The independent student newspaper at Goucher College

Category archive

Opinion

Civil Advocacy at Goucher College

by

By: Natalie Voorhees

*This article is a student submission from COM 142 News and Reporting with Dr. David Zurawik*

It all started when I came across this. 

This is a photo I took of a sign displayed proudly outside the Dorsey Center describing the ways that Goucher students and staff were involved in the fight for the women’s vote in the early 1900s. We are proud, as we should be, of our alumni for being on the right side of history. Among all the recent protests and demonstrations – and the school’s disappointing response to them – seeing this sign made me wonder if it was always a struggle against the administration for students to advocate for their beliefs.

Goucher has been around a long time. The school was founded in 1885 as the Woman’s College of Baltimore, was female-only until 1986, and was officially named Goucher College in 1910, which was also the year that the student newspaper (then called the Goucher Weekly) was established. Any significant event or development that you can think of in the US occurring after the year 1910, Goucher has seen it. 

For example, in February of 2017, a group of Goucher students left campus at 4:30 in the morning, and spent 9 hours in Washington D.C. protesting with the Women’s March. Students at this time were also involved in protests for various other causes in both D.C. and Baltimore, attended local lectures on topics surrounding Black History Month, and spoke out about self expression policies on campus. But one piece from this period that really stuck with me was from March 31, 2017, entitled “The Psychology of Climate Change” which dissects the bizarre tendency people have to ignore the science of climate change despite its legitimacy. Not only was this piece expertly written and researched, but it also forces the reader to confront their own behaviors and environmental consciousness, as well as raising important questions for how faculty and students of a college like Goucher can actively be a part of a global solution. 

But we can also look back a bit further. During the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s, Goucher College students were involved in all kinds of forms of civil protests and demonstrations, including but not limited to: marching in Baltimore, attending peace conferences, hosting speakers on the subject, writing opinion pieces, and general advocacy in the public forum. But my favorite piece that I read from this time was from May 8th, 1964 called “Commitments to the Civil Rights Movement in Quiet Deeds Besides Demonstrations,” which described the NSM Project. The NSM (Northern Student Movement) had members from many colleges who were involved in the fight for equality, and typically did so, as with many other movements, through large scale actions and demonstrations. 

However, one of its less obvious undertakings was a tutoring service for black students in Baltimore where students from Johns Hopkins University and Goucher College would tutor kids in various subjects. The tutors would also provide textbooks for the children that didn’t have any, and frequently paid for them out of their own pocket. In addition, there was a similar service for New York students called the Harlem Project that Goucher students also volunteered for. The article also detailed how a couple years prior to its publication (about 1961) one of the first few black women was admitted to the school. Her classmates had her back by contributing to the desegregation of Towson eating places. A sociology student polled local residents to see if they would still frequent their favorite eateries if they were desegregated. The results were an overwhelming 98% affirmative, and this proved to be the most effective in helping their cause. 

To all readers, I hope that knowing that students of this institution in the past were so outspoken, compassionate, and forward thinking brings you the same comfort it does me. If you want to see more, I highly recommend looking at the archives of the student newspaper. Self expression is absolutely essential to democracy as well as to progressivism on any college campus, which is very evident from our school’s long history of activism. 

To consider all this, and the positive societal change it brought on, it is astounding that posters now need a stamp of approval to be hung, or that limitations on demonstrations would only be increased in response to student activism. Fervent protest and advocacy for the reform of our system may seem dangerous to some minds, but it is infinitely more dangerous if young people don’t have strong opinions on the world we’re going to inherit. So to all who are protesting genocide, climate change, or any other cause you feel strongly about, I implore you – as any of our alumni would – to never stop. 

You might be interested in

Rumor Has It: The Anonymous Student Forums Shaping Campus Culture

by

On February 2nd, 2024, the Instagram account @gopherconfessions posted an image with a caption that began, “Hey Whores and Whorettes GopherGirl here. Click the link in our bio to submit the finest Gopher Gossip. All Submissions will be kept anonymous. Don’t follow this account if you’re going to get offended easily.” The accompanying image featured two characters from the television show Gossip Girl with their faces obscured by the head of Rowdy, the Goucher mascot. This account would quickly amass over one hundred followers after less than two days of activity, and as of the end of March, this number has tripled. 

These numbers are not insignificant. Goucher’s current enrollment, as listed on the official website, is 1,100 students. This means about a quarter of the student body follows this account–going through the follower list, the vast majority of the followers are current students, not Goucher graduates or curious outside viewers.

“GopherGirl” would go on to prompt its followers to answer the various polls posted on its stories, ones that asked students such opinions as “Which Men Are Worse?” and then providing choices between the men’s sports teams at Goucher. A handful of polls ask who among the students have “hunter eyes” or “doe eyes,” terms that have gained prominence through platforms like TikTok and the beauty and ‘Looksmaxing’ communities. Another one asks “Favorite and Least Favorite Goucher Athletes?” “Who’s relationship would (you) change if (you) could?” They clarified this in a parenthetical, “Aka who would (you) make single.” 


Source: @gopherconfessions Instagram

The account also invited followers to submit names for a poll titled “Smash or Pass?” where the names of students, anonymously submitted by their peers, would have their desirability open to public debate via a ratio of votes. The question of “Smash or Pass” as it is phrased on the poll has been around for years, its earliest instance being recorded through Urban Dictionary in 2010.

Via: @gopherconfessions Instagram


The @gopherconfessions page maintains that all of the submissions made through the Google Form in its bio are completely anonymous, with a screenshot in their profile’s highlights backing up the claim that they cannot see any information on the people who submit. This privacy ensures that students can unburden themselves from even the most complicated or personal secrets without repercussions or prying eyes–as the owner or owners of the account are allegedly still Goucher undergraduates themselves. 

Adjacent to the Instagram page is the app YikYak, an app established in 2013 for college students to communicate anonymously in their local area. Once a student has connected with their school or created an account, they’re able to see a wide range of posts from anyone around their institution. Opening the app, you can see one post from an anonymous Goucher student reading, “Anyone applying to grad school? I need the moral support,” and another one a few posts down that says, “Sun’s out, can’t wait to see my Van Meter crushes looking good”  or “Just overheard someone saying they might be pregnant at the dining hall.” 

One significant difference between YikYak and the Instagram pages run by students is that YikYak discourages using people’s real names and identities when posting. However, the comments under one recent YikYak post that asks “Hottest athlete at Goucher, go” suggests that this rule is not carefully enforced. YikYak in the Towson area also saw a sharp uptick in posts surrounding the devastation and death in Gaza around the fall semester, with many users positioning themselves as anonymous student activists. YikYak has a few recurring categories of posts: Relatable quips about campus life, callouts towards the student body that range from the political to the mundane (i.e. asking people to flush the toilets) gossip, and students who use YikYak as their own personal social media (stream-of-consciousness type humor).

Despite the risks of such forums, there is also a clear desire for students to communicate in such a way. With some digging, a “Goucher Confessions” Facebook page from thirteen years ago was uncovered. 

A WordPress article by “The Blunt Bystander” from 2013 covering the page wrote about the “rise and fall” of Goucher Confessions, chronicling students’ paltry confessions about sex, queer issues, and oftentimes serious criticism of Goucher as an institution. The first YouTube video featured in the article asks students if they know of Goucher Confessions, and students respond with their thoughts and interpretations of the page. The interviewees praise the anonymity of the forum, as well as the “weird” responses it garners. A student in the beginning of the second part of the Goucher Confessions video series says they enjoy “the more controversial stuff about race.” 

Source: The Blunt Bystander

Another student in the same part disagrees, saying conversations about race and gender are how you start “conflict and trouble.” This must have been true in some regard because, as pictured, Goucher Confessions’ last post had them realizing through one of their communications classes that their page was not having a positive impact. Because of this, Goucher Confessions went dormant, and only exists in the article and its linked YouTube videos by the creator.



Source: The Blunt Bystander


Even in 2013, when social media was not quite as ubiquitous as it is now, there was still a niche to be filled when it came to students expressing their most controversial opinions, gripes, and crushes. Students at Goucher want an outlet to express these feelings, and it goes without saying that gossip is inescapable on a college campus, especially one so small and tight-knit.

An anonymous Goucher student who did not wish to be named due to privacy concerns had the following to say about platforms such as YikYak and gossip pages: “There are some people at Goucher who feel the school’s too small, and they want some drama.” “I think everyone has an interest in gossip, but there are ways you can gossip without it being as toxic and harmful as it is.” They deemed the anonymous online posting to be “high school behavior, honestly, it’s very childish,” condemning this type of conduct in a college setting. “We’re all human, we’re all going to participate in gossip at one time or another, but there’s a line.” 

Where there exists a space to cause problems, some people instead choose to use this space to uplift. “GopherGirl” has made an effort to remove itself from a constant stream of negativity, as well. Not only has it run polls that encourage students to provide encouraging words or name “icons” on campus, but many students refuse to give genuinely vitriolic answers to the questions that may begin faceless feuds, such as ones where the account asks who its followers hate. A common sentiment from the replies was that they don’t hate anyone, or that they receive nothing but kindness from their peers. One question on their story asked, “Let’s get some compliments going folks.” As a student body, when given anonymity, Gophers often trend towards positivity–as an example, the thoughtful messages left for dining hall staff on the feedback cards. With the somewhat conflicting tone of the account, the moderators of “GopherGirl’s” account was contacted in order to understand their intentions behind making the account. In response, they gave the following response:

“The GopherConfessions platform aims to encourage individuals to embrace opportunities and live purposefully, while also fostering self-awareness and guiding personal growth. Through insightful reflections on identity and perception, the platform seeks to empower individuals to navigate their paths with confidence and clarity. We recognize that our platform may evoke mixed reactions, including criticism and resentment. However, we aspire to prompt introspection by encouraging individuals to reflect on their own behavior and interactions. Through this lens, we hope to shed light on the prevalence of gossip and negativity in daily life, fostering a culture of self-awareness and empathy within our community. While our school environment may be characterized by gossip, our intention is to channel these dynamics into constructive dialogue and personal growth opportunities.” 


Whether it was fear of backlash, security of the account, or added exclusivity, the Instagram page has since gone private. GopherGirl recently created a post saying that there has been a lack of submitted confessions, explaining their dormancy. 

You might be interested in

Movie Review: Dune Part Two

by
By Henry St. John

4 out of 5 stars

Much like J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings transformed the fantasy scene, Frank Herbert’s Dune has continued to impact the sci-fi genre for decades since its original release in 1965. Now, like Peter Jackson with his early 2000’s movie trilogy based on Tolkien’s work, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptations will undoubtedly reinvent what it means to be a sci-fi epic. 

One of the best things about Dune: Part Two was that it never felt confusing, which is a problem I think most people had with Dune (2021). The two fit together in that the first film established the ground rules from which Part Two builds off of, so that any new plot points or general information we get in this film has either already been explained or has been made easy to understand through clear storytelling in the last.


While it did have its slow moments, Dune: Part Two is an enthralling story carried by its absolutely jaw-dropping visuals. Villeneuve has long been praised for his visual storytelling, so when I tell you this is his best work yet, it should not be taken lightly. Even the most visually subdued moments are supported by incredible performances from the cast, most notably Austin Butler, who was so committed to his role as Feyd-Rautha that he stopped doing his Elvis impression. When the film does focus on visuals, we get one of the most insane final fight scenes of any movie I’ve watched.

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.

You might be interested in

Goucher College Needs a Communication Overhaul

by

Article by Vivian Huddleston ’27

On Friday, February 22nd, Goucher College issued a brief ‘Shelter In Place’ warning, due to a police pursuit involving two individuals that had run onto Gocuher’s campus. However,many students were unable to learn this information until up to four hours after the initial incident occurred. This was due to the failure of both Goucher College’s Security Information systems and Goucher’s communication methods in general. 

The first failure of the communication system was the inaccuracy of the notifications themselves. Though what was sent out was timely, and sent at a good pace, it did not include all information necessary for students to understand what was truly going on. The notification letting students know that there were no weapons and the description of the subject, should have been prioritized over the usage of dogs. Also, there is no reason why Goucher’s student body should find out there were two runners until four days after the initial incident. While it is important to notify students about what is happening as it’s happening, it really only matters if the information is accurate. 

Photos of the E2 notifications with time stamps

Second, at the time the incident occurred, communication was only sent through Goucher’s E2 Campus Emergency Notification Alert System, a system utilizing text notifications to alert students about police activity, or any other sort of potentially dangerous event. 

In theory, this is a good system because students tend to have their phones on them at almost all times. However, using this system alone caused students to accidentally put themselves in potential danger. Using only a text message-based system can be treacherous if students are not actively with their phone (such as if they are showering, at work, in class, if their phone is dead, etc.). More notably, if students do not elect to sign up for the Notification System in the first place. 

Now, I am signed up for the notification system, and was at the time of the event. But, in the area of Mary Fisher in which I was sent to shelter, the majority of the students were not. This led to them only being able to receive information from the staff helping us shelter. Granted, they did a fantastic job not becoming panicked, and helping to lead us in an efficient and methodical manner, but they were busy, and needed to be terse with us. This type of brief, seemingly limited, information led to more panic than seemingly was necessary. Not to mention that many staff, faculty, and guests on campus that day were unaware of this information distribution existing at all. 

However, this could all have been avoided if people simply signed up for the notification distribution, correct? Well, no, as the lack of student engagement with the E2 distribution is a consequence of a greater problem – notification fatigue. 

If every Goucher College student knows one thing, they know we receive a lot of emails. We receive emails about every little thing: events, open applications, staff and faculty changes, the pilates schedule, everything! This excess of emails leads to a constant flurry of notifications, wherein any student in question will maybe care about one or two. After months of this email routine repeating, students start to grow weary of the constant checking, and ultimately ignore email notifications altogether. So, the last thing any student wants to sign up for is more messages that they may not care about at all.

But what’s worse is that despite all of these notifications, in my year at Goucher College, I have received one email explicitly telling me to sign up for the E2 Security system… which I received four days after the ‘Shelter In Place.’ 

Screenshot of the email sent on Monday February 26th, containing new information and the link to sign up for the safety notification system.

If Goucher wants to keep its students, staff, and faculty safe, it needs to diversify its methods of communication. They need to whittle down what is and is not necessary to send to students, and prioritize communications concerning the safety measures already in place. 

Until this happens, however, sign up for the E2 Security Notification Alert System to stay informed. The last thing we want is to read another email about it.

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.

You might be interested in

Recent hate crime shows Goucher in need of a culture shift as students call for action

by

On the afternoon of Friday, February 23rd, a group of over 80 Goucher students came together on Van Meter Highway to speak up about the hate crime committed on campus this week and to protest the treatment towards the Black community at Goucher.

This is not a new problem for Goucher. The most recent hate crime is the second one to have happened in the past two consecutive school years. Last school year, multiple Black students’ dorms were vandalized with derogatory terms in the Heubeck-Gamble residential buildings. This is a highly concerning trend for a school like Goucher, which prides itself on its inclusivity. 

How can a school with less than 1000 undergraduate students enrolled have multiple racist incidents? 

Hate crimes anywhere are totally unacceptable and should be punished, but especially at Goucher; this is a small school; everyone sees everyone here, and these incidents mean that we have people feeling this level of hate who live with us, eat with us, and take classes with us.

How can a Black student feel comfortable and included on campus after seeing this?

Many speakers at the protest echoed this message, with a unanimous feeling that the Black community at Goucher is the least protected and included on campus, and they are fully entitled to feel that way. It doesn’t feel like this problem was properly addressed last time, and many are calling for a much stronger administration response. Emails and empty messages didn’t cut it last time, and they won’t this time. The only way to stop this is for those in the most senior administration positions to face this problem head-on and work toward solutions. 

As one person said at the protest,

“We can’t just be non-racist; we have to be actively anti-racist.”

The next step is to address this problem appropriately. One suggestion being that the higher-ups in the administration, especially President Kent Devereaux, work with Black student groups on campus to find the next steps following this incident.

For the longer term, however, Goucher needs a culture shift that pulls everyone in the same direction. This crime is a sobering reflection of the Goucher community’s state because a school with a strong, enforced set of values does not have this problem. All the change starts from above; the administration’s actions have the power to unite or divide this campus; the ball is in their court.

One thing is certain, though: this issue must be stopped right here, and accountability needs to be taken. Change has to start now, and the inclusion of black students at Goucher and their comfort on campus needs to become an absolute priority for the administration and students. In a small school, it is impossible to be productive when these issues continue to plague us. 

Do better.

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.

You might be interested in

Community-Centered

by
By Jimy Kuhn ’27

On Friday, February 16th, Goucher College hosted the 18th Annual Jewel Robinson Dinner in the Athenaeum. I happened to be meandering around just before the start of the event looking for something to do so I decided to walk down and explore, to see what was going on on my beloved college campus. 

Two things: Firstly, it was a formal event. There were suits and ties, so I looked very out of place in my shaggy cotton sweater and olive coat. Secondly, as I walked past the Student Store, what presented itself to me was an open bar! Hallelujah! So I, naturally, ask the bartender for a glass of wine, lean against a pillar, and watch the beginnings of the ceremony. Students from the Dance department did a wonderful number and there were good spirits all around. 

Once they broke for dinner, however, I was approached by someone running the event who asked if I had found my seat yet. I replied that I was not on the list and she promptly asked for my (empty) glass of wine and heavily implied that I was not welcome there. So, I left.

This is not particularly jarring. I probably did just seem like some punk college kid trying to get a drink in. However, the context that the event was hosted in the place where Alice’s Restaurant used to stand, somewhere I used to be welcome, gives it a little more weight.

Alice’s Restaurant was demolished early this semester in response to a survey sent out regarding the hours of the Student Market and Alice’s. Following the results of the survey, it was determined that the Student Market would be open later, serving hot foods until 11 p.m., but at the cost of Alice’s, a beloved and important haunt on campus.

The impact this has on the Goucher community is huge. All of our third spaces now revolve around a single building. And while I do love Mary Fisher, it has a distinct vibe…

That of a dining hall.

It is more important to have a diverse set of locations on campus to hang out in than to have one centralized location for all things social. For example, what about those students who suffer from sensory issues and find the hustle and bustle of a busy dining hall too much? Where are they to spend their time? Or what if we are simply sick of hanging out in a dining hall all day? 

Mary Fisher is simply not a replacement for Alice’s.

I feel there are certain points on this which deserve attention. Looking at the results of the survey, it seems that the fourth option to “Close Alice’s & have the Student Market open daily with hot food offerings” won the vote, but the results are not public. There’s no way to know for sure.

If that is the case, then that result is shocking to me. I have not met a single other student who voted for that option. The loss of another third space on campus is disheartening to many, so some speculation is in order.

Who are the people who would vote for the option to close Alice’s? Well, people who do not think Alice’s is important in their community would obviously vote for having more food later. 

The group that comes to mind is athletes. They do not need Alice’s as a way of supporting their community because they already have a strong community built between their teammates, so getting hot food later is the obvious answer for them. 

Paired with the fact that individuals wouldn’t have voted for the fourth option, thus wishing to keep Alice’s open, but were divided between three other options. It seems to me that the athletes managed to outvote the rest of the student population. My guesstimate is that each of the other options in the survey got roughly 20% of the vote each, which all together stands for 60% of the student population in favor of keeping Alice’s open, and the fourth option, to close Alice’s, got only 40% of the vote. The decision to close Alice’s was not the majority of the student vote.

This is not to blame athletes for closing Alice’s nor am I saying their want for a later food option was wrong. I would just like it to be known that the decision to close Alice’s was allowed to happen due to the results of a flawed survey. The administration will justify to hell and back that the abolishment of Alice’s was what the Goucher community wanted, but that is simply not true. The majority of students wished to keep Alice’s open. 

In addition, the revelation that part of the reason for removing Alices was to make the space more appealing to those who would want to rent out the Hyman Forum for events, tells me that Goucher has higher priorities than facilitating community, despite the dire need for it on campus. Community is not flourishing on campus and the decisions made seem to disregard any attempts to nourish it. Goucher often makes decisions based on money or the needs of the students, such as getting food, which are valid reasons, but at every turn, they seem to ignore our most crucial need: Community.

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.

You might be interested in

Getting to Know Towson! On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina 

by

On The Border Mexican Cantina and Grill may first come off as your standard college town restaurant, complete with a sports bar and cheap drinks. However, do not be fooled into thinking there’s a lack of quality here. This is a great alternative to the dining hall when you’re craving Tex-Mex, wanting to have a good meal before a movie at the Cinemark next door, or have a drink with friends. 

When you first sit down, you’ll always be given a round of tortilla chips on the house, along with their salsa roja, which is just the right amount of spicy to tantalize the taste buds, but not enough to make you sweat. You’ll be handed your menus, and right away you’ll notice their wide selection of options. 

Their From the Cantina section features an assortment of cocktails, draft beer, and non-alcoholic beverages. They also have another drinks page entirely dedicated to margaritas, which are their specialty, and can either be frozen or on the rocks. Most college-aged folk tend to go for their frozen margaritas, which range from 8.75 to 10 USD depending if you want the regular or grande size. Everyone I have ever known (me included) goes for the grande, as they are absolutely massive, taste great (especially for those like me who are picky with tequila), and can have shots of other spirits added to them for an additional charge. Oftentimes they’ll have a special seasonal grande drink which will lean cheaper, so look for any posters advertising them on your way in. If you’re looking to stay sober, or aren’t over 21, go for a virgin pina colada, a peach or mango iced tea, or a strawberry lemonade, which cost around $3.59. And for those who want the party at home, you can order a fiesta canteen for $12.59, which can contain 15-20 servings of either lemonade, iced tea, or margarita mix. 

(Source: On the Border San Diego)

As for the food, you can never go wrong with guac and queso to start. Both have just the right texture and are made in-house. If you want a hearty entree, go for something from the mesquite grill section. The grilled queso chicken with sliced avocado and sauteed veggies ($14.29), or their carne asada with Mexican rice ($19.99) are both incredibly popular options. The classic fajita platter ($19.49 to $21.59 depending on your meat) is also something to enjoy or even split with friends, which comes with a meat of your choice, pico de gallo, tortillas, cheese, Mexican rice and refried beans, all to assemble yourself into whatever delicious bite your heart desires. And as for their number one specialty, the Build Your Own Tex-Mex grill, where you can pick from two to four items, it’s a good way to save money and sample more items on the menu, but these items will be a smaller portion size. If you’re wanting the strength of two entrees, you’re going to have to get two.

(Source: Business Wire)

However, if there is one thing you should absolutely avoid here, it is their occasional crab specials. When trying the crab tostada and enchilada special, I noticed that the meat was very obviously frozen and then reheated, stringy, and had a distinctly fishy taste/smell. Not even the delicious queso in the enchilada could help it. But then again, most don’t go to a Mexican cantina for crab. Go to a seafood shack instead. Instead, get a shrimp skewer with your fajita entree for an extra five dollars, or just get the honey chipotle shrimp tacos. Or just any tacos, they’re all delicious, and you can get two for $12.30 or 3 for $14.30, which is less expensive.

When it comes to the service, On The Border always delivers. Servers are incredibly helpful, even when you ask how to be cost-effective. Food comes out in a reasonable amount of time, but if you order the giant margaritas or other frozen drinks, it may take a few extra minutes due to the size of the thing, and to get a glass depending on how busy it is that day. If you’re wanting to beat the crowd, go for lunch on a weekday. If you want it busy, go during happy hours (typically 3 to 6 P.M. Monday-Thursday). My personal recommendation: go before or after seeing a movie at the Cinemark theater next door. 

Overall, this place is a good escape from the confines of the dining hall, whether it be for snacks or a nice beverage. It’s also a lovely place to meet up with friends, spend time before a movie, or have a casual date. If you’re craving Mexican food, or maybe just guacamole and queso, On The Border is the restaurant for you.

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.

You might be interested in

Bathroom Break

by

Edition 04

Dorsey Center, Lower Floor: ★★★★1/2 

Dear reader,

It has long since been customary for one to require some sort of reading material to accompany them on particularly long trips to the loo. In decades passed, the frequent choice of entertainment was the daily paper. With the advent of the modern day telephone, that practice has faded into obscurity. However, it has become no less important for one to be educated in the variations of restroom quality, so that one can make the vanguard selection for location to do said business. With that in mind, we have taken it upon ourselves to present to you, dear reader, our rankings of the most proper, and the most horrid, of all the restrooms on this fine establishment’s property, so that you may have the best bathroom experience possible. 

This week, we look at the facilities located on the lower floor of the Dorsey Center. This depot is quite strange in several ways; as pictured above, within the corridor is a bizarre closet of sorts, and a shelving system where various accouterments are provided. The sinks are placed at a uniquely low height, as though they were perhaps intended for small children. However, the facilities are clean and well-stocked, and most important, secluded. Knowledge of these loos are sparse among the general population at Goucher, and this combined with the remote location and seclusion of this hallway provides a sublime feeling of privacy. A handicap bathroom is located a few feet down the hallway. Overall, the experience within these loos, while strange, is top notch – if not for the weirdness, we’d grant these full marks. 

On grounds of size, accessibility, cleanliness, and privacy, we rate the bathrooms in the Dorsey Center four and a half stars. 

By “Little John” Flusher

You might be interested in

Bathroom Break

  Edition 03 The Porta-Potties: ★★★ Dear reader, It has long since been customary for one to require some sort

Bathroom Break

Edition 02 Alcock First Floor: ★★★★ Dear reader, It has long since been customary for one to require some sort

Bathroom Break

Edition 01 Mary Fisher Lower Floor: ★★★1/2  Dear reader, It has long since been customary for one to require some

On Studying Abroad

by

How failure to meet expectations and lack of communication can sour a student’s perspective on global education.

As a prospective student, one of the things that drew me in about Goucher was the opportunity to broaden my perspective internationally. However, as an actual student, I found myself met with requirements that overshadowed the importance of a study abroad trip. 

Goucher College is one of three universities in the United States that are 100% study abroad required. One of this institutions’ selling points is the study abroad requirement, with the philosophy that “the global community of the 21st century demands that you have an international perspective.” It’s constantly advertised to prospective students, spoken of on tours, and pushed on the official Goucher website as giving students a special edge with “global experience.”

Despite this constant messaging of advantages and integrated education, many students feel this requirement can be isolating, and puts them at a disadvantage when it comes to graduating. A lot of this isolation stems from the financial barriers that a study abroad trip poses, and the gap in communication between administrative offices and the student body.

The study abroad page of Goucher College’s website claims to have an expert team of staff and faculty dedicated to supporting students in their study abroad planning. Despite these claims, the study abroad office has seen frequent turnovers in staff since 2019, these changes not being effectively related to students in a timely manner.

The person employed in that office during my study abroad quit while I was abroad, leaving me with no line of communication to Goucher during that time. Much of the information and experience within the study abroad office is not passed down among emerging faculty, as people in the past have left the office abruptly.

It can be jarring to start a journey whether it be financial, emotional, educational, etc. and have it go in a completely unanticipated direction. Many students may come to this institution with an understanding that they are required to study abroad, with the expectation of help and clear communication from those facilitating the experience.  

In addition to these emotional and financial barriers, COVID’s impact has harshened the idea of traveling abroad for many students as well. International travel can be a daunting experience, and it can be especially difficult to prioritize your health while navigating highly trafficked areas with people coming and going from different places.

With each Goucher student’s experiences and perspectives being unique, how can just one person be expected to curate the ideal global education for everyone? Since the foundation of this requirement, Goucher has evolved in more ways than one. Could it be time to reassess this requirement and whether the global experience outweighs the burdens students may take on?

You might be interested in

What if…?

by

By Rabbi Josh Snyder, Goucher College Hillel Director

Goucher, I love you guys – all of you.  There are so many times when my heart wells up with gratitude for being able to work and serve in such a thoughtful, eclectic, open community that I cherish. A defining characteristic of Goucher that I value is the transformation that happens here.  I decided to write this Op/Ed now – the first in my tenure as Hillel Director – because I think the way we engage with the topics of Israel and Palestine, and how that impacts our sense of safety and community at Goucher, requires transformation.

There is a repetitive pattern that occurs – a statement is made; polarizing posters and social media posts pop up; there is a reaction from a different viewpoint; the tension comes to a head at an event; the issue either returns to a simmer or boils over in an explosive way.   Looking around the country and the world I see where that leads with regards to antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab sentiment.  It leads to explicit hateful comments like “F– the Jews/Arabs”, harassment and belittling of students, threats of violence and actual physical violence.   It all must stop – no one should be living in fear because of who they are.

What if we found a way as a community to change the pattern? Can we talk together about this conflict without copying and pasting the conflict itself onto our campus? We might start by asking some of the following questions of ourselves and one another:

  1. What if we found a way to listen?

What would it look like if we assumed that each of us had good intentions? If we brought curiosity to the table instead of judgment?  If we asked more open-ended questions, and made less definitive statements? If we understood that there are more than two sides? That someone could be pro-Palestine and pro-Israel? Pro-Palestinian and/or pro-Israeli (i.e. pro people and not necessarily their governments?) Simply pro-human?

  1. What if we each took time to read different views than our own?

 There is a lot of disinformation – including overstatements, omissions, context switches and outright lies from all sides – when it comes to reporting on Israel-Palestine in general, and this war in particular. We also tend to find sources that bolster confirmation bias rather than giving different perspectives.  Analyze what you are reading and check sources, especially when a claim seems shocking and damning. Read news from multiple sources to get a fuller picture. 

  1. What if we all learned about potential biases that can arise, e.g. antisemitism?

Antisemitism shares much in common with other biases like racism, but some unique characteristics as well.  Among the hallmarks of antisemitism is a tendency to accuse Jews of having too much power – often through association with money or alleging a secret conspiracy for domination. In this way, antisemitism acts to arouse suspicion whenever Jews gather, build community or advocate, in ways that would not be applied to other identity groups.  There are also abiding myths, or tropes, about Jewish bloodthirstiness, greed, and disloyalty, along with denial or minimizing of Jewish suffering (e.g. Holocaust denial).  Like other biases, antisemitic ideas are often acquired subconsciously, and therefore are unacknowledged as being present. However, they are widely held and continually find new avenues of expression. 

Perhaps the most deeply held and harmful antisemitic belief is that antisemitism is Jews’ own fault. In other situations, we would call this victim blaming or gaslighting.  This belief is used to justify persistent antisemitic speech, and continually forces Jews to change who they are to be accepted. 

The 75 years since the Holocaust and the founding of the state of Israel have been an unprecedented period of relative peace for Jews – and it took an unprecedented genocide of ⅔ of European Jewry – 6 million Jews – for it to happen.  The Holocaust was the culmination of thousands of years of persecution, expulsion, forced conversion, and mass murder of the Jewish people.  Antisemitic incidents have surged worldwide since 2016 and have risen by at least 400% in the last month.

 Defeating antisemitism requires allyship from folks outside of the Jewish community.  Committing to fighting against antisemitism needs not and does not take away from the fight against other forms of bias.  It’s part and parcel of a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

  1. What if we understood where Zionism came from?

Zionism, as defined by its originators, is the political movement to establish a home for the Jewish people in our ancestral homeland, known variously over time as Zion, Canaan, Judea, Israel, and Palestine. Zionism as a political movement began in the late 1800s in response to rising antisemitism, with the goal of providing both a refuge and a creative center for the Jewish world.  However, the political movement built upon a consistent Jewish longing for return to the homeland where Jews once held sovereignty for more than a millennium prior to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70 CE, and where Jews have lived continuously since the time of the kings of Israel and Judah – at least 3000 years.  This longing has been expressed in daily prayer (e.g. “gather us from the four corners of the earth to our land”) and ritual (e.g. the Passover Seder’s ending refrain “next year in Jerusalem”) for 2000 years.  Love of Zion and connection to the land are inextricable from Judaism itself. Judaism is not just a faith – it is a culture refracted and diversified through the intersectional experiences of a multi-ethnic people.  The Jewish people is made up of Jews of all races and from many nations.  

Just as there are many kinds of Jews, there are many approaches to Zionism.  Zionism itself is not mutually exclusive with Palestinian national self-determination.  If someone is a Zionist, and/or an Israeli, it does not mean they unconditionally support the actions of the Israeli government.  Criticism of Israel’s government is legitimate, and it happens all the time within Israel itself and Jewish communities worldwide, including our own on campus.  

Sometimes the terms ‘Zionists’ and ‘Zionism’ are used in a pejorative way.  This verbal usage can be loaded with antisemitic tropes regarding money, control, greed, and power, and can be accompanied by imagery that echoes these tropes.  Thus ‘Zionist’ can be a socially acceptable stand-in for the word ‘Jew’, transferring the impact of antisemitism to Israel and its supporters.  Since this rhetoric perpetuates antisemitic ideas, it impacts all Jews, regardless of their stances towards Israel.

  1. What if … um, ok … what is Hillel?

Goucher Hillel is affiliated with Hillel International and is an agency of the Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.  We have been on campus for 25 years, though our roots go back to Jewish Student Associations and other campus-community partnerships that began in the 1920s.  Hillel programming is funded by voluntary donations from alums, parents, and community members, and is open to the entire Goucher community.  Hillel continually works to create collaborative programming with other identity and affinity groups on campus.  

Hillel International is the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, and the largest Jewish campus organization in the world.  Hillels serve students on 850 campuses all over the globe.  Hillel was, is, and will always be a space for all kinds of Jewish students — a place where they feel welcomed and included. Regarding Israel, Hillel as an organization supports the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.  However, every community member is welcome in Hillel regardless of their views on Israel and is welcome to express those views.  Our student leaders and staff have a wide variety of views on Israel, and we celebrate that.  

Our programming relating to Israel is multifaceted and pluralistic.  We seek to create a   nuanced understanding of Israel – including politics, culture, religion, and language –  via different voices and experiences.  We do not shy away from challenging conversations and critique of Israel’s policies.  Engaging with Israel is a central piece of who we are, but it’s not all that we are.   We focus on learning, Shabbat and holidays, service, wellness, and social events.  If you haven’t come to a Hillel program in the past, please know that you’re welcome, regardless of whether you’re Jewish or you’re not Jewish.  We’d love the chance to get to know you and for you to get to know us.

  1. What if…?

The current war raging between Israel and Hamas has already had an incalculable cost in lives lost among Palestinians and Israelis; Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze and others; young and old; civilian and military – each life a unique world lost and a tragedy all of its own.  In the coming weeks, there are likely to be more, and that feels gut-wrenching to anticipate.  Some of us have family members and friends we have lost, who are missing, or who are in harm’s way. It feels like we barely have time to acknowledge a loss before bracing for the next wave.  

There are other losses too – a sense of safety and normalcy; prolonged stress that affects health; isolation and depression.  This is hard to hold as we try to go about our everyday lives as students, faculty, and staff.   We want to bring justice, peace, freedom, and understanding to all involved.  On a day-to-day basis, one good thing we can do for ourselves and for each other is to express compassion – for ourselves, for one another, and for everyone affected by this war.  Uprooting bias and hatred of all forms is integral to living that compassion in action.

I believe that the only way to truly counter biases like racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and antisemitism is through awareness and education.  Two years ago, our Hillel staff and lay leaders took part in a yearlong training for Jewish communal leaders on fighting racism.  Our teacher, Yavilah McCoy, taught us about “oops”, “ouch” and the teachable moment.  Oops is recognizing our own blind spots, and that our words and actions may have hurt someone, even if we didn’t intend to.  It’s having the humility to admit that without defensiveness.  Ouch is calling out bias when it happens to us, and finding a way of letting that person know we have been hurt – this could be an interpersonal conversation, or it could be through a bias report to the Campus Climate Education Team.  Either way, it’s naming the act of bias, not condemning the person as irredeemable.  The teachable moment is understanding that education and interchange is the way that we can unlearn these learned biases.  

Having the humility to ask, listen, and learn is how we access the power to transform ourselves and our community.  What if we all used that power to make this campus a place where we all feel at home, every day?

 1 See Sources like The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)’s Brief History of Antisemitism, as well as Anti Semitism Uncovered: A Guide to Old Myths in a New Era; USHMM’s Christian Persecution of Jews over the Centuries; Berkeley’s Center for Jewish Studies Antisemitism Education Resources; and many more online and in print.* 

https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-records-dramatic-increase-us-antisemitic-incidents-following-oct-7

*Disclaimer: The source cited above has a distinctly pro-Israeli stance, and in that does not represent an unbiased definition or history of anti Semitism and Zionism. https://www.adl.org/about/adl-israel 

A direct definition of anti Semitism and Zionism can be found in Merriam-Webster Dictionaries official website “Anti-Semitism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-Semitism . Accessed 5 Nov. 2023.
“Zionism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Zionism.  Accessed 5 Nov. 2023.

Disclaimer: This piece was published as an op-ed submission from a Goucher community member. The Quindecim is a space for all 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.

You might be interested in

1 2 3 … 11
Go to Top