QUChronicle.com October 30, 2013 Volume 83 Issue 10 Proud recipient of the New England Society of Newspaper Editors' award for 2012 & 2013 College Newspaper of the Year
OPINION Living in Sleepy Hollow, page 7
University regulates illegal downloads
ARTS & LIFE Shoes for fall, page 10
SPORTS Chelsea blue to Bobcat blue, page 16
Cause of fire unknown
Down, down, do your dance
By AMANDA HOSKINS Associate News Editor
By NICOLE HANSON Staff Writer
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Saturday afternoon’s brush fire on Sleeping Giant State Park destroyed five-and-a-half acres of land near the blue trail, also known as the “chin,” according to Hamden Fire Department. Nobody was injured and the fire was contained by Saturday night, but the underground fire was not put out until Sunday. The fire could have started for many reasons, according to Fire Marshall Dennis Harrison. Any evidence is usually destroyed in the fire with brush fires like this, Harrison said. Due to the thick layers of leaves and compose that cover the mountain, the fire began to burn through these layers at the surface. The park and trails are currently reopened, however, Battalion Chief Don LaBlanca says students should stay out of the top area. Lieutenant Sam Muzio of the North Haven Fire Department said fire rescue squads from Bethany, North Haven, Hamden, Yalesville, Wallingford and Cheshire responded to the fire within the first hour. A total of about 40 firefighters continued to work on the fire until it was contained, according to Battalion Chief Don LaBlanca. It took longer to put out the fire because it was on top of the mountain, according to Harrison. Firefighters carried five gallons of water at a time on their backs and used hoses to spread the water. The firefighters were up and down the mountain with water until about 6 p.m. on Saturday. The park closed once the fire departSee FIRE Page 4
Library to feature coffee, snack vending machines By JOSH BREWER Staff Writer
Long nights at the library without caffeine or snacks are a common problem for students writing a report or cramming for an exam. For the past four years, the Student Government Association has been working with administration to install new coffee and snack vending machines in the library that will be open 24/7. Under SGA’s newest proposal, the machines will appear in the library in fewer than 30 days, according to Evan Milas, vice president for student concerns. “It’s been something that the students have really wanted so we’ve been pushing it,” Milas said. The coffee machine will be similar to the one located in the School of Business lounge area, while vending machines will resemble the machines in residence halls like Dana, Irma and Troupe. The new machines will be located on the second floor of the library where printers are currently located. “There were some obstacles originally with space and then with the introduction of
Did you attend Bobcats Madness?
MEGAN MAHER/CHRONICLE
Within the next 30 days, the university will install coffee and snack vending machines in the Arnold Bernhard Library, per the Student Government Association’s request after four years. the new part of the student center,” Milas said. According to Milas, administration wanted to put the machines in the piazza section of the Carl Hansen Student Center, but elected
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Full Bobcats BRYAN LIPINER/CHRONICLE Madness coverage, Senior Associate Athletic Director Billy Mecca dances to the “Cupid Shuffle” at Friday night’s Bobcats Madness at TD Bank Sports Center. Pages 8-9
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With an infinite amount of websites available on the Internet, people all over the country may illegally download copyrighted materials. What many college students do not realize is that every private and public university in the United States has the ability to regulate illegal downloads and distributions on the campus’ network. The university has a responsibility based on the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) to regulate the illegal distribution of copyrighted items, such as movies and music, according to Information Security Officer Brian Kelly. Passed in 2008, the HEOA requires Quinnipiac to annually inform students of the consequences they may face if they choose to supply other Internet users with illegal materials. The Motion Picture Association of America and the Radio Industry Association of America are the two largest industries that monitor illegal downloads, according to Kelly. Although these companies’ softwares have the ability to determine any piracy-related activity, they only send copyright infringement notices on accounts of distribution of copyrighted materials. “If you have material on your system and you’re putting it back out to the community, you’re going to get caught,” Kelly said. “If you want to protect yourself, don’t offer it back out.” Students are protected to some degree by the university because of the large amount of users under Quinnipiac’s network, Kelly said. “There’s a level of protection that the university provides to the students, but when you’re on an off-campus connection, you have a better chance of being caught,” Kelly said. When the HEOA was passed five years ago, Kelly said many students nationwide were illegally downloading copyrighted materials. Though Kelly is the person notified of any copyright infringements that take place under the university’s network, he said he does not monitor Internet traffic. “My role is to respond to the RIAA and the MPAA, who are the two real industry leaders in trying to stop illegally sharing of copyrighted material,” Kelly said. “If you have software on your laptop that’s designed to share those files, those are the people that are going to find you, not Brian Kelly.” Kelly, who referred to himself as the public representative to the Internet, said the industries that find illegal activity on the university’s network send him a subpoena and leave him in charge of finding the file distributor on campus. “On the first offense, we tell them they need to clean it up, delete the software and delete the copyrighted material,” Kelly said. “On a subsequent offense, we would let Student Affairs know and have them handle it with disciplinary action.”
not to because the student center would have to be kept open 24/7, whereas the library al-
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