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The Reflection of Fairfield
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By Courtney Todd Assistant News Editor
This past Friday marked the eighth annual Presidential Ball, hosted at the Bellarmine Mansion and attended by students of all grades. This year the theme was nautical and, despite it being the second year in a row that it has rained on the event, students made the hike up the hill to the president’s mansion for a night of dancing, food and fun. “DJ International� played a mix of current rap and hip-hop songs, pop songs and even some older hits from the early 2000’s that left students dancing and enjoying themselves into the late hours of the night. “The music was great and I felt a real sense of the Fairfield community,� said Mickey Stein ’16. In addition, various hors d’oeuvres and refreshments were served such as mozzarella sticks, cupcakes and non-alcoholic daiquiris. According to FUSA President Rob Vogel ’13, with roughly 2,100 to 2,200 students in attendance, the turnout was better than ex-
Contributed Photo
Students enjoyed a night of dancing, food, and fun at the Prez Ball at Bellarmine Mansion. pected. Each student was offered the customary option of getting their photo taken with Fr. Jeffrey Von Arx S.J. before they entered the crowded tent.
Those who worked to plan the event were pleased with the end result. “After starting the planning for the event over the summer it was nice to see everything come to-
gether and see everyone have such a good time,� said Lindsey Hanley ‘15, director of special events for FUSA. Those who attended the “Prez Ball� were primarily freshmen
and sophomores, but juniors and seniors also attended the ball as well. Some students voiced their opinions and enthusiasm about their experience of the event. “Prez ball was amazing. Totally underrated! Perfect mix of classy and getting nasty. The DJ was on point and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had at Fairfield so far,� said Victoria Heinsohn ’16. “I was a little wary of going as a junior but I’m glad I decided to. I ended up seeing a lot more people that I know than I thought I would,� said Kristin Dangler ’14. Not everything during the night went according to plan, however. At 11 p.m. the music had to be turned down because of noise complaints in the area and eight students were transported to the hospital due to intoxication. Although these setbacks added a bit of a negative spin to the night, those who planned the event and those who attended seemed to enjoy themselves nonetheless. “Overall the night went smoothly and was a huge success,� said Hanley. “The entire night definitely set a positive tone for the rest of the FUSA events throughout the year.�
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Contributed by Michael Horyczun / Director of Media Relations
Dana Perino (left) and Donna Brazile (right) answer panel questions. By Nicoletta Richardson Assistant News Editor Many Fairfield students might not know which presidential candidate they should vote for on Nov. 6, or if they will vote at all. But the debate between Dana Perino and Donna Brazile Monday night at the Quick Center showed students that their votes count. Political speakers Donna Brazile and Dana Perino had
a chance to speak freely about the upcoming elections. Perino spoke first, and although she may be on the Republican side, she talked about the current polls from both parties. Perino discussed the recent Public Policy polling, which showed there is a higher percentage of identified and current registered Independents than there are for Democrats and Republicans. Perino asked the audience, “What does this mean?�
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“Then there’s the undecided,� said Perino. “There’s only about 1 to 3 percent of them and you know what, they don’t all live in battleground states. You’re talking about probably 400,000 people in the country who selfdescribe themselves as detached from the election who will be the deciding factors.� Although Perino then discussed the challenges of talking to the American people that both parties are facing, she directed the attention back to what Washington should be doing for the people. Brazile praised Perino for her speech by saying, “Now ya’ll see why Dana has her own show, and I’m still auditioning.� Senior Cate Martel picked up on the relationship between the speakers. “While the speakers didn’t agree about all issues, it was obvious that they had worked with each other in the past,� said Martel. “They really play off each other so the energy was good.� After opening with a few more humorous lines, Brazile started discussing the topic of the upcoming debate. She agreed with Petrino in saying that the debate for the presidential candidates could be “a game changer.�
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“While we know where both candidates stand today in terms of polls, things could change,� said Brazile. “Mitt Romney could have that magical moment. He could, after all, be able to put President Obama on the defensive.� Brazile continued to discuss that the debates could dramatically change the election. She talked about past presidential candidate Al Gore, and how he was ahead by two points. But at one event close to the elections, people did not like the way Gore presented his body language, showing that anything can sway the election. “It’s ultimately going to come down to the 2 to 4 percent of the American people who are ‘still undecided’ and those so-called battleground states,� said Brazile. “Now I think what they’re looking for on Wednesday night is that they’re looking for civility. They’re tired of the finger pointing, they’re tired of the screaming. They want to hear real solutions.� She continued to say that the political parties needed to put aside their differences and begin bipartisan leadership. Brazile believes that the joint efforts of political parties will move the
economy “in the right direction.� After the talks were finished, Philip Eliasoph, founder of the Open VISIONS Forum, turned the attention to the student panelists who were going to ask questions
“While the speakers didn’t agree about all issues, it was obvious that they had worked with each other in the past. They really play off each other so the energy was good.� -Cate Martel ‘14 about Domestic national issues, international questions and extra questions. Student panelist Matt Morrissey ’13, chairman of the College Republicans, used his free question to bring up the issue of a political interest amongst students. “I try to grab people based on their passion,� said Brazile.
POLITICAL | PAGE 2
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