Putting down pickets to pick up mics

The BCC lower level. Tuesday night. For years the lower level has hosted comedians but tomorrow at 8 p.m. FUSA plans to put all jokes aside in search for answers.

According to FUSA President Jeff Seiser ’10, the forum will begin with an introduction and rules setting from Senate Chair Dan Lamendola ’09, and then move to introduction of the panel and their relation to the issue. The forum then plans to move to student questions.

“The forum will go until all questions are answered,” said Seiser.

In a press release FUSA Communication Secretary Jordan Hummel ’10 said “After much research and talks of moving forward to question [the] administration as to why policies seem so unfair to students, the time has finally arrived to receive real answers.”

The forum comes in lieu of a possible protest on Incoming Students Day, scheduled for April 12. The Senate, which houses the student life committee that announced the plans for the protest, decided that since the administration had set grounds for a dialogue, there was no need for a protest.

Sen. Frank Fioretti ’10, who assumed the role of Co-chair of the Student Life committee on April 13, said “Once the idea of the protest came up the administration seemed more willing to hear us out which brought us to this forum.”

In the forum, students are expected to present questions to senior University officials including, Vice President of Student Affairs Mark Reed and Dean of Students Thomas Pellegrino. Director of Residence Life Deb Cady and Associate Director of Residence Life Jason Downer are also expected to answer questions, according to the press release.

Seiser expects that the lower level of the BCC will be filled.

“Housing issues have been at the forefront of student concerns since I have come to Fairfield,” said Seiser. “Students now have the opportunity to voice this concern to the top-level administrators and I expect them to take full advantage of it.”

Seiser continued, “The result will be students coming away with clear answers to the reasons behind University housing policies, having voiced their displeasure with the current system and show the administrators that they want to be actively engaged in promoting change.”