THE MIRROR Week of March 20, 2024 | Vol. 51 Issue 6
Independent student newspaper
fairfieldmirror.com
Result of FUSA Election Raises Questions BY SAMANTHA RUSSELL Executive Editor
Bridget Keohane/ The Mirror
Fairfield students and their guests gathered at the Townhouses on March 16 to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. DPS and other security officials were also present in an effort to control the behavior of the crowd.
Students Celebrate Annual Sham Jam Amidst Campus and Town Regulations
BY BRIDGET KEOHANE Assistant News Editor
INSIDE
On Saturday, March 16, Fairfield students gathered on campus and at the beach area in an effort to celebrate the annual St. Patrick’s Day darty, commonly referred to by students as “Sham Jam.” In previous years, Sham Jam has been known to draw negative feedback from the University’s Administration and local town residents who argue that the event causes unnecessary chaos and disruption. While Sham Jam usually takes place on a smaller scale than Fairfield’s infamous “Santa Con,” some argue its implications are the same and feature individuals violating the law and disrespecting the private property of local residents. Last year, the Office of the Dean of Students took part in organizing the annual Sham Jam event at the Townhouses, only offering students who showed their Stag Card access into a designated Townhouse lawn area. Fairfield University’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) was also present throughout the day, monitoring the crowd. However, this year, there was no communication from the Office of the Dean of Students about organizing this year’s Sham Jam, but rather an email sent by Dean Johnson on Tuesday, March 12 encouraging student attendance at other on-campus events taking place on Saturday. The Office of Student Engagement (OSE) led the efforts to draw students away from the Townhouse area by organizing a St. Paddy’s Palooza from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Campion basketball courts. The event featured music, popular food trucks, and a Beer Garden for those who are 21+. In addition, given that the Stags
Men and Women’s basketball teams both qualified for the MAAC Championship last week, OSE also advertised a pre-game event at the Levee on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. prior to tip-off, featuring a fry bar, pizza and mocktails. There was also a MAAC Championship viewing party at Elicit Brewery for both games. OSE also offered students the opportunity to sign up for free tickets to see “Wicked” on Broadway at 2 p.m. on Saturday, with transportation provided. To keep students off the beach area, those 21+ were also open to attend the Sham Jam event at The Seagrape, which featured an open bar from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., a tent, food, and student DJs and giveaways. While Dean Johnson encouraged student attendance at these various events, he also addressed the anticipated crowd Sham Jam brings, stating “Unapproved, large student gatherings are not allowed on campus.” He continued, “Given the multitude of activities taking place, there will be additional security and Public Safety staff positioned across campus.” This proved to be true, as DPS was present by the Townhouses as early as 9 a.m. Saturday morning, monitoring the lawn areas and advising Townhouse residents to contain their gatherings on their porches and inside their houses. Despite this, around 12 p.m. a large crowd of students gathered on the lawn by Townhouse 9 block alongside DPS, who were monitoring open containers and other violations of community standards outlined in Fairfield’s Student Handbook. Many individuals on Fizz commented on the prominent security presence at the Townhouses, posting things like: “There was more security bordering
the townhouses yesterday than there is on our southern border,” “They can’t stop us all. Pack 9 block,” and “My only goal is to not get written up today.” The beach area followed a similar theme, with significant staffing of G-Force Security, as well as Fairfield police. This proved to help mitigate the crowd but did not prevent all unlawful activity. On Sunday, March 17, the CTPost reported that Fairfield Police issued eight infraction citations and arrested two individuals due to violations such as public urination and criminal trespassing. However, the two individuals arrested were not Fairfield students. There was also a select number of staff and volunteers cleaning up any trash scattered on the beach property. This was likely to combat the high levels of trash found on the beach in the hours following Santa Con this past December. Members of Fairfield’s Club Ski and Snowboard Team decided to join these clean-up efforts Sunday morning as a part of their club’s commitment to community service. Team member Brianna Mcaleer ‘25 reflected on the clean-up, stating “I would say that the beach was already very clean, so round of applause to all the students for being able to both party and look after our beach community and environment!” Mcaleer’s positive sentiment regarding this year’s handling of Sham Jam was also echoed by News 12 who highlighted the “glowing reviews” the University and hired staff received by beach residents due to the mostly tame and clean Sham Jam. Despite some isolated incidents, this year’s Sham Jam proved to be a safer and more controlled celebration in comparison to previous unsponsored University events.
On Tuesday, Feb. 27, the Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA) announced Andrew Mejia ‘26 and running mate Bryan Santos ‘26 as the newly elected FUSA President and Vice President. In a shocking declaration after a one-sided presidential debate, Mejia and Santos made history as the first-ever write-in candidates to take FUSA office. Their victory, however, was not without pushback from the student body they look to represent. The president-elect and vice president-elect were absent from the Feb. 22 FUSA Presidential debate, stirring a multitude of discussion when the pair won 356 of the 566 total votes. Because they did not attend the debate, Mejia clarified that they could not even declare candidacy, which created particular limitations for their campaign. “Ideally, we both wanted to declare candidacy and go through all the steps, but given the circumstances, we just went with what we had,” he explained. Mejia attends Fairfield University on a full-ride scholarship and Santos attends the institution as a commuter student. Through their respective experiences, the sophomores convey undeniable gratitude for the support they have received from peers and faculty, and credit that support as substantial motivation for their presidential campaign. “I [want to] give back,”
stated Mejia, later adding that he hopes to offer others the same support and opportunities he has received. For him, running for FUSA President has been a consistent thought since his first year. Similarly, Santos discussed his strong desire to lead others towards wellness. “I always wanted to be in a position where I’m able to give back to the community,” he said. “I can do more in this position than I can in Health & Wellness.” FUSA’s Health & Wellness Committee stands as Mejia and Santos’ first initiative within the association and a source of great pride for the duo. During their term, they plan to develop and expand its effect on Fairfield students. As an engineering major, health and wellness is specifically something Mejia looks forward to as a future profession. Holding FUSA office has been a running joke for Mejia and Santos since their first year. And, the more they joked, the more people brought the idea up to them. The president-elect admitted that, to every joke, some truth exists. Santos was Mejia’s first ask to be his vice president. “Bryan is someone who, I think, is an advocate,” he confessed. Their campaign and eventual victory was the result of an hours-long FaceTime call on one initially-regular night. Once the idea was pitched, the two sat for hours, fleshing out as detailed of a plan as possible. “We [didn’t] want to run CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Shea Burns/The Mirror Students were out and about last week enjoying early signs of Spring. The first-year class in particular seemed to bring a new and more active atmosphere to campus compared to past years. Many first-years spent their warmer days playing frisbee in the Quad amongst other activities, such as Spikeball, soccer, and listening to music.
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