To The Editor:
I don’t know who should be more embarrassed by the story that ran last Thursday on the addition of four new professors to the Fairfield community: the administration or The Mirror itself. (“New Hires will double number of black faculty”). Why the chagrin? Well, after a lead that curiously manages to disparage not only Leave it to Beaver, but the current faculty of the university as a “rerun,” readers of The Mirror are treated to nearly 500 words that amount to the following: The College of Arts and Sciences has hired four new professors simply because they are black. Did no one in the administration think it might be important to give a reason why these individuals were hired beyond the color of their skin? Did no one in The Mirror office think to ask what scholarship or ground-breaking work of academia these individuals were a part of that led them to receive employment from one of the east coast’s premier liberal arts universities? While the article makes an effort to note that these were “non-affirmative action hires,” The Mirror reports that the only unique thing about these individuals is their racial class. Remotely approaching justification for the new hires is a curious quote from Ryan Farias, a member of the “student search committee” in which one of the teachers is hailed for “relating” to students and that they will experience “growth and development” at Fairfield. Why a student is giving such clandestine reasons for the hires is beyond me, but perhaps with Father von Arx deciding the fate of the Teacher of the Year he has become too busy to oversee matters of tenure amongst faculty. It is a shame that what should be heralded as a great day for lily-white Fairfield is clouded by a news story that reeks of a racial gerrymander. I look forward to a more open dialogue from the university on this, and more vigorous reporting by The Mirror to cover it.
Sincerely, Sean Hayes ’03 Former Mirror Editor in Chief
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