Another one bites the dust. There will be no Keg Races this year. Following a lawsuit against the Lantern Point landlords over the Keg Races from last spring, the administration sent a letter home calling for the end of the event. With the Student Beach Residents Association, SBRA, officially pulling its support from the event, the chances for the fall and even spring races look slim. “We understand the position of the administration,” said Lindsay Battista ’05, a member of the SBRA. “We hope to organize an alternate activity that follows the laws and satisfies everyone. But there is nothing on the immediate horizon.” The Keg Races are a beach event during which teams of female students, usually dressed in some sort of team uniform, competed against other teams with encouragement from their coaches and spectators. The first team to drink an entire quarter-keg and run into the Long Island Sound won. It was an event that many consider a dangerous health risk. “The event has always drawn concern not only in the quantity of alcohol that the ten women are challenged to drink, but the speed in which they consume the alcohol,” saidJeanne DiMuzio of the health and wellness department. According to DiMuzio, the women essentially consume approximately two weeks worth of alcohol in less than half an hour. Last year the gathering at the Point for the Keg Races exceeded the legal limit of 250 people, violating the town injunction in place. The school’s condemnation of the event coincided with the Princeton Review naming Fairfield University the number one “Worst Town/Gown Relations.” Students are now without Clam Jam, the Luau, Keg Races, and most other major beach happenings, leaving some students disappointed over the loss. “I’m mad Keg Races are gone,” said Caitlin Sullivan ’05. “They were a lot of fun and we were going to win this year.” “Keg Races were more than just a way to get wasted,” James Kelleher ’05 said. “It was a competition.” FUSA President Paul Duffy assures students, however, that the decision is for the best. “My primary concern is the health and wellless of all of the students. We lost two great people last year and Keg Races and similar binge drinking are not the way to go,” he said. “I believe that there are numerous alternate activities for folks to enjoy themselves and the company of others.” Some students agree that the loss of the Keg Races will not hurt beach life. “I’m disappointed, but we’re going to have a good year anyway,” Alexis Jarossy ’05 said. “This way we won’t cause a rift between us and the town.” With Fairfield sitting atop the “Worst Town/Gown Relations” list, it seems the students will have more to do than simply skip the Keg Races if they wish to bridge the gap between the residents and the students. However, Dean Mark Reed told student beach residents at a meeting on September 10 that behavior has improved somewhat over the last year, and it seems canceling the Keg Races is another step in the right direction. This spring may be met with a few nostalgic hearts, but perhaps the students will find a new, safer tradition, to welcome the nice weather.
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