Originally published in the December 10th, 2021 edition.
[This student has chosen to forego names for fear of retaliation.]
Contributing Writer
The 2020-2021 school year was difficult for the entirety of the Wooster community: students saw their beloved campus minimized to the displays on their laptops as many students opted to resume their education from the safety of their own homes. The threat of the virus loomed around every corner, which limited the social scene of Wooster immensely. As cases spiked, classes were canceled, paused and canceled again as it seemed as though the sun would not rise the next day. The dorm room walls closed in, suffocating any chance of happiness, any hope for joy amid an everlasting crisis that affected every facet of daily life. Reflecting on those dreary days is painful, and they are something that we all wish to put behind us, and the constant improvement of the public health scene provides us with hope. However, the same cannot be said for this college’s handling of social events.
Staff turnover is an unfortunate reality for institutions everywhere and there comes a time for change for everyone, regardless of status, position or anything else. However, one recent hire has plagued the Wooster community before the new hiree even set foot on campus. The position of director, in any capacity within an institution of higher education, is undoubtedly a difficult one, but if you ask almost any student on campus who has interacted with this specific director they will likely echo the claim that I am about to make, [Redacted] is simply not the right person for the job. The past is the past and the intricacies of navigating both COVID and life at Wooster provide ample reason for the difficulties of last year. So, I will waste no time dwelling on the past, but that being said the same carelessness has carried into this year.
The rules regarding the registration of parties have been well-documented and received well by students for the most part. Students have been diligent in their communication with the Director, though this has not always been reciprocated and the efforts made by dozens of students to undergo “Party Positive Training” should not be undermined as the powers that be demanded this and the students responded.
To put it simply, the effort of the students has not been met in equal parts by the Director, which is frustrating when she repeatedly makes her unawareness known. For example, the Party Registration system, which she helped to enforce, has been taken seriously by students, as has the damage that the Director can inflict, has been displayed for all to see. Nothing on this campus stays hidden for too long; this is the reality of our tight-knit Wooster community. A community that students have much love and admiration for, both feelings that the Director has made clear she does not share through her undue harsh treatment of its students. The Director has claimed that the legal occupancy of any Schoolhouse suite is 15, which is evidently false as indicated by the signs that Wooster has put in each suite, some tallying as high as 24. The difference of nine may seem insignificant, but anyone who has dealt with the Director knows that this difference could stand between them a year-long probation or worse.
Students have lived in fear since the Director was brought onboard in 2020, not at all to the fault of our Campus Safety officers as they are typically reasonable agents that seem to hold the well-being of students near and dear to their hearts. The same cannot be said of the Director; she will smile in your face days after issuing a form letter asking you to remove yourself from campus within the next 24 hours. The unreasonableness of this action should be evident in itself. How is anyone supposed to be packed up and gone in 24 hours? Does innocent until proven guilty not apply once one becomes a student on Wooster’s campus? I understand the changing conditions that COVID-19 presents, but this does not seem like positive progress for the Wooster community.
When asked about the Director, students had the following to say, “Cares only about unimportant issues,” “Out of touch with the student body,” “ She has grossly mishandled her responsibilities here at Wooster. She’s far too harsh with rules that impact students’ social lives here. Many students feel alienated now because of her policies,” “My interaction with [Redacted] was hostile and full of assumptions about me as a young woman. She makes the student body feel less connected with the administration,” and finally “[Redacted] uses her position to constantly harass and disrespect students. She lies, manipulates words and refuses to listen to the very students she’s supposed to protect. She pushes her own agenda to cause fear instead of actually doing any good at the school.” Another quote reads: “As a parent, I saw firsthand the unfair, unprofessional and manipulative way this school administrator treated students.” The following depiction of the Director can be found on a petition (Review [Redacted]’s position as the Director of Student Rights & Responsibility) that was started to review her position, “[Redacted] has abused her position of power, creating a hostile culture that drives students to transfer. I asked individuals on campus, “what is the first adjective that comes to mind when you hear the Director’s name?” I received “liar,” “manipulative,” “condescending,” and “tyrannical.”… “Students are afraid, they can’t enjoy their environment for fear of unjust repercussions; they fear engagements with campus staff, worried their words will be twisted and used against them. They fear the Director. A staff member known for delivering life-altering punishments with a smile.”
One would be hard pressed to find a student with positive feelings towards the Director. That may be the nature of her job, but the feelings described above seem to illustrate a clear pattern of destructive behavior. Correct me if I’m wrong, but how many faculty members have had petitions created to remove them from their position? It’s worth noting that the petition has 636 signatures at the moment, which would be about a third of the Wooster student body, although it is evident through the comments that parents are also weary of the Director’s effect on this community. There seems to be only one solution to bring her tyrannical reign to an end, but I’ll let you be the judge of that.
