September 30, 2005
Law & Order
Seeing as today's the last day of September, there's two new laws that have been on the mind of college students of late, as they both take effect October 1 and have a direct effect on the lives of everyone living in the state, whether temporarily or permanently.
The first is pretty straightforward: Connecticut's new headset law kicks in Saturday (link), requiring those who are going to use a cell phone in their car to wear a headset while doing so. Many local college-goers from out of state may be familiar with this, as New York, among other states, have pushed headset laws in recent years. However, Connecticut's law takes it a step further, making anything that causes distracting driving illegal. While hitting a button on your radio might not count, playing with your iPod would, as would lighting a cigarette or chomping on a Big Mac.
The second law will likely leave more murky waters for some: tomorrow the new civil unions law for Connecticut, which was the first state to set up such a widespread acknowledgement of same-sex couples without being forced to by the judicial branch, will also take effect (link). Southern News's story raises the point that while civil unions do provide same-sex couples with a vast array of rights previously unavailable to them, there's still dissatisfaction on both sides of the argument about where the state stands on the issue. Some think there should be full marriage rights, while some think that civil unions shouldn't be allowed. It's an issue that likely will ride on the minds of many during the next couple of years.
Posted by Josh on 2:08 PM | Comments (3)
Digital Bling
This week's edition of the Sacred Heart Spectrum has an interesting story (link) about the effect all the cool digital technology hitting the market is having on us. Now, it's not just a laptop, but a cell phone, an iPod, etc.
College students are known for having the most flexible spending habits, due to lessened bill loads and the potential to make some decent cash during breaks and even during the school year, but is there just too much to own and manage? It's a big enough question that Sacred Heart's public safety department is concerned about wiring and the potential for hire hazards, for one. The story's well worth a look.
Posted by Josh on 2:04 PM | Comments (2)
September 28, 2005
Mark Fisher Verdict is in
A couple of quick items from Fairfield U.:
A verdict has been reached in the Mark Fisher murder case, The Fairfield Mirror reported last night (link). John Guica, 21, was convicted of the murder and could now face as much as life in prison for the murder.
Also, Fairfield nursing students aided in a drill to test the effectiveness of emergency response in case of situations like the release of hazardous materials (link). Fire departments, police, and even Fairfield's public relations department was on hand to practice for an emergency situation, which was staged at the Quick Center. The rehearsal went smoothly, according to reports The Buzz received.
More buzz to come today.
What's the buzz on your campus? E-mail me at thebuzz@ctpost.com
Posted by Josh on 12:33 PM | Comments (5)
September 22, 2005
A Campus Mourns...
Students at Quinnipiac mourned the death of 20-year old Ricardo Petrillo (source). Petrillo fell from his third floor balcony early Sunday morning, and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival to a local hospital, The Chronicle reported. A large memorial service was held Sunday evening to remember Petrillo.
MOLD AND LICE INVADE: At SCSU and Fairfield U., infestation has become more than a minor annoyance. For Southern-goers, it was mold, found mainly in Brownell but also in other residence buildings on campus (source). The mold infestation required removal and replacement of carpeting and some furniture in many rooms, while clean-up was possible to salvage some of the furniture in other rooms. At Fairfield, it is lice that’s causing a big concern right now (source). With dozens of students diagnosed with lice, some students were frustrated that the school was not more forthcoming about the situation. Lice is easily fought off with over-the-counter medication, but recently because of the situation some local stores found themselves having trouble keeping the medications in stock.
MIXED RESULTS: The various colleges and universities in the area have noted different results in the beginning weeks of the school year. Quinnipiac University had what appeared to be an elevated amount of drinking citations in its first 10 days, while the Sacred Heart Spectrum now reports a fairly quiet start to the school year (source). While the numbers are always interesting to look at, one college-goer that The Buzz talked to noted that it seems like every year it’s a crap shoot: either freshmen don’t realize that college isn’t total freedom, and they get nabbed in large numbers, or they come in knowing what could happen and tend to back off.
TRIAL COMMENCES: Students at Fairfield have been watching carefully the trial against those accused in the murder of Mark Fisher (ongoing coverage is available). As the trial pushes on, additional details that weren’t originally available have been surfacing, painting a more complete picture of what ended up happening that evening, and students are watching to see what the final outcome of the trial will be. The trial is bringing some solace to some Fairfield students, who watched during the first few months as reward offerings continued to increase because no one would come forward with information they knew.
HERE WE GO AGAIN: With Katrina still fresh in our minds, some of the students we talked to were concerned about Hurricane Rita, which was still gathering strength and heading towards Texas as of press time. A number of students The Buzz spoke to were concerned about the situation, especially those who had headed to Texas to avoid the situation in New Orleans.
What's the buzz on your campus? E-mail us at thebuzz@ctpost.com
Posted by Josh on 9:38 AM | Comments (5)
September 15, 2005
We're Baaack!
With a new school year comes a new year of the College Buzz! We’re looking forward to keeping you up to date on all the happenings around campus this year, but we’re always looking for people who have got their ear to the ground. If you know of something going on, drop us a line at thebuzz@ctpost.com and let us know what’s going on.
AFTERMATH OF KATRINA: Like the rest of the country, college students in the area have both been concerned about the ongoing operations to help those displaced by Katrina, as well as the effects it has had across the nation. Many students The Buzz talked to this week had done something to support the ongoing fundraising and collection efforts, whether by donating or actually helping out with the processing of the materials. This week’s Fairfield Mirror (link) will have a story on the students displaced by Katrina going to the school. State and private colleges and universities alike put plans out there shortly after the disaster to help those who couldn’t attend college there.
GAS GUZZLER: Gas, of course, has also been on the minds of students in the area. It came up in virtually every discussion we had with local students this week, and the consensus is it sucks. Prices have stabilized in our region between $3 and $3.10 a gallon, depending on where you go. Stories on this subject are exhaustive, including ones in recent weeks by The Fairfield Mirror (link) and the Southern News (link).
An increasing number of students have sited Connecticut Gas Prices (link) as a great resource. It tracks gas prices of the past 72 hours, submitted by its readers. It lists the lowest and highest prices in the state. They also maintain local versions; Sacred Heart and Fairfield college-goers can find a localized version at Bridgeport Gas Prices (link) while New Haven-area students would find New Haven Gas Prices (link) to be useful.
The gas prices have also brought a bit of humor to the Web. On popular Web site Fark (link), a favorite of many college students, a recent Photoshop contest of rejected Price is Right games had one submission with the label “Mystery Prices”, where a woman is standing with Bob Barker in front of a gas station price sign trying to guess how many dollars per gallon it would cost today.
MORE SPENDING: Students aren’t just spending more money recently. They’re also spending more time on their vacations working, leaving little rest for the weart. The Southern News at an interesting take on this particular topic in their paper last week (link). Students at Southern, who reported having little time off during the break, an experience shared by a number of students The Buzz talked with during the past few weeks across the region.
HAPPY ENDING: We reported in this space a few times about the ongoing issue of laptop thefts on Quinnipiac’s campus. Now, finally, the Chronicle (link) shares this information out of this week’s issue: “Nicholas Liguori, a former facilities employee of Quinnipiac University, has been charged with 10 criminal counts for the theft of several laptop computers from the Quinnipiac campus.”
What's the buzz on your campus? E-mail us at thebuzz@ctpost.com
Posted by Josh on 12:32 PM | Comments (3)
