What’s Happening to Haverford College?

By ETHAN LYNE, Staff Writer

We are witnessing before us a fundamental transformation to the character of Haverford College. Haverford’s demographics, buildings, and the general campus culture has been undergoing a massive change over the past decade, and the Haverford administration has been slow to communicate these changes and respond to the implications of these shifts.

The protests to prevent quorum at Fall Plenary and efforts to stop the ratification of the Honor Code this spring seem to reflect a deeper problem with Haverford College as a whole. While the Honor Code is absolutely in need of improvements, these demonstrations are also the most symbolic way of protesting broader problems that currently exist within the community.

Haverford has made an intentional effort this decade to include many more students from diverse backgrounds in the admitted classes, and it has had a positive impact on the campus as a whole. However, many of these students come from schools and communities that are very different from Haverford, and the transition to the culture on Haverford’s campus can be quite difficult and requires a broader array of resources. However, the administration has been slow to introduce these resources and reform the current system to adjust for this significant change in the student population. For example, LIFTFAR, an initiative to address, among other things, the financial needs of many low-income and first-generation students, was not launched until September 2017, and it is still in its formative stage of how best to assist the students.

With the gradual loss of de-facto traditions like climbing roofs, burrowing yourself in the depths of Magill to power through an essay, climbing the fence and jumping into the Faculty Pool, and jumping into the Duck Pond during Customs Week, there is a noticeable lack of unique Haverfordian customs. It’s clear that there were significant safety hazards associated with much of these and that many students chose not to participate. However, there has been little effort to replace these practices, and it has taken a toll on the demeanor of many Fords.

While Magill Library was not perfect, it was beloved by so many students and possessed a unique character symbolic of Haverford. With the closing of Magill for a year, if not longer, for a complete overhaul, many feel the same feeling as if a beloved friend had transferred or moved away to another state- it will still be still there in the future, but the connection just won’t be the same. While the construction of Tritton and Kim Halls, the transformation of both Ryan Gym and the DC Basement, and the overhaul of Sharpless have all benefited the campus, they exemplify a wide pattern of recent transformations of spaces across Haverford.

The loss of summer and study-abroad storage was yet another change to the campus life that may create a long-term benefit for the college and removes a significant legal liability from the administration, but was one of the special parts of Haverford that also took care of a financial and logistic burden that many students from outside the Northeast face here.

With the culture, buildings, and demographics changing, what defines Haverford? Students are left on their own to sort this out, as they also look to sort out their own lives. Oh, and try to figure out just what exactly is happening in our country too. That’s why a page devoted to memes has transformed into the primary idea exchange on this campus. Where else are we supposed to turn with our uncertainty, our questions, and our fears about the transformation of this college?

The proposition at Fall Plenary for the creation of a Day of Community Engagement seemed to be one possible method for answering these questions, and was unfortunately shot down due to logistical difficulties. Initiatives such as this one that bring together the student body to dedicate time and space to consider the health of Haverford College are an important step in the right direction to more conversations and action on problems here.

We can hope that Magill will retain some of the same character. We can hope that need-blind financial aid is re-implemented as soon as this moment of financial hardship for Haverford ends. We can hope that the next permanent president of Haverford College is not another white male. However, without a far more intentional effort by the Haverford administration to communicate with students, it will remain to be seen if this happens.