Jensen Kugler
Staff Writer
I love this school. I love the campus, the classes and all the wonderful, beautiful people I’ve met here. My parents met here; Wooster is literally in my blood. I love this school. That’s why I am so angry.
I’ve been here for three years now. In those years, I have not felt positively about a single change President McCall has made. At best, I am ambivalent; at worst, I am livid. I disagree with many of the recent cuts she has made. For one, cutting Wellness Center hours is a major problem. When I had a concussion freshman year, I could not walk the short distance from Compton Hall to the Wellness Center,I had to be driven there and I had to stay the night. Thinking about being in that situation again without somewhere on campus to go scares me. I am scared for everyone on campus and their wellbeing. Café hours have also been cut down this year, which presents the additional danger of limiting student access to very necessary sustenance.
Part of why I’ve felt like I fit in at Wooster is that I have always been a passionate, thoughtful person. The community here really encourages that — it’s our whole thing: “Independent Minds, Working Together.”
President McCall just executed mass layoffs, removing over 20 people from their positions with absolutely no notice. None of us knew this was coming, which is deeply unethical on her part. We’re all adults here, so we understand that sometimes layoffs and firings happen. That said, they most assuredly do not need to happen without warning. It is the most basic act of respect to give employees notice so that they can explore their options. If she does not care about the people she has laid off, she could at least pretend to care about the people who are still here. I cannot speak for other departments or services on campus, but I can say that no one at the writing center knew about this.
I have worked in the writing center since my sophomore year. It’s probably the most welcoming place I have ever worked. I truly believe that we are like a family. A big part of that is my supervisors, and one of them has just been unceremoniously kicked to the curb.
Gillian checked in every time I saw her. She made sure that none of us went hungry. She brightened up the whole room, in more ways than one. I would not have had anywhere near as positive an experience as a writing consultant without her. I don’t think that is an exaggeration. Gillian worked at the writing center for over ten years, guiding countless students through the I.S. process. If President McCall really cares about I.S. as a ‘pillar’ of Wooster identity, she has an awfully strange way of showing it. Her explanations are nonexistent, her answers illogical hogwash. How does cutting staff and funding from the programs in place to assist in academic success support Independent Study? Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.
Using President McCall’s own logic, these layoffs are nonsensical. They do not attract students, faculty or staff to the College. They do not make campus feel like home. They don’t even fully eliminate the budget deficits that she claims to be working against.
Honestly though, I am sick of logical appeals. Right now, I don’t much care if these layoffs make a dent in the College’s debts. I care about the people whose days, weeks, maybe even years have been ruined. I care about the students who are losing their support systems, their chosen families on campus. I care about the community that brought me here in the first place.
Wooster loves to advertise itself as a place where people come together, and it very much is. We have a lot going for us–beautiful trees, arches filled with snow, wonderful bagels and even more wonderful people-that image feels hollow, though, on days like these. What good are beautiful places when the people who make them special are gone? What makes Wooster special is the people, more than anything else.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but for what it’s worth, I’d give up my paychecks right now if it meant Gillian was still here. I’d take cuts if it meant anyone’s support system stayed in place. It’s pretty telling that President McCall won’t take any.
