When Philippine troops leave the area hardest hit by typhoon Haiyan, we expect private charities will step in to continue the recovery.
One Fairfield service trip still provides help to New Orleans in Hurricane Katrina’s wake. If that particular service trip does not prove its worth, it could be axed, so the student leaders, Monique Goguen ‘14 and Benafsha Juyia ‘14, are working to garner more legitimacy.
Last week, we ran a story on Doug Perlitz ‘92 who started a school in Haiti and has since gone to jail for sexually abusing students there. In the years before the Perlitz scandal came to light, The Mirror senior staff wrote editorials praising Perlitz for the change he was making in Haiti. From these, it is evident that the most reliable sources of change could be small groups or even individuals.
As we enter the holidays, the idea of small, private organizations making an impact on people’s lives becomes more prominent. Student organizations will have fundraisers and opportunities for donation. It’s ironic to see that a national health care apparatus lumbers into functionality, but on the smaller scale, the results are instantaneous, emphasizing the importance of “the little things.”
At a school where giving back is part of the standard curriculum, we wonder how much change yet another apparatus would bring. Greek life, proposed by Nick Ferry ‘17 and Matthew Peacock ‘17, at Fairfield seems unnecessary when you consider the idea in the context of how much community building opportunities already exist on this campus.
Still, it is a greater testament to the sense of community at this campus that just two freshmen can raise hype over a cause they believe strongly in. If Fairfield were not a better community, wouldn’t these guys just fall through the cracks?
Whether they succeed and Greek life becomes a reality or not, we support them. Whether or not Monique and Benafsha uphold an honorable reputation for Fairfield’s only non-Campus Ministry-affiliated service trip, we wish them the best. We support our small groups and individuals because Fairfield is not that big, but its potential is one to be reckoned with.
Leave a Reply