President declares college a sanctuary campus
On Thursday Dec. 1 President Bergeron detailed a list of steps the College will be taking as a sanctuary campus. Efforts pursued include providing immigration consultation on campus, establishing a fund to pay for potential legal proceedings, reaching out to higher education lobbies in Washington, D.C., committing to resisting requests to disclose information relating to immigration status of students, and expressing willingness to testify in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in Washington. The email came as an alteration to Bergeron’s Nov. 18 communication, which confirmed the College’s “steadfast” support for undocumented students but did declare the College a sanctuary campus.
Darcie Folsom, Stewart Smith, Antonio Jefferson to leave College; searches declared
Darcie Folsom, the Director of Sexual Assault Prevention and Advocacy will be leaving the College in June 2017 and will be joining the National Green Dot Organization in July. Folsom has received several accolades for developing the bystander intervention program at Conn.
Antonio Jefferson will be leaving his position as Director of Unity House to begin a doctoral program at the University of North Carolina in educational leadership. Along with his leadership at Unity House, Antonio has also taught several academic courses at the College, including a first year seminar, “Race and Power in Sports.”
Stewart Smith, Director of Campus Safety, will also be leaving the College. His departure comes at a time when many students have expressed significant concern about Campus Safety and their relation to the student body and the campus community. In response to these concerns, the College recently conducted an external review of Campus Safety and will begin a national search for a new director in the Spring.
Accident on Route 32 leads to DUI for student
On Tuesday Nov. 22, Route 32 was shut down for about five hours during the early morning after an accident involving a Connecticut College student took place. The student in question, a sophomore, hit an unidentified man on a scooter with their car, sending him to the hospital with serious injuries. Police charged the Connecticut College student with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
New London’s Hearing Youth Voices wins prestigious award
The New London organization won the Nellie Mae Education Foundation Youth Organizing Award, a $50,000 grant given to the most impactful youth group in New England. Members of Connecticut College, including Prof. Ariella Rotramel, have worked extensively with the organization. Hearing Youth Voices is led by high school students, many of whom have experienced obstacles in the path to graduation. They have brought change to New London public schools, including an overhaul of its attendance policy which focuses on support instead of punishment.
