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Opinion - page 7

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Calder Brown and Dom McKinney

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Why I Recommend a Non-Goucher Study Abroad Experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jeff Castro Swears in as Student Government President

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For many people, the new year is an important symbol. It represents a fresh start, an opportunity to put the past behind us and hope that the upcoming term will be different. Better. I’m often reminded of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and motto of “hope and change.” 

Here at Goucher College, as finals are starting, and the days are growing colder, many are finding themselves struggling with the workload and the pressure put on students this time of year. The sun sets earlier and earlier. Through all of that fear, people are grasping for an anchor to hold on to. That’s where Jeff Castro and Olivia Reichardt come in. 

Castro and Reichardt were voted in as the new president and vice president of the Goucher Student Government a few days before Thanksgiving. Their duties officially started just one week later, when they attended their swearing-in ceremony on November 30. It was an understated affair on a dark and cold Wednesday night – there were no adults or officials in attendance, only a handful of students gathered as the newly-elected said their vows. As we waited for the ceremony to start, Castro and Reichardt made their rounds. 

Castro, who was dressed in a simple black suit with a crisp white shirt, greeted me with a warm, firm handshake. We chatted for a few minutes, amicable despite never having met before. Reichardt, in a casual green dress and heels, brought a camera, and kindly took photos of her own event, when she found out that no photographers from the Q would be able to attend. 

There were no speeches given, or introductions made. Rather, the two simply stood in front of the small group, Castro first, then Reichardt, and raised their right hands, as they made a solemn vow to uphold the Goucher constitution. They each promised to protect and preserve the values of the college, and in a matter of minutes, the ceremony was completed, and Goucher had a new student administration running. 

The next day, I sat down with the new leaders to discuss their plans for the school. The fall semester saw recursive complaints about the SGA, after many clubs lost funding early in the year, and a lack of communication left many students feeling disconnected from those in charge. 

For those who felt former President Ty’lor Schnella’s take-charge attitude had grown stale, Castro and Reichardt offer a sharp relief. 

They beat me to our rendezvous spot, and were chatting as I arrived. Each greeted me with a warm smile (and another firm handshake from Castro,) and they continued to chat as I set up for the interview. It was clear that the two were friends; they made small talk derived from follow-up questions to events that had previously been discussed; updates on tests and swim practices. As I started to ask them questions, they kindly turned that friendly attitude towards me. Hope and change indeed. 

Both have been interested in politics for a while, citing high school classes as the nexus moment that piqued their interest. For Castro, it was the AP Government class and for Reichardt, civics. 

As he took his class, Castro became interested in the topics he was learning, along with “all the things that come with that,” like volunteering on campaigns and helping people register to vote. At the same time as the class, he worked on a campaign for a small state race for Maryland Delegate. 

“I was chief field strategist,” he recalled, “so I was working fifty hours weekly coordinating volunteers, doing field work, running numbers.” 

I asked him if that work paid off with a win, and he laughed. 

“The delegate did not win. But I’m still proud of that race, because that runner was a nobody, and… still won 6,000 votes… with nothing but a collegiate field team.”

 Similarly, Reichardt came to Goucher to work in D.C., after her civics teacher introduced her to progressive news outlets when she was fifteen. After that, she said she “got into researching different ideas and backgrounds, and started figuring out my own beliefs, because they are different from my parents.” 

They both joined the Goucher SGA last spring. 

Then, in late September, the previous president was chatting with Castro about the upcoming elections. 

“I wasn’t trying to, like, poke the bear to get him to endorse me,” Castro emphasized, “Honestly, I wasn’t really considering it.” 

But once the suggestion was said, it made a lot of sense to him. 

“I was the only one in the past administration who isn’t graduating [in the spring],” Castro explained. 

Besides, he was “intrigued by not the grandiose parts of the job, like public speaking or being on the podium, but more putting my head down and working.” As the idea to run sat with him, he started to believe in it more and more. 

“I thought about it for, like, a week, and then I was committed,” Castro said. 

The first step was to find an excellent running mate. Reichardt was the head chair of the Ways and Means Committee at the time, which was, according to Castro, “the most active committee,” because it was in charge of handling all the finances. 

“She had experience and had knowledge of how to get things done in SGA… she was one of the first people who I asked to run with me,” Castro said. 

For Reichardt, at first the idea was “a little stressful and crazy,” but like Castro, “the more I thought about it, the more it made sense,” she explained, “I had already contemplated trying to move up in the future… It was just the right next step.”

The pair spent the next week in the office of student engagement with a whiteboard. 

“We spent hours making lists of who would be in the cabinet, on the board, what initiatives we could start with admin,” Castro recalled, “The board was just covered in arrows because there was so much that we wanted to get done.” 

Reichardt added that at first, the discussion was “very broad. We discussed key issues first, then logistics. The first step for us was to start with identifying problems.” 

When asked about what those issues are specifically, Castro’s eyes lit up. He proceeded to give me a list of over half a dozen topics his administration wants to focus on, including improving disability and accessibility services, improving facilities within residential halls, and making the offices of Campus Safety and Residential Life more connected with students. 

Reichardt summarized: “The two main focuses we have are, one, to improve student experience, and two, disability and accessibility.”

Tackling the issues within SGA is a different beast. The fall semester saw low involvement in SGA, and many of the changes enacted faced serious fallback from students. 

“It’s gonna be a big project to fix the internal dynamic and make it more efficient,” Reichardt said. 

Castro agreed, explaining that “there are no perks to keep [people involved] dedicated… There are lots of people in the forum, but not a lot showing up.” Luckily, as with everything else, the pair is already thinking of ideas for how to fix that issue. 

Obviously, the pair’s issue-oriented plan is important. But as a writer, the most important thing I noticed about these two is how substantially their attitude shifts my perception of the SGA. These two breathe a spark of new life into a largely dysfunctional organization. Castro and Reichardt’s easy friendship and casual, warm openness are enough to immediately set people at ease, and their passion towards the issues they are championing is relaxed, but focused. 

As the school careens into finals, and prepares to shut down for a long winter break, rest assured that pieces are already moving behind the scenes, setting the stage for improvements when we return. Hope and change; Reichardt and Castro deliver it, working to shine a warm light across the frosted Goucher campus. 

Feature image of Jeff Castro swearing in by Olivia Reichardt, edited by Reese Finnigan

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The 2022 Midterms: 18 to 29 Year Olds Showed Up in Large Numbers

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This past election day, youth voters turned out to the polls in great numbers; numbers that haven’t been seen many times before. According to Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), it is estimated that 27% of youth (ages 18 – 29) cast a ballot in 2022, which made this the midterm with the “second-highest youth voter turnout in almost three decades.”

It is also estimated that youth voter turnout was even higher in battleground states, such as Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin. 

Nina Kasinunas, Faculty Chair of Goucher’s Political Science Department, said that Goucher-specific data on voter turnout will not be available until next fall.


“The data we receive about Goucher student voter turnout comes from our participation in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, or NSLVE,” Kasinunas said, “the researchers with NSLVE will take out student data and match them to state voting records, which are publicly accessible. Because there are more than 1,100 colleges and universities who participate, it takes time.”

Feature image at top courtesy of pexels.com.

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Recap of the 2022 SGA Presidential Ticket Debate

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Jeff Castro ’24 and Hope Kamal ’24 took to the Hyman Forum stage for the SGA presidential ticket debate earlier today. The Quindecim attended the debate, and put together the following summary of where each candidate stands on major issues brought up. SGA elections will be held Friday, November 18.

Issues discussed from questions asked by moderator Elizabeth Bobo ’23, SGA Director of Student Organizations:

Background on each ticket:

Jeff is a junior double majoring in Economics and Political Science. He is the current SGA Treasurer and a goalkeeper on the men’s soccer team. His running mates are Olivia Reichardt ’25, Vice President, and Andrea Casique ’23, treasurer.

Hope is a junior majoring in Neuroscience with a pre-med concentration and double minoring in Creative Writing and Music. They are currently SGA Chief-of-Staff. Her running mate is Siham Mohamed ’24, Vice President.

Main goal during their administration, if elected:

Hope: Making Goucher more inclusive by upgrading accessibility services on campus and making minority groups included. Fix overall negative sentiments with how issues on campus are being handled.

Jeff: End the disconnect between various administrative offices on campus and the student body by assigning SGA officers to be liaisons to certain offices. Decrease response times for various services (i.e. FMS work orders).

Issues they view as most pressing to Goucher students:

Jeff: Equity and inclusion being implemented on campus. Marginalized groups have felt ignored by President Devereaux in his recent emails addressing antisemitism since issues against Black and Brown communities do not get as much attention from him. He said that these issues should be acknowledged.

Hope: The lack of accessibility should be tackled immediately. Mental health is a big issue that there is lots of talk but little action around. They aim to work with the Wellness Center, Counseling Center, and Office of Accessibility to limit burnout and fatigue among students, as well as allow excused absences for mental health reasons.

SGA President responsibilities, in their view:

Hope: Being president is a responsibility, not a power, and representing every member of the Goucher community is important. The president should be a link between students and administration, echoing students thoughts and needs and taking action when needed.

Jeff: The president is the “chief student representative,” acting as the middle person between students and administration. Being president is a privilege, and they need to know how students feel and be able to understand multiple perspectives.

The lack of school spirit and pride:

Hope: Students do not feel represented and that is why they do not feel pride. A culture of inclusivity needs to be cultivated. If elected, Hope would do this by having their door open to every student to voice their opinion and inviting alums for events, specifically people of color.

Jeff: School pride comes from traditions and events happening on campus, such as Soul Food Friday, the Winter Gala, and No Swipe Wednesday in the dining hall for commuters. If elected, Jeff would bring back old traditions such as these, and implement new traditions.

Experience working with current and former administration members:

Hope: They have held various jobs at Goucher, including SGA Chief-of-Staff, an SI, and Goucher Guide. Following controversy on the Gopher App, they hosted a community conversation attended by the college President and Rabbi. As an international student, they have worked with administrators in the international offices.

Jeff: His position as SGA treasurer has connected him with the Office of Student Engagement and various administration members. He has made SGA recognized within those offices.

How they would cultivate a cohesive environment where Goucher students of all backgrounds feel heard:

Jeff: Diversity at Goucher is what makes us Goucher and is one of the reasons he chose the school. In order to do their job, the president needs to know how people feel and provide a platform for every student’s voice to be heard.

Hope: Diversity is important and makes us stronger. Unity can come from normalizing cultural expression, such as showing up to class in one’s cultural dress or speaking non-English first languages in common spaces. Events where people share their cultural traditions with the community can unite people.

Being visible to students as SGA President:

Jeff: He is a commuter, but spends 12-14 hours a day on campus due to various commitments. Despite not having a meal plan and having to go without food at times, he loves being on campus and will be visible to students.

Hope: Cultivated a friendly, opening environment with their mentees as a Goucher Guide, and would aim to do the same as president. She values hearing opinions and having an open-door policy. Hope said they are an open, friendly person which something innate, and they enjoy being approachable.

Continuation of current SGA initiatives (menstrual products in bathrooms, textbook assistance programs, etc.)

Hope: Plans on continuing these initiatives from President Ty’lor Schnella. In her role as Chief-of-Staff, she supervised other officers and stepped into help when they were struggling.

Jeff: Plans to continue these initiatives and admires President Schnella’s work on these. He will make changes to existing services if needed and plans to offer more “wrap-around” services to eliminate financial barriers to student success (i.e. parking passes). He hopes to continue the textbook assistance program but require professors release syllabi prior to course registration to allow students enough time to apply for the program before classes start.

Each candidate was asked one specific question geared toward their previous extracurricular background.

Hope- What specifically was required in your previous role as Chief-of-Staff?

They supervised other positions, gaining knowledge on how various SGA offices function. She did scheduling for President Schnella, completed refills for the Flo (menstrual product) project, filled in for other offices when needed, and kept people on track with their responsibilities.

Jeff- How would you bridge the divide between athletes and non-athletes?

He believes the divide is unnecessary. As a member of the soccer team, he does not think being an athlete makes one student different from another. Having more campus-wide events would bring people together and unite the Goucher community.

Questions from the audience:

How do you plan on increasing communication between SGA and students?

Jeff: Revamping SGA’s social media and using it to raise awareness of events to better connect with students.

Hope: Remembering SGA is part of the student body as well, and being more honest and upfront with students. The president should be open to being approached on campus with questions and/or critiques.

In what specific ways do you plan on making the campus more accessible?

Jeff: Working with FMS to make sure spaces are better accommodating people with physical and/or mental disabilities (i.e. the new post office location).

Hope: Connect with people who need accessibility improvements and using their input to take action. Hold administrative offices accountable for solving issues of accessibility.

What are your plans to help commuters on Goucher’s campus?

Jeff: Fixing the commuter lounge, which is sometimes locked and does not have adequate seating arrangements. He said that being a commuter is very hard on this campus and he wants to offer more “wrap-around” services to help commuters access food while on campus.

Hope: They found commuting their sophomore year very difficult and wants to work with administration to solve this problem. She said that having temporary private rooms for commuters to nap or potentially stay over for one night would be beneficial, as well as offering more accommodating dining hall services for commuters.

There were no microphones at the debate due to technical difficulties, and as a result the Quindecim’s audio recording did not pick up the voices of those speaking. Therefore, we are unable to provide direct quotes, but the following article was put together with notes diligently taken by our Editor-in-Chief as the candidates were speaking. If either ticket feels they are misrepresented by these paraphrased statements, please contact us at quin@mail.goucher.edu.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written By Maryam Abdiruhman ’24

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Dom McKinney ’23

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

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“LAUNCH Program” Fizzles at Lift-Off

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

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

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

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

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

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

Duped by the Dining Hall

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Written By: Karen O’Brien

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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