Mirror - Vol. 17, No. 16 - March 04, 1993

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The
FairfieldMRRORV Volume 17, No. 16 Thursday, March 4, 1993 Be Nice to Your Bro or Sis
Administration Says: Put Up or Shut Up
Seniors have to come up with cash to stay extra night
Debra De Shong
News Editor
The message that came
down from administration to
seniors who want to stay in their
townhouses after graduation was
pretty clear: if you want to stay,
you're going to have to pay. All
proposals being considered
require seniors to pay to stay the
extra night.
Traditionally, seniors
have been allowed to stay in their
townhouses until noon the day
after graduation. However, this
year the university has wiped that
tradition off the books and has
told seniors they must leave by 5
pm the day of graduation. At the
meeting that was held on
Wednesday, February 24, P a t
Rombalski, associate director of
residence life, faced an angry
crowd of seniors as he attempted
to give the administration's point
of view and, along with Jen
Bracco, president of UNITE,
discuss the many proposals going
back and forth to alter the five
o'clock deadline.
According to Rombalski
and Bracco, the administration's
main concern is that the students
"police themselves" to prevent
property damage incurred as a
result of bonfires and control the
behavior of fellow students. A
previous proposal put forth by
UNITE stipulated that every
senior put up $ 100 security deposit
and ifanyone got written up, every
member of that person's
townhouse would lose his or her
deposit. It was rejected because
the proposal must prove that
students can be responsible for
one another and will be
responsible for damages done.
A new proposal
discussed called for UNITE to
hire ten police officers at a cost of
between four to five thousand
dollars. This would translate into
about $25 per student. With police
roaming the townhouses instead
of the threat of being written up
by security officers, students
would face the possibility of being
arrested if caught starting a fire or
walking around with an open
container of alcohol. In
conjunction, students would pay
for a legal bonfire on Alumni field
at a cost of about $600 for the fire
truck. This fee would also be
passed on to all seniors as an
additional cost of senior week.
Rombalski said, "We don't want
to pay for your last night."
A proposal put forth by
Steve Shannon, FUSA president,
called for each senior to incur a
dollar fine that could be upgraded
to as much as a thousand dollars if
the person, or the person's
housemates, are caught destroying
property or any other such offense.
After graduation night, if you or
your housemates have not been
charged with anything, the dollar
fine will be wiped off the record
and you are free to receive your
diploma. This proposal would
force seniors to "police" their
housemates out of fear of having
to pay a huge fine. Having a fine
on the record is the only way the
university can legally prevent a
senior from being a graduate if
they fulfilled the requirements.
Shannon said, "I don't
think people should pay anything
to stay after graduation. It's
ridiculous." He says that the
administration likes the idea of
the students policing themselves,
but want students to be responsible
for more than just their own
housemates.
There are many different
proposals being bounced around,
mostly with a big veto on them
from the administration. Bracco
said, "Pat Rombalski has basically
told us what he wants and we have
to fit that." It is clear that the
administration wants some
insurance that the students will be
held responsible for damages and
fees incurred as a result of that
night.
A final proposal is
currently being drawn up by the
FUSA Special Issues Committee
and should be ready to present to
administration sometime next
week.
Rombalski cited what
he called "increasing problems
over the past four years" as the
reason the administration has
changed the policy. He claims
that on the night of graduation last
year, both security officers and
residence life staff members had
beer thrown at them, were pushed,
and were "told off." Rombalski
said the staff vowed, "We're not
going through this again." He feels
that it is "not my job" to face that
type of situation.
The other factor in the
decision to change the policy is
the traditional bonfires that are lit
in the townhouse area the night of
graduation. Seniors set fire to
furniture they no longer want. Last
year, there was a total of eight
bonfires at the townhouses and
the beach.
Student reactions to
Rombalski' s excuses ranged from
outrage to disbelief.
" I just want to know
what my parents can do about this
because after paying $80,000 to
this school they are not going to
be happy about it," said senior
Marogt Samuelson, to which
Rombalski replied, "I don't think
there's much your parents can do
and we'd much rather deal with
the students to solve this problem."
Senior Tricia Sweeney
said, "How can you compare us to
what has happened in the past?
It's like grading us on other
people's work!"
Rombalski said he has
no reason to believe this year
would be any different. Sweeney
feels that townhouse residents
have proved that they can police
themselves, with the success of
this year's strict townhouse policy
and that "this is a kick in the
face."
Most students supported
the idea of an organized bonfire
and recognized that the fears
surrounding random bonfires were
legitimate, but most also felt that
they are being bullied by the
administration.
"Their fears are
legitimate, but the way they are
going about this is all wrong,"
said a senior.
Senior Tracy Miller said,
"Unless we do something they
won't let us stay, so we should try
to compromise."
According to Bracco, if
the policy does not change and
students refuse to leave the night
of graduation, by about 10 pm,
police officers would remove the
students from their houses. She
suggested contacting alumni who
lived in the townhouses and are
familiar with the tradition of
staying the night of graduation,
asking them to write letters in
protest. She feels this policy is
only going to hurt the university
in the long run because as she
said, "if they kick us out at 5 pm,
who is going to want to give money
as alumni?"
March Draws Small Crowd but Still Considered a Success
Megan Harvist
Assistant News Editor
Learning to accept
one another for who they are was
one of the messages spelled out in
the March for Unity which took
place on February 27. The march
drew a crowd of about 200, well
short of the 350 to 500 anticipated.
Despite the disappointing
showing, the organizers of the
march felt that it was a success
because it raised some awareness
of the issue.
Tom Boucher, a senior
Residence Advisor in Campion
Hall, who helped organize the
march, stated its purpose. "We
are here to interact with people of
different races. We need to see
people as they are and walk
together to get to know one
another."
The crowd that gathered
was made up of students, faculty,
and administrators. There were
also students from Western
Connecticut State University,
Sacred Heart University, and the
University of Bridgeport present
as well as children from grammar
schools in Bridgeport and various
church groups.
To start off the event,
several people gave three minute
speeches. They were chosen by
the committee who organized the
event , made up of 20 RAs. The
speakers were comprised of
people ofdifferent races, religions,
and sexual preferences. They
illustrated their points with
powerful words, personal stories,
and sometimes even poetry.
Jonnie Jones, a junior who
helped organize the event along
with Boucher and Kevin
Robinson, also a junior, was the
first speaker. He stated that the
march was an important part of
Black History Month. However,
he hopes that the effects of the
march will continue throughout
the year. John Schwarz,'96, said
the speakers "made me think about
many different things. What they
said made me realize that Fairfield
must do something about
diversity."
After several speeches
and a performance by the Young
Persons Glee Club of Bridgeport,
the march began. The marchers
preceded out of the quad area,
frozen toes and all, carrying
banners from their various
residence halls and organizations.
Songs and chants rang through
the air and spirits were high.
Thought-provoking signs and concerned
crowds marked the March for Unity.
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L. Marchetti
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However, due to the cold weather
the march was cut short and the
group headed back to the Oak
Room for the final ceremonies.
It was here that Kenneth
Owens, a sophomore, told his
story about how difficult it is to be
a minority at Fairfield due to the
lack of diversity. Fiona Edwards,
also a sophomore, said, "College
campuses are supposed to reflect
society and Fairfield does not.
Diversity is not leaking through
our campus." Larri Mazon, the
Director of Multicultural
Relations, delivered a powerful
message in his speech. "A
community is made up of people
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- beautiful people," he said. "We
want you here [at Fairfield] and
we love you."
After the speeches, the
Fairfield University Glee Club
performed some songs of protest
and praise for South Africa. Unity,
a song by Glorianne B. Moone, an
African-American composer from
New Jersey, was also sung. After
the Glee Club, Larry Johnson, a
friend of Jonnie Jones from
Bridgeport, sang Michael
Jackson's Heal The World.
On a whole, the event
was viewed as a success. "I think
the people who attended gained a
lot from it," commented Jocelyn
Barton '95. "Those who didn't
attend missed out on a great
experience." Boucher, Jones, and
Robinson were pleased with the
march and all those who attended.
They were a little disappointed
that more of a crowd was not
drawn for the event, but they are
optimistic that good things will
come out of it.
"I hope this is the
beginning, rather then the
culmination of multi-cultural
awareness," Robinson stated. "If
this becomes an annual event, it
can snowball into something
bigger and bigger every year."
(Seniors Bid tare\
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