Dear President Bergeron,
It has been nineteen days since Dean Rodmon King resigned in protest of your decision to hold a fundraising event at the Everglades Club, a historically and presently racist and antisemitic country club and, more broadly, your bullying of faculty and staff who work tirelessly to support the students of the College you represent. Since then, we have received minimal response from you and your administration. Rather than taking responsibility for your actions, you have chosen to distribute blame among your staff by weakly using “we.”
In the past two weeks, our faculty, students, and staff have shown that they represent a community of compassion and advocacy. They have spoken up for one another and reached out in vulnerable times. You, however, have shown that you do not share those values. The Connecticut College community is at odds with your behavior.
A leader takes responsibility for their actions and apologizes. A leader listens to their colleagues and collaborates with them in decision-making. Over the past few weeks, you have shown that you do not listen to your senior cabinet members, you intimidate your staff, and you do not prioritize the needs of the student body. We deserve better.
Throughout the history of Connecticut College, The College Voice has served as the voice of the student body. Our past editions, available in the archives, preserve the College’s long history of student activism and reveal the similarities between outdated structures and campus life today. We continue to stand by that mission and we will amplify the collective voice of the current student body throughout these protests. Over the past two weeks, we have been hard at work reporting and publishing articles that express the frustrations of the collective campus community. We ask that you listen, learn, and internalize the words of student journalists as we continue to cover the events unfolding on campus. We also ask that you encourage your colleagues on the Board of Trustees to do the same, in order to better educate themselves on the life of students at the school they represent.
We stand with the students of Connecticut College. We stand with Student Voices for Equity and their list of demands, including your resignation. We stand with faculty who have advised us in our academic endeavors and continue to support us beyond the classroom. We stand with staff who ensure our health and safety on this campus and who go above and beyond their job titles to support all students. Your “we” is weak and deflective; our “we” is strong and united.
We implore you to ask yourself: what kind of legacy do you wish to leave behind? Accept the calls for your resignation with grace. Take ownership and allow the student body to begin to heal. It is time for change. It is time for renewal. Most of all, it is time for equity.
Signed,
Members of The College Voice Editorial Board (alphabetically):
Fritz Baldauf, Sports Editor
Lauren Carey, Social Media Manager
Madeline Cho, Layout Editor
Catja Christensen, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Zoe Dubelier, Layout Editor
Lucie Englehardt, Managing Editor
Hannah Foley, Sports Editor
Grace Contreni Flynn, Opinions Editor
Ben Jorgensen-Duffy, Business Manager
Keri Krasnoff, News Editor
Jocelyn Lewis, Copy Editor
Robbie Lynch, Layout Editor
Caoimhe Markey, Arts Editor
Sam Maidenberg, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Sophie Mulvihill, Social Media Manager
Adrien Prouty, News Editor
Davi Schulman, Arts Editor
Ellie Wagner, Opinions Editor
Well done!