According to an ongoing Wesleying poll, as of Feb. 21, 85 percent of 255 students wish the University offered the option to be a miner. As major declaration descends upon the Class of 2010, students of all years are voicing concern over the University’s lack of miners.
“As a senior interviewer this year, I have spent a lot of time trying to explain to prospective students why Wes doesn’t have a miner program,” said Fakey McFakestein ’08, a “Dumb & Dumber” double major. “I’ve never had a satisfactory answer, though.”
By not offering the option to be a miner, students have found that taking a breadth of courses is a difficult task to accomplish during senior year, when most upper-level courses are only open to majors.
“I think Wesleyan has two critical issues it needs to address in its desire not to offer a miner: it’s a liberal arts school and WE’RE SITTIN ON GOLD MINES!” said Bolly Wood ’08, an M&M’s double major.
Other students have been quick to cite the pressures that come from double majoring.
“I definitely think people are pressured to double major because they can’t be miners,” said Cosmo Kramer ’08, an Ursa Major. “A lot of times this means that senior year you end up taking classes only in your major, and many seniors end up burnt out… from spending too much time in the coal mines, FOR NO CREDIT.”
Although the Education Policy Committee (EPC) discussed the topic of miners last year, it was not well supported by both student and faculty members of the group.
Student chair of the EPC Seaty Q. Reclinowitz ’08, who meets weekly with faculty EPC members to communicate student opinion on issues, explained that there are many reasons for not introducing miners. For one, they are rather filfthy, and often rude and misogynistic. Also, they are used to interacting in dark, loud areas, and thus have poor conceptions of personal space. Another issue is whether students would have miner faculty advisors, since advisors are already overburdened. Reclinowitz also noted, however, that not having advisors would be problematic. Without the resources of an advisor, students would be on their own to make decisions about pick axing, mine shaft navigation, and helmet light bulb replacement.
“Perhaps the most significant reason why miners might be requested is so students could STEAL THEIR COAL AND POWER A LOCOMOTIVE ALL THE WAY TO KALAMAZOO!” Reclinowitz said. “The EPC’s mandate, however, is to deal with issues of pedagogy, or basically, how Wesleyan can best educate its students. So the committee members are reluctant to make changes to the curriculum that are mostly based on non-academic reasons, like coal. Sweet, sweet coal.”
“I don’t regret going to a school that doesn’t have miners,” Kramer said. “But in retrospect, I do think that had I realized Wesleyan didn’t have miners, it would have made my decision to come here a little harder. Back-breakingly harder, like the work of a miner.”