BY ELIZABETH EDNIE, KELLY LEWIS AND JAKE ZABSKI
Associate Professor of Philosophy Megan Mitchell stood firmly on a picnic table with a bright red megaphone, reading off an unofficial list of faculty and staff members who have left the College in the last 18 months.
Some in the crowd of 300 at the SIA sponsored vigil, a mix of mostly students and some professors, staff, and faculty gasped as Mitchell, along with Karly O’Keefe, SIA representative, read the list of roughly 30 people from a wide range of departments.
Jenna Rohlman, a Senior said she was disheartened when she heard the amount of faculty who had left Stonehill.
“I heard names of people who made my time here at Stonehill so valuable. This college is nothing without the staff who care so much about the students here and put so much time and effort into their job. I, like everyone else, will be devastated to see that list continue to grow,” Rohlman said.
Several students were involved with the vigil, either giving speeches, helping set up, or supporting in the crowd.
Will Guan, a Junior and an international student, talked about his experience with the International Program.
Former Director of the International Program, Aliki Karagiannis, stepped down as the director in 2021, leaving the program to temporarily not have a director, a problem that arose with Guan.
“I felt hopeless that I could not find anyone to talk to because there was no one to report to,” Guan said.
Lauren Anhalt, a Junior, said she spoke at the rally because she had thoughts on this issue for months.
“I love Stonehill because of the faculty and staff,” Anhalt said in her speech. “Faculty and staff are real people who have their own needs, their own struggles, and the right to be treated with dignity.”
Anhalt said she was relieved to finally express her opinions out loud.
Gina Herosian, a Junior Elementary Education and Environmental Studies double major sat in a white adirondack chair in the back of the crowd, listening to all the speakers.
Herosian came to the vigil to listen to her professors’ experiences as well as wanting to get involved.
“I have empathy for professors who are struggling to make ends meet,” Herosian said.
Abby Guilfoyle, a Senior, helped to set up the event with her friends who are in SIA.
“I helped SIA set up the event and it was awesome seeing all the students and faculty gathering as it got closer to 1 p.m. A lot of work and prep went into this event and I really hope that administration listens to everyone that spoke and what it meant to have everyone gather there,” said Guilfoyle.
Other students said that hearing the unofficial list of faculty and staff members who have left the College was impactful in order to understand more of what has been happening in the past 18 months.
“It was definitely very impactful to hear all those names together. I was shocked at how many times I realized I truly had been impacted or shortchanged by the loss of different faculty members named,” Senior Emma Higgins said.
SIA is posting information on @stonehillsia on Instagram for the latest news and events relating to diversity and inclusion on campus.
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