Student Rally

Yesterday's Student Rally was bittersweet.

The Sweet:
In an attempt to make sense of the strike and vent some frustration, students organized their own rally on the steps of the Mint Building. It was inspiring to hear the spontaneous speeches and chanting of students eager to affect change. It was well organized and at the high point the student leader announced that they were going in to leave signed postcards for the President asking him to end the strike.

The Bitter:
Security locked the doors and denied the students access. You can read a student account of the event here.
This was shocking and sad. The Administration has been announcing that the College was open to students - here were students peacefully entering the building with school ID and were stopped on the steps. The faculty and staff all seemed a bit embarrassed for the College.

This might be a good time to not only review the College’s Mission statement, but also to revisit the College’s statement of Core Values.
Here are two core values for everyone in the College Community to keep in mind during this challenging time.

Communication
The College is committed to effective, open, and proactive communication. We take responsibility to listen, speak, and write clearly to inform others and foster collaboration by using and respecting a matrix of communication channels. Collaborative partnerships are strengthened when communication is ongoing and productive.

Respect
The College promotes respect, civility, and courtesy in our day-to-day interactions with others. We seek to instill respect for and appreciation of members of the College community, our facilities, our environment, our community, and the institution in which we work.