Stags Unleashed week took over campus with a series of events promoting school spirit and Stag athletics. However, one event, S.P.E.E.D (Social People Experiencing Everyone’s Diversity) took place last Thursday night to engage students in the everyday uniqueness of a person.
S.P.E.E.D, a collaborative first-time effort between the Fairfield University Student Association, the Inter-Residential Housing Association, the Center for Multicultural Relations and the Office of Residence Life is a program designed to break students away from societal stereotypes.
“It’s good to engage in the everyday uniqueness of a person,” said Mike Meehan, an IRHA member.
Tables were set up in the lower level of the campus center with questions placed in front of assigned seats where students would be able to speak to six different people for several minutes before it was time to rotate to the next person.
“It’s somewhat of a speed dating event…but where they [the students] get to ask culturally stimulating questions,” said Kisha Fuller of the Office of Multicultural Relations.
However, S.P.E.E.D. was not a dating game.
FUSA president Hutch Williams felt the event was important with regards to the effort to increase diversity on campus.
“We’ve been working on this for close to a month now. It embodies Jesuit ideas and values,” he said. “What I like about it is that it tells us that it’s not just about diversity…it’s about different ethnicities, different likes and dislikes. It’s not just about the color of your skin; it’s about how you’re different regionally.”
Students that attended, most of them girls, enjoyed the event.
“My roommate thought it would be really awkward and didn’t want to come, but I don’t think it is at all.” said Meaghan Flynn ’10.
Kimberly Jeffers ’10, came to fulfill an FYE requirement, but enjoyed the event more than she expected.
“I thought it was very interesting and helpful to learn about other people’s cultures and understand our differences,” she said.
Although S.P.E.E.D. was an FYE-sponsored event, there were upperclassmen present and students cheered at the possibility of having another event similar to S.P.E.E.D happen again.
“I was passing through the campus center and someone asked me to join, so I did,” Tim Dee ’07 said. “I thought it was a good activity to really emphasize that diversity is more than just race.”
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