The Buzz

ID theft at Sacred Heart

It's been happening at colleges across the country, and it's hit Sacred Heart. Hackers were able to penetrate SHU's servers and access current and prospective student information, past and present. Information like social security numbers and credit card numbers are at risk. A friend of mine who attended Sacred Heart had her Discover card compromised as a result of the intrusion, so the risk is very real.

Many college students aren't very proactive in monitoring their credit, but it's good to note some ways to protect your indentity and, by proxy, your credit score:

--Take advantage of the ability to receive a free credit report from comapnies when your credit is checked, or the new government-required program that allows you to get a free copy of your credit report from the major agencies once a year (the big three being Experian, Trans Union and Equifax).
--Sign up for a credit monitoring service. I pay $10 a month to have one of the big agencies notify me when a change has been made to my credit report, and have the ability to see what's been done. If a card is opened up under my name, I have the ability to look and be sure it's something I authorized.
--Most of all, be selective about who you give your information out to. For instance, banks will not call you or E-mail you to get your information because of a "server crash". Rest assured that they have their data backed up multiple ways. The same goes for other services. Unless you specifically are applying for a job or applying for credit (or, say, signing up for a wireless phone, which requires a credit check), you shouldn't be handing your information out to anyone.

Here's the Post's info, and a good tech perspective as well.

Congratulations to all of the 2006 graduates, and have a happy and healthy summer! Hopefully we'll have some items to keep the blog warm this summer.

Res halls and alcohol: this week's buzz

Spring Break is in session for many college goers during this time of year, but things are still happening around the local U's. Here's what's going on right now.

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BUZZ KILLER: Alcohol policies will be much more heavily enforced during this year's May Weekend event at Quinnipiac, the Chronicle reported this week (link). Open container policies will be enforced, and a beer tent will not be provided this year. The decision was made over the school's concern of "blatant use and abuse of alcohol," a statement sent to The Chronicle from the University noted.

LITERAL BUZZ: How much do you drink when you go out? That was a question raised at one Quinnipiac lecture held recently (link). Some students pride themselves on being able to control their drinking by knowing how many they've had, but when you switch to solo cups, counting beers can get more tricky as you don't exactly know how much you've had. Using a technique called "buzzing" you can control what you drink, when you drink it and from whom you accept a drink, creating a safer environment for yourself and others. It's an interesting idea for those who have had nights regretting the amount they consumed and having gone too far.

RESIDENT LIFE: Have you ever had a bad experience in a certain res life building and made a conscious decision to get out of there to have a better living situation the next year? Some Jogues residents are concerned they may not have that chance, The Mirror reports (link). Next year Jogues will become a sophomore dorm, and a petition signed my a large majority of the current Jogues residents requsted the U give them the ability to live elsewhere next year instead of the risk of having to live there again. However, university officials have stated that the logistics of running a housing lottery that goes smoothly takes priority. Jogues in the past has had a bad rep for being one of the more rowdy buildings on campus, with large damage bills racked up each year an unpleasant side effect. Zoning it as a freshmen dorm was one effort to take the edge off of that issue.

What's the buzz on your campus? E-mail Josh at thebuzz@ctpost.com.

Take a drive through the latest Buzz!

There's a lot of Buzz driving this week's entry, and they all seem to have a drive theme to it. I'm a sucker for theme entries, so let's take it for a spin!

]]> ALLEY PROTECTED: Following a recent assault on a student reported on in both the Chronicle and here in the Buzz recently, Quinnipiac security is more heavily enforcing the policies of vehicles driving on the only main road around campus, limiting access and restricting the amount of time students can park (link). Previously, enforcement had been spotty, leaving opportunities for non-students, such as the one who assaulted a student in early February, to get easier access to the campus. The head of security at Quinnipiac has announced a more strict enforcement policy.

O'TOOLE DRIVEN OUT: Citing a lack of MAAC championships, Fairfield basketball coach Tim O'Toole's contract was not renewed by the Fairfield athletic department, The Mirror reported this week (link). Although O'Toole took a program that was one of Fairfield's weakest and developed a winning record overall with the teams he recruited, this year's weak performance and an overall lack of championships resulted in a search for his replacement. O'Toole was given the chance to announce the decision himself, at his request.

COFFEE CONUNDRUM: Coffee drives many students' energy levels during the early morning classes, and now Southern's higher-ups are giving students a chance to voice their opinions on which coffee to carry in the new student center, the Southern News reported (link). Franchises and more homegrown operations are both in consideration, so whether students are fans of Green Mountain, Dunkin' Douuts or even the on-every-street-corner Starbucks option, they can voice their opinions through an online survey. The bean counters will surely have a field day with this one.

FRAT FUNDRAISER: Driving up the dollars raised was the goal of Tau Kappa Epsilon members, who jumped into the slightly nippy waters today for their third annual plunge (link). Funds raised from the event are being used to support the Nancy and Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Fund.

BLOOD BOILING: Finally, it's a blood drive getting one Yale official a little upset. In a challenge against Harvard, Yale lost a challenge to get students out to donate blood. Forced to wear a red hat, this thebuzz@ctpost.com

While We Were Out: Quinnipiac News

Here's a rundown of what's happened recently at Quinnipiac while The Buzz was on hiatus:

EXPELLED STUDENTS REACT: The Buzz reported extensively on the students who were expelled following an off-campus Halloween party that took place last semester, that the blog that followed offering some of their thoughts. The Chronicle sat down with four of the students recently, getting their reactions and perspectives now that some time has passed (link). According to the former students, who are now suing Quinnipiac for announcing their explusions to the press, they felt that they were given unfair treatment after they made attempts to end the party, and they were also told originally that they were only going to be dismissed, not expelled.

STUDENT ASSUALT: A QU student who was assaulted on-campus late one night recently spoke out to the Chronicle about his experience, with questions raised about guests on campus and safety in general (link). His story definitely encourages many to keep in mind their surroundings and their own personal state of mind when out late at night on the relatively open campuses most colleges and universities provide.

ANOTHER THANKS: To Chronicle Editor-in-Chief (and Post blogger/freelancer) Jamie DeLoma and the rest of the Chronicle crew for keeping us posted on recent developments on their campus.

What's the buzz on your campus? E-mail Josh at thebuzz@ctpost.com.

While We Were Out: Fairfield News

While we were out it was busy around the college campuses. Here's a look at some of the bigger stories to break at Fairfield U. the past month:

INJUNCTION DYSFUNCTION: An injunction in place since 2001 at Fairfield Beach limiting the number of students that can be there at one time has been made permanent by a judge recently (link). The injunction was put into place after a trial surrounding the popular (with students, anyway) the fall Luau and spring Clam Jam events that beach residents would have at Lantern Point. The injunction followed a lawsuit brought by nine year-round beach residents after years where the Clam Jam event, depsite efforts by both student government and the school to keep things under control, had swelled some years to over 5000 attendees. Many students see the loss of the injunction as an example of tradition at Fairfield (and a potential breach of civil liberties), while others see it as just an attempt to keep the peace down at the beach.

100 NETS 250: After Fairfield cancelled the original 200 Nights event because of the belief that it was not a positive addition to the school events calendar (read: too much alcohol, not much else), student leader Ashlee Fox took great pains to establish a new tradition: 100 Nights(link). She even kept the venue a secret to discourage drunk driving, and established the event without any aid from the university administration. 200 Nights was plagued with issues in years past, from difficulty finding places that would accomodate the event to a bus getting lodged under a bridge on the return trip from one year's event.

DEATH OF A FRIEND: In February student Alejandro Carrion, a sophomore at Fairfield, passed away in his sleep, a great loss to the student community (link). Carrion was at the time of his passing a College Republican, involved in Pep Band and was also part of the Ignatian Residential College, a program that offers unique opportunities to sophomores at the university in learning and growing as a person.

THANK YOU: To all those at The Mirror who have kept us in the loop on all that's going on.

What's the buzz at your campus? E-mail Josh at thebuzz@ctpost.com.

The Buzz is back!

Hello all! After a hiatus that extended a little longer than normal (month off + new apartment = "oh yeah... I was supposed to update wasn't I?") we're back and here's what we're going to do. This entry will focus on this week's buzz, and another entry will follow recapping what was missed over the past couple of weeks.

Onward:
]]> GRAPE GRAND REOPENING: Popular Fairfield student hangout The Sea Grape has finally reopened its doors this month after shutting down for renovations starting around the launch of winter break, The Mirror reported (link). Students found themselves checking out other bars, such as Skybox or Bravo, during the temporary shutdown of the Grape, but many beach residents are proud to call that home.

GMAIL CONFLICT: Many students are sidestepping Fairfield's requirements that students use the StagWeb mail interface by using Google's GMail service to pull in their mail (link). The official policy of not allowing students to use outside services has been in place since StagWeb's launch in 2000, as administrators are worried students may not log in often enough to stay appraised of important school notifications. However, students who find StagWeb increasingly frustrating to work with are still finding ways to avoid using the interface.

GPS AT QU?: We all know that GPS services, which are designed to help people locate certain places or to get driving directions, have some useful features. But how would you like to be equipped with a cell phone that can tell you exactly where your campus shuttle is? Quinnipiac is preparing a pilot program with 50 cell phones that will take advantage of features like that, this week's Chronicle noted (link). Similar to their laptop exchange program, the idea is to put newer technology into the hands of students that allow them to work more efficiently. If successful, the program could be rolled out to students later on.

MORE TO COME: We're going to catch up on previous weeks here shortly, but if you know of anything that's creating a buzz on your campus, you can reach me at thebuzz@ctpost.com. We'd love to hear what's going on at your campus!

Buzzing into December.

SNOW: Yeah, it's here. After a little bit of snow Thanksgiving weekend, college-goers across the area saw more snow Sunday, with even more slated to come early this coming week. One little nugget one friend of the Buzz passed on: a little fun to have with snowfall is to remember which date the first snowfall fell (this year, Nov. 23). The old logic goes we can expect 23 instances of snow fall of a couple of inches or more. It'll be interesting to see how that pans out. Two down...

MENINGITIS CONCERNS: Fairfield University's Mirror reported Thursday on the death of a Marist student from bacterial meningitis, and the concerns that are now rising over the potential for an outbreak (link). While Connecticut now mandates that all students be vaccinated against meningitis, the vaccine does not cover all known strains. And even though students are vaccinated, it did not stop the death of the Marist student, who had been vaccinated already.

FORMER STUDENT MURDERED: The Mirror also reported on the death of of Ciara McDermott '97, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in an apparent murder-suicide (link). McDermott was a police officer on the Newington force.

CASH AS CREDIT: Who's been posting all those ads around campus? Southern administration wants to know, and is even willing to pay for such knowledge, the Southern News reports (link). Ads promoting bar specials and happenings at clubs are littering the campus, and now the school is using its own students in an attempt to crack down on the rampant issue. Causing even more difficulty: many times the bars and clubs hire college-aged students to promote the events on their own campuses.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Students at Southern are upset at what they find is overpriced merchandise at the on-campus food stores that sell similar items to Stop & Shop, but at higher prices (link). Those in charge of the operation state that the issue comes down to volume. If Stop & Shop is really that much cheaper, maybe a Peapod delivery order should be placed daily to keep the store stocked and at lower prices?

REALITY BITES: Students at Sacred Heart were treated to a pair of ex-MTV reality show stars speaking out eating disorders recently, the Spectrum reported (link). Both speakers brought their personal experiences with them as they talked about the importance of keeping a healthy attitude about body image, while not succombing to the pressure of a perfect body, which can lead some down the path to anorexia or bulimia.

DREAMING OF SUCCESS: A Buzz reader wrote in asking about a program at Housatonic called "Achieving the Dream" and if we had any details. I'm happy to help. The Connecticut Post reported Nov. 2 that the college was in the running for a $400,000 grant for the program, a grant which would be for a four-year period. Reporter Linda Conner Lambeck provided these details in her report:

For purposes of the grant, success is defined as increasing the
number of students who:

pass courses, earning at least ``C'' grades;

graduate from developmental courses to college-level courses;

and register semester by semester until they earn a certificate or associate's degree.

Anita Gliniecki, dean of students at Housatonic, said the idea
is to not only promote students' success, but, in a sense, to
"bottle" it, so other colleges can do the same things.

The school has already received $50,000 from the Nellie Mae Foundation for the program. In the spring, they are up for a potential $400,000 grant from the same foundation.

The school will also use the program to ensure that courses are being held at times where students can attend. Many times students are forced to defer or drop out because class times begin to clash with changing work schedules.

Hope that helps, and if any other readers know anything further, please pass it on to The Buzz! Stay safe and don't get trampled in the malls by all the holiday shoppers :)

What's the Buzz on your campus? Drop Josh a line at thebuzz@ctpost.com

Brief Buzz for this week

Slow week out there, with Thanksgiving approaching and registration underway. But a few items worth noting this week:

UPDATES: Some of the students expelled from Quinnipiac over the Halloween party held a few weeks ago launched a blog to share their side of the story, the QU Chronicle reports (link). The blog can be found here.

Also, Sony BMG has recalled the discs that included the copy protection technology that we shared with you last week in EnterTech. If you bought one of those CDs, Sony BMG is willing to replace it with an MP3 copy of the album and a copy that does not include the copy protection. The site they created for information about the copy protection lists the CDs affected, and how to get a replacement. Ironically, the first version of the uninstall software Sony BMG provided to remove the software had a security flaw of its own - that has been fixed with a new version of the uninstaller.

ANOTHER EXPLUSION: And following a Yellowcard concert at QU, another student was expelled for intoxication (link). The student hit three parked cars before security found the student.

D'OH: And now for something completely different: is The Simpsons just a funny, long-running cartoon, or is there more to it? Well, one professor, who has taught a course at Southern on The Simpsons, has found more than just rapid-fire humor (link). Students will find this course to be no easy A, but will instead find interesting layers embedded into the popular TV show.

REGISTRATION FRUSTRATION: It's the time of semester where students are selecting courses for spring, but different schools are encountering different problems. At Sacred Heart, athletes are finding it difficult to get the courses they are required to take, a trend not found at many other campuses because athletes are given preferred registration status (link). And at Fairfield, issues with online registration and course availability come out again, in an opinion piece by former Post intern and friend of The Buzz Kelly Sheehan, who shared her personal experience in this week's Mirror about her difficulties in completing her senior year on time (link). Registration time is frustrating for many - good luck to all.

What's the buzz at your campus? E-mail Josh at thebuzz@ctpost.com

EnterTech: Sony BMG unleashes buggy DRM

Although many college students don't buy CDs in the volume that they previously did, many will still make the trek to Best Buy or Strawberries when a CD by an artist they really like hits the streets. However, concerns have been raised recently by copy protection technology added to certain CDs released by Sony BMG, which now can allow hackers the ability to hide malicious software on your computer.
]]> The software, called XCP, is designed to keep people from ripping CDs purchased legally at a store. This, in turn, is to make it more difficult for people to share MP3s with others, which record companies believe is at the heart of an ongoing decline in CD sales.

However, last week a technology security expert realized that the way Sony was handling this creates serious security issues. The technology uses a type of setup called a rootkit, which modifies the way Windows works deep in its core, to hide files. In this case, it hides any filename that starts with $sys$. The software is also extremely difficult to remove, and can't be done without the assistance of Sony BMG or many hours of hard work - some tech-savvy people who attempted to remove it on their own found that their CD drive stopped working after they removed their software, making them jump through hoops to get their system working properly again. For some, that meant reinstalling Windows.

Now, how do you protect yourself from this software? Steve Gibson, a technology expert who hosts a weekly podcast called Security Now, devoted an entire show topic to the subject last week, labeled Episode 12 and downloadable in both audio and text formats from his security Web site. News sources are already compiling lists of CDs which have the copy protection on it - one such list can be found here. A great list of frequently asked questions can also be looked at here so you can become more informed. Sony BMG has suspended production of copy-protected CDs, but some may be available in music stores. A class action lawsuit is also in the works against Sony BMG for use of the technology.

Here's why this is important: hackers are already aware of this hole that the copy protection software exists, and are updating viruses, trojan horses and the like to exploit this security problem. Determining the risk is important, and the Security Now podcast gives all sorts of information about how to protect yourself. The site also provides links to free software that can help you detect the problem. If you wish to remove the software safely, you can go to the Sony BMG copy protection Web site by clicking here. Sony BMG offers a service pack that can eliminate the security hole, if you wish to keep the software, by removing the stealth capability of the files. Or, if you wish, you can contact them for directions on how to uninstall the software. However, if you do so, you can no longer listen to Sony BMG titles protected by the technology on your computer.

One last thing: the same security expert who discovered the security vulnerability also believes that the software phones home, telling Sony what is being listened to, based on his research. If you're on the side of more privacy, you may want to find out more about this software and how to remove it.

Good luck to all on this one. The next EnterTech will be on podcasts, and Security Now is one good one to get started with if you're into technology and want to learn how to stay safe on the Internet in today's world. I'll share more with you next week.

The Buzz: Guster has a stalker!

GUSTER STALKER: This week's Fairfield Mirror had an interesting photo entry about a gentleman found on campus attempting to recruit people for a production company and attempting to talk to the student government about opening for Guster. Guster's own tour diary references it (link), and it's interesting to see their comments about it: "And for the first time, everyone in Guster felt like they'd finally made it. We had our own real true-to-life stalker, escorted off campus by the town police and everything!" Guster performed at Fairfield on the 11th.

FOLLOW-UP: Fairfield seniors are also officially moving ahead with their alternative to 200 Nights after Fairfield pulled the plug on the troubled, yet long-standing tradition (link). The new tradition will tentatively be called "100 Nights". Less nights, but a new tradition may be born.

TOAD'S RAIDED: Popular music and bar destination Toad's Place was raided last weekend by Connecticut Liquor Control officers looking to see if underagers were drinking, the Quinnipiac Chronicle reported (link). The attendees, which included Quinnipiac students, were held as late as 12:30, depending on whether they were over 21 or not. This is the first raid of Toad's in recent memory.

PAIR OF GOOD READS: The Southern News has been on top of all sorts of interesting trend stories this semester, and this issue is no exception. Check out this pair of stories on self-injury and fast food (which brings up the age-old "Freshman 15").

What's the buzz on your campus? Know of a cool event that's taking place? Let Josh know by E-mailing him at thebuzz@ctpost.com.

Buzzing into November, and we need your help!

AS PROMISED: Earlier this week I noted in a Buzz item a Halloween party that went awry. The Quinnipiac Chronicle published their report on Wednesday, and noted that 16 students were arrested at the party, and of those eight were immediately expelled (link). At fault: the house residents were serving alcohol to minors. Those expelled will not get reimbursement for room and board or tuition.
]]> POKE THIS: On a lighter note, The Chronicle also reported on Facebook do's and don'ts (link). Among their suggestions: don't poke people just because the option is there. Although to be fair, it is fun to get into poking wars when you're both online.

FOOD FIGHT: Some Southern students are unhappy about the current meal plan options, the Southern News reports (link). In an all-too-familiar discussion that has been heard on campuses across the country, many aren't happy with the food quality or simply don't eat 19 meals per week, but are still forced into the meal plan anyway. Other schools have a wider variety of options, the Southern News reports. At Fairfield, for instance, students are given a few different options, with the option to "buy up" to larger plans if they want more than their current meal allotment allows, an effort that helps keep costs down.

"NIGHT" LINE: The Fairfield University Senate took notice of some of the disappearing traditions at Fairfield, an item covered recently here in The Buzz (link), and seniors are now looking at possibilities of establishing unofficial events that might continue events that the school shut down because they were no longer wishing to be held liable. The school says it's difficult to monitor events where drinking is one of the main focuses of the event. However, some seniors currently involved in the student government are now looking at alternatives that can keep alive in spirit events that have been shut down, even if not in the current form, a welcome turn of events. The student senate has already passed a resolution about the topic encouraging the building, not destroying, of traditions.

NCAA TIME: Some more good news from Fairfield this week: The women's soccer team won an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament by winning the MAAC tournament (link). They were the fifth seed in that tournament, and have become the first team to be fifth seeded in that tournament and ultimately win. The NCAA tournament begins Nov. 12.

CORRECTION: In a buzz item two weeks ago, I painted as a negative that Sacred Heart was painted as the 11th most unwired college campus by Intel. It's time to stop posting after a long shift at work - obviously, when we're talking wireless access, unwired is a good thing :) Color me old fashioned (at 23, no less), but I remember not all that long ago that unwired surveys were being done to show how badly a school was doing in getting Internet to college students - obviously, Intel's motive was different this time around.

WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP: Work continues on a piece relating to MySpace, Facebook, and privacy. If you're a college student in the area and are willing to be interviewed, please E-mail thebuzz@ctpost.com. And as always, also E-mail us if you have any buzzworthy items going on at your campus.

Buzzworthy for this week

BREAKING BUZZ: 19 people were arrested this weekend at a party that likely included Quinnipiac University students. The party, billed as a "get drunk and wear a costume" event, is forcing local officials and university administrators to sort things out. A story is scheduled to run in this week's Quinnipiac Chronicle; when that story goes live we'll link you to it from The Buzz as well.

COLD REACTION: Otherwise, it's been a quiet week around here, but many have reacted to the recent colder weather that has moved in. Most of the reaction has come from students who have earlier classes. One student from Southern I talked to thanked me for reminding her to bring her jacket and gloves home when she visited the family this weekend. The temperatures were scheduled to moderate a bit over the next few days, but you weather freaks can stay on top of the regional conditions through the Post's Weather page (link).

JAIL TIME: The men arrested in connection with the Mark Fisher case were sentenced on Oct. 19, bringing an end to the two year investigation that we recently reported about here in The Buzz and followed carefully by Fairfield University's paper, The Mirror (link). Antonio Russo, 19, and John Giuca, 22, were both given long-term sentences for their roles in the murder, receiving 25 years to life for his murder, as well as concurrent 25 year sentences for robbing Fisher. Guico was also given time for a weapons charge.

OUTSIDE THE AREA: The Mirror also offered an interesting guide to Stamford in Thursday's issue (link). The guide is the latest in a series that began running last year, and has also covered such areas as New Haven and South Norwalk. They're all great guides to making the most of the parts of Fairfield County many don't know about.

FLU NEWS: The Southern News did its usual excellent job bringing closer to home a national story, this time on the flu vaccine, both for this winter's season and the concerns for the bird flu (link). It goes over risk groups, whether we should be concerned right now about the bird flu that's all over the news right now, and what to do to protect yourself against the flu this year.

PHISHING HITS HOME: This week in the Buzz Box, I received a pair of E-mails purporting to be from People's warning me that my card information had been compromised and to log in to the site. While the URL in the E-mail, as written out, pointed to a log-in page on the site (one that still works, but has largely been replaced with their home page log-in), the link itself takes you to another Web site altogether, and if you log in, you're giving your information away to a less than reputable source. While I've seen these many times for PayPal, eBay, and national banks like Bank of America, this is the first time I've seen one targeted for People's users. As always, if you receive one of these E-mails, discard it - no bank will lose information like this and then ask you to use an online interface to fix it.

MYSPACE HELP: Are you a user of MySpace or Facebook? Or maybe you are shunning them for a particular reason? We here at The Buzz are working on an upcoming piece about them as they relate to privacy on the Internet. But we need your help. If you'd be willing to help us on this piece, please contact me at thebuzz@ctpost.com. As always, E-mail me if you know of anything buzzworthy going on as well - we look at all tips seriously.

The week in Buzz.

TECH TALK: More and more, college students are adapting to the wireless world with laptops that can connect to the Internet in such places as Starbucks or, more recently, the food court in the local malls. But Sacred Heart University apparently has not kept up with the trend, as it was recently voted 11th in the most unwired schools category conducted by Intel (link). While the survey is likely just a nudge from Intel to get schools like SHU to buy more of their products, many students interviews by The Spectrum seem to like the idea of campus-wide access to the Internet. Other colleges in the area have been working on the idea over the years. Fairfield has had Wi-Fi access in the campus center for a couple of years now, while Quinnipiac has been tucking access points into ceiling tiles to offer more broad coverage in the dorms.

DOWN THE HATCH: Citing the lack of substance to the event (and the resulting abuse of substances as well), Fairfield has pulled the plug on the annual 200 Nights event (link). For those counting: Luau, Clam Jam, Keg Races, 200 Nights - all gone. Replacing those events? There's Spam Jam in the Spring, but while the school's citing its efforts to create events that aren't alcohol fueled, even Spam Jam allows controlled drinking up at the townhouses for upperclassmen. With any luck, some sort of new traditions will eventually get established, but right now, they're falling faster than they're being created.

PROTEST AT YALE: Some Yale students were protesting this week the request by the school for a third-year grad student to leave for speaking less than perfect English, according to the student in question (link). The protest was over what some felt was discrimination against Chinese people, with some there stating that the student was on a scholarship there, and the scholarship terms were not breached, according to the student, who was informed it was the length of time that teachers were taking to correct the papers submitted.

WEATHER WOES: The rains had a direct effect on a few Fairfield students, who found their house uninhabitable after waves weakened the structure, which was supported on stilts (link). There is still a chance for house reconstruction, as the owner is given a grace period, but for now, the students are finding themselves without one of the best perks of being a senior: their own place to live off-campus.

SHUTTLE SCUTTLEBUTT: It seems like Quinnipiac's shuttles are frustrating some students lately (link). This isn't a new complaint, for Quinnipiac or in general; since The Buzz started an occasional complaint about campus shuttles has been their bizarre scheduling, finding themselves one behind the other instead of spaced out, etc. One thing The Buzz is learned is it's not easy to schedule shuttles, and Quinnipiac's students were encouraged by shuttle operators to just use a little patience.

REACTION OVER NOISE: Last week's item on the noise levels and parties at Fairfield Beach brought a fairly quick reaction from the U (link). Fairfield's president, Fr. Jeffrey von Arx, responded at a press conference that many at the university think beach issues have continued to decline, based on a reduced number of letters received, the overall maintenance of a lower headcount at the beach, and students in general being more behaved. In the same press conference von Arx also noted the potential for a new dorm. A new dorm has been on the 10-year Master Plan of the school for years now, but it was the opinion of many for a time that it was unlikely to be built. However, the increased population at the school may necessitate another undergrad dorm.

What's the buzz on your campus? E-mail me at thebuzz@ctpost.com

NOTE: Since we're a bit behind schedule this week, EnterTech will show up on Sunday or Monday this week.

This week's Buzz

WEATHER OR NOT: Well, the sun finally came out today, but it was a dreary school week for college-goers and "real world" workers alike. This was the biggest topic of conversation for many of those interviewed this week. Of course, thankfully it wasn't January, or it would be likely impossible to see over the banks of snow that would've resulted.
]]> STORM CLOUDS BREWING?: One student I interviewed this week, when asked if she was staying dry, responded jokingly, "Well, I'm not drinking." But many are in Fairfield, say town residents, who are concerned with the noise level and rowdiness of students in the beach area of Fairfield this year (link). This has been a scuffle for years. In 2001 an injunction was passed down days before students had their annual Clam Jam event, banning gatherings of more than 200 students at the point. While some events, such as Keg Races, lingered a few years after that, no major beach parties, whether sanctioned or unsanctioned, have happened in recent memory. Town residents seemed comfortable with the calming of the town-gown conflict in recent years, but recently concern has risen over whether this year's group of beach residents, along with students who head down to the beach to see their friends, has gotten worse, and one resident reported that party nights seem to be expanding into every night of the week. Still, it's already October, and the beach tends to quiet down more once the temperatures start getting colder - more than one beach house was known to be less than comfortable when lows were hitting single digits last year.

USE YOUR HEAD(SET): Are local college-goers obeying the new headset law? Southern News did a little research, and it doesn't seem that way (link). However, many don't seem to think it'll help much. Students may want to consider the fact though that a $30 headset will help avoid a ticket of $100 or more, depending on driving conditions and whether it's a construction zone or not.

SEX!: Southern News also took a look at the continuing problem of STDs (link). College students are most at risk, as far as the rates of spreading are concerned, and much of that is attributed to unsafe behavior spurned on by drinking and drugs.

VIOLENCE!: Another fun pasttime, video games, was looked at by the Sacred Heart Spectrum (link). Dopamine apparently is produced when video games are played, and video game addiction is an issue some are concerned with. Yale's Daily News looked at this topic from another aspect: the addiction of Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Games (greatfully abbreviated these days down to MMRPGs) (link). Maybe that's why I can't get enough Ms. Pac-Man, but Yale's article is pretty tounge-in-cheek - look no further than the headline: "Super-nerds score on Web".

Speaking of the Web, coming up here soon I'll have some notes on the social networking sites of choice for college students, the ins and outs of them, and the pitfalls to be wary of.

What's the buzz on your campus? E-mail Josh at thebuzz@ctpost.com

EnterTech: Video iPod

I couldn't wait until Friday to post about this, because I've been waiting for it forever. Apple has released the video iPod. A 2.5 inch screen, 20-hour battery life (a third better than previous models), and your choice of 30GB or 60GB, for the same prices ($299 and $399, respectively) of the previous versions. Something different: you can now choose between black or white as your color of choice, just like the recently introduced Nano.

Want video content to load it up with? Thousands of music videos are available, and you can also download 5 different TV shows. Each video, including the TV programs, are $1.99 each, so when you do the math it's $45 for a season of Desperate Housewives or Lost, approximately what a DVD set would cost, but you can take it anywhere with you. Yes, they're commercial free, and yes, they're probably a monster download. But you've got all that space to fill now, don't you?

I apologize to my readers for what may seem like an Apple Worship entry, but I've been an iPod lover for quite some time now. When a major new version comes out, I hock my old one off on a friend who's been wanting one to cover part of the cost of the new one. While I'm not an early adopter by any means, I live by my iPod, and jump at each new improvement. It's sad when I already have a buyer lined up for my old one and they just introduced it today! :)

Check it out here (link).