For the first time in years, Fairfield University’s annual “white out” party did not go on as planned. This year, new and stricter rules regarding beach access prevented non-beach resident students from gathering on the beach.
The tradition takes place on Labor Day, the night before the classes begin. Students wear all-white apparel, an ode to the old “rule” about not wearing white after Labor Day, and gather at the university’s townhouses or off-campus at the beach. As students tried to gather on the beach on Monday, Sept. 2, many were turned away by security personnel guarding the area. Students attempting to get onto the beach were also met with temporary fences blocking off areas.
One major new policy is the implementation of beach passes or wristbands. Ahead of the white-out party, students living on the beach were given 20 wristbands per house to pass along to friends and visitors. Anyone without one could be turned away by security.
“It’s our last year at Fairfield,” Tessa Diosdado ‘25, who lives on the beach, said. “We want to enjoy it with our friends and be able to hang out with our friends who don’t live directly in our houses without having to pick and choose who comes in because we are only given 20 wristbands. I think there’s a line that was crossed between managing and completely ruining our last white party ever.”
Colin Richards, the Class of 2025’s off-campus leader (OCL), emphasizes that the passes are only needed to access the area around Lantern Point.
“Passes are just required to access Lantern Point,” Richards said. “The passes are reserved for the residents of Lantern Point as well as the guest passes residents are supplied with to use as they feel… There are many beaches open to the public like Jennings and Penfield.”
In an email sent to students on Sept. 13, Fairfield Dean of Students William Johnson emphasized the school’s position on beach gatherings.
“The beach area is a residential community,” Johnson wrote. “It is not a hangout spot or a place to loiter. Travel to the beach area should [be] limited to those who live there or have been invited to visit someone who does.”
In response to this section of Johnson’s email, one user on the social media app Fizz wrote, “Literally the opposite of what a beach is.” The post received 1,300 upvotes.
Additionally, the new policy is not only affecting guests, but seniors who live on the beach themselves.
“I think it’s understandable to want to manage the beach area to be considerate to other residents, but we literally can not even go to our neighbor’s house if they have used their guest pass,” said Emma Johnson ‘25. “My roommate was not even allowed to park in our designated lot when coming home from work because she forgot her wristband inside.”
When reached out to by The Mirror, Associate Dean of Students Allison Berger emphasized the long-standing relationship between students and other residents. She also mentioned the rights of students, and the rules they must follow even as off-campus residents.
“The Fairfield University Student Conduct Code applies to all University students, both on and off campus, and behavior off-campus is documented and processed by the Fairfield Police Department, University officials, and the Office of the Dean of Students,” Berger said. “It is also important to recognize that these off-campus students are town residents. As tenants and adult members of our community, they have legal rights.”
The impacts of the new policy have sparked uproar and disappointment among students, both seniors and underclassmen, who had hoped to gather at the beach on Labor Day. Taking to Fizz to express their dissatisfaction, one student wrote, “Apologizing on behalf of all the seniors, all of us wanted to throw for white party, but the security would physically not let us. We know it was bad, none of the seniors had plans either.”
Among Fairfield students, it is no secret that the opportunity to live at the beach is a key factor in some Stags’ decision to attend Fairfield. Some year-round Fairifeld residents have come to expect crowds of students, while others have concerns over students populating the beaches.
On the popular “Fairfield HamletHub” Facebook page, a forum used by many residents, opinions were split. One comment read, “Firstly there was no party! It was completely shut off to the students. They were not able to access the beach at all. This is like buying a property near an airport and complaining about the noise of planes taking off and landing all the time.”
Another commenter cited concerns for the environment and the litter allegedly left behind by students: “It’s scary to think that these so called adults are smart enough to get into Fairfield U but have No Respect for the environment and the citizens of Fairfield who pay exhortation taxes to our town some of it goes to maintain our beaches!!”
In an effort to combat the bottles and cans that might pile up on the beach, some Fairfield students are participating in Sunday beach clean-up events. As in past years, students gather on the beach each week with garbage bags in an effort to keep the beach clean.
Now that Labor Day has passed, the town of Fairfield is already preparing for upcoming student traditions. A recent article in the Connecticut Post reports that the town has hired a law firm to handle legal matters that may arise from December’s annual SantaCon event.
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