To the Editor:
I understand the interest in having a stag statue built and I think it would be a nice addition to the campus. However, the stag should be second in line.
After having recently visited two Jesuit universities, I realized that Fairfield is missing a statue. Both schools have statues of St. Ignatius of Loyola in prominent places reminding students how their schools came into being.
By placing a stag in one of the most prominent spots on our campus, what are we telling people about Fairfield University?
Ignatius and the values on which the university was founded are far more important than a mascot that was chosen simply because there are a lot of deer in the area.
If the school and its benefactors are going to spend $100,000, it should be for something meaningful. A stag will do little to raise morale or inspire students. Besides, we already have a real stag head hanging in the BCC.
Fairfield’s Jesuit education stands alongside some of the finest educational institutions in the world; that should inspire students!
Let Lucas the Stag hang in the campus center as a reminder of school spirit, but if there is to be a new statue on campus it should be our founder, St. Ignatius, without whom none of us would graduate from Fairfield University.
Sincerely, John Gallagher ’06
Leave a Reply