and set up an Interim Board for
the second semester of last year.
Gaetana Barbano, a senior (Director of
SLEUTH), George Diffley-Vice
President for Development and Public
Relations, Doug Taylor of the Center
for lifetime learning and David Black,
a Broadway producer and director,, all
served on the Board. Ms. Anne Marie
Samway of Student Services also
served on a consultant basis.
Under this Board's supervision last
spring's Night Club Style, Musical
"Cabaret", was produced. Although
Cabaret was a twenty night success,
little student involvement was seen in
the actual staging of the play. "The
Director geared the rehearsals away
from the students," pointed out Bill
Timoney, who cornered one of the few
student roles. Not until one week
before opening night was the play
even advertised on campus. By that
time, students who were interested
and wanted to view the performance
could not all go, due to large ticket
sales throughout the Fairfield Com-munity.
Due to general dissatisfaction, the
Interim Board upon the close of
Cabaret, once again turned to Fr.
Fitzgerald and asked him to dissolve
the Board and set up an Advisory
Board comprised of an Artistic
Director and Managing Director, who
would in effect run the Playhouse. Fr.
Fitzgerald turned this assignment over
to Dean Coughlin. This is what
Timoney pointed out as "one of the
major obstacles of theater at Fair-field".
He continued that, 'The Ad-visory
Board was supposed to be
picked last summer. Here it is mid-
February and I am unaware of the
board having yet been appointed."
In a recent interview with Dean
James H. Coughlin, he stated that "a
board will meet next week to choose
the people to fill the two Director
seats". The Board is made up of Dr.
Nicholas Rinaldi of the English
Department, Andrew Heath of the
Fine Arts Department, Ms. Minerva
Farrell and Ms. Vilma Allen
representing outside interests, and Jo-
Ann Wrang, Class of '79. When asked
what has been the major problem in
getting a play on the stage, Fr.
Coughlin stated that, "We are looking
for creative people, not just persons to
run the playhouse". He continued that
the reason the two person director
board has not yet been established is
that "it is a careful selection process
which must be done correctly."
During the summer Bill Timoney
decided to put on a two person
production in lieu on the fact that "the
Advisory Board would not be ready to
roll by September." Bill, who has a
creditable amount'of acting ex-perience
including such high school
performances as "Camelot", "West
Side Story", "Music Man", "No, No,
Nanette," and "Catch 22', and who
has' produced and directed "Don't
Drink the Water" and "UtbU"
("Unhealthy to be Unhappy"), staged
the superlative performance of Sleuth.
Sleuth, which only cost $2000.00 to
stage, one seventh of the $14,000 a
year Playhouse allocation, was
received enthusiastically by the
University community. But upon the
close of Sleuth, the cast along with
Director Gaetana Barbano looked
again with uncertainty to the future.
'The SEC. wants better concerts and
big headline Oak Rooms, but what of
the theater?" pointed out Timoney. He
continued that "It is not a question of
student apathy, but just irrespon-sibility
by the people who should be
getting a show on the stage " When
Cont. on P. 2