Sydney McCarter and Ameer Abedy

Over the past few years, the College has aimed to shift from “Berea Busy” to “Berea Balanced.” However, while this shift is necessary in some regards, the question remains whether the right changes are being made across campus. For example, convocations; while the toll of attending seven convos a semester was quite burdensome, would a shift down to five convocations truly solve the underlying problem of why students do not enjoy attending convocations, or does it just make the boring repetition of speakers more digestible when students do not have to attend as frequently?

These problems can be seen across campus as the administration tries to create the perception of change while leaving the true issues plaguing the student body unaddressed. For example, while the school is rumored to be in the process of adding a new dining hall on campus, many of the existing buildings are facing serious challenges of their own. This includes the highly controversial handling of the mold outbreak in Ecovillage, as well as other plumbing and general building safety issues in dorms. These sorts of issues seem to occur frequently across campus and are often only addressed after serious concerns are raised. Foundational issues remain largely unaddressed, as adding a new student union or dining hall contains a certain flash that fixing old pipes or ridding dorms of mold does not.

Another issue that many students face every day is parking, especially for female students. While a parking relief fund is certainly helpful in some regards, the bigger issue is that there is not enough parking available to students outside of the student lot. The student lot is located rather far from most dorms and may not always feel safe late at night. Public Safety and the college administration argue that students may call for a ride if they feel unsafe, but these rides take time to arrive, while an unsafe situation could occur at any moment. The expansion of the student lot once again feels like a perceptive fix for the campus parking situation rather than one that improves student safety.

Regarding other safety issues on campus, many students still report experiencing food poisoning from the dining hall. While easy access to food, such as grab-and-go options, is certainly a welcomed addition, students should be able to trust the safety of their food. In my own experience, there have been several instances where I have personally seen raw chicken served and moldy bread in the sandwich assembly line. When students expect to grab a filling meal but instead are left feeling sick, all aspects of their day on campus are affected. This also includes providing more than just fried food during the day, as many students must eat at odd hours due to class schedules and labor. Only providing pizza, fried chicken, and hamburgers during the odd hours of the day does not allow busy students to get the nutrients they need. Access to healthy and nourishing food is not an unreasonable ask and is also a matter of safety. The contribution of a wilted salad bar is not a fix-all for a nutritious meal.

The College has also recently announced that it may change how class schedules are handled moving forward. While many students support this change, many do not realize its consequences. This schedule may make it difficult for TAs, especially in the sciences, to attend the labs/classes they need, given their own schedules and the schedules of the classes they work for. Other labor positions will also face difficulties in adjusting how and when students can complete their contracted hours for the week. In the past, students could also look back at previous schedules to know when and at what times classes would be offered in the coming terms and plan their schedules accordingly. If classes are no longer offered on Wednesdays, this will no longer be possible. The constriction of class offerings will create the need for more work to be completed outside of class, without professor instruction. So, is this change necessary, or is it another attempt at the perception of change while unknowing students face its consequences?

The aim of this article is not to shame the College or to create an environment of criticism, but rather to reflect on the real issues that students need to be addressed. While these fixes may not be as glamorous as the addition of the Kindred Bowl spice bar, they are what students truly need to improve their safety, health, and confidence within Berea’s institution. Instead of making the changes that sound most desirable, we, as a community, should aim to make that desirability grounded in reality.