Letter: Beach Littering By Fairfield U Students 'Heartbreaking'

President Nemec,

It is with deep frustration, but no surprise, that I find myself writing to express disappointment at the irresponsible behavior of your students this last weekend.

While the downsides of Santa Con for the town are noteworthy in their own right — public urination, overcrowding, and noise violations to name a few — the most devastating outrage was at the condition in which your students left Fairfield's beaches following the massive gathering.

As you can see in the attached, the beach was littered with thousands of solo cups, cans and bottles. These photos and videos were taken Sunday morning, nearly 24 hours after the start of the Santa Con bash — meaning the beach was left this way overnight, and the high tide cycle and wind had already swept much of the garbage out to sea.

We citizens of the town of Fairfield take great pride in our beaches — some of the finest in Fairfield County — as well as the interconnected creeks, marshes and the vibrant ecosystem of flora and fauna that call it home. By caring for our beaches we do our part to care for the ocean at large. It is heartbreaking to see your students blatantly disregarding the natural environment that is one of our town's greatest assets.

Keep in mind, Saturday was not the first time Fairfield University students have left a wake of polluted beaches, and barring a change in policy from the top that reigns in off-campus student housing and gatherings, it will not be the last.

In responding to this weekend's events, I implore your administration to finally prioritize the interests of the Fairfield community and beyond over the marketability of your student life experience.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss further and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Lucas Scholhamer