Stagpositive: Statue Plans Move Ahead

Although there are over 1,000 Stags running around campus daily, students will no longer need to hop on a bus to a basketball game at Harbor Yard to be reminded of the strong sense of school spirit that exists here at Fairfield because of FUSA’s plans for making a stag statue a permanent fixture on campus.

A meeting with the landscape architect and statue designer are set to take place next week, but the idea so far is to have a courtyard area featuring a stag statue.

“It’s a good symbol for school unity and pride,” said FUSA President Hutch Williams ’08.

Ideally, the stag will be placed in a central location. One example, offered by Williams, of where this stag could be placed is the traffic circle outside of the Barone Campus Center.

“The statue will not be placed all the way over outside of the Walsh Athletic Center because it is meant to symbolize the whole school; more than just the athletes,” said Williams. “The statue is to embody everything that is Fairfield. The students, athletes, and academics.”

The funding for this statue will come from benefactors of Fairfield as well as alumni donations. It will most likely not come from school funds, which ordinarily go towards new books as well as new dorms, according to Williams.

There has so far been noticeable progress with the project’s efforts, and this particular stag projects plans have gone farther than any before it.

The permanent school mascot furthers Fairfield’s attempt to be like other Jesuit universities.

“As Boston College has the huge golden eagle, we too should have a giant stag. We are just as good as other Jesuit Universities, and we deserve to have what they have,” said Williams.

While students are excited about the new addition to campus, many have reservations.

“It all depends on what it looks like. It depends on how big it is,” said Steph Clapp ’10. “The design needs to fit in with the campus unlike other statues on campus like the metal structures outside of Canisius and the Quick Center.”

Sue Barnes ’10 agreed: “It’s a good idea, but it can’t be tacky. It needs to be classy. It can’t be huge, but if they find a good place, I’d say it’s a positive addition to campus.”