In less than two weeks, finals will be over, on-campus housing closed, and the 2007-2008 academic year will come to an end. It’s been a year filled with complex and challenging issues: from contentious negotiations between union workers and the administration to controversial reflections on student life from our new president. To each, the students have largely responded with passion and persistence, making their voices heard through continuous effort and dedication. Surely, summer vacation exists to provide a break, a time to rest and recharge before plunging back into the academic and extracurricular whirlwind come fall.
There’s a difference, though, between taking a necessary (and temporary) step back from University life and tuning out issues so many individuals commit themselves to from September through May, issues that will develop over the summer regardless of student presence. Contract negotiations between the Physical Plant workers’ union and the administration will continue. Student orientation leaders and administrators plan to reevaluate the premise of Foss Cross. Beyond the immediate confines of the University, the controversial acquittals in the Sean Bell case and their larger social implications will most likely result in further discussions and demonstrations throughout the summer similar to those seen in Usdan yesterday.
We concede that it is difficult to remain fully engaged with University concerns during the summer months. Physical distance from campus combined with the potential loss of senior leadership can lead even the most vocal student group to lose focus and drive. But issues that held the attention of so many during the academic year deserve our continued engagement. The Internet and student-run blogs like Wesleying can provide forums for geographically separated individuals to communicate ideas and publicize updates. Student groups sending mass e-mails to administrators both remind officials of continued interest in key issues and force group members to actively consider the message they’re sending to the University. And before the semester officially comes to a close, groups should take the time to communicate summertime goals, with graduating seniors clearly passing the torch to underclassmen.
It’s been an eventful and productive semester, Wesleyan. Let’s not turn down the heat because the temperature is rising.
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