Mirror - Vol. 18, No. 19 - April 14, 1994

              The
FairfieldMIRR®R Volume 18, No. 19 Thursday, April 14, 1994 13 Class Days Remain!
The drinks are on FUSA!
Long-awaited coffeehouse underway
Caitlin Whelan
News Editor
FUSA may have found a
solution to the rapid decline of
student's social life on campus—
"The Levy", a 3,500 square foot,
$400,000 Student Pavilion.
Tentatively referred to as the
coffeehouse, it will provide a
kitchen area, a bar for students
over 21, tables and booths outside
the food and beverage section, a
lounge area, and a dance floor.
Additionally, the coffeehouse will
provide music, movies, cable
television, and a place where
students can socialize on campus
every day.
Mark Resnick '94, FUSA
President 1993-94, Alycen
McAuley '94, Chairperson, FUSA
Research & Development, and
Karen O'Connor '97, Research &
Development Committee Member,
prepared the proposal and
presented it to the Board ofTrustees
on March 4th.
Construction on the
newly-approved coffeehouse will
hopefully begin this summer, says
Alycen McAuley, and it may be
open as soon as September. Actual
schedules of building are still
awaiting approval by the board.
Resnick feels the
coffeehouse has been "long
overdue. People have been talking
about it for years. This is something
that will be important not just to
students here now, but will affect
the quality of life on campus for
the next 30 years."
The proposal presented to
the Board of Trustees cited the
persistent complaints of "the lack
of a place for students to
comfortably and consistently
socialize on campus." In the
absence of a suitable place on
campus, most students have found
an alternative in local bars and
beach parties. Efforts to try to
improve social life and keep it on
campus included revising the RA
position to provide more activities,
the installation of Cable in dorm
rooms and townhouses, and the
renovation of the Stag-Her Inn.
When these efforts proved
unsuccessful, and students still
complained about the quality of
the social life, the report stated "it
was clear that something more
needed to be done." With the
construction of the new
coffeehouse, FUSA hopes to have
found the solution.
571 surveys were
distributed randomly to students in
the Townhouses, Dolan, Seller's,
the Mezzanine, and the Stag-Her,
according to Resnick. Of the
students surveyed, the response
supporting a student pavilion to
raise quality of life at Fairfield was
"overwhelming," said Resnick.
92% were in favor of building a
facility to provide an on-campus
community for students as an
alternative to the growing
populations at the beach and bars
in town.
One Freshman, quoted in
the proposal, stressed the
importance of making the
coffeehouse outlined in the survey
a reality. "Make this survey
actually happen. You can talk about
a new facility for the next four
years and until I'm gone, but what
will it do for me? In order to
improve our campus we should try
to finish what we start and don't
just talk about it."
The coffeehouse, the
permanent name of which will be
chosen through the input of
Fairfield students, will
accommodate approximately 150
people, 300 without the chairs and
tables. This makes the one-level
facility "slightly larger than the
Stag-Her Inn," according to
Resnick. While it will not be
student-owned, he says, the facility
will be operated for and by the
students.
FUSA tentatively named
the facility The Levy, after the Don
McLean's song "American Pie,"
rumored to have links to the beach
house at Fairfield ofthe same name.
It is thought that McLean once
took classes at Fairfield University.
However, the name is only
temporary until surveys are sent to
students.
"Right now we're
referring to it as The Levy, but
we're not going to say it is the top
choice," says McAuley. "I'd love
to see creative names suggested
for it. People have great ideas if
they'd only let us know."
McAuley feels that the
new pavilion will create a draw not
only for students applying to the
university, but will result in less
students transferring out after their
freshman year. "I think it will be a
tremendous draw for those coming
in, but even more for those
transferring out. Students,
particularly freshmen, feel there is
not enough for them to do on
campus, and the activities that are
offered are not geared to what they
want to do. We hope the pavilion
represents lots more of what they
are looking for."
Resnick wants students to
know that the facility is there for
them to use and enjoy, while giving
them more of an opportunity to
socialize on campus. "I hope
students feel this is their one place
on campus. I don't think there is
any one place on campus now that
they can call their own," he says,
adding "People have been asking
where a place for them is. I hope
this can answer their question."
Students are looking
forward to the new addition as
much as Resnick and McAuley.
"It's about time students had a
place they could hang out on
campus," says Elizabeth
Donoghue, '97.
Pilkerton sworn in as FUSA president
Caitlin Whelan
News Editor
Before a crowd of family,
friends, and past, present, and
future FUSA cabinet members,
Chris Pilkerton was inaugurated
last week as President of the
Fairfield University Student
Association.
Following an emotional
farewell, former FUSA president
Mark Resnick passed the gavel on
to Pilkerton. James Cafferty, Chief
Justice of the Student Court for
1993-94, then swore Pilkerton and
his five appointed Vice Presidents
into office.
In his first address as
President, Pilkerton thanked
everyone present at the
inauguration for their support. He
went on to thank Mark Resnick for
the work he has done for FUSA in
the past year.
University President Fr.
Aloysius P. Kelley, who had
Student Court Chief Justice James Cafferty swears in
Chris Pilkerton at last week's inauguration. Photo: C. Whelan
opened the ceremonies with a
prayer, congratulated Chris
Pilkerton and stressed confidence
in his abilities to be an instrumental
part of the Student Association's
upcoming year. He also
acknowledged Mark Resnick's
achievements as FUSA President
over the past year.
Pilkerton is looking
forward to the next year as an
important one for FUSA and for
the University.
"I'm very confident about
it. I've gotten a real positive attitude
from students," he remarked,
adding, "The groundwork for
FUSA is being built. Now's the
time to take it back."
Steps are already being
taken to improve the quality and
conditions of student life. The first
issue he is taking on as President is
seeking to change the problems
with parking availability on
campus.
"I'm working closely
with Security on parking. Lots of
people have had lots of different
feelings about the parking
problems on campus. It really
needs to be addressed."
In addition to the parking
issue, he said, "We are in the midst
of building the Cabinet. I want to
get everyone set in the Cabinet,
and create relationships between
the Cabinet and the Senate."
Mark Resnick is certain
that Pilkerton will move FUSA
ahead in the next year.
"I'm very confident in
Chris," he said, "I think it's going
to be a good year for FUSA and for
the cabinet. They're going to have
to work very hard, but he has a
great support staff. There's a lot of
enthusiasm there."
Pilkerton's efforts in the
next year will focus on getting the
students involved in the decisions
that FUSA makes. He stresses
that, "the most important area in
the next year is giving the
association back to the students. I
want what they have to say to be
the final word. We need to get
more students involved."
Resnick has confidence
that FUSA's planned efforts to
bring in more student involvement
will be successful. "
It's great that FUSA
wants to go after the students.
There's so much more that could
get done on campus, and we're
nothing without the students."
Pilkerton will work over
the summer to form a General
Committee for FUSA, outside of
the cabinet, to "get all students
involved and active in FUSA."
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