Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Danielle Sondgeroth
Fairfield University must say Black lives matter
“As a Jesuit Catholic University, our discussion welcomes socialists, capitalists, distributed libertarians, anti-racist and anti-anti-racist perspectives, and all points across the spectrum,” said Mark Nemec, the president of Fairfield University. He was speaking at A Community in Action, an event held on Feb. 28 to discuss the university’s new diversity and inclusion efforts. During the event, more than 100 students, staff, and faculty held a silent protest.
FUSA Candidates Announced, Reveal Platforms
As the Spring 2021 semester progresses, the most anticipated event in the Fairfield University Student Association draws ever closer. New candidates for FUSA President and Vice President declared their candidacy before Feb. 9 and now they’re ready to begin their campaigns. Although their positive impact has been felt throughout campus, current President Vincent Gadioma ‘22 and VP Tobenna Ugwu ‘22 aren’t planning to run again this semester.
Dr. Kris Sealey Talks Black Lives Matter in the Fairfield Community
In light of February being Black History Month, Kris Sealey, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy and the director of the Black Studies program here at Fairfield University, sat down with The Mirror this week to talk racial justice and equity on campus and beyond. Her main goal, she said, is to get students more involved in understanding racial inequalities and to help them become educated on these issues.
Attendance Drops for Virtual Events
I set out to write an article for The Mirror on an event called “Looking Ahead: The Future of the Republican Party” on Jan. 27, planning to write a two-part series about the political spectrum after the historic election in 2020. However, the moment I entered the Zoom call, I quickly realized that myself and the host, Zachary Quinones, were the only ones there. We sat on the call for a good 30 minutes and chatted, but nobody else joined. Not a single person.
COVID Cases Spike on Campus
Overall this semester, Fairfield has seen both drastic spikes and drops in the number of COVID-19 cases on campus and at the beach, ranging from just a 0.5 percent infection rate, all the way up to eight percent among specific populations. We’ve been in Code Orange two separate times over the course of a few weeks and beach residents are currently in their second stint of isolation. This semester, Fairfield has had 584 cases of the virus among students and staff.
Students Reflect on the Fall Semester
This semester has been far from normal and COVID-19 has been a constant threat looming across campus. Still, students have managed to stay on Fairfield University’s campus for classes for the entire semester, far surpassing other universities in the country, who had to send their students home within the first few weeks of reopening.
VP Donoghue Recommends Exit Testing
As Stags head home for Thanksgiving break, Fairfield has put new guidelines in place to aid all students in the moving out process during the pandemic. These guidelines were especially important given the University’s rapid and sudden move to Code Orange last week. Before leaving, students who were not tested last week have the option of getting tested for COVID-19 to ensure that they’re negative. However, testing isn’t mandatory by any means, although it is strongly suggested.
Campus Returns to Code Orange
For the second time during the Fall 2020 semester, Fairfield University has forced all students living at the beach to isolate, and prohibited them from entering campus due to a spike in COVID-19 cases amongst residents. Vice president of student life, Karen Donoghue, confirmed this in an email to beach residents on Nov. 5, stating that there was an increase in positive cases of the virus over the previous 48 hours.
Biden and Harris Win Historic Election
Finally, on Nov. 7, after almost a week of waiting, the American people got a definitive response as to who their next president-elect would be. As of Saturday, Joseph R. Biden, former vice president under the Obama administration, is the president-elect of the United States. The result came after days of waiting for key battleground states to count all of their votes.
Administration Lays Off 16 Staff Members
Fairfield University President, Mark Nemec, announced to faculty and staff on Nov. 2 through email that the University will be restructuring across all of its divisions, leading to layoffs among staff members. Nemec stated that 16 staff and administration positions were eliminated. The layoffs come mostly from a financial need within the University, due to the costs incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
FUSA Celebrates Second Pride Fest
As the sun set over the lawn of the John A. Barone Campus Center on Nov. 2, Fairfield University Student Association representatives tried their best to wrangle rogue balloons flipping around in the wind, setting up for Fairfield University’s second ever Pride Fest. It was 40 degrees outside and the wind was whipping. The balloons, spelling out the word “Pride” kept attempting to break free from their strings attached to chairs.
Fairfield U Students Vote in Historic Election
The last period of this article was typed at 10 p.m. No results had been called, no candidate had conceded, the election was as “anyone’s game” as could be and the hosts’ voices on MSNBC, CBS and a few other channels mixed together in one auditory clump of, “we don’t know yet.” Swing states were still in limbo, and the races in Texas and Pennsylvania had yet to be called. But, we at The Mirror had to go to print. We had to click submit.
Weekly Campus COVID-19 Data 11/4
This week, COVID-19 cases at Fairfield have reached a new low, with only 0.5 percent of the population infected. In total, there are only 32 cases in the Fairfield University community, with 13 quarantining on campus. 184 people are under surveillance, isolated at home or in the Holiday Inn. Currently, 51 out of 64 beds are unoccupied in the Conference Center and 38 out of 50 beds are vacant at the Holiday Inn.
Weekly Campus COVID-19 Data 10/28
After several weeks, Fairfield University moved back down a COVID Status Level, from orange to yellow, marking a significant decrease in positive COVID-19 cases following the quarantine of Claver Hall and beach residents, as well as a pause in athletic activity. According to Dean of Students William Johnson, a Halloween party off campus, marketed by organizers as a “Halloween Banger,” is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30.
Theatre Fairfield Performs First Zoom Production
This weekend, Theatre Fairfield premiered its very first production of the season. The production, entitled “Love and Imagination,” is a series of five short, comedic plays written by David Ives and six monologues by Barrie Cole, all performed completely over Zoom. “Love and Imagination,” directed by Jan Mason, is a wonderfully wild ride from start to finish. Each monologue focuses on a day-to-day topic, with a few actually discussing COVID-19 and its effects on the contemporary psyche.
CARE Team Hosts Breonna Taylor Dialogue
After the tragic shooting of Breonna Taylor back in May, Fairfield University has been making efforts to discuss race and racial tensions on campus and beyond. On Oct. 20, the Community Advocate and Relationship Educators (CARE) Team and the Office of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (SDMA) held an event entitled, “Breonna Taylor—Justice or No Justice?” The event was an open forum for students to discuss their thoughts on the case.
Weekly Campus COVID-19 Data 10/21
This week yielded 15 new positive COVID-19 cases among students, bringing the total number of student positives to 300 for the semester. Despite the seemingly large number, 217 students have been cleared, testing negative for the virus after previously testing positive. Compared to the past few weeks, the campus infection rate has decreased significantly.
Who’s Allowed on Campus? New Gate Restrictions Hit Campus
Since students living on the beach have been restricted from campus for two weeks, speculation arose as to whom exactly is allowed on campus. As the new COVID-19 restrictions keep rapidly changing with the exponential rise in positive cases on campus, it’s practically impossible for every student to keep track of all of the new campus traffic regulations. At the start of the semester, Fairfield created a visitor committee to determine exactly who would be allowed to come to campus.
COVID-19 Data 10/14
Between Oct. 8 and Oct. 12, 57 new positive cases were found through randomized testing, one of which was a faculty or staff member, bringing the total number of semester cases to 237. 13 students are currently quarantined on campus, and 13 are under surveillance by the University. However, 11 students were cleared to return to campus. In total this semester, 116 students have been cleared.
Campus Ministry Hosts COVID-19 Memorial
The mood was somber at “Praying Through a Pandemic: A Service of Hope and Remembrance” on Oct. 12. The interfaith service was held via Zoom at 5:30 p.m. and it invited the Fairfield community to join Campus Ministry in mourning the loss of victims of COVID-19 and to pray for a better tomorrow. The service opened with an introduction from Father Gerald R. Blaszczak, who led a prayer for hope in the midst of this virus.
Fairfield Restricts Beach Residents from Campus, Suspends Athletics
Fairfield University has entered COVID-19 Status Level: Orange, or moderate risk as of Oct. 9. All students living at the beach will be restricted from campus through Oct. 23. All Fairfield athletics, which include NCAA sports, club sports and intramurals, will be suspended for the next two weeks, including all practices. Both President Mark Nemec and Karen Donoghue, vice president of student life, emailed students late Friday morning to update them on the breaking COVID mitigation.
Claver Hall Begins 14-Day Quarantine
As of 5:43 pm on Oct. 6, Claver Hall is in quarantine for a 14-day period due to a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases spiking in the residence hall. Claver residents have been heavily monitored and contact-traced over the past few weeks, leading to Fairfield forcing the building to go completely remote for all classes.
COVID Cases Continue to Climb on Campus
This past week of testing yielded 19 new, positive tests. 27 students are isolated on campus in the Conference Center. Nine students have been cleared to return to campus. Fairfield still remains in Code Yellow, keeping the regulations and policies previously implemented last week in place, including the new inter-residential guest policy and the “grab and go” dining requirement. Some students seem troubled by the rise in COVID-19 cases on campus over the past few weeks.
National Recovery Month Comes to a Close
September is National Recovery Month, and during this month, a variety of prevention and recovery programs from all over the country share success stories and information in order to raise awareness for recovery programs, as well as those who are in recovery or have recovered from substance abuse. Substance abuse is a serious and real issue that affects millions of people every year, and often goes hand in hand with mental illness.
Class of 2024 Senate Election Results
On Sept. 29, Fairfield elected its Fairfield University Student Association first-year senators from the class of 2024. The class of 2024 cast 123 total ballots in total. This result is about normal for the annual first-year election, which usually brings in less than 200 votes in total. Steven Burns: 79. Gabby Villa: 62. Autumn Arel: 59. Matthew Adamski: 58. Jack McGlinchy*: 21. *Jack McGlinchy ran as a write-in candidate.
Faculty Finds New Ways to Combat COVID in Classrooms
COVID-19 forced Fairfield University to make some difficult decisions regarding how to proceed with classes. New requirements by the University demand that some classes go online or have a specific capacity for in-person classes. Some classes have even been held in outdoor tents, weather permitting. All of these new guidelines have forced some disciplines to change their curriculums and usual procedures.
Weekly Campus COVID Data
Fairfield’s second week of testing yielded 17 new, positive on-campus tests and 18 positive off-campus tests. 26 students are isolated on campus in the Conference Center. The University has moved from level green to level yellow, indicating that Fairfield is at a low to moderate risk for COVID-19.
Dining Regulations Sweep Campus
COVID-19 has brought numerous changes to Fairfield’s campus, especially to dining and meal plans. The Daniel and Grace Tully Dining Commons, and other dining areas on campus have made massive adjustments to how they run in order to accommodate social distancing measures and prevention of the spread of COVID-19 via surfaces. Duane Gornicki, the general manager of dining at Fairfield, is confident that the University is fully prepared to combat the spread of the virus in dining halls.
Fairfield Unveils New Traffic Safety Regulations
Fairfield University’s campus opened last week with a slew of new guidelines for students and staff to follow in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The biggest changes are the new traffic regulations that have been put in place, including the required completion of a daily COVID-19 related health questionnaire prior to entry onto campus, and the new security checkpoint and gate hours at the Barlow Road entrance.
Fairfield Releases COVID-19 Campus Data
As of Sept. 10, only seven cases of COVID-19 were reported on campus among Fairfield University students. According to the Fairfield University website, 15 other students are currently being monitored through contact tracing. So far, none of these students have been cleared with a negative test result. Out of 39 faculty and staff members, none have tested positive with the virus. In total, the first week of testing produced 419 negative results out of 426 tests.
Fairfield Faces First Weekend During COVID
Catherine Santangelo, Colleen Vann and Danielle Sondgeroth Fairfield University reopened at the start of September and quickly encountered its first true trial – Labor Day weekend. At Fairfield, this weekend is traditionally accompanied by parties throughout the day and night, drunken ‘ragers’ and crowded, sweaty beaches and townhouses.
'So much for honor': Despite COVID cases, college students partied Labor Day weekend away Original
|
Partying students would be dismissed without tuition refunds. Northeastern University had made that clear Friday, kicking out 11 first-year students who broke COVID-19 rules to gather in a Boston hotel room. Yet by that night, a few dozen students from Northeastern and Boston University found their way to the Charles River, their legs lit by the Esplanade lights, their faces by reflections of skyscrapers off the water.
By Caitlin Faulds, Mary Claire Molloy Verified, Franco LaTona, Rina Torchinsky, Colleen Vann, Danielle Sondgeroth, Dana Cassidy, Sabrina LeBoeuf, Daniel Lempres Verified
|
USA Today
Verified
Stags Return to New COVID Restrictions
It’s the final week before the majority of Stags return to Fairfield, and students are preparing to face the new regulations put in place by the University to combat COVID-19 on campus. Fairfield has implemented many new measures to ensure the safety of both students and staff for the upcoming semester, many of which will require some adjustment for Stags both on and off campus. In July, Fairfield created a checklist for students to complete prior to their return to campus.
Stags Show School Spirit with Fairfield Traditions
Although the main point of attending a university is to pursue a degree, school traditions often become the more important and memorable moments than sitting in a lecture hall. Fairfield University has a plethora of student traditions that make or break a Stag’s college experience, both school-sanctioned and student-run.
The Fate of Modern Languages and Literatures Under the Magis Core
Between the fall 2019 semester and the spring 2020 semester, most languages in the department of modern languages and literature have seen a significant decrease in course offerings. For example, in the fall of 2019, 59 Spanish language sections were offered, but in the spring of 2020, course offerings decreased to 30.
Fairfield Fights Cancer with Virtual Relay for Life
Brooke Wildes ‘20 welcomed the Fairfield community to the first ever virtual Fairfield University Relay for Life on April 17, sponsored by the American Cancer Society. The event opened with an emotional poetry performance by Kianti Miles called “Cancer Slam Poem,” followed by a prayer led by eucharistic minister Pat Cole ‘20.
Step into Another World with “Severance”
We’re just finishing up our first month in COVID-19 quarantine, which means it’s finally time for me to start tackling the seemingly never ending stack of books I’ve bought but haven’t read. I probably won’t get to a huge chunk of them for months, but I’ve been slowly chugging along trying to finish as many as I can while I have the time to do so.
Fairfield Zooms into Online Classes
Over the past month, Fairfield students and faculty adjusted to the fact that in-person classes are no longer a possibility due to social distancing requirements in response to COVID-19. Online classes are held over a variety of platforms, but most notably Zoom, Quip and BlackBoard are used by most professors. The learning curve of switching to online classes has been affecting students and faculty equally. Many of Fairfield’s professors have never taught a class online before.
'Supermarket' is a Non-Stop Thrill Ride!
I’ve always been a big reader, but when I’m on campus I struggle to even finish a single book. I go back and forth to my classes and clubs, get my work done and by the time all of that’s over, all I want to do is sleep. Since Fairfield announced that classes would be moving online for the semester, I’ve been trying to keep myself as busy as possible.
Career Fair Comes to Campus
Wednesday, Feb. 26 marks the day of Fairfield University’s annual Career and Internship Fair. A wide variety of company representatives and employers are expected to gather in the Leslie C. Quick Jr. Recreation Complex from 12 to 3 p.m. to showcase what jobs are available for Fairfield students in college and beyond.
Alliance Hosts Inclusive Valentine's Day Celebration
On Feb. 14, Fairfield University’s LGBTQ+ community came together for an inclusive celebration of Valentine’s Day, hosted by Fairfield Alliance. Students gathered in the McCormick first floor lounge and were treated to Valentine’s-themed treats and love songs sung by LGBTQ+ artists. The club also set aside a table for making valentines for friends and loved ones. Senior Eleanor Sgaramella, the vice president of Fairfield Alliance, believes that this event was an important one for campus.
DPS Delights in Dodgeball for Cause
Music blared from Alumni Hall on Saturday, Feb. 8, as members of the Fairfield community came together for the Department of Public Safety Dodgeball Tournament. This was the second annual tournament and it aimed to raise money for Special Olympics Connecticut. Ten teams gathered on the basketball courts for a single elimination tournament following a few round robin games.
Dunkin' Does Deals on Drinks
This month, Fairfield University rolled out a new promotion at the Dunkin’ locations on campus, offering reusable tumblers for $9.99 when purchased before Feb. 1. This new promotion provides an opportunity for the Fairfield community to engage with the university’s efforts to be environmentally conscious.
Residential Colleges Recruit Students
First-year students gathered in Loyola Hall’s first floor lounge Tuesday, Jan. 21, for a chance to learn more about Fairfield University’s Residential College Program. Students spoke to current and former “Res College” participants over yogurt parfaits about what the Res College programs actually are and what to expect from them. Senior Christina Bogacz was one of the former Res College participants who spoke to first-year students.
FUSA Fights for Transparency
Fiery debate and discussion broke out at a Fairfield University Student Association General Senate Meeting Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. over the passing of two new bills. These bills focused on transparency between FUSA’s Executive Branch and the Senate. The first bill discussed, brought about by Senator Ali Haidar ‘21, described a previous verbal agreement with President Claire Monahan ‘20, which was broken by her current cabinet and administration.
FUSA Confirms New Associate Justice
A Fairfield University Student Association Senate meeting was called at 6:32 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 by Speaker Tyler Heffern ‘22. The meeting focused on a vote on the confirmation of Associate Justice candidate Jakob Matala ‘22, into FUSA Court as well as other pressing issues among the Senate’s various committees. Following a discussion of updates from the Senate’s smaller committees, Matala’s confirmation began with a recommendation from Senator Vincent Gadioma ‘22.
Fetty Wap to Perform at Red Sea Madness
Fairfield revealed the artist performing at its annual fall concert Wednesday, Oct. 2. Fetty Wap is set to perform at the university’s Red Sea Madness event on Oct. 25. The concert announcement occurred at half-time during a men’s soccer game against Rider University. Once the artist was revealed, a loud cheer went up from the crowd. Onlookers smiled and clapped, still excited even as they left Lessing Field and headed back to their dorms.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Danielle
Contact Danielle, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack