THE ONYX, Vol. XXVII, Issue 1
October 5, 2005
Conviction, Betrayal & Sisterhood: The End of An Era
Meredith Burks ‘06
Staff Writer
“The Wells Board of Trustees has decided to admit women, as well as men in the academic year of 2005-2006.” [Announcement to the campus community by Alumnae Association President Carrie Bolton and Board Chair Steve Zabriskie one year ago.]
Heavy sobs muffled the closing of Steve Zabriskie's speech on October 2nd, 2004. For weeks before that day, hundreds of students put in hundreds of hours thinking about the possibility that their school might be forced to become co-educational, and how they might prevent it.
The moment the official announcement was made, almost 200 students stood up and took over the Macmillan lobby. 
The protesters had three demands that unless met by the trustees they would refuse to participate in classes, work, or take any part in representing Wells College. The three demands of the protesters were as follows: 1) Revoke the decision to go co-ed. 2) Hire a community-selected marketing firm that specializes in Higher Education and share the firm's results as they are shared with the board [of trustees]. 3) Implement a new policy of inclusive information sharing on campus. The acts of the protesters were not only a response to the decision to admit biological men, but also to the lack of information sharing between the administration and the rest of the community.
Many felt the decision had been made hastily and merely covered up the real internal problems of Wells College. Now that the co-ed decision has be fully set into motion, many returning students are having to face a whole new set of problems and fears. They fear that all of the things they said and sacrificed last year will be forgotten -- forgotten along with what has kept most of us here at Wells, sisterhood. Last fall many students felt threatened by the possible demolition of something that one cannot write about in a college pamphlet or see on a campus tour. The Wells Sisterhood can be an incredible force when it comes together. It is the unwritten promise to protect each other, to stand by each other as we take on personal and global battles. It can inspire change, sisterhood can help you find yourself capable of strength you never imagined you could possess.
That is not to say that the Save Our Sisterhood protest was not without faults. On the contrary, it was full of them. The protest was based on the assumption that Wells was a safe space for everyone. Yet many women of color expressed that issues regarding racism on campus were largely ignored or even considered completely non-existent. Anyone near the protest last fall they will remember the chant “Fix what we got. Don’t make us what were not!” This statement sums up the full aspirations of the SOS protest. The plea cried to try and fix the internal problems of Wells without adding more controversy.
While in Macmillan the students received threats of suspension, expulsion, and even arrests. 
The protesters remained strong together, and there they remained for over a week. Keeping each other going by singing, “We shall not be moved,” and “Thunder Thunderation we just want more information”. Letters from supporters all over the world rekindled inspiration; hunger was cured by donations from a local faction. Tears were shed, and voices were raised in frustration.
Students took many different actions to show their displeasure with the trustees’ decision. Besides taking over the Macmillan building students created a marketing plan that asked for Wells to remain single-sex for two years to see if a change in admissions’ marketing could boost enrollment. The traditional problem for Wells has been not convincing students to attend in the first place, but convincing them to stay and graduate. The tennis team forfeited a match against Russell-Sage that was scheduled to take place on the day following the decision, announcing that, rather than be a symbol of an institution that had just broken a 136-year tradition, they would rather forfeit to a team that they had beaten 9-0 previously in the same season. The captains and a few representatives from all the fall sports teams (soccer, field hockey, and tennis) met to try to agree on a plan of action.
There was discussion of an entire athletic department boycott. The reasoning behind this act would be that it would make a strong statement considering that the retention rate for student athletes is extremely high at Wells. In the end the decision was made that it would have to be a personal choice for each athlete. Although not every student felt that they could participate in the physical protest a petition was formed saying that they disagreed with the trustees’ decision that over 200 students signed.
Students who did feel at ease with the physical and visual protest tried several tactics. Some days were spent picketing and chanting, others were spent barricading the President’s and the admissions’ offices. Perhaps the most visually powerful act occurred on October 5th when approximately 50 protesters sat gagged with black cloth in complete silence to represent their voices being stifled by the administration, and how co-education silences women in the classroom.
On October 13, 2004 the National Day of Protest and Solidarity for Wells College was held. Students at Cottey College, a two-year women’s college in Nevada, MO organized the day. Supporters from all over the world sent messages that they would be participating in the candle light vigil.
Eventually as visible numbers of the protesters declined, and the students who were capable made arrangements to transfer, talk of the future of traditions and sisterhood began to circulate.
The changes that were to be made did not end with the admittance of males. New sports were to be created, new computers to be installed, and new desks to replaced the ones that may have been put in by Henry Wells himself. Many returning students felt that the long overdue improvements were specifically to welcome the first co-ed classes of Well College. Students wondered if Wells could have remained a single sex institution if these necessary improvements had been made years ago.
A problem that some students had was that they were being told that going co-ed would be the only way for Wells to survive, yet the study that apparently proved this theory was kept from protesters. Many students wanted to have all the information surrounding the trustees’ decision to be able to come to their own conclusions. When their requests were denied and they were offered only hand selected slides this aroused suspicion around the marketing firm’s findings.
Now that the semester has begun the consensus seems to be that thus far it has been a smooth transition. Many first year students know vaguely what occurred almost a year ago. For those of you who were here, do not be afraid to share what you went through with those students who only heard through the press what was happening here. The first-year students know that there is a strong community here, and it is up to us to keep the kinship and support system strong.
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THE ONYX, Volume 27, Issue 2
10 November 2005
One year later, Collegiate remembers Wells
Sarah Alexander, Co-editor
The sun glistens on the lake as it has a thousand days before, perched in anticipation of sunset. In front of Macmillan a crowd of about 75 onlookers gathers upon the stone steps to attend an event Collegiate has organized to remember the Board of Trustees October 2, 2004 decision to change Wells College into a coeducational institution.
Last year the front steps were covered in chalk, posters, pajama clad Wells women fighting to keep their college what it was to them. The lawn was crammed with dozens of tents and Macmillan was full of anger, hurt and sadness as students gave their all in a fruitless fight. One year later, some remember that fight.
On October 2, 2005 Wells is a much different place than just one year ago. Wells is a coeducational college. Wells women are joined with Wells men in their remembrance. Before anyone speaks the space is still. Students wipe tears from their cheeks, others let them stream down their faces.
Many students also chose not to attend. Sarah Waugh '07 explained, "I just couldn't get myself to go to the coed 'remembrance' ceremony. All that I fought for and all the hurt past and present being condensed into a couple hour ordeal."
The space is not safe and comforting. Security guards patrol the scene of distraught students, under strict orders to escort any alumnae spotted off campus -- off of the place that was once their home. Members of Collegiate were also asked to sign a contract promising to report any alumnae to the security guards.
The event begins with Appointed singing gospel songs. After this, Holly Davidson ‘72 and Tica Barr ‘68 stand at the front of the group and offer words of advice and tell stories about Wells from their better days at the college.
Pausing for tears, they make their way through their stories. Tica’s mother, a Wells alumna, told her to choose any college she wanted, then went into the kitchen and began to sing the Wells alma mater. Holly tells tales of hitchhiking on Route 90 to the liquor store and of lifelong friendships with her Wells sisters.
The students then proceed down to the lake. Perhaps the students could not be trusted to look both ways as a campus safety vehicle is parked across the center of the road with its lights flashing. The students gather in a new tradition, picking up rocks from the shore and taking them to the newly constructed cement dock. Students are instructed to make a wish and throw their rocks into the cool fall water. Many oblige, some sit on the shore and a few merely jump in.
Following the throwing of the rocks, the newly coed Henry’s VIII sing, then the students return from the lake up the green hill of Main and under the Sycamore tree, which is draped with black ribbon. They proceed to Faculty Parlors where the Whirligigs perform and the students enjoy pizza as they watch a slideshow of Wells memories.
Caitlin Pratt ‘08 attended the event in attempt to lift her spirits about the coed decision. “It wasn’t a commemoration, it felt like a final goodbye,” she stated, “I wanted help through the extremely hasty transition and being told that I just have to embrace this and move forward wasn’t a good enough answer for me. I wanted to know that the things that made me fall in love with Wells -- which are also the things that made me decide to stay -- were not going to be forgotten, but they seem to be slipping away every day. The upperclass women were thrown into the ring not knowing what to expect from this year and I think it has a lot of people sad, confused, and angry.”
As Wells progresses through this epimorphic phase, the shadows of not just last years struggle but all that Wells was still lurks within the students and the communities, the spirit is changing too. A conscious transition could help contain what seems to be slipping away. Now the challenge lies in the hands of those students who do know Wells for what it was to keep telling stories, embodying the Wells they remember. Time will show what will become of the small college by the big lake where dreams now rest in rocks on its floor.
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This letter was published in the Onyx, the student newspaper of Wells College. Similar letters were printed to the editor and on the advice page of the same issue. None of these other letters expressed sentiments contrary to those found below.
THE ONYX, March 2005 (Issue 4, Volume 26)
To whom it may concern:
For a while, I stopped being involved in the protest efforts. I was exhausted, disheartened, and needed some time to think. Part of it was when we were kicked out of Macmillan, and I went through the entire building taking students’ belongings out. We were only allowed in the building one or two at a time, so we wouldn’t take it over again. Dean Van Vechten or a security guard had to escort us. It was humiliating,and disheartening, and depressing. I was also really mad at people for leaving their trash and belongings everywhere outside for so long. I know they were trying to make a statement, but buildings and grounds shouldn’t have had to clean it up.
I wasn’t involved the lawsuit. I didn’t cry for a long time. Then when I was at home for J-term, I came across the letter that President Ryerson sent our families after the decision was made. Everything came rushing back…the anger, the sadness…everything. Not that I’d forgotten; I had just put it in the back of my mind.
I am so sick of every person that I converse with outside the bubble asking why I don’t want men here. Or telling me that I am perpetuating discrimination. That in the REAL world, I have to interact with men. How can I explain that I am not a man-hater, I just value my women’s education? I value being able to walk back to my room at three in the morning and not worry about getting raped. I value being able to hold positions of leadership. Frankly, the real world is a nasty place. If I can escape the real world to have a happy four years in my single sex environment, why is that wrong? I’ve only become stronger and more confident since being here. And I know it would have been a completely different experience had I attended a coeducational institution.
Even more frustrating is the administration’s attempt at ignoring what they have done to our campus. Every club and organization are disasters. The Onyx can’t get staff writers, no one goes to Sex Collective, we’ve had only two or three dances since September…people are discouraged. What is the point of putting our hearts into organizations that are forever different? No one wants to think about how the organizations will change next year. Mission statements have to be re-written. The Editorial Board of the Onyx is really the only thing holding it together at all. It is frustrating going to meetings and writing more than my share because no one wants to be involved anymore. We can’t do it ourselves, but can’t blame students for not wanting to be involved. I’m so discouraged.
It angers me how Spring Convocation had such apathetic showing. My friends told me they weren’t going because they knew it would be all about coeducation, and they were right. We got a whole speech about how great women’s education is, and then basically that we need to face the changes. And then we sang the alma mater. Thy daughters ever sing? I think not. So are we going to have to change the alma mater to accommodate the men next year?
I still don’t understand why the decision had to be implemented so soon. Selfish, maybe…but it is NOT fair that my class (2006) is completely screwed. The freshmen and sophomores can transfer, and the seniors are graduating. We have no choice. The board of trustees has trapped us here. I detest the board of trustees and administration for doing this to us. Honestly, would it have been that much harder to just wait a few years to carry out the decision?
They were sneaky, and the prospective students (now the class of 2008) were deceived by not being told about the discussions that the rest of campus were having in Spring 2004. Wells’ marketing is awful. How do you think that the massive number of applicants heard about us? I’m sure that the international press from the protest had the most to do with it. Why couldn’t Wells have improved their marketing, while planning to go coed in a few years?
Perhaps certain readers of this letter will think I’m just being ‘hysterical.’ God forbid I have strong feelings about myself, my residents, my fellow current students, my alumnae friends, and my school. I know you have heard most of this before. But I’m not going to be silent anymore.
I am not okay. Wells is not okay. The administration can keep turning a blind eye, but it’s important that we continue to speak up and say how we feel.
-Rachel Porter
Class of 2006
