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Goucher Student Leadership: Lost to Time?

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A Response to Shawanda Ayers’ 2000 Quindecim Piece

I was reading old Quindecims, as one does, and ran across Shawanda Ayers’ November 8th, 2000 piece titled “Does Goucher Have Adequate Student Leadership?” She answered that Goucher has student leadership problems due to cliques, inadequacies in leaders selection processes, and too many clubs. I think this idea in general is probably fair, but she could not see the leaders that would graduate out of Goucher soon after. 

Johnny Olszewski ’04, the staff writer for the Quindecim at the time, would step up and become the Student Government Association (SGA) president and now serves as Goucher’s first alum in Congress. 

Lindsay Johnson ’05, a community leader, class of ‘05 President and EARTH member (the environmental club at the time), who now works at Goucher as the Director of the Community Based Learning. 

Tammy Mayer ’04 connected the community of old Goucher in her work in various local organizations. Tammy, now living in France, leads international coaching sessions on climate communication through One Climate Action, an organization she founded. 

Natali Fani-González ’03 was a leader on campus as co-President of HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Learning and Awareness) and as an RA. She worked at CASA Maryland right after graduation. Natali continued to serve her community as the recent graduate member of the board of trustees, on the planning board of Montgomery county, and now is representing me and my neighbors in the county council of Montgomery County.

 Damon Highsmith ’03 served as president of the Alumnae and Alumni of Goucher College, serves on the Board of Trustees, and helps the world and people through his work in the EPA. 

These are just a selection of the more famous ones who I have talked to, worked for, or are in congress. I am not sure how much of this is the effect of their work post-graduation and nostalgia, but from where I am sitting it seems that the early 2000s had plenty of student leaders, or soon-to-be leaders.

However, I also want to respond to this question as a student leader in 2025. Goucher has a very different student leader problem, but one that the community still needs to address.  Goucher has approximately 30 active clubs currently, which is more than last year, but way less than pre-COVID. 

Unlike Shawanda, I think more clubs, not less, will help with campus engagement. As I have started–or am in the middle of–the process of helping start a few clubs and Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) within my time at Goucher, I think that problem is mostly solving itself. But if you have a club you want to start, please go to SGA and the Office of Student Engagement, their jobs are to help students with campus activities. We can use a few more unique and fun clubs, alongside more revivals of older clubs.

The other half of the problem with student leaders is half of them run everything, and cannot or have not found adequate replacements. I thought the Student Engagement Team (SET) would be in this category when their amazing president Esther Everson ‘25 graduated last year. But Shaun Chaney ‘27 has really stepped up to the plate and impressed me alongside the rest of the incredible SET crew who outdid themselves this year with a great Get Into Goucher. But I am less sure about other RSOs. 

I, as someone who helps run almost a dozen RSOs/clubs, am looking to find replacements or more people to assist me in running said organizations before the year is out. Please come join us at events and volunteer to help run a club. It is a great and fulfilling experience, and the Maxes of the world need help. I want to spend more of my time doing activities and less doing paperwork and planning, or to concentrate my efforts with fewer and/or different clubs.

The fact that Goucher is very cliquey seems to be the most insurmountable problem. I try to be friendly with everyone and definitely am connected to more people than most, but still find myself outside of the many small bubbles that exist in the Goucher social scene. 

As for me, feel free to come up and talk to me, or email me. I am always happy to talk to new people. This is strange for me as someone with Autism and ADHD, but I found that I like conversing with the many interesting people in the Goucher community. I try to connect with someone new every week. I think a few more of us doing so will make Goucher a more welcoming and fun school to be at.

The final problem touched on in Ayers’ piece, but potentially misunderstood, is that people do not show up to campus events, even when they are fun and unique. I think the problem is with the community of Goucher, and less so with student leaders. There are so many events that will be very fun that I am planning, or am aware of, for this year alone. Please join some clubs, and participate in college life. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and the more people at them, the more fun they are.

What do you think about the Student Leaders of 2025 Goucher? Are you going to step up to replace them in 2026?

By Max Ravnitzky ‘28

Image Source: Goucher College Digital Library via JSTOR

In Da Club: Past and Present Goucher Organizations

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Goucher, like most small colleges, centers the social community around clubs and student organizations. And also like a lot of colleges, this student life took a major toll during COVID-19, and requires active student leaders to maintain them. Goucher, especially, has played host to a myriad of weird and wacky clubs and activities.

Pirate Club for the longest time was the quintessential example of this unique club spirit, but it seems like many clubs, it did not make it through COVID-19. I am not sure what exactly they did. (If you are familiar with their history, please email me at Max.Ravnitzky@goucher.edu)

Donnybrook fair, the school yearbook, is one of the longest running traditions at Goucher starting in 1896. It is one of the primary sources for all three major histories of Goucher College. When there were profits from sales, they went to a variety of charities, and to student events. It has been out of production since 2019. We will see if this historic institution of Goucher is ever reawakened. 

Hot Steel, a concert night, was another of Goucher’s biggest traditions that has been lost. In Dorsey Courtyard, students from colleges and universities all over the Baltimore region would gather for a night of their lives. Many Goucher students met their husbands and longtime friends there. This musical event would open the semester with a bang.

May Court was seemingly a short-lived tradition at Goucher of crowning various students into symbolic positions in May. I have heard from some peers about a similar idea taking inspiration from our sister school of Morgan University and their royal court. We will see if any flavor of this is ever revived.

The Ministry of Funny Walks, started as students doing hacky sack for breaks from physics homework, evolved into another one of Goucher’s most unique clubs. It does not exist anymore. The name comes from a Monty Python sketch of the same name.

Trips to Washington have been a part of being at Goucher since 1890 when students attended a reception for President Harrison, but were disappointed to not meet First Lady Caroline Lavinia Harrison. This has evolved into Goucher’s modern student trips to DC, which involve advocacy and activism and may or may not be directly supported by Goucher’s administration.

Goucher Yells was a Goucher tradition tracing its origin to at least fall of 1892, with “a general college committee on ‘yells,’ whose business it was to stimulate the use of the college yell and see to it that each class in college had its yell,” was formed. The Histories of Goucher College makes consistent reference to the yells throughout the various years, so I am not sure when the practice died at Goucher. I hope someone, be it me or another, actually commits the time to revive this activity, ironically or otherwise. 

Glee Club was the first club organized in 1889 according to The History of Goucher College by Knipp and Thomas. Of the four musical organizations described in this first history of Goucher College, only Choir and Jazz Band still exist. Choir, Jazz Band, and the acapella small ensemble do amazing performances that punctuate the semester, captivating audiences.

The Reverend’s Rebels was one of several major musical groups on our campus. Their website claims that they formed as an a cappella group “to break away from the tradition of singing exclusively religious music at Goucher and do something a little different.” This amazing group no longer exists actively on campus.

Fencing was a major club and even sports teams at Goucher. Alumni told me during Alumni weekend that in their time, the fencing team competed nationally, and did well as there were so few women’s teams. They, alongside Humans versus Zombies, are the only clubs to have explicit exemptions to the weapons policy. However, fencing is not taught or practiced at Goucher any longer. 

Beekeeping Club, like many other clubs here, died during COVID-19. It is one of the few clubs on here that was net profitable, from selling honey. As cool as it was, it was reliant on the support of staff who donated their time and expertise to students, and when they left and COVID-19 hit soon after, the club dissolved. 

“Goucher Nerdfighters” was a club with a badass name, but I have to assume they were just a fan club for the Green brothers. Hank and John Green are the creators of Crash Course, Vlog Brothers, Complexly, Awesome Socks, and many other online ventures, mostly focused on education and making the world a better place. Again, this club seems to have passed in the pandemic.

SEPIA (Sexual Education Positivity Inclusion and Activism) and Men of Strength (MOST) were both clubs at Goucher that worked together for healthier relations. This kind of work is still being done today under the Wellness center and its peer educators.

CAUSE was one of the biggest organizations at Goucher that worked for the betterment of the wider community. It no longer exists, but Goucher students still participate in such activities through the office of Community Based Learning, Goucher Prison Education Program (GPEP) volunteering, Hillel, Food Recovery Network, and independently.

House culture, as any older Alumni may have known it, is dead. Our student governance is completely separate in SGA, student leadership control of room draw is greatly diminished, and very few students stay in the same dorm every year. Attendance for events put on by Residential life is often low. Potential revival of some form of this model has been discussed by some but nothing has come in the short term. What is left of this concept and perhaps may grow further is special interest housing such as the Gaming House, Arts and Media House, and Language House. Alongside these housing, we have the new Latinx house and the Robinson-Barland House for identity based housing.

Car/Van destruction for finals week or GIG is one of the most fun sounding short lived traditions at Goucher college. With some more safety equipment, and purchasing vehicles that would otherwise be scrap, I believe it can be brought back. 

Get into Goucher (GIG), was started over 40 years ago as a surprise event in the spring run by house presidents featuring a nice picnic, conversations with Alumni, and class cancellations for the day. This was a very special community event. Now it has been moved to the fall, classes go on as normal, and it is planned well in advance with public knowledge by SET (Student Engagement Team) and OSE (Office of Student Engagement). This shift is symbolic of the larger changes in our community and on campus events. 

Goucher has a weird relation with campus life, as it shuts down third spaces for events (Gopher Hole, Alice’s, etc) with recent promises to reopen some of these spaces, postponing educational events related to Palestine and antisemitism, and trying to bring Edenwald residents on campus. Goucher is trying on an administrative level to revive campus life to support its struggling retention rate, but I am not sure they know the correct way to go about it.

Esther Everson has led SET as President in running numerous campus events and being a core part of this community. They also helped co-found and run the Al-Jaalia Arabic Club which is one of the more active if small clubs. Their example should be a guiding light in what this community looks for in a leader.

The list above was just a small sampling of the unique clubs and activities Goucher has played host to over the years. I have talked about the past culture and clubs, but I believe as importantly we must look at a selection of our current clubs and organizations to see the future for our community.

Hillel is a longstanding part of the Goucher community, with much of the direction and leadership of the organization being chosen by current students. Alongside traditional services, other activities to connect to Judaism and Jewish culture are hosted. 

Humans Versus Zombies (HvZ) is a hallmark of Goucher College. Created in Fall 2005 at Goucher, it has since spread to colleges and universities across the globe. Goucher’s club is still going strong, putting on the most amazing and unique events. This is why the open invitational event currently planned for the fall is so exciting. To adequately describe the impressive game, its history, and its future would take another few pages. But needless to say, I am excited to grab my blaster and bandana and run away from some zombies.

Seltzer Club, created by Dylan Halsted, is another one of the unique clubs at Goucher college. Their discord conversations ranking Seltzers is fascinating, and they have many members. The concept of putting on events to dress up for but serve primarily seltzers is humorous and cool. The club looks to leave for an early grave as Dylan graduates. We will see if anyone steps up to lead the club.

Dungeons, Dragons and Gophers is another creative club that sparks a unique community that I view as essential to our student body. Focused on role playing games, this club was effectively reborn post COVID-19 with its current name. 

Equal Access is a club dedicated to creating space and advocating for people with disabilities. This group is symbolic of the spirit of Goucher students in their inclusivity. As Goucher becomes more well known for accommodating students with disabilities, Equal Access will grow in importance.

Nomad Student Organization (NSO) alongside Goucher International Student Association (GISA) have been great clubs that will only grow as the international student body grows. 

Movimiento Estudiantil Hispano Americano (MEHA) is another successful unique club that is representative of our campus getting more diverse

Independent Music Club (IMC) has hosted numerous amazing events this year including a Bob Dylan show. This is a club that brings the community together, including professors and students. I am excited to see what they do next year!

The Goucher Food Recovery Network is a great club that works with Bon Appetite to bring excess food waste to the people that need it. 

Pizzazz Musical Theatre is the group that currently puts on musicals for the Goucher community. Theater is a big part of the history of Goucher College even if we only currently offer a minor, and so I am happy that this part of our community is active. Trail to Oregon is their current show happening May 9th at 8pm and May 11th at 7pm in Merrick Lecture Hall.

The Preface is our long running literary magazine. They are key to an important part of our community, and are still going strong. The Preface Release party on Monday May 12th 7-9pm in the Undercroft. I am eager to see the newest book.

And we cannot forget our very own Quindecim, which does journalism and other cool stuff. The office is in Mary Fisher, just above the historic lobby and functions as a third space. Sam Rose is the current Editor and Chief, so any complaints about mistakes made in this or any other Q piece should be directed to him. With more students, the Q functions as another impactful voice of the student body.

Rocky Horror Picture Show Club puts on the biggest event of the semester in its production of Rocky Horror. Goucher has been putting this event on every October for decades. It has developed its own traditions and quirks in our community. Advice for what to expect from the show can be found in Joshua Haynes, ’27’s Quindecim piece.

Frisbee and Volleyball Club are the two current mainstays of club sports, both have waxed and waned in popularity over the years. As an officer of the frisbee Club, I am obligated to tell you we are the cooler club sport. With Frisbee Goucher is one of a few colleges to have a disc golf course on campus. This is awesome, even if the course has missing holes, tees, and unplayable holes. The Volleyball club has access to an outdoor sand court as well as our indoor courts. Despite the quirks of our college, campus club sports are valuable parts of our community. 

1021 HipHop and Dancers of Color Coalition (DCC) are both clubs that showcase the unique talents of the dancers of Goucher college outside the dance courses and performances. They are a core part of the unique culture at Goucher. I hope they maintain their ability to surprise and excite audiences well into the future. 

Gopher Strides is a new club this year dedicated towards creating a community through walks, jogs, runs, and hikes. With its creative name created by Joshua Haynes, this club fills a unique niche, and I predict it will become a cornerstone of our community.

Every Registered Student Organization (RSO), which includes all official clubs, (except SET) are all overseen by Goucher’s Student Government Association (SGA). So, if we want to create community at Goucher, we must have willing partners in SGA and its supervisory organization, the Office of Student Engagement (OSE). As a current senator, I promise to do everything in my power to support clubs and communities. With the election of President Chistian Houck and Vice President Delaney Dorr, both of whom made similar promises and have the experience working in SGA to back up the promises, I am hopeful that SGA continues its work supporting clubs and community, as well as its other duties in advocating to the Administration and assisting the student body. 

I am a believer that community and connection has to be formed by and for the people in the space. So, I ask you to go out and help create the community you want to see. Create a wacky club that you think no one would be interested in, join your friend’s weird club, go to events that interest you, join SET and SGA to help create and support unique events on campus, and just be a part of our unique community.

But before I ask you to do anything, I am leading by example. I try to attend as many community events as possible, and am planning to create my own, some of which are mentioned below.

I founded the Goucher Bridge Club and currently serve as President. We meet once a week, learning and playing the most beautiful strategy card game, currently mostly socially. The Bridge Club welcomes any member of our community; students, staff, faculty, and alumni to join us. I aim to create another inclusive, fun, and unique space for everyone. We are planning to do something big for the hundredth anniversary of contract Bridge on November 1st, so save the date.

And of course, there’s the famous satirical pineapple on pizza protests, which brought changes to the demonstration policy after conversations with Dean Smith and Dr. Isabel Moreno Lopez. And reinvigorated conversations about freedom of speech in a fun and safe way even as some co-conspirators did not show up. I commit to continue doing serious work both through professional channels and when those do not fully work, through humorous campus activities. As “Tzar/War Chief” of the Board Game Club of Goucher College, I promise I will lead the club to victory in “warfare” between clubs.

On a very different note, I am working alongside several others to revive the Environmental Concerns Organization (ECO). It was a group started in spring of 1990 to start recycling programs on campus. They got Ralph Nader and other famous guests to visit, alongside taking action on campus and in our capitals of Annapolis and DC. At some point it faded. And in 2018 it was revived, only to die at some point soon after. Third time’s the charm.

This new version of ECO will be inclusive of everyone in our community, welcoming staff, faculty, and most importantly students to join us as we educate ourselves and take action on environmental issues. I view environmentalism as an interdisciplinary set of problems, and therefore would like to collaborate with artists, scientists, political groups, Bon Appetit, the Food Recovery Network, the Garden Club, the office of Community Based Learning, Goucher’s Facility Management Service, SGA, and the environmental studies department. We will host discussions, take direct local action, and advocate to others be it through art, literature, or politically. We will make Goucher more environmentally aware. ECO is looking for people who can dedicate the time to help plan and organize events. Please email me if you are interested.

With some hard work we can create a vibrant, unique, strong community culture that goes beyond the clichés that Goucher’s marketing uses. Please join me in these efforts.

By Max Ravnitzky ‘28

Photos by Levi Boyer ’28

Correction: The group originally listed as performing virtually in 2020 was Red Hot Blue, not Reverend’s Rebels.

Why I Have a Dorm Cat (And You Should Too!)

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There are only seventeen registered emotional support animals on this campus, and I believe that we need to get those numbers up. Why, you ask? Picture this, you come back to your room after a long day of classes, throw yourself on your bed, completely drained and tired. But then, you feel something jump on the bed with you, it’s a cat. It has no idea what you have to deal with, all it knows is it’s excited its owner is back. It curls up by your head purring in content and your struggles just drift away. 

Freshman year, I left my cat Plumeria at my mother’s house and her absence weighed on me a lot, transitioning to college is difficult and not having my baby made it even worse. The next year I got her registered as an ESA and moved her into the dorm and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Having a dorm cat helped my mental health tremendously, even on my worst days she motivated me to get out of bed and go to class. My GPA went up an entire point after having her in my dorm for the year. 

Knowing how a dorm cat helped me, I decided to ask around campus to get others’ thoughts on dorm cats. 

First, I spoke with Destry Butler, a senior who has lived with his dorm cat Freya since freshman year. “I got Freya because I wanted to kill myself. Having something I could care for and communicate non-verbally with was comforting.” I personally find this statement alone to be a convincing enough argument for dorm cats. 

But, if personal anecdotes don’t convince you, I also reached out to the Office of Accessibility Services; the office that handles ESA registration I was able to speak to Nancy Williams-Nettles, Director of Accessibility Service who told me “[ESAs] can reduce anxiety and stress, enhance emotional stability, alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation, and provide a sense of purpose for individuals facing mental health challenges. Adjusts dopamine and serotonin levels.” 

Having Plumeria waiting for me each day really made my dorm room feel like home. I went from rarely wanting to be there, to my dorm being my favorite space on campus. She made my transition from college life to adulthood smoother, too. When I feel overwhelmed or stressed, burying my face in her soft fur brings me all the comfort I need to get through the day. 

If you somehow still aren’t convinced then I leave you with this compilation of some of the lovely dorm cats on this campus. 

Plumeria McCormack.

Photo Credit: Heather McCormack

Sookie Doo Dorr. Sookie’s owner included this note which was too cute not to share! “I know you only need a photo, but Sookie has a lot of depth. Her favorite color is pink, she hates legs and ankles, and she loves loves loves the sink and the sun.”

Photo Credit: Laney Dorr

Freya Butler

Photo Credit: Destry Butler

Darcy Duval


Photo Credit: Ruby Duval

By Heather McCormack ’25

The Ghost of the Goucher Theater Program

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Let’s face it, the arts at our liberal arts college are on its deathbed, and we might be the reason. Did you know that Goucher used to be the second most successful theater program in Maryland, but now in 2025, there is no longer a theater major. Back in the early 2000’s, Goucher would produce 2-3 full scale shows a semester. A Goucher professor, Rebeca Free, states “At a certain point, we were doing too many [shows] for the size of our space and the size of our faculty.” At one point they were even doing shows that were too big for the company they had, such as Peter Pan, but in the end their numbers grew exponentially due to the sheer number of student volunteers and the commitment shown by them. 

Is that commitment still alive at Goucher today? 

Professors are reluctant to direct a full-scale production nowadays due to lack of student commitment. Professors expect students to put aside 20 hours a week for rehearsals, but the average Goucher student often cannot sacrifice that great amount of time to a show they are unfamiliar with. Goucher at its heart is a school of people that love to create. 

Michael Curry is a professor who loves to help produce student written plays, and recently that is all Goucher has been doing. It’s good to have a professor who will fully support you and your new ideas, but unfortunately there’s less of a turnout in both volunteers and audience members when it comes to student written plays.  On the other hand, the Rocky Horror Picture Show club has a consistent volunteer count and audience, however this is student run, not student written. To contrast, Pizzazz, the musical theater club, produces prewritten shows and is also student led. This semester they are producing a full-length show, but they lack the numbers Rocky Horror has. So, what’s the disconnect? What do Goucher students really want? 

Before anything we need a committed group of students who are willing to spend a significant amount of time in rehearsals. Whether it be on stage or backstage, we need a community stable enough to run a full-scale production and have fun while doing it. Shows like Chicago or Legally Blonde can only happen with that kind of support. 

We have Goucher alumni that are willing to come and teach those who are new to theater but have a passion to learn. And there is always room for theater veterans in leadership roles to make the shows even better. 
We want to know who wants to revive the once deceased Goucher theater program. Fill out our survey so we can see who’s interested and reach out when a plan has been made.  

By Nathaniel Lehman ’27 and Juno Norman ’28

Featured Image Source: Nathaniel Lehman and Juno Norman

Opinion: Inaccessibility to Goucher’s Financial Aid Department

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         For many students, navigating financial aid is already a stressful and complicated process—but for first-generation college students, the challenges can feel overwhelming. At Goucher College, where 97% of students receive financial aid, one would expect a well-functioning and accessible financial aid department. However, for students like me, the reality is far from that expectation. I am a first-generation college student with immigrant parents who do not make enough to afford my tuition. That means I am the only person I can depend on to pay for college. The easy path would be to attend community college for two years and transfer to a four-year college for my remaining two years, but unfortunately, that is not an option.  

Attending a four-year college is my only path to success, which is my number one goal. Any normal student would be getting information about federal aid from their parents or other family members, but I don’t. I am the one who applies for Financial aid, scholarships, loans, etc. I am the one who has to fill out my parents’ part on my FAFSA application, and I am the college student who has taught herself how to understand these government forms simply because my parents do not speak English. So, when I did my research on Goucher College in late 2023 when applying, I was happy to see that 97% of students at Goucher receive financial aid.  

However, during the summer before my fall semester, I was shocked–to say the least–after seeing that I owed Goucher a payment of nearly $14,000, due the day before move-in day. I had no knowledge of this until a month before I was supposed to start my fall semester. I felt alone and blindsided, all while having to figure out how to come up with the money on time. Eventually, I was able to start a payment plan, which required a minimum of $500 to enroll–more money that I didn’t have, but with the help of my friends and family members I was able to come up with $500 in time to secure a place here at Goucher.  

This is my story. But after a few interviews with other Goucher students, I was able to realize that my experience is not far from many. Here’s what they had to say.  

Morgan Hott, a first year student, notes that the best way to receive assistance from the financial aid office is to visit in person, as email responses are slow. “..You HAVE to go in person, or else you are stuck waiting for email responses.” She claims that incoming students/first years in particular need more transparency when it comes to preparing for the investment that school is, and providing better guidance on how to deal with Goucher systems.  

 Leila Townsend, a junior transfer student from Anne Arundel Community College, echoes this sentiment. She describes her frustrating experience attempting to contact financial aid, recalling how she left multiple messages without receiving a response. “When I was transferring here from ACC, they were unresponsive. I would call, I would leave messages—several a day—no one would get back to me,” she says. 

Compared to her experience at ACC, where financial aid assistance was more efficient, she found Goucher’s process to be unreasonably slow and disorganized. 

Even students who typically have no issues with financial aid have encountered problems due to delays and miscommunication. Andrea Bailey, a senior, shares that she repeatedly received emails about an unpaid balance—only to later be informed that the financial aid office was simply waiting for scholarships and grants to process. “They ended up telling me I didn’t have to pay it, they just had to wait for the aid to come in,” Andrea explains. “But they would keep emailing me reminders to pay the bills. It was a lot of running around.” 

The delays and lack of clear communication appear to be tied to staffing shortages within the financial aid department. Banda Chiwengo, a senior RA, describes his difficulties securing his Sellinger Grant and obtaining help. “Every time I’d reach out to the financial aid office, they wouldn’t respond to my emails. Don’t bother calling—you’re not going to get an answer,” he says. His frustration only grew when he attempted to visit the office in person, only to find no one available. “They’re virtual on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and it didn’t matter if you tried to make an appointment—you really could NOT get in there.” 

A deeper issue became clear when Banda discovered that Goucher’s financial aid department lacked a head director. “At one of our meetings, I looked at the screen during a presentation, and at the top of the financial aid structure, where the head director should have been—there was nobody,” he recalls. “That’s why no one could actually answer our questions. People were jumping between roles in the financial sector, but no one was actually in charge. Besides that, they just suck. The communication is terrible.” 

Despite the experiences of these students, Alisha Mondloch, Director of Student Financial Services, claims that the last time she has heard of a student having trouble with contacting the financial aid office was last summer. “I have not received anything this term about the inability of any of our aid officers to follow up. We have a feedback form on the Goucher Website. Normally, our office is pretty good about response time, but I haven’t heard anything since–like I said this past summer.”  

When asked about resources that could help with students who need immediate financial aid assistance, but struggle to get an appointment, Mondloch responds, “I’m not sure where the struggling to get an appointment is but, we have resources listed on our website, we have different cohorts of students that we work with specifically and reach out to students about filing their FAFSA and making sure that their portal is up-to-date and submitting their documents there.”   

The disconnect between the administration’s perception and students’ lived experiences highlights a serious issue. While financial aid is a part of college accessibility, Goucher students are struggling to get the support they need. Delayed responses, a lack of transparency, and understaffing have created unnecessary stress for those who are already navigating an overwhelming system on their own. If Goucher College truly prides itself on supporting students financially, it must take active steps to ensure that its financial aid office is responsive, well-staffed, and committed to meeting the needs of its students. 

By Benvie Ondongo ’28 

Featured Image Source: Goucher College Website

Bring Back The Gopher Hole!

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What is a third space, and why is it important to student life? A third space is defined as “the social surroundings that are separate from the two usual social environments of home and the workplace.” These spaces are essential to allow students to relieve the stress that comes with being a college student, and to foster an area outside of classes for community building. 

Currently, when you Google ‘Goucher College,’ one of the first things shown is our graduation rate of 66%. While this number may have changed since last updated, it is still way lower than it has to be. One of the collective largest complaints amongst students is the student life, or lack thereof. The SGA has attempted to address this issue on numerous occasions, with their meeting minutes simply stating that “Third spaces are being discussed” on March 5th, and that “There will be more information about third spaces coming out,” as discussed on April 2nd. 

At the April 2nd SGA meeting, President Kent Devereaux himself said how important these spaces are. He stated how they could build “students’ connection to community,” and that “four VPs are looking into this further.” If the collective agreement is that third spaces are so important, why are students frequently left in the dark, wondering when or even if things are going to change? 

This is especially the case when we have the spaces available for student use. The spaces, such as the Gopher Hole, that sit full of life and alumni stories, yet their doors seem eternally locked. In its prime, the Gopher Hole was not only a place separate from academics, but also a place that belonged to the student body. Peers could share their talents at an open mic night, watch bands play, have a movie night, or just speak to each other in a context outside of simply being co-workers. 

At a school where we have so many talented musicians, poets, and performers that are willing and eager to share their skill sets with each other, we need a space to do this. And we have one, sitting unused. I interviewed two student performers, Elowyn Ingler ‘28, an electric bassist, and Kate Wisneskey ‘28, a pianist and keyboardist, about their passion for music and their desire to share it. 

When asked about the sense of community at Goucher, Kate Wisneskey stated, “I definitely think that with Goucher, you have to put in a lot of effort to find spaces to have community. Because there are no areas to foster conversation and to foster shared culture, and I feel like with how diverse we are as a student body, we need a space in which we can share what is important to us.” 

“I really think that music is an incredible medium for that, and I really wish that there was a space in which we could share that piece of the conversation. I really think that could help build community, which is a big struggle here.” Music and performance is a strong motivator for so many students here, and it is such a strong foundation for connection. 

Elowyn Ingler shared stories of a performance cafe in her hometown, and how many people she met through that. “I have met people there who talked about creating bands, musicians have met each other there and have been able to make some really cool things happen. I feel like we have this space where, if we wanted to, we could do something similar there.”

There is one simple solution to Goucher college’s retention rate problem, and it has been sitting in front of us this whole time. It is time to give the Gopher Hole another life, it’s time to put the handle back on the door and let students on that empty stage. All the administration needs to do is to trust its students, and to open the doors for us to get back the community connection this campus once felt. 

By Sara Geitner, ‘28

A Goucher Ice Cream Showdown!

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We, as a community, need to reassess the serious issue of the best place to get ice cream on campus, as Taharka Bros. Ice Cream has entered the fray. Before we begin, I am limiting this to on campus ice cream options any Goucher community member can get regular access to. So, we are not considering irregularly visiting ice cream trucks, Cold Stone, Holy Cow, Insomnia Cookies, “frozen dairy desserts,” Student Market milkshakes, or any homemade ice cream. 

Let us start with Hershey’s in the Dining hall. With four rotating flavors, 3-6 toppings (chocolate chips, mini m&m’s, Oreos, caramel chips, rainbow sprinkles, and sometimes something else), two syrups (Hershey’s chocolate and Smucker’s caramel), self-service, and ease of access to other foods to combo with (waffles, brownies, cookies, etc.), we start with a strong contender. 

In terms of cost, it is more of a mixed bag, as it is included in a meal swipe to access the Mary Fisher Dining Hall. The bundling of ice cream with the dining hall also means if you just want ice cream, a whole meal swipe is required. For a first-year student who is required to have at least the 19 meal plan, this will just fold into their $3,980 meal plan cost. However, a visitor who might be swayed to join the Goucher will have to pay 20 dollars to enter our dining hall to experience this. 

Hershey’s taste as an ice cream brand is one of the worst large-scale commercially available ice creams. Nevertheless, the variety of flavors means some outperform other brands. I am partial to Chocolate marshmallow and cookies and cream, but cannot deny Graham Central Station’s unique power. The big whopper in this is we can mix and combine multiple flavors at no additional cost (to our wallets, other parts of us may feel it).

“We’re always extremely mindful about potential food allergies, so we have not purchased any ice cream flavors that contain nuts. We are able to choose from about 20 different varieties and tend to stick to flavors we know students love,” general manager of Bon Appetit Goucher David Friendlich informed me.

The dining hall does not offer any of Hershey’s Dairy Free (Oatmazing) “ice creams.” But dairy-free sorbet is sometimes available. 

In terms of quantity, the dining hall is normally great as you can take as much or as little as you want. However, I have observed flavors occasionally run out and are not restocked the day of, even if Bon Appetit claims to always have four flavors available.

Manager Friendlich has ordered Ghirardelli syrups in the past for the ice cream station, but they have “been out of stock for a while.” After looking into it, Director of Operations Thomas Brown told me that stocking Ghirardelli would be “exuberantly expensive.”

Cake cones are not for me, but having them as an option is nice. Otherwise, the containers normally provided in the dining hall are small plastic cups and are adjacent to plastic spoons. These are useful when you need to leave Mary Fisher after a middling meal to get to class quickly and throw them out on route. But for environmental reasons, availability reasons, and optimal ice cream consumption reasons, this option is imperfect. Better options, such as washable bowls, mugs, spoons, plates, and cups, exist elsewhere in the dining hall. Mugs and metal spoons are my personal pick even with the inconvenience of having to grab them from across the dining hall. 

The urban legend of a caring alumni donating money to permanently guarantee ice cream in the dining hall is false. But any alumni with excess funds could donate to guarantee more ice cream flavors are always available. 

I heard rumors that there were six flavors available (consistent chocolate and Vanilla and four other flavors) years ago, when the Orange Room was open. I have also heard there were fountains to clean the scoops, in a way perhaps better than the current system of stagnant water. The water for scoops is supposedly changed by staff every 30 minutes. When the Orange room opens again, I ask the Goucher community to consider what we may gain in ice cream and use our ability to write feedback forms to convince Bon Appetite to open this world to us.

David Friendlich told me, “we always appreciate student feedback and suggestions to improve the dining program at Goucher!” 

Overall, Mary Fisher Ice cream gets a rating of nine large bronze scoops covered in as many toppings as I can fit.

Photo Credit: Levi Boyer

Next up, we have  Goucher’s spirit/bookstore (with no books in person) and its numerous options. However, most of the frozen items are not ice cream and therefore I did not have to shell out the money necessary to try them for this review. The generic looking frozen dairy dessert sandwich almost fooled me into believing it was an ice cream sandwich.

In terms of cost, the store does not accept dining dollars, only Gopher bucks or American money, but a few items are under 5 dollars.

In terms of pint options: I believe Häagen-Dazs is top tier ice cream and Ben and Jerry’s is above average. 

Magnum ice cream bars are a personal favorite, but the only available flavor of double caramel is not my first choice, even though it crushes most ice cream options on campus in terms of taste. 

Original Klondike bars are the consistent good option. They unfortunately only sell the original. What would you do for a Klondike bar? 

“My Mochi Ice cream,” at a price of $8.68, is interesting to say the least. Strawberry was the only flavor available. It was a strong artificial flavor, with a mochi outside and slightly melted ice cream inside. I hated the texture and taste. 

  Nestle Toll House chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches are not great as cookie sandwiches, are better made elsewhere, and Nestle is evil. I have joined the Nestlé  boycott, so I can only say from my memories of having it five years ago that they are okay.

With many flavors and brands to choose from there is room for variation. But mixing and matching with other foods and flavors is harder than the dining hall. Obviously, you have to provide your own container and serving utensil, unless you decide to eat out of the ice cream tub like a pig.

As a collective, I give the school store ice cream a rating of 2 small golden scoops sitting atop 3 bent weird sapphire scoopers.

For our surprise locations, we have the Gopher Hole and Alice’s. Although currently abandoned, hopes and dreams of imaginary ice cream fill them in. If we do not have hope for more food options on campus what do we have left? I rate this one scoop of the ghost of ice cream future past.

And finally, in the student Market and the talk of the town: Taharka Bros. Ice Cream.

With a cost of six dollars and fifty cents, this might be one of the best deals in the Student Market. Which might be why I have seen it run out already. Ordering a set of 8 pints to deliver to campus through the Tarharka website (without any discounts) costs 65 dollars. Plastic Spoons and bowls are available adjacent to the freezer. 

Photo Credit: Levi Boyer

Taharka is arguably the best ice cream on campus. I have only tried a few flavors, starting from chocolate, and it was great. “Mintflix and Chillz” was good except for the few bits I had with way too much peppermint. The cookie dough flavor was solid, but nothing more. Currently Taharka Brothers Ice Cream has the fewest flavors available, but this may change in the future if demand remains high. 

It also has multiple non-dairy “ice creams,” but some of the flavors do not match up to their dairy counterparts. Non Dairy-Roasted Strawberry was interesting to say the least. The texture was off, and the taste strange, but I will finish the pint I tell myself after over a week of not doing so.

Taharka is more than an ice cream company; it is a part of the Baltimore community. Its work is beyond the scope of my review, but its history and company structure are worth looking at as we build community together in the Baltimore region.

I give this option four medium silver scoops with a side of a repetitive pick three.

With that, our tour of ice cream locations on campus is over, we have our clear winner, and we can all go back to practicing literary analysis for our interdisciplinary class.

By Max Ravnitzky ’28

Goucher Radio: Fear and Loathing at Loyola College

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Photo Credit: Olivia Barnes

Transcript:

OLIVIA: I’m Olivia Barnes. 

The NCAA has come under national attention for something besides March Madness. Transgender student athletes have entered the public consciousness with concerns of fairness and moral panic, especially of transfeminine athletes competing in women’s single-sexed events. 
I went to the landmark swimming championship as a trans woman to swim and hear how this has affected sports on a localized level. 

On February 5th, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled, quote “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports” unquote. The president had talked about banning transgender athletes on the campaign trail, so this was not a surprise. 


DONALD TRUMP: With my action this afternoon, we are putting every school receiving taxpayer dollars on notice that if you let men take over women’s sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of title nine and risk your federal funding. There will be no federal funding. 

OLIVIA: In a Student Government meeting on February 12th, Goucher President Kent Devereaux spoke on how this order would affect Goucher college. 
President Devereaux was adamant that the federal actions affecting the college would be held in court on unconstitutionality. When I asked how Goucher would handle losing federal funding if the order was enforced, the president cited Goucher college’s seventy-million dollar budget, and having only received five million from the federal government. The loss would be less than the 15 million that he reported the college lost due to COVID-19. 


The president did not express plans to prohibit transgender students from their preferred bathrooms in addition to stressing commitment to DEI efforts and requiring judicial warrants for ICE officers to come on campus. 

On the matter, President Devereaux said, quote,

CLIP: Don’t expect me to make performative statements on this. 

OLIVIA: The NCAA responded to President Trump’s executive order on February 6th with a policy update, saying, quote,

CLIP: A student athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a woman’s team. 


OLIVIA:Unquote. And quote,

CLIP: A student athlete assigned female at birth who has begun hormone therapy may not compete on a woman’s team. If such competition occurs, the team is subject to NCAA mixed team legislation, and the team will no longer be eligible for the NCAA women’s championships. 

OLIVIA: The landmark conference championships were held at the Mangione Aquatic Center at Loyola University.  In a recent article from the New York Times, which, as a newspaper is conventionally considered to have a politically liberal readership, commenters on an article about the president’s executive order were generally favorable towards the change. 
Matt from Royal Oak, Michigan wrote, 

CLIP: Why can’t we ban transgender athletes while also accepting their humanity and providing them support? 

OLIVIA: And M. Roberts, in Tokyo, wrote, 

CLIP: This is just common sense. Probably one of the only Trump politics that will end up making sense aside from deporting illegal immigrants who committed crimes and strengthening border policies. 


OLIVIA:A recent poll from the New York Times and Ipsos concluded that, quote, 

CLIP: 94% of Republicans and 67% of Democrats believed that transgender women should not compete against other women. 

OLIVIA: This statistic, along with comments from readers on the article, led to me approaching the conference with an expectation of hostility. I was expecting more resistance to my existence than I got. 

I was lucky that the commissioner of our conference got around forcing me to use the men’s locker room by letting me use a gender-neutral restroom in an office usually reserved for conference officials. It was a run of the mill, ADA compliant bathroom. The only issue I faced with the bathroom was that I had to share it with the coaches and referees, which meant that whenever I wanted to change into my swimsuit, I usually had to wait at least 15 minutes before I could change while someone else was in the bathroom. 
I remember saying to one of my teammates that the nicest thing about the bathroom was that I wasn’t forced to use the men’s locker room. 

After that, the conference continued as anyone would expect. I swam two individual races, getting eighteenth, and a personal best, in the 1650 freestyle. 
Over the course of four days I had been expecting a confrontation with either conference officials or other swimmers, but the reality is that the athletes at the landmark conference championships are not there to make statements on gender or politics.

 They were there for the same reason I was. 

JACK:I’m actually a diver. 
But My name’s Jack Walsh. I’m from Catholic University. 

LENA: Okay, okay, I’m Lena. 
I’m from Juniata College and I swim breaststroke. 

RICKY:My name is Ricky Kilichowski. I’m a junior at Drew University and my main event is the 200 backstroke. 


OLIVIA: As you may know, though there was a new NCAA guideline saying that transgender folks have to use the locker room, they have to swim on single-sex events corresponding to their assigned sex of birth. What’s your initial reaction to this as an athlete? 

JACK: In all honesty, it doesn’t bother me, like I don’t particularly care. 
So it didn’t surprise me or bother me or anything like that. Whatever bathroom someone uses doesn’t bother me. I’m not particularly one to care or care about other people, you know, let someone live their life and whatever they do doesn’t doesn’t bother me. 


LENA; I hate it. 

OLIVIA: You hate it?

LENA: Yeah, and it-I use they/them pronouns and that like, just like, don’t be a baby about it. Like-let people do what they want. It really does not make it not that big of a deal. And I think, like, people are just uneducated and don’t know what they’re talking about and they just make these rules because of, like, higher powers-President Trump. 


Like, they’re just making these rules to go along with, like, what they think is correct, even though they don’t actually know what is correct. 

RICKY: I mean, I think you should be able to go on whatever-what, sorry-whatever bathroom you identify as, I-that’s if you’re someone who identifies as a woman, I feel like you should be able to use the woman’s bathroom. 

OLIVIA:Would you have any opposition to swimming in a single sex event against a swimmer of the opposite sex? 


JACK: Ours is kind of unique in that men’s in women’s diving is a pretty even sport because there are in all honesty, some attributes that are as men are better at than women and women are better at than men. Men have a better jump. They’re stronger off the board so they can get more height. Women have a little bit more of a-like control over the body so they’re smoother, so it ends up being pretty similar in and in points and all that. So honestly I wouldn’t care. 


LENA:I don’t care. I like-I will swim against ever and like, win or lose, good race, like good job. 

RICKY:I personally have no issue with that. 
I know some people do, but I disagree. I think-I think whatever you would like to identify as is what you should be able to compete against, whether it’s a girl who identifies as a guy or vice versa. I feel like you should be able to compete against what you want to be, you know what I mean? 


OLIVIA: The athletes were at the last big meet of the season to determine that year’s champions, so the swimmers were focused on swimming their best races of the season. Every athlete I interviewed or asked to interview about their opinions on transgender athletes either declined because they felt that they didn’t know enough about the issue or explicitly stated that they didn’t care that they shared a pool with transgender athletes. 

On the last night of the meet there was an energy in the air that you cannot find anywhere else. A mixture of exhaustion, chlorine and noise filled the air as swimmers swam their last races. teams would all gather behind the lanes of their teammates swimming to cheer them on, and for a brief moment it felt like the entire world was watching our races. 
Any argument about locker rooms or gender ideology were irrelevant for the student athletes who had worked so hard to get where they were when the conference was finished, we packed our things and left, and that was that. 

This article was made with reporting by myself and production by Jimmy and editing by RAR. The audio of Donald Trump came from the Associated Press and is included under fair use. 
The quote from Kent Deverux was read by Christian Houck, the NCAA guidelines were read by Emily Strickland. The New York Times comments were read by Sam Rose and Opal Monaghan. These statistics from the poll by Ipsos and the New York Times were read by Eden Rovner. 
You’re listening to Goucher radio. a part of the Quindecim. I’m Olivia Barnes. See you in two weeks. 
Goodbye.

Rainbows at Goucher

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As I walked up the front stairs of Van Meter on Friday February 14th, 2025, I took in the many beautiful rainbows that naturally form there. Some were faded, others bright and proud. Some were broken, some solid. Most were small, but a few were larger. 

I was inspired.

I have seen these rainbows before, but never so many. The experience has made me reflect on the current social climate, and Goucher’s future. 

Does Goucher live up to its claims of diversity and inclusion? Do I create spaces for people to be themselves? Will President Kent Deveraux’s administration protect the most vulnerable of our community from the malicious attacks of the current President of the United States of America and his supporters? 

I am not sure of the answers to these questions.

On Wednesday, President Kent reassured students on campus with his comments to the Student Government Association(SGA)  general assembly(GA). The office of Equity & Inclusive Excellence (EIE) also sent out a supportive message on Friday February 14, 2025, but in these chaotic times, it didn’t instill  confidence in me.

As a Private Liberal Arts College in Maryland, we are more insular than other colleges, but approximately 5 million dollars of our 70 million dollar budget comes from the Federal Government, according to President Kent. In less than two weeks, SGA will host Chief Financial Officer Brian Hutzley during its GA where I expect interesting questions from the members of SGA and the students who join us.

To get away from the crisis, and focus on the philosophical, what does it mean to be inclusive and diverse? How can we strengthen our community? Should we prioritize DEI (or EIE or whatever other acronym we want to use)? 

Photo Credits: Max R.

How do we create a community that values freedom of speech, where everyone feels welcome to voice their mind? I’ve asked a version of this to visiting speaker/Journalist Moustafa Bayoumi, Dean Smith, my peers, and a few other people. I have yet to receive a conclusive answer, and the answers I have gotten only inspired more questions and thoughts.

During an interview with the Vice President for Enrollment Dr. Mike Marshall and Associate Vice President for Enrollment Tania Rachkoskie last fall, it was mentioned that Goucher Admissions is working on submitting its information to the Campus Pride Index. At the time of writing this article, Goucher is still not listed in the Campus Pride Index. But Towson University is there.

On February 14th, 2025,  four small Pride Flags were stuck in the snow next to Van Meter Highway. One of my neighbors had a Trump Flag in their window. How do we allow free speech and prevent hate speech? Some of my peers have told me they believed some recent posters fell conclusively on one side of this. 

In comparison, the various (stickered-on) flags of nations in the Hyman forum received praise from other visiting SGAs during the Student Governance Summit. Advertising our growing diversity is good for our reputation among those who Goucher really needs to woo: student leaders who will become “global changemakers.” 

Diversity, both visible and invisible, is a strength of America, Maryland, and Goucher. How can we let this beauty shine through? 

To our artists, physicists, and architects, how can we incorporate light and rainbows into our campus and any structure we design? To those who will take part in designing Goucher’s future, I ask you to use stone in buildings and incorporate rainbows in an intelligent way.

I want more rainbows.

By Max R., ’28

Forgotten Students: The Commuter’s Struggle

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Photo Credits: Studio Hillier

When I first started my journey as a commuter student at Goucher, I was excited to have the freedoms that come with living off campus while still experiencing the community advertised at Goucher. Goucher had been advertised to me as a tight-knit school with plenty of opportunities to get involved and build relationships, and I was assured that being a commuter would not affect that at all. Unfortunately, the Goucher experience I had dreamed of was just that, a dream.

I learned very quickly that being a commuter was a great way to ensure that you were left out of any and all events on campus. Because I wasn’t a resident student living in close quarters with other students, I was immediately behind on social life at Goucher and at a disadvantage for making friends. 

Last minute campus events, parties, and casual hangouts were out of the question because I never knew they were happening. Having no meal plan and therefore not being allowed into the dining hall where all of my friends and classmates ate, I sat alone every day. By the halfway point of my first semester, I felt so isolated that I cried nearly every day. My mental health was taking a hit, and it took an immense effort to show up and show an interest in any of my classes. By then I had a small group of friends, and to them I am immensely grateful, but I felt completely cut off from the greater Goucher community.

As it turns out, I am not the only commuter student who feels abandoned by their school. I sent out a survey where commuters could anonymously give feedback and share their experiences. All serious responses reported a negative experience. One commuter part-time student was denied access to designated commuter lockers in the Ath because they are not a full-time student, despite the vast majority of commuter lockers being unused. 

Another commuter who is also an athlete shared: “Athletes especially feel these issues. Me personally, for the past two years, I have had to be on campus for twelve plus hours due to classes and practice without being able to eat meals. I’m often alone in the locker room with the two other commuters on my team because we can’t participate in lunch and dinner.” Others stated they feel that they are left out of events, have no voice, and not encouraged to be active members of the Goucher community.

Things started to improve last spring with efforts from Erica Gardner and Denzel Stewart within the Office of Student Engagement (OSE). Gardner and Stewart instituted a monthly commuter meal pass that allows commuter students to eat once a month for free in the dining hall or redeem for a Pick 3 in the student market. They also installed a commuter pantry in the Commuter Lounge with microwaveable meals and other snacks for free. I greatly appreciated the pantry because being on campus longer than anticipated meant going hungry. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Just a few short days after the pantry was opened non-commuter students got into the Commuter Lounge and raided the pantry. They took weeks worth of food and left us with nothing in a matter of minutes. The irresponsibility of a few resident’s actions meant that OSE’s commuter pantry was closed indefinitely for all commuter students, and when it reopened it was relocated to OSE in Mary Fisher where we would be required to show our ID to access food.

Where do we go from here? Faculty, staff, and resident students, commuters need your help to feel integrated into the greater Goucher community. I ask you to advocate for us, invite us, include us, and reach out to us. Integrating commuter students into Goucher life is not a difficult task, and there are definitive steps you can take to ensure we are not left behind:

Consider the location of events. Mary Fisher dining hall is not accessible to commuters, so we cannot participate in any events like bingo, trivia or raffles that take place there. I remember this past fall receiving an email for the Study Abroad Fair taking place in Mary Fisher where all students were encouraged to stop by, but commuters had to RSVP by a certain date and sign in to be allowed entry into the fair. It was embarrassing and exclusionary, and there must be a better way to include commuters. 

I have seen several events in just the first few weeks of this semester so far that take place in the First Year Village (FYV). The FYV has always been a place where commuters are quite literally locked out of the Goucher community, having to rely on a friend or helpful resident to let you in for a hangout in the movie room or kitchen. If you cannot host events somewhere obviously accessible to all students, make it clear that commuters are not only welcomed but encouraged to attend, without having to sign up separately.

Consider commuter spaces. The commuter pantry incident was infuriating because it showed that resident students had no respect or consideration for commuters, and they took the little privilege we had that was exclusive to us. The same goes for the current commuter kitchen scenario. Currently, the kitchen in the commuter lounge is littered with boxes, wires, speakers, and other assorted equipment and poles are strewn across the floor in a way that prevents the door from opening fully. Not only is this inconsiderate of our space and takes up the one kitchen table we have, it makes the space inaccessible for students with disabilities and is a fire hazard. Neither commuters nor Denzel Stewart, who oversees commuter life, were informed of this disruption. I can understand the need to temporarily store things in a communal space, but it is just as important with commuters as it is with residents that you give students a heads up and acknowledge that you are inconveniencing people.

Fellow commuters, I encourage you also to reach out and advocate for yourselves. No one will help improve our experience if we do not speak up and ask for change. We need to foster relationships not only with resident students but with other commuters. Building friendships and sharing our experiences will help us feel less isolated and a lot more involved. Whether that means striking up a conversation with someone in the Commuter Lounge, meeting up off campus, or getting involved in extracurriculars when you can, let your voice be heard. A Commuter Club is currently in development, and I believe that is a great place to start.

By Abby Ryan, ‘26

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