Committee members and student participants reflect at teach-in
Sanjana Kumbhani
Features Editor
The College of Wooster prides itself on its powerful student community and the institution’s resilient belief that students always come first. Wooster’s Martin Luther King week is a testament to this faith in the student body, given it was the brainchild of seven of our own students.
These determined students approached the President and requested for classes to be cancelled for two hours so that all students could attend the teach-in for MLK week.
“My personal commitment to helping to plan this week’s celebrations has been my passion to present campus with opportunities to learn about corrective history and to engage in health and productive conversations about race as a working force in the larger context of societal institutions (education, judicial, health, etc),” remarks Deja Moss ’14, one of the seven students.
The faculty decided that while classes would not be formally cancelled, students would be allowed and encouraged to attend the events. MLK Celebration Planning Committee chair Nancy Grace confirms that if it were not for those students, MLK week would not have happened the way it did.
When asked what the faculty’s purpose was for celebrating an occasion of this sort and what they hoped for the students to take away from it, Grace commented, “This is just the kind of work one keeps doing over and over again. Social justice is something that cannot be ignored and social tensions exist even today. Not all education and teaching has to take place in a formal classroom setting. A teach-in of this sort gives people the opportunity to come together and discuss issues as a community. It continues to help us become better citizens.”
The students who attended the event were in emphatic agreement with the sentiment Grace described.
“After the opening statement, I attended the session on economic justice and I’m glad I did because I was not very informed on the topic so it gave me the chance to hear different people’s opinions on the subject which was interesting,” remarked Kayla O’Connor ’17.
On a similar note, Emily Hrovat ’16 remarked, “I liked that the event fostered discussion and that the sessions were specific so they catered to different interests. That way there was something for everyone. Even though I went this time because I was required to for one of my classes, I know that I will go if they have it again out of pure interest because I enjoyed it a lot this time.”
On the flip side, both O’Connor and Hrovat were of the opinion that there was not enough time for the sessions and that it would have been less rushed and more engaging if more time had been budgeted.
Overall, Grace was extremely pleased with the turnout and she firmly believes that it is necessary to consider alternative teaching venues that foster a greater connection between the staff, faculty and students. Countless opportunities arise when they all come together.
“I just hope this isn’t something that we do and think about for just a week and then forget about it. It should stay with us forever,” ended Grace.