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Opinion - page 3

Getting To Know Towson!

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While headed up York road, you may be wondering if there’s any place worth stopping for. Well, if you’re driving along past the Tropical Smoothie Cafe or the Snow Cloud Bubble Tea shop, you’ll spot a quaint looking diner with a parking lot that’ll usually range from relatively busy to completely packed, especially if you go on a weekend. This is the aptly named Towson Diner, open since 1957, 7 days a week, from 7 am to 9 pm.

The diner specializes in American-Greek comfort food, serving up classics like silver dollar pancakes while also delivering amazing Greek dishes like spanakopita or souvlaki platters. They also have sections in their menu dedicated to seafood, chicken, and pasta dishes. However, what they’re most known for is their all day breakfast and their specialty burgers, which pairs nicely with one of their house crafted shakes, or if you’re over 21, a cozy cocktail. 

I’ve eaten there several times, and I have my fair share of recommendations. This diner has crispy mozzarella sticks that don’t skimp on the marinara sauce. The piña coladas are light and creamy without tasting too citrusy or boozy, though that isn’t to say they’re light on the spirits. Of their many milkshakes, I always go for the Caramel Brownie Explosion, which is thick and has the perfect brownie to chocolate milkshake ratio. My friends always get their Love Potion – a chocolate shake with nutella and strawberry syrups mixed in. 

For my meal, I often end up ordering either their belgian waffle or french toast bites – both come with strawberries and whipped cream. Although if you get the french toast bites, be ready to conquer a beastly feast, as these are probably intended to be shared with a table. If you’re more in the mood for burgers, though, their Godfather (with mozzarella and tomato sauce), California (which adds a sriracha aioli and avocado), All-American (which doubles the patties and adds bacon and mayo), or Steakhouse style (with blue cheese, bacon, and fried onions) are the go-to. Or if you’re feeling picky, you can always build your own burger. 

Source: Google Images

Prices for food items usually range from 8.99 to around 29.99, depending on if you want a simple item like their breakfast sandwiches, or a full dinner entree like their flounder francaise. Shakes are 8.99, and the cocktails range from 8.50 to 9.25, so if you don’t want to pay that much for a drink, perhaps consider a coffee or hot chocolate instead, which is much more affordable at 2.99. 

The service and waitstaff are incredibly polite, and are very accommodating to your dietary needs. Although, currently they have been short-staffed, so please be patient, especially during the weekends, as that’s when they’re most busy with the brunch rush. 

Overall, this is a lovely place when you’re in the mood to escape campus, get a good bite to eat, be cozy on a lazy weekend, and/or spend time with your close friends. With a range of prices to cover everyone’s budget, and a variety of good eats, if you’re wanting to know Towson, you’re going to want to start here. 

By Katelyn Krapf ’24

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As we move into the latter half of the semester, we come across a common dilemma that college students face

Getting To Know Towson!

As the temperature slowly begins to wane, and as the days get shorter and shorter, we can safely say goodbye

Attendance Policies in 2023 Are Weird, Right?  

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In August at the start of the semester, Goucher rolled out the new and improved attendance policy for the 2023-2024 school year. The first week after being back on campus there were murmurings between both students and professors about the success and necessity of the policy to begin with. The new policy details that faculty is now recording attendance in all classes, per class, unlike last year where it was sporadic and varied by a professor’s personal affect towards the matter. The policy also states the possible excused absence protocols like various serious health problems, a death in the family (though unclear if this also extends to non-familial deaths), ACE and Title IX accommodations, etc. All require some form of proof submitted to an administrative office in a fairly timely manner.

Showing up to class is an obvious necessity for a college campus, it’s the thing we pay thousands of dollars worth of tuition to do, but the policies in place are both vague and frigid. Some Goucher professors still grade attendance over participation as well. This begs the question of in our current atmosphere, are attendance policies at institutions like Goucher are needed and relevant. Is it different between the institution and the individual professor?  

Among the few complaints made by students at the start of the semester, there was one overwhelming response – why should we be punished for attendance when we pay to be here?

This argument is undoubtedly the strongest against the policy. If students and their families are shelling out the money to be here anyway, what does it matter if a student misses class? Parent readers might disagree with the idea but those parents who went to college know the struggle of sleeping through a class after an all-nighter or getting a mysterious campus sickness as we delve into the winter months.  

Attendance policies might also be outdated because we live in the world of COVID-19. As a community, we are all ready for the virus to be gone from our lives forever but it’s simply not the case – COVID is here to stay and will affect immunocompromised students every semester in the near future. Policies around the sickness exist but what about the other effects of the virus, like becoming a caregiver, long covid, and priority shifts when the family gets sick back home? 

The policies are also outdated because we live in an era of mass communication. If you miss a lecture, someone will have notes, if you miss a lab, someone will have data. You can meet face-to-face with your professors, but even more conveniently you can do it from your bed via Zoom or Teams. There are thousands of hours of YouTube videos on any given collegiate subject taught by professors and Ph.D. candidates. There is no lack of communication and resources for students to catch up more easily. Of course, this isn’t the same as the in-class experience, but it can come close.  

Attendance policies also inscribe a strange limbo for independence versus obedience for students. Although not as extreme as some professor’s policies about not allowing bathroom breaks or food in class, telling students when and where to be somewhere is a bit parental coming from the institution.

For perspective, many students are taxpayers, most can serve in the military, some have off-campus jobs, and some of our older students even have children, the policy is a strange way to treat adults. It’s not as if this is preparing students for career attendance. In fact, workplace attendance policies are quite different and can vary, and most importantly, you are being compensated to show up to your job – not the other way around. In terms of individual professors who grade attendance over participation, the “real world punishments’ for lack of attendance materialize naturally, via a bad quiz grade or the need to make up work, not for the absence itself.  

It’s unclear what the projected effect of the Goucher attendance policy and individual professor syllabi will shape out to be. This is not a gross mass advocating for students to miss class on a whim from some highly politicized independent newspaper, but we can ponder the importance and significance of these policies for institutions like ours and if they are relevant in the modern college climate. It is worth it for us to weigh the importance that students take a mental health day with their friends or fully recover from an illness, then be concerned about the consequences of a few missed lectures.  

* Disclaimer: This piece was published as a student’s op-ed submission. The Quindecim is a space for all students within the Goucher community to express their views and beliefs. These pieces are released in the name of journalistic integrity and not in an attempt to antagonize or reflect the institution of Goucher as a whole.

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Want to Ensure Goucher Maintains a Diverse, Quality Student Publication? Compensate Student Journalists.

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After over 100 years in print, The Q didn’t publish any editions during the Spring of 2021, and had been printing sporadically in recent months leading up to that, with a very minimal digital presence. 

Virtual learning flipped every club on its head, and caused others to simply cease to exist. It’s one of many changes Goucher is still recovering from, even though many pretend we’re “back to normal.” 

In the case of the Quindecim, the lapse of publications is not entirely the fault of our past editors. The time it takes to set up meetings, pitch and assign articles, communicate with fellow editors and writers, edit and fact-check articles, report and write one’s own stories, obtain and use club funds from SGA, coordinate print editions, upload articles to the website for online editions, and make social media posts promoting our content is incredibly taxing and seemingly impossible in addition to being a fulltime student who is not compensated for any of those tasks. The cherry on top is virtual learning’s lingering effects, which like many other clubs, left a gap in intergenerational knowledge and newsroom rhythm that was typically passed down from each editor to the next, meaning our current staff had to start from scratch and learn as we went. 

This year, I’m proud, relieved, and excited to say we did a full 180. However, if my financial background was different and I had to work to support myself during school, The Q’s resurgence would not have been possible to this degree on my watch. 

It’s important to note that this goes beyond The Q, and that I believe all club leaders should be compensated for their labor and service. I am simply speaking from my experience and my work with The Q. Student leaders across different clubs put in countless hours to put on events on an otherwise desolate campus, as well as provide community and social opportunities to their members. 

In the last half of this semester, we’ve seen this come to fruition with Goucher Black Student Union’s (GBSU) Student Showcase, Al-Jalia Arabic Club’s Foreign Film Festival, Independent Music Club’s monthly concerts, the 1021 Hip Hop Team and Dancers of Color Coalition’s (DOCC) Dance Festival, and The Cookout – an event collaboration between Movimiento Estudiantil Hispano Americano (MEHA), 1021 Hip Hop, DOCC, and Goucher Women of Color Circle (GWOCC), just to name a few. 

The various positions within the Student Government Association (SGA) recently became paid. There’s funds set aside for senators to be paid $14.50 an hour, even though some of those positions are vacant and available to apply for on Handshake. Why not pay students who are already doing the work in different student organizations? 

The Quindecim’s origins date back to January of 1916, when it was called The Goucher Weekly. The paper predates Goucher’s co-ed status, the move to the Towson campus, and even the purchase of the land that Goucher is currently on. 

At any higher education institution, student publications are as essential to collegiate life as a student government or having residential assistants (RA’s) in each dorm. Virtual learning created a huge blow to The Q, The Goucher Eye, and Goucher Radio. The Eye simply doesn’t exist anymore, and Goucher Radio is still trying to make a comeback. This issue is urgent, and is something I don’t think those in leadership positions are paying enough attention to. 

Small liberal arts colleges typically do not have journalism-specific majors or academic programs, making student publications the place to be for any student with a passion for or desire to explore journalism. This opportunity is made inaccessible to students who have jobs in addition to their course load. Several of our current reporters have to miss weekly meetings due to their work schedule, making it harder for them to work collaboratively with the team and stay engaged with the paper. 

Goucher Magazine ran a story last fall on half a dozen alumni who are working in journalism, all of whom credited some of their success to the time they spent at The Q and mentorship from our Faculty Adviser, David Zurawik. The Q is an asset to the college, and to ensure that it not only survives, but thrives, and becomes more accessible to low-income students, editors and staff should be compensated. If not by hourly pay, then by a stipend. If not by a stipend, then through course credit. 

Since Goucher does not offer a journalism major, minor, or concentration, working at The Q is one of the best ways for students interested in reporting or professional writing to gain experience outside the classroom. The Q’s lapse last year not only disadvantaged the Goucher community, but left aspiring writers with limited options to work outside of the classroom. For many reporting, communication, or writing internships, experience with a campus publication is a bare minimum qualification. I myself ran into issues getting a reporting internship last summer, partially because I did not have enough published writing samples to submit or robust experience in a campus newsroom to meet eligibility requirements. Last year’s “newsroom” was then-closed Alice’s, and operations were random and informal, and some of the articles I submitted were never published. 

What would the Goucher community be if administration was the only source relaying information to the students? What if there was no outlet for students to voice their opinions, provide accessible news updates to the community, or put their writing skills into practice?

When a hate crime occurred on campus in 2018, The Baltimore Sun reported on it. Last semester, however, neither The Sun nor the new Baltimore Banner published stories about the hate crime in Heubeck Hall, meaning Goucher community members who are not in our email threads were not directly informed of the incident. But The Q reported on it, and continued to provide updates on the situation to the best of our ability, giving current students, faculty and staff crucial information and analysis, as well as extending the channel to alumni, trustees, and parents. Our coverage of the hate crime and the developments that followed it, such as the Board of Trustees sit-in this past March, are some of our most-read stories this year, showing how important it was that this topic not be ignored. 
The Quindecim has proved itself as relevant and important, though we shouldn’t have had to get to that place to begin with. This paper is a cornerstone of student life, Communication and Media Studies, and Goucher as whole. To recognize the work our members do, maintain the paper’s quality and guarantee longevity, and make it more accessible to students from all backgrounds, we should be compensated.

* Disclaimer: This piece was published as a student’s op-ed submission. The Quindecim is a space for all students within the Goucher community to express their views and beliefs. These pieces are released in the name of journalistic integrity and not in an attempt to antagonize or reflect the institution of Goucher as a whole.

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BCoPD Presence on Campus Will Cause Additional Harm to Students (Opinion)

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Baltimore County Police (BCoPD) presence on campus has been one of the proposed solutions following the racist, anti-Black graffiti found in Heubeck Hall just before Winter break and the general rise in vandalism last semester. If implemented, this plan will disproportionately affect Goucher’s Black community, the very people meant to be protected, and create a hostile environment for all groups who are systematically targeted by police. 

On January 20 of last year, nearly a month after the crime initially happened, an email titled “Safety & Security Communication Series” was sent to all official faculty, students and staff detailing the crime and the efforts administration has been making to keep our community informed.

BCoPD was briefly mentioned in this email as “leading the investigation into each incident and working closely with our office of Campus Safety.” This is not an unfamiliar occurrence, since BCoPD also led the investigation for a similar crime that took place in 2018.   

On February 15, a Community Conversation was held to address several issues facing the Goucher community, including this hate crime. At this Community Conversation administrative officials confirmed that Goucher is considering inviting BCoPD to patrol the Loop in addition to their daily rounds of the Towson area. Despite immediate pushback from students present at the community conversation, administrators seemed adamant to go through with this plan. 

Additionally, on February 23, a sit-in at a Board of Trustees lunch was carried out by student protesters in an effort to gauge trustees’ awareness of the hate crime that occurred and communicate what students felt was a lack of transparency between administration and students regarding their plans of action. The overall consensus among students present at both the community conversation and the sit-in has been overwhelmingly against BCoPD presence on campus. 

According to Police Scorecard, a nationwide public evaluation of policing in the United States, BCoPD has more racial disparities in deadly force than 71% of other Maryland police departments, and 68% of people murdered by this department are Black. Black people in America have historically been the targets of over policing and excessive police brutality. Bringing in a group that has such a long local and national history of enacting violence against the very group that Goucher claims to be attempting to protect is counterintuitive at best, and has the potential to create unforeseen violent consequences.  

To subject Black students on campus to further trauma and psychological unease will only worsen the feelings of danger and distrust that already exist within Goucher’s marginalized communities. While it is entirely logical to increase security on campus in order to keep students safe, the presence of the BCoPD will simply pose more problems than it will solutions. Rather than an immediate jump to outsourcing police presence, measures of public safety such as having someone monitor the gatehouse and actually keeping the gates down are a good start.

Despite the argument that the increased trend in crime on other nearby college campuses points to the future possibility of crime on Goucher’s campus, the addition of the BCoPD remains an irrational solution. Schools like Towson University and Morgan State University already have police presence, which unfortunately has not stopped violence from occurring on their campuses.  
If the administration wishes to familiarize BCoPD with Goucher’s campus in the event of emergencies, rather than have them patrol the loop they could simply start by giving them a tour. If an in person tour isn’t feasible, virtual tours are available for viewing on Goucher’s website.

By Calder Brown and Dom McKinney

* Disclaimer: This piece was published as a student’s op-ed submission. The Quindecim is a space for all students within the Goucher community to express their views and beliefs. These pieces are released in the name of journalistic integrity and not in an attempt to antagonize or reflect the institution of Goucher as a whole.

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Increased Surveillance and Potential Police Presence Raise Questions About Goucher’s Values (Analysis)

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A community-wide email detailing new security measures being implemented on campus was sent by Erik Thompson, Goucher’s Vice President of Campus Operations on January 20. The email cited last semester’s discovery of vandalism including racist, anti-Black graffiti as the reason for the increased security, and listed the installation of additional security cameras as one of the new safety measures being taken. 

At the Community Conversation on February 15, administrative officials confirmed that Goucher is considering inviting Baltimore County Police (BCoPD) to patrol the Loop in their daily rounds. Goucher, an institution that prides itself on its progressive and innovative outlook, has never heightened security to this degree – some would argue that it has been the college’s mission to not do so. 

“There are over a dozen cameras that are being installed as we speak,” Thompson said, “In addition to that, we are probably going to put in dozens of cameras this summer, as a ‘phase two.’” 

Thompson confirmed that cameras will be placed in public spaces only, which includes such spaces in residence halls. Some of these cameras will be labeled with signs, indicating their location, while others will be more covertly placed. Thompson believes these cameras will serve as a strong deterrent and resource to catch potential bad actors.

“There are instances where someone will ignore [the camera] and [break a rule] anyway, or feel like this is a location where they can do something and no one will know,” he said, asserting that these potential rule-breakers “represent the antithesis of what drew students to Goucher, and drew [him] to Goucher, and we need to remove them from our community.” 

When asked whether this punitive approach to campus safety was in line with Goucher’s progressive ideas, Thompson said, “we have to change. And some of those changes might mean that some of the policies, procedures, or views of things as ‘progressive’ might have to change to be something else.”

Thompson alluded that unpopularity regarding these decisions from students alone might not be enough to impact the final call. 

“Unfortunately, some decisions like that, it’s less of a vote and a community agreement, and more of taking input… from the community, and making a decision that’s influenced by [those community inputs],” he said, “But it might not agree with all of those.”

According to Thompson, the idea began in December after a fire was started in an occupied building, threatening the safety of community members. BCoPD presence on campus, however, is not a done deal. 

“We haven’t started the practice… something like bringing the Towson or Baltimore County police on campus, I didn’t see a pressing need to do that without actually getting some input,” Thompson said. 

Despite understanding the potential psychological impact the added police presence could have on students, especially Black students, Thompson believes the ends would justify the means. If implemented, the police would be instructed only to leave their vehicles if there was life threatening danger, leaving it to the discretion of police officers on whether or not to intervene. 

“It opens up the possibility of human judgment on what’s happening at any particular instance, but it still moves us a little closer to the level of safety we need,” Thompson said. 

Essentially, the police cars are intended to serve as a deterrent against potential bad actors – a fear tactic to make sure students are kept in line. Goucher has always marketed itself as a progressive, highly innovative institution. The fact that we have lesser surveillance and zero police presence on campus is a part of the fabric of Goucher and its enduring academic mission. 

Thompson acknowledged this, and said, “seeing a Baltimore County police car on campus, I mean, that’s so far from what Goucher was, or wants to be.” 

The concerns regarding the safety of students are genuine, but to add police and highly increased surveillance across campus is reactionary and could potentially endanger Black, Brown and disabled students. Thompson said that he hoped there would be a better alternative presented before adding BCoPD to campus. I see plenty of alternatives to implement before considering police: constructing sidewalks across the entirety of the Loop so cars are no longer barreling towards students as they walk around campus, installing lights throughout Van Meter Highway and the Loop so that students do not have to walk in the dark along campus roads, and implementing community organized security, where honest and faithful students work together to ensure that their peers and Goucher’s public spaces are safe. 

It is easy to look at some of last semester’s events and think that police and cameras will make us safer, and to just decide that it is the school’s mission that needs updating. But if we question the mission, aren’t we really wondering what the school’s underlying values are and contemplating its authenticity? These decisions must be made with deep-thought and consideration of every option. We must approach these issues with open minds, and listen to the community of students wholeheartedly, these students who do not just attend Goucher, but in fact are Goucher. It is their opinions that matter the most. 

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Why I Recommend a Non-Goucher Study Abroad Experience

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Trying to plan a study abroad in the midst of a global pandemic was no easy task. The class of 2023 was away from Goucher for over a year, and by the time we came back in Fall of 2021, it was already time to plan out when we were going to take off again. 

In my case, I needed to find a program or university in the same field as my major or minor that worked around my Fall sports schedule and did not take me away from my position as Editor of The Q. To graduate on time and plan around other academic commitments, such as summer internships, a winter break program made the most sense.

Goucher only offered one 2023 J-term Intensive Course Abroad (ICA), which was Arts, Music, and Culture in Bali, Indonesia. While it sounded like an amazing program, it was not my area of study, and I’m sure airfares to Bali in January are another obstacle.

Several of my friends had gone abroad through Goucher last Fall, and none of them had good reviews about the additional study abroad course students take through the Office of Global Education (OGE) – I heard assignments were unclear and time consuming, taking away from their time abroad. 

All these factors pointed me to non-Goucher study abroad organizations that had J-term programs in closer countries and within my field of study. Eventually, I stumbled across the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS), which has great reviews and a vast array of programs.     

I ended up choosing their J-term program in Berlin, Germany and taking a course called Interreligious and Intercultural Tensions in Germany at Humboldt University to count towards my minor in Religion and Justice. Long story short, I learned an incredible amount in just three weeks and had a blast! 

AIFS has staff in Berlin who help students get acclimated, provide recommendations of places to go and things to see, as well as taking the group on educational excursions (which are included in the program fee). My AIFS group consisted of students from all over the country, and in my class at Humboldt I met students from all over the world – a global experience I would not have gotten through a Goucher ICA. 

My advice to all students trying to navigate studying abroad while dealing with the pressure of an ongoing pandemic and OGE building back from the period of remote learning is to not limit yourself. If Goucher doesn’t have the experience you’re looking for, look elsewhere! The world is truly your oyster.

Feature Image: Chatterjee on the roof of the Bundestag (Germany’s Parlaiment building) at night. Above from left to right: a view of Museum Island and the East Berlin TV Tower at night along the Spree River, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Sunset in Charlottenburg, and views from Tiergarten on a cloudy day.

Goucher’s Administration is Overlooking the Issues Black and Brown Students Face (Opinion)

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President Kent Devereaux issued a lengthy email on October 26 in response to a national rise in antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crimes. As most students know, President Devereaux’s most frequent mode of contact with students is through email, and the occasional decision to eat in the dining hall with other administrators to directly connect with the students he claims to care for and support. 

My main gripe with these emails is the blatant silence from President Devereaux on political issues that directly impact other minority students at Goucher, particularly the non-Jewish Black and Brown community.

In an email sent out to the Goucher community on September 26 regarding an accidental scheduling conflict that landed on Yom Kippur, President Devereaux profusely apologizes for the mistake stating: “As we strive to be a more inclusive and welcoming community, on occasion we will make mistakes. When that happens, it is incumbent upon all of us to recognize our errors, offer an apology, and learn from our errors so we don’t make the same mistake again.” 

Yet he fails to ever mention other religious holidays that many students of color celebrate, such as Ramadan and Diwali. These holidays are not scheduled around to accommodate those who practice– where is our apology?

He then states in an additional email regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice goals from September 28: “We have filed legal actions seeking to correct past injustices, such as removing the racist and antisemitic covenants present in the original deeds for the land upon which the College sits today. We launched a multi-year initiative — the Hallowed Ground Project — to examine the written and archeological evidence of the practice of slavery that occurred on this land, long before the College acquired it in the early 20th century.” 

Both of these emails strive to acknowledge injustices in the Jewish community, and loosely address additional issues applying to other minority groups. We then get a quick look at the Hallowed Ground Project, but no other statement in these emails on specific social justice problems address other national or global atrocities that impact Black and Brown people. It is rare that these instances even get an email. 

Lastly, President Devereaux’s email from October 26– “Standing against hate and antisemitism.” 

“Goucher is not perfect. No institution, or human, ever is, but we are proud of that history and our longstanding commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive campus for all,” he said, “We have been proactive in working collaboratively with Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative to assess and improve the campus climate for our Jewish community members. Moving forward, we will continue to work on training, policies, and community dialogue to actively combat antisemitism in all its forms across all domains of our campus community.”

Let me be clear, his ability to take a forthcoming stance against antisemitism is crucial and admirable. But this fails to be as inclusive as he may have intended. As a current Black Muslim student at Goucher, I personally do not feel that issues that my community faces are being considered at all in some of these emails. In fact, it feels as if we are ignoring whole communities.  

Students who observe Ramadan have complained about the dining hall closing at 8pm when they are expected to have broken their fast by or around sundown after the dining hall closes. They have no option for a dining hall meal unless they come earlier in the day to get food to-go. The human rights violations against Palestinians have been completely ignored, while when Ukraine was invaded, their flag was flying on campus shortly after. 

I am not saying that one oppressed group should be valued over the other, or that the issues President Deveraux and the college have touched on are unimportant. My criticism here is that you cannot pick and choose when and who you care about, especially as a president of an institution filled with students who carry a global array of identities. We exist and study here, whether you would like to acknowledge it or not. 

For years now, it is no surprise that Goucher students of color feel as if their presence is only seen through the diversity photoshoots taken for the Goucher website. We are human advertisements to help promote an inclusive space that does not exist. But how can we tackle this problem when the people who run this institution ignore our existence until it benefits their agenda? It is worth confronting this issue, as well as being honest about how we as Goucher students have the capacity to spark change. We must acknowledge the power we hold through our numbers and voices when it comes to issues that personally affect us at this institution. I urge us to have these essential conversations with each other about what we truly deserve at a college we sacrifice so much to be part of. Hold those directly in power and in control of our Goucher livelihoods accountable. We deserve to know we matter.

Written By Maryam Abdiruhman ’24

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Goucher Unmasked: The Implications of Dropping the Mask Mandate (Opinion)

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Since the pandemic began in 2019, it has been made very clear how selfish people can be when it comes to preserving the health of those around them. It is evident that those who pushed against the health and safety guidelines before the mask mandate was lifted disregard the well-being of immunocompromised people. 

Recently, the decision was made for Goucher to become mask-optional. But is this decision really for the best? Lifting the masking requirement after spring break last semester led to a spike in Covid cases on campus and resulted in the mandate being reinstated. As an immunocompromised student, it doesn’t feel like a very thoughtful decision. 

While it is understandable why many people do not want to keep wearing masks all the time, it does not make it safe. This decision is especially impactful on those who wish to maintain social distancing but cannot in common spaces such as the dining hall and classrooms. Goucher is a private institution and may follow Covid guidelines that are more cautious than state and local decisions. 

While there may be a few student members on the Goucher Covid Task Force, a larger survey of the community could have given a fuller picture of the preferences for guidelines, especially since masking is so politicized. This also could have given a larger window of time for students, faculty and staff to prepare. 

This institution claims to uphold the idea of community as one of their core values, but this decision clearly wasn’t made with this value in mind. America’s decision to act as if the pandemic is over simply because they do not feel like taking the necessary precautions anymore does not lessen the risk. It is still possible to contract long Covid regardless of vaccination status. 

As the weather cools and more people begin to spend time indoors, a new Covid surge is more than likely to hit campus, making masking more important. Just over a month ago, a new highly-contagious Covid variant, BQ.1 was discovered. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that BQ.1 has now grown to make up over 10% of new infections across the country. 

With the new variant, weather changes, and community care in mind, please consider masking up. If you choose to not wear a mask, please try to maintain social distance from others. KN95 masks can be found across campus in various locations including, but not limited to, the Office of Student Engagement, Mary Fisher Dining, and the Office of Residential Life.

By Dom McKinney ’23

Photos of Goucher’s forgotten “please don’t forget your mask” signs by Amita Chatterjee for the Quindecim

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“LAUNCH Program” Fizzles at Lift-Off

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Two weeks before the fall semester started, 33 first year students arrived at Goucher for the “Summer Launch Program.” The Summer LAUNCH Program is a refined form of previous programs such as the Phoenix Program., Goucher worked with the Maryland Scholars Association and others to create the LAUNCH program to better equip first-generation and underprivileged college students for the Goucher experience. “We recognize that not everyone comes to college on an equal footing.” says the LAUNCH page under the Goucher Website. “The LAUNCH Network supports students who may face unique challenges and ensure that they can access the resources necessary to flourish at Goucher.” But while the Goucher faculty aimed for the LAUNCH program to help give students who needed a leg-up, it floundered due to poor communication, lack of preparation, and questionable decision making on demographics.

“We weren’t told anything about the program prior,” says first-year student Heather McCormack ’25. “I was required to go for my scholarship, and I wasn’t expecting to be in classes everyday.” As a beneficiary of the Maryland Scholar Program, Heather attended LAUNCH as part of her scholarship; .But as she said, the program’s schedule was ill-communicated.

The emails regarding the program describe it as an opportunity to “[m]ove in two weeks early…develop skills through curricular and co-curricular courses…[and] enjoy exclusive social excursions.” However, certain aspects were far more central to the program than others.Over the course of two weeks there were only four total outings, only one of which was actually in Baltimore proper. The days were otherwise spent in classes; from 9 AM to 3 PM, students were shuffled between ACE time management workshops, remedial math classes, and high-school level English courses. This was felt as a slap in the face to many students; the insinuation that students on financial aid needed academic remediation was seen by many as insulting and even classist.

This was made further problematic when a few students realized that they didn’t fit into the categories that the LAUNCH Program was meant to address. Some students, such as freshman Cas Sturdivant ’25, who is Black, felt like there was another reason for his inclusion. 

“My family has never struggled with money, and both of my parents are college educated. I didn’t even qualify for financial aid. I’m a fourth generation college student. I can’t think of a reason other than my race that could explain why I was contacted for the LAUNCH program.” 

Cas’ beliefs were echoed by other students in the LAUNCH program – whatever Goucher’s original purpose for including otherwise well-off students of color, it did not have the effect they intended. The Summer LAUNCH Program was without a doubt a well-intentioned project, but it left many students feeling further uncertain of their place at Goucher College. While it was certainly meant to help, it seems the program never managed to get off the LAUNCHpad.

Duped by the Dining Hall

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Written By: Karen O’Brien

In 2016, Goucher’s on-campus dining options were named the Twentieth Best by The Princeton Review. This is a fact that the college loves to cite, talking about it on tours, websites, and pamphlets alike. When taking my own tour of the campus back in 2019, my tour guide mentioned this accolade more than once as we walked through the multiple levels of Mary Fisher. However, does Goucher’s food service continue to measure up to the standards that got it nominated by The Princeton Review, or is it living on a past reputation? 

Walking into the dining hall for the first time, whether that be on a tour or on the first day of school, the facility looks impressive. Even once you sit down to eat, it’s difficult not to admit that the food could be worse. However, after you come back day after day, and are presented with many of the same options as you were the day before, the sparkle of the white-tiled counters is easily dimmed. Though on their website Goucher highlights their plethora of dining options, this appears to be more about marketing to prospective students, and less about providing quality choices for the students who are already enrolled. 

While options are already a problem for students with no dietary restrictions, students who do have restrictions have an even more difficult time finding things to eat. While Goucher claims to have sufficient choices for students who are vegetarian, vegan, kosher, etc., the reality once again does not live up to the expectations. The kosher station has been inconsistently open. A student may be able to have a kosher meal for lunch, but then find the station to be closed for dinner. Additionally, students have had trouble finding out if foods even fit their dietary needs at all.

Freshman Briana Gales ‘25 recalls how, on the very first day, she ate at the dining hall and became extremely sick after eating a vegan burger that she didn’t expect to have gluten in it. Another freshman, Sophia Travis ‘25 has had many similar experiences due to an allergy to eggs. She calls for all dishes to be labeled so as to easily avoid these situations. 

“Bon Appétit… needs to make a greater effort for students with food allergies and sensitivities by labeling the dishes both in-person and online with icons for the top eight allergens.” 

Travis, as well as many other students, believe that if allergens were to be consistently and properly labeled, many students would be saved from nights of illness due to eating in the school’s dining hall. 

Other schools in the area have already implemented similar policies. Notre Dame of Maryland, another small, liberal arts school located in the Baltimore area, labels all of their dishes with the eight major allergens. They also provide students with an emailed weekly menu that details these allergens.

My question to our school and food providers is this: will you continue to live off of the glory awarded to you five years ago, or will you make efforts to change the problems every student faces and try for a number one spot on that list?

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