The State of the Union
61st Grammys
Landy’s Leadership
Opinion
Vine
Sports
61st Grammys’ showcase a variety of great performances.
Kendra Landy’s leadership extends off the court.
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Page 15
The President’s bipartisan claims at the SOTU are undermined by his politcal attacks. Page 5
THE MIRR R Independent student newspaper
Week of February 13, 2019
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Vol. 44 Iss. 15
Where Does Fairfield Stand with Mental Health? By Cara Lee Executive Editor Junior Lauren Paidas has struggled with anxiety since fifth grade and depression since her first year of high school, but nothing could prepare her for what she experienced the spring semester of her first-year at Fairfield University. “Freshman year, spring semester, I entered into one of my ‘dips’, which is a time when I experience consistent depression that goes for a long time, and I know I’m in pretty much the worst state I’ve ever been in,” said Paidas. “When this happens, it’s a struggle to get to class or even to go and get lunch with friends.” But this time was different for the then 18-year-old. School was becoming more of a hindrance than a help and being away from home, even after already making it through an entire semester, was making it worse. “It was probably the most difficult decision I ever made,” Paidas continued, “to decide if I should leave school or not to receive more intense therapy… My parents and I discussed that it was the best thing for me to leave school. The hardest things were leaving my friends and knowing I would not get credit for all of my five classes.” Paidas is hardly the first college student to struggle with mental health. Research reported by The Conversation shows that, as of 2018, 1 in 5 college students have anxiety or depression. Meanwhile the National Alliance on Mental Illness found that 1 in 5 adults are diagnosed with any mental illness and three quarters of diagnoses for chronic mental illness occur before the college graduation age of 24. However, these figures are even more
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pronounced on the Fairfield University campus. In the past month, the Center for Collegiate Mental Health 2017-18 and Association of University College Coun-
seling Center Director’s Survey reported that, while the national average of students using school Counseling & Psychological Services is around 10 percent, Fairfield
University Counseling and Psychological Services has now reported that 16.4 percent of Fairfield students use their services. The “Common presenting issues [at colleges throughout the United States] were depression, relationship problems and generalized anxiety,” NAMI reported. A Fairfield University Counseling Center survey revealed that these are also the top reasons for Fairfield student use of their own services. Senior Katrina Kirchgaesser is a psychology major who plans on helping children with her future psychology degree. She is also the vice president of the Fairfield chapter of NAMI and has had many opportunities to see the stigma against mental health struggles through these interests. “It is crazy how people are so forthcoming about physical ailments such as a twisted ankle or a bad cold but will go through extreme lengths to hide any sign of mental health struggles,” said Kirchgaesser. “Students have no issue telling their friends they are going to the Dolan Health Clinic [Student Health Center] to get a check-up but would never admit they are also visiting the mental health services for their weekly therapy appointment.” One student, who chose to remain unnamed, has also struggled with mental health throughout her life, but the stigmas surrounding mental health have prevented her from telling her friends. “My parents know, my sister does, but I keep the rest to myself,” said the sophomore. “I don’t want [my friends] to have pre-judgements about me, or them Read Anxiety on Page Two
It’s a No-Go from Rice FUSA President vetos Senate bill By Sabina Dirienzo Chief Copy Editor By Claire Monahan News Editor
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Nicholas Trewartha ‘20 enjoys the day off by sledding down the hill outside the library.
Snow Much for Classes By Alicia Phaneuf Editor-in-Chief
Stop & Shop was abuzz with Fairfield University students and town residents as they made a last minute trip early Tuesday morning to stock up on food before the season’s first significant snow storm. At 4:40 a.m. University students, faculty and staff received an email alert notifying them that all classes and other events were cancelled for Feb. 12. The first flurries of the day could be spotted around 9:00 a.m. and continued until 1:30 p.m., when freezing rain began to fall until for about an hour. After a coating of freezing rain, snow resumed until 4:00 p.m., when hail continued throughout the night. By 11 a.m. University plows were already working to ensure sidewalks and pathways were cleared and could be
accessed safely by students. Many students took advantage of the snowy day by baking cookies in their Res Halls, sledding down the hill outside of the DiMenna-Nyselius Library and having Netflix movie marathons with their roommates. Despite the mostly-cleared sidewalks, the University roads were not given as much attention. At 12:37 p.m. there was weather related motor vehicle accident resulting from snow behind Regis Hall where a car slid into two parked cars. Accidents in Fairfield began picking up before noon. At 11:07 a.m. there was an accident on Coolidge St. At 11:22 a.m. Fairfield Police Department responded to a truck accident that occured between exits 22 and 23 – the closest exits to Fairfield’s campus. It was later tweeted by Fairfield PD that there was one injury from the accident. Vehicle accidents continued to occur around Fairfield County throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
The bill passed by Fairfield University Student Association Senate by a vote of 11 ayes to 6 nays and 1 abstention, which would require a member of every executive board to attend each General Senate Meeting was vetoed by President Danielle Rice ‘19 on Wednesday, Feb. 6. In a letter to the FUSA Senators, Rice explained why she vetoed the bill. “Whereas I am in support of, and in agreement with, your desire for open communication between the Executive Board and Senate, I do not feel this bill is the most effective means of accomplishing this necessary communication,” Rice wrote. In the letter, Rice indicated her desire for a meeting between herself, Vice President Matthew Marshall ‘19, Speaker of the Senate Noelle Guerrera ‘21 and Secretary of the Senate Angelica Miceli-Kaya to come up with a solution to the issue. “I am planning to meet with her to find another way to promote more transparency and communication throughout FUSA, without the mandate,” said Guerrera of the meeting with Rice. “One idea is that Senate will now request a representative of a specific Exec Board to be present at a specified Senate Meeting to report any updates.” Senator Ali Haidar ‘21, the sponsor of the bill, was not as optimistic as Guerrera. “Rumor has it that the Executive Branch wants a non-bill compromise,” said Haidar, “which is something that many senators and I won’t settle for.” Read two-thirds on Page Three