There is a trend of endings and beginnings on campus. The senior class is on the cusp of graduation, while a new first-year class has sent in their acceptance letters. Fifteen professors are leaving through a combination of retirements and non-renewals, while, according to Jeffrey Trumbower, the dean of the college, four, possibly five, new faculty members are joining the campus community this fall.
In the wake of these endings and beginnings, what is the impact on St. Michael’s College, and what has liberal arts education done for us? We heard of “low morale” among the faculty amidst non-renewals, but reflect upon those retiring faculty members who helped hundreds of students learn, grow, and mature. While the college certainly feels a sense of loss each time a community member leaves, retires, or graduates, there is beauty in the fact that the spirit of St. Mike’s, one of kindness, empathy, and curiosity, remains.
In four years, we amass some 116 credits. We spend about 640 hours per semester on our courses (for some of us, even more). All the while, we participate in extracurriculars or hang out with friends who help us learn about ourselves and the world around us. The college is a training space for adulthood and the professional world. Its faculty and staff help guide students from wide-eyed first years to poised seniors. Essentially, it is here that we learn to think, for ourselves.
While the institution may be making changes to accommodate financial woes, the staff of The Defender is confident that so long as there is a St. Michael’s College, there will be a top-notch education available to students. All they need to do is say “yes.”

MADELINE CLARK
SENIOR EDITOR

Email mclark7@mail.smcvt.edu for
information on the contribution process.