The FUSA Senate voted Tuesday to send a letter to Fairfield University President Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. and administrators criticizing The Mirror, alleging the newspaper of “unjust attacks and poor portrayal,” publishing false information, and using “threatening” methods.
The process began Sunday during a meeting of the FUSA Senate when senator Sarah Courtney, ’03, spoke to the senate regarding her concerns about The Mirror.
“I’m a senator for the Class of 2003,” Courtney said. “As a senator I was speaking on behalf of constituents who have given me feedback saying they were disappointed with coverage of clubs [by The Mirror].”
FUSA President Karen Donoghue, ’03, said that she will not sign a bill including the letter until The Mirror’s Editor in Chief, Sean Hayes, ’03 is given a chance to respond to the allegations, but that the senate can send a letter to Kelley on their own accord.
“They need to speak to Sean Hayes before further action is taken,” Donoghue said.
Commenting on the relationship between the FUSA Executive branch and The Mirror, Donoghue said, “We’ve thought The Mirror has been positive. We’ve always had an open mind, and I’ve had no complaints until the past two weeks because of [The Mirror’s coverage of] Howie Day.”
Vice President of Senate Casey Butterly, ’03, said The Mirror was a recent topic of conversation in the Senate.
“[The Mirror has] been a concern of the senate and one that the student body has had. Generally speaking you’d prefer to not have relations deteriorate like this,” Butterly said.
Donoghue also commented upon the relationship that the student government has with the independent student newspaper.
“I think the relationship has been a healthy relationship all year,” Donoghue added. “I kind of like it. It keeps me on my toes.”
According to an e-mail sent by Courtney to other senators and inadvertently forwarded to a Mirror editor, she and Ham Channel Executive Producer Kristen Romanelli, ’03, met with Academic Vice President Dr. Orin Grossman Monday to discuss complaints they had about The Mirror.
One senator interviewed by The Mirror said the issue would not be before senate had The Mirror not run an editorial cartoon criticizing The Ham Channel. Courtney is the president of The Ham Channel.
“Both Mark [Reed] and O.G. [Grossman] were not surprised by the issues students have with The Mirror. They both see the problem as Dr. James Simon, the advisor to The Mirror,” Courtney’s e-mail said.
Courtney also detailed the meeting she and Romanelli had with Grossman. “Upper administration is very fed up with The Mirror from their standpoint … He agrees with the negativity we expressed and commented that it seems to be the same three bitter faculty that they interview every time.”
“He [Grossman] wants to meet with Simon to discuss his role as advisor, and is waiting for a reason to do so,” Courtney also said. “A letter from the Senate is that reason.”
Asked about Romanelli’s attendance at the meeting and the time of the vote, Courtney denied that her complaints came solely because of The Mirror’s criticism of The Ham Channel.
“It’s not a Ham Channel thing,” Courtney said. “I’m the senator that brought this to the table, but the meeting [with Grossman] was open to any student who wanted to voice their opinion. I invited her [Romanelli] to the meeting.”
Grossman, in an e-mail disagreed with the public nature of the meeting and said, “I had a private meeting with two students, who had complaints about The Mirror. As students, they have every right to come to me and discuss their concerns. I did so and I have no intention of sharing that conversation, which was a private one.”
According to Butterly, the letter’s references to an “overwhelming amount” of students criticizing The Mirror relates to the work of an ad hoc committee that “talked to people and asked them about it [The Mirror].” Butterly said that the committee consisted only of Courtney.
Dean of Students Mark Reed was on vacation this week and could not be reached for comment at press time.
Hayes said he was never invited to that meeting. He also said he will meet with the FUSA Senate this Sunday to discuss The Mirror with senators.
“I find it particularly disheartening that our student government would waste time criticizing students who give so much of their own time to this newspaper,” said Hayes. “We have not printed anything factually incorrect, we do not mock organizations; we merely try to hold every organization to the high standards that we have at The Mirror.”
Hayes added, “The fact that this was voted on before anyone in The Mirror was given the chance to plead our case flies in the face of the very democracy they are supposed to emulate.”
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