Staff Editorial: Contact shouldn't stop between terms
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Opinions
In light of the recent incidences of arson in the city of Northampton and the student body's general unawareness of the events, the Sophian agrees that college administration should better inform students of what is happening when they are not physically on campus.
The community was severely shaken up after the early morning events of Dec. 27 and students would have been too, no matter where they were at the time. Despite the national news coverage of these 15 fires, Smith students were not at all directly notified of the arsons.
Not everyone has their Web browser's homepage set to the Grécourt Gate, and other official forms of communication over break were unarguably poor. When an event of such magnitude occurs in the greater Northampton community, it should be the college's responsibility to inform students of the matter.
When students are away by the masses, the college seems to hit the brakes on communication and action. The American flag was not lowered until Jan. 25 in memory of the Haitian earthquake victims - a full 13 days late. This is inexcusable, especially considering that two Smith alumnae were killed in the Jan. 12 quake.
Events occurring in Northampton and on campus are still relevant when we, the students, are not here. Valuable members of any community need to be informed, and Smith is not a self-contained bubble.
By failing to keep us in the loop, the administrative silence seemed to imply that we are only part of the community during the semesters, but not when we temporarily leave campus. Neglecting to inform the Smith population of events that directly affect them assumes that we are not an integral part of the larger Pioneer Valley community. This is patently untrue and has been demonstrated time and again by extremely close ties between Northampton and Smith students.
Furthermore, the delay to publicly respond to the earthquakes in Haiti makes Smith look as though this institution simply does not exist in the spaces between semesters.
If Smith so prides itself on our extensive network of alumnae due to an increased community identity, they should be sure to cultivate and represent that community between sessions.
The community was severely shaken up after the early morning events of Dec. 27 and students would have been too, no matter where they were at the time. Despite the national news coverage of these 15 fires, Smith students were not at all directly notified of the arsons.
Not everyone has their Web browser's homepage set to the Grécourt Gate, and other official forms of communication over break were unarguably poor. When an event of such magnitude occurs in the greater Northampton community, it should be the college's responsibility to inform students of the matter.
When students are away by the masses, the college seems to hit the brakes on communication and action. The American flag was not lowered until Jan. 25 in memory of the Haitian earthquake victims - a full 13 days late. This is inexcusable, especially considering that two Smith alumnae were killed in the Jan. 12 quake.
Events occurring in Northampton and on campus are still relevant when we, the students, are not here. Valuable members of any community need to be informed, and Smith is not a self-contained bubble.
By failing to keep us in the loop, the administrative silence seemed to imply that we are only part of the community during the semesters, but not when we temporarily leave campus. Neglecting to inform the Smith population of events that directly affect them assumes that we are not an integral part of the larger Pioneer Valley community. This is patently untrue and has been demonstrated time and again by extremely close ties between Northampton and Smith students.
Furthermore, the delay to publicly respond to the earthquakes in Haiti makes Smith look as though this institution simply does not exist in the spaces between semesters.
If Smith so prides itself on our extensive network of alumnae due to an increased community identity, they should be sure to cultivate and represent that community between sessions.
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