Committees were established. A relationship with the administration was built. A tolerance of diversity was reached – all this occurred during the FUSA presidential debate. As the four candidates for FUSA President and the two FUSA Vice-Presidents took to the stage in the Barone Campus Center Tuesday night, in front of an audience of about 50 students, the contenders announced their plans to create a more competent and efficient FUSA. In an hour long debate, Jackie Mylrioe ’09, Steven Liguori ’09, Jeff Seiser ’10 and Spencer Thibodeau ’10, were posed eight questions as to why they would be the best choice to succeed Hutch Williams as FUSA President. Mylrioe talked about her experience on different diversity committees. Seiser touted his roles as a Campion RA and two-time Class Council President. Thibodeau said that his positions as a FUSA Senator and as the Programming Board’s Publicity Representative have helped propel him to where he is now.
Liguori, through his three years on Senate, said he has worked on key issues such as the OCB lottery, which dominated the debate. When asked what to do about the OCB lottery, candidates said: Thibodeau: “Students are outraged, and I want them to come to me and then work with me on this issue.” Seiser: “Student’s should be able to choose what they want.” Mylrioe: “I have worked with many in IRHA who are upset about this issue and want to pursue it.” Liguori: “I am currently working on this issue now with Dan Lamendola ’09 and Allie McNeil ’10, as we are investigating the contract the University has with the town.” Another key issue discussed was the growing conflict between IRHA and FUSA. Williams said ,”There are individuals in each organization that feel there is a competition [between IRHA and FUSA], but [both] groups as a whole wish to collaborate.” Other candidates gave similar answers. Liguori: “We need a better collaboration on events.” Thibodeau: “I have members of IRHA on my group of supporters.” One of the more talked about issues in relation to the voter turnout and amount of confidence the student body has in FUSA, is student apathy: Thibodeau: “We hear the students are apathetic, I fully reject that notion.” Liguori: “Just because students don’t go to basketball games, don’t participate in FUSA, that doesn’t not mean there is an apathy.” Mylrioe: “One of the best ways to promote involvement was thru an open forum.” Seiser: “I wouldn’t be running for FUSA President if I thought that Fairfield students were apathetic.”
The primary for FUSA President will be held today.
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