Category Archives: Haverford

Haverford, Sports

Let the Good Times Roll for the Fords

By Pat O’Shea, Sports Writer

Ladies and gentlemen, the Haverford women’s basketball team is on a roll. With a victory this past Tuesday night against their rival Bryn Mawr,  the Fords secured their ninth victory in a row, surpassing the previous record of eight consecutive victories. After a hard-fought road loss to Ursinus College on Thursday, the Fords are now 13-5, and 10-3 in Centennial Conference play. After winning 12 of their past 14 games dating back to November, the Fords are in first place in the conference—one game ahead of second-place Gettysburg—as they get set to take on third-place Dickinson today at home with tip-off set at 1:00PM.

The Fords’ streak was no fluke. The team is ranked third in the conference in field goal percentage (38.3%), first in free throw attempts (72.9%), as well as first in blocks per game (5.7). Combine these offensive statistics with the fact that they hold their opponents to a league low 31.5% field goal percentage, and it is no wonder that the Fords are enjoying their best season since the 2013-2014 season, when they won the Centennial Conference Championship.

While the Fords have displayed the importance of playing “team first” basketball in recent weeks, Sierra Berkel ’18 is in the top ten of the conference in three offensive categories: ninth in points per game (12.4), fifth in rebounds per game (8.8), and fourth in field goal percentage (49.7%). Samantha Wetzel ’18 also has dominated the boards, averaging 9.1 rebounds per game this season, good for third in the Centennial Conference, and she also has 54 blocks for this season, second highest in the conference. During the record-breaking win at Bryn Mawr on Tuesday night, Wetzel ’18 also cemented her place in the Haverford record books by blocking the 161st block of her collegiate career, setting a new program record. Sophomore Macy Goldbach has also been integral part of the team’s success averaging 11.7 PPG this season.

Haverford has presented their opponents with the difficult dilemma of deciding which player to focus their defensive efforts on as the Fords have multiple players on the court that can score at will. The Fords feature an extremely deep lineup that includes seven players that average more than 17 minutes per game, ensuring that the team can stay fresh until “winning time” late in games. This formula has definitely worked thus far, and they are playing at a level that suggests Haverford will be playing basketball games into the conference playoffs in late February.

Today, in Calvin Gooding ’84 Arena, the Haverford women’s basketball team will play at 1:00PM as they look to continue their impressive season with an important match-up against the Dickinson Red Devils.

Photo courtesy of Megan Furch

Arts, Features, Haverford

Spotlight on Creativity: “The Coyote File” Unshelved

By Chloe Lindeman, Co-Editor-in-Chief

When was the last time you wrote or created something that really made you proud? For Alex Brooks (HC ’17), that moment is now — but it’s been in the works for more than four years.

This Thursday, Brooks, a political science and Russian double major, is releasing the prologue to The Coyote Files, a digital article series he started during high school. It tells the story of the US and Russia fifty years in the future through the eyes of four different characters.

The Bi-College News sat down with the political science and Russian double major to hear what the process has been like for him. Here’s what he had to say:

 

Did you always know it was going to be a Russia-US story?

Not really … I wanted Russian characters in the story, because this was around the same time I was visiting Russia, participating in Russian programs and stuff. Russia’s a fascinating place, and it has a fascinating history, and so why not have some of it take place in Russia? It’s also a part of the world I understand more than I understand other places … I think the big caveat on what I’m writing is, this is my perspective. I don’t know everything about Russia; this is based on what I know and my experience and what thoughts I have personally.

Did you think a lot about it while you were studying abroad in Russia?

I did. It was hard for me to talk about exactly what it was about. I was trying to actually work on it in Russia. It was a lot harder to work on it in Russia because I was thinking in Russian and my ability to write in Russian is not as good … We had grammar class, and I was just tired of grammar exercises, so I would try to see if I could write a short story to use the grammar. Honestly, the idea didn’t work that well, but at least I got to explore what I could write in Russian.

You’ve been working on this for four years. Have things changed?

I’ve changed a lot; the story’s changed a lot, too. It’s nothing like whatever I was working on at first … I overhauled the story and completely scrapped everything I was doing and started from scratch at least five different times. I’ve written lots and lots of drafts. For every overhaul, I’ve written a draft of something … I did a lot of deleting stuff like crazy, especially if I learned something new and I’d realize that this element of something that I’d think is really important is not in the story at all; it’s time to change it. Or I’d discover I’m wrong about one sort of thing. Or I’d learn something new and I’d really want to work with that. But now I think … it’s ready now.

Was there ever a time when you thought about scrapping the project and doing something totally different?

I mean, not really. It’s weird because it’s something that’s stuck over the past few years, and there are times when I’m not working on it as much. I guess there are times when I have doubts. Like serious, serious doubts. And I’m wondering whether I’m going to do anything or whether it’s a waste of time or something. That’s definitely a thing, that’s happened multiple times. But ultimately, this is something I’m passionate about. I really like writing … at this point, I have the story; I just need to put it out there.

 

Brooks didn’t say much about the background of the story itself since the prologue is the background. He did note that among the characters are Allison King, “the daughter, basically, of the Bill Gates of their time;” Andrei Volodin, “who runs Kremlin Corp. … [which is] an arms corporation;” and Bagha, a “cybernetic soldier.”

“I’m starting with Trump and Putin … the prologue starts in 2020, so it’s not like now, and of course it hasn’t happened, but it’s foreseeable,” said Brooks.

You can read the prologue at www.thecoyotefile.com any time after its release tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 25, at midnight.

Haverford

Emmy Award-Winning Filmmaker Josh Fox Talks at Haverford

By Sophie Webb, Features Editor

Oscar-nominated writer and director Josh Fox joined students, faculty and community members on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at Haverford College for a screening of his newest film How to Let Go of the World and Love All The Things Climate Can’t Change and a follow-up Q&A discussion.

Fox is the writer and director of the film GasLand, parts one and two, and he directed a documentary about fracking, a method of extracting oil and gas from the earth. Fox considers himself an environmental activist and is an outspoken critic of fracking. He has been to Standing Rock to protest the North Dakota Access Pipeline, and he uses his skills as a playwright, director and filmmaker to create movies that educate people about climate change and inspire viewers to get involved.

Fox’s latest film follows his journey around the world as he interacts with different communities affected by climate change and gathers footage for his film. For two hours and seven minutes, the audience was given a raw and emotional look into the effects of climate change on people and communities across the globe. The film was personal, attaching human faces to abstract concepts by following community leaders and changemakers, and it showed the audience what climate change looks like. At the same time, it drove home the message that we can’t control and fix everything and emphasized that “it’s time to celebrate life and love.”

The Q&A following the screening was lively and constructive. Fox fielded questions from the audience and offered his own thoughts and opinions. He spoke passionately not just about his film and his work, but also about the current political climate.

“We are having an incredibly participatory moment … I want to see people in the streets all the time, it’s just — more fun that way.” As Fox spoke and engaged with the audience, he deliberately connected what he was talking about to the Haverford community. He drew attention to a student in the room who is part of the club Haverfordians for a Livable Future, giving her the opportunity to explain the club’s activities and ask members of the audience to attend the next meeting. The Q&A lasted almost an hour, covering an array of topics, and ended with Fox’s reminder to the audience that it is important to find ways to be socially involved and engaged, but that it is just as important to do what you love.

From the print edition published Dec. 7, 2016

Haverford

Postcards from Abroad: Oxford, England

By Caleb Mayer, Contributing Writer

In my entire life as a student, I’ve never been in a class with more than 40 people, so walking into the L1 Lecture Theatre at the Mathematical Institute at Oxford was a little intimidating. The room holds about 360 people at full capacity, and on the first day of term it seemed like almost every seat was filled. Throw in the fact that I didn’t know a single person in the class, and my decision to find an empty seat as far away from the lecturer (and everyone else) as possible might be a little more understandable.

My initial intimidation, not only about the class size but also in reaction to the whole study abroad experience, seems  silly now that I’ve met some other students and grown used to the surroundings. I’m still occasionally surprised by some obvious differences from Haverford: for example, that a student can keep his hand raised for almost the entire lecture and still never get to ask his question, or when I get to class five minutes late and realize that I can no longer rely on Havertime. At the same time, my experience in England has been very similar  to my life at Haverford in more ways than I originally expected. I’m on the tennis team at Haverford, and I had the opportunity to continue playing on a competitive team while abroad. And academically, the huge lectures here are balanced out by a tutorial system in which I’m able to interact with the instructors on a more personal level, which certainly feels much more like what I’m used to at Haverford.

Overall, I definitely feel like my first term abroad has been a worthwhile experience. And I’m sure my time in England will make me appreciate Haverford’s small class sizes, individual attention and collaborative atmosphere (not to mention Havertime!) even more than I have in the past.

From the print edition published Dec. 7, 2016

Haverford

Student, Entrepreneur—Why not Both?

By Nathan Sokolic, Contributing Writer

Over the last several years, I have engaged in activities, projects and businesses that some would consider to be “entrepreneurial.” But what does that really mean? Is there some sort of checklist that one should cross off in order to reach “entrepreneur” status?

If there were such a list, I would imagine it would look something like this:

  •         Gregarious tech entrepreneur with a billion dollar goal
  •         Student—and subsequent drop out—at some prestigious academic institution
  •         Silicon Valley. Where else?

The more I think about the stereotypical definition of an entrepreneur, the less I feel I fill this mold. So where do I fit in? How do I fit in? Does not having a clear career path mapped out when I visit my grandmother over winter break automatically make me the grandchild who got lost somewhere along the way?

While I am hopeful that my grandmother will continue to love me regardless of my career choice, the question of my role as an entrepreneur fills my head on a daily basis. So: what’s next and where do I go now? For me, that is the exciting part. I have little to no idea. The word “entrepreneur” stems from the French, translating into “adventurer”—and there really is no better way to live than to take new projects as they come along. This does not mean you have to create the next Google or Facebook. Instead, it suggests that you should always be looking to optimize and innovate the existing systems around you based on your interests and passions, regardless of the social, political or professional field you enter.

Understanding what it means to be an entrepreneur is not something that one can learn in a classroom, hear from a lecture, or read in a book; rather, it is one’s willingness to think carefully and thoroughly about a problem and have the courage to implement an actionable solution to that problem. Now, if you don’t think you could ever be an “entrepreneur,” think again. A person’s ability to innovate is determined by themselves, and no one else. But it is never that easy, is it?

As an entrepreneur, you now face the constant struggle and pressure of balancing this little thing called life.  Your life now consists of innovating, making time to get your work done for class, reassuring your friends you still like them even though you have less time to hang out, making time to go lift (and then spending the majority of your time stretching and convincing yourself you did exercise). With all of that in mind, is it really worth it?

The truthful and honest answer is: YES! It absolutely is, but only if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and take a strategically calculated risk. As it stands, that risk is often still too much for the average college student. What if there were a way to provide students the opportunity to innovate with institutionalized support from the College’s administration?

My hope is to make the Haverford Innovation Platform (HIP) a part of that solution. The platform exists to aid in the development of young innovators so the balance between academic, social and entrepreneurial facets of life are manageable, allowing students to effectively engage in both their studies and the projects they are passionate about. I understand firsthand the everyday challenges for being a student innovator, which is why in designing this program we put an emphasis on creating a program that strategically complements the strenuous student lifestyle. HIP has the potential to inspire students and give them the tools to not only make a change, but to be the change.

Haverford College consists of some of the brightest student minds in the world, and by encouraging students to emerge as innovators and leaders, this platform will promote individual and community growth starting right here on Haverford’s campus.

From the print edition published on Oct. 5, 2016

Haverford, Sports

Haverford Men’s Soccer Update

By Pat O’Shea, Contributing Writer

Drake’s lyrics blast from the speakers of Historic Walton Field on a damp Saturday afternoon. The sun has not broken through the clouds in days, but the future of the Haverford men’s soccer program could not be brighter.

The Fords are seeking back-to-back Centennial Conference titles for the first time in program history. Leading the way are ten members of the team—Sam Miller, Chris Gibson, Gabe Oppler, Will Corkery, Tejan Walcott, Mason Bracker, Matthew Clausen, Maclyn Willigan, Jaimon Olmstead and John Kerber—that have all played a role in the Fords’ rise to prominence.

The senior class has been a part of two regular season conference titles (2013, 2015) and the 2015 conference championship campaign. Senior Co-Captain Maclyn Willigan says the team’s goals for this year are to be “Centennial Conference Champions again… After that, being able to seed highly enough to host NCAA games on Walton would be huge for the program.”

Willigan is not far off when he says that home-field advantage would benefit the Fords. Since the beginning of last season, the Fords have lost just two games at home—both in overtime and both to non-conference opponents. Including their win against Gettysburg this past Saturday, Haverford has now won 14 straight games against Conference opponents in the regular season at Walton Field. Senior goalkeeper John Kerber attributes this winning streak to the fact that “taking every week in isolation and focusing on going 2-0 [each week] can build on itself over time. Nobody talks about the streak because we’re all focused on the smaller tasks at hand.”

Coach Shane Rineer and the senior class seem to have a particularly special relationship. Maclyn Willigan touches on this relationship and explains he “wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s been especially meaningful to us because we were [Rineer’s] first full recruiting class, and we’ve seen him grow over the years into a real mentor.” The seniors are now 47-17- 4 over the course of their careers and have a chance to pick up win number 50 for their careers in the coming weeks. When asked about having their 50th win in sight, Willigan said “winning 50 games as a class is definitely a huge accomplishment, and will certainly be something to look forward to. None of the work we put in is easy, and it’s nice when it pays off long-term. This senior class is a special group, and I couldn’t be happier with the way our four years have panned out in the grand scheme.”

This team has done more than just win games. They have dominated the conference and put Haverford College on the map for men’s soccer. While doing this, their seniors have climbed the all-time ranks in many categories of the program’s record book:

  • Matthew Clausen ranks 14th all-time with 0.73 Shots on Goal per game in a shortened career (did not play in 2015).
  • Will Corkery ranks 12th in program history with eight game-winning goals, tied for second all-time with three made penalty kicks. Corkery was also named to the First-Team D3Soccer.com All-American team in 2015, as well as being named the 2015 Centennial Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player.
  • Goalkeeper Sam Miller is currently tied for first place with 39 career wins in net, second place in goals against average (0.96), and eighth in program history with 213 saves.
  • Tejan Walcott ranks third in men’s soccer history with 69 shots on goal and fifth in program history with 1.03 shots on goal per game.

Gabe Oppler believes the fact that this is “the closest team that [he has] been a part of” is the reason for the team’s success. Kerber also believes that the “team chemistry is great, everyone brings their own personality to the group.” This chemistry has definitely lead to wins on the field, and is likely to lead to wins in the recruiting phase of the game as well. “The future [of the program] definitely does look bright,” said Willigan. He believes the class of 2017 “will leave Haverford soccer better than [they] found it, which means a lot for incoming prospective students.” Willigan is hopeful that, for years to come, students who want a great education and top competition won’t pass up Haverford.

While this year’s seniors acknowledge the success that they have had the past few years, they have not had time to reflect on their impact on the program. Willigan said that he did not reflect on the success that they have had since this past Saturday’s victory because “it marked three years of being undefeated in regular-season, conference play, which is pretty surreal, in addition to 15 straight wins in the Centennial [Conference]. Other than that, it’s business as usual. There will be time to reflect in December.”

The Fords will continue their run at history when they visit Rutgers-Camden on Wednesday night. This begins a stretch of four away games, including a meeting with Franklin & Marshall on October 22. They play at home next on October 26.

From the print edition published Oct. 5, 2016

Haverford, Sports

Haverford Cricket Starts on a High Note

By Toni Aguilar Cole and Courtney Link, Staff Writers

In the first game of the season held on Sept. 11, the Haverford cricket team faced the US women’s national team in a rare exhibition match. An anticipated win for the national team ended with a rather close score of 63-62 in Haverford’s favor. The Haverford team is comprised of sixteen men and one woman, whereas the national team held only ten women.

David White ‘17, Haverford’s team captain, commented at halftime that the women’s team “couldn’t hit [them]”. He argued that Haverford’s team threw the ball at faster speeds, while the women’s team put more of a strategic spin on their pitches. White made a comment that “the game [was] a great way to start the season.” Nicholas Munves ‘18, felt that the game was “very good for [them]” considering that they were playing such an experienced team. (use digits)

The starting line-up consisted of six first years, all of whom were new to the sport. Kamran Khan, the coach of Haverford’s team for forty years, felt that his team was “improving a lot” and he made predictions of a promising spring season. He feels that, while he loves playing cricket, “the best part is teaching discipline. Commitment and dedication are needed qualities.” He often tells his team to “keep your head on the ball,” both in the sense of the game and life. Overall, Khan is very well accepted and respected by the team. Even a graduate, Alisa Strayer, remembered him as “an amazing coach.”

Strayer, a Haverford alum, was welcomed back to her home field as a member of the US women’s national team. She began her cricket career when she came to Haverford as a first year, like many of the current members. As one of the only women on a male-dominated team during her career at Haverford, Strayer feels that she is now facing an adjustment coming to an all-women’s team. While it she feels that it is “nice and less patronizing” to play with a group of great women, she looks back on her time spent with the Haverford team fondly. She said, “It’s easy to miss them. Some of my best friends were made on this field.” Strayer had nothing but good words to say in regards to her old Haverford teammates, calling them “supportive and wonderful people.” However, she did recall “harsh comments made by other teams” and feels that the transition to an all-women’s team has been an overall positive one.

The Haverford cricket team is most definitely on the rise. Their caliber of play held up well against a top tier team and they were ultimately able to claim a victory. With another win over the British Officers Cricket Club this past weekend, they are off to a great start of the fall season and hopefully a successful year. The spring season will bring more competitive teams than the fall season due to the longer season and more exciting matchups. The spring season will also bring an international tournament held at Haverford which includes teams from Australia, England, and New Zealand. Coach Khan and many of the team members are thrilled for their prospective games and learning even more how to playing the game.

From the print edition published on Oct. 5, 2016

Arts, Haverford

Landscapes and Cityscapes in Magill Take Viewers on a Journey

By Sophie Webb, Features Editor

The art gallery in Haverford’s Magill Library is nestled in the center of the building in the midst of books, study rooms, and students. The current exhibit, curated by Faye Hirsch, senior editor of Art in America, is a series of visual works by Haverford Professor of Fine Arts and Department Chair Ying Li. Li is an acclaimed artist whose work has been reviewed by The New York Times, The New Yorker and The Philadelphia Inquirer. The exhibit at Magill is entitled Ying Li: Geographies, and displays 24 of her landscape paintings and a handful of sketches known as her jazz drawings.

Entering the exhibit, the viewer is greeted by an array of colors that jump out from the paintings lining each wall of the room. The format of the exhibit brings the viewer full circle around the perimeter of the room, back to the start point. The journey through the exhibit feels like a trip, each set of paintings inspired by a different place in Li’s life. The exhibit begins with some of Li’s jazz drawings. The sketches feature humans–some playing instruments, some drawn in black, others in blue or red. The viewer is then transported to New York City. Li spent time residing and creating art in New York City, and the paintings in this section of the gallery imitate the vibrancy of the city and the bustling of human life. The paintings here are bold and chunky, with the paint applied heavily in many layers on the canvasses. The pieces in this section and throughout the exhibit are designed to play with the viewer’s perception, offering one image as seen from up close, and another from a few steps back.

After New York City, the viewer travels to the coast of Cranberry Island, Maine. The paintings here are in the same chunky style that Li used in New York City, and connected by a purple hue depicting one of Li’s favorite subjects: water. The journey continues from Maine to Switzerland, transitioning from a purple theme to a blue one, and from chunky, textured paintings, to smooth ones. The works in this section show Lake Maggiore and its surrounding mountainscapes on the border of Switzerland and Italy. These are followed by more city works, organized in a 6×6 grid of individual pieces that collaborate to form a larger image. The exhibit ends with another set of jazz drawings. This return to the simplicity of the sketches perhaps is perhaps symbolic of a return for Li back to normalcy. Done with her travels, she’s back with her sketchpad, observing and creating.

The exhibit is open until Oct. 7, and is supported by the John B. Hurford ‘60 Center for the Arts and Humanities, as well as the Haverford College Libraries.

From the print edition published Oct. 5, 2016

Haverford, News

John Coleman: Garbage Collector, Cook, President

By Charlie Lynn, Staff Writer

John R. Coleman, Haverford College’s ninth president and a leader in the effort to make the college co-educational, died on September 6th. He was 95.

Coleman, who was a labor economist and the first non-Quaker to lead the college, served from 1967 to 1977. In an email to the student body, current Haverford President Kim Benston described Coleman as “one of the most beloved, influential, and storied figures in the College’s modern history.”

Born in Cooper Cliff, Ontario, Coleman received his bachelor degree in economics from the University of Toronto. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II and completed his graduate work at the University of Chicago. Prior to arriving at Haverford, he taught in the economics departments of MIT and Carnegie Mellon University.

Coleman’s concern for the separation between academia and the wider world motivated his work throughout his academic career. He created a television course called The American Economy, which was shown nationally, and hosted a program on CBS entitled Money Talks. Perhaps most noteworthy was his sabbatical from presidency at Haverford, during which he worked as a garbage collector, ditch digger, and cook. After returning to Haverford, he published a well-received book, Blue Collar Journal: A College President’s Sabbatical, detailing his experiences.

At Haverford, he presided over an era of significant transformation. Most well-known was his support for making the college co-educational. Coleman advocacy on the issue was inspired by firm belief in equality. At the time, Coleman explained that the “unique opportunities of Haverford should be available to anyone of motivation, ability, and character.” His support ultimately led to his resignation when the Board of Managers decided to only admit women as transfer students in 1977.

It was only after his resignation, and the decision three years later to admit women as freshmen at the college, that Coleman’s significant role in the college’s history was fully acknowledged. He was awarded an honorary degree in 1980.

Coleman’s leadership also had other significant impacts on the college. He disbanded the football team and ended the college’s ban on students with beards or long hair from playing on college teams. Additionally, Coleman’s tenure saw the construction of the Dining Center and the North Dorms.  

Coleman helped lead the college through discussions regarding diversity and the Vietnam War, of which he was an active opponent. In May 1970, he organized for fifteen buses to bring members of the college community to Washington to protest the war.

After his tenure as president, Coleman continued his campaign for equality. He served as the president of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. There, he focused on prison reform and even went undercover again, serving as both a guard and a prisoner on multiple occasions.

Kim Benston recalled in his email to the college community, “I had the privilege of enjoying his warm friendship in recent years. From our correspondence and conversations, I grew to understand well the intensity, curiosity, and generosity that so captivated his generation of Haverfordians.”

Coleman is survived by his children, John, Steve and Nancy and seven grandchildren. The memorial service was held on Sunday, Oct. 2.

From the print edition published on Oct. 5, 2016

Haverford, News

Amid Potential Policy Changes, Haverford Resolves to Protect Students

By Chloe Lindeman, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Throughout his campaign for presidency, Donald Trump made immigration regulation one of his key tenets. For supporters, his call for stringent restrictions was a sign of his commitment to making America great again. But for those with less favorable opinions about Trump, it was — and remains — a major area of concern.

Now, Haverford College has taken an official stance on the issue. President Kim Benston sent out an email on Dec. 13 with a resolution that outlined not only Haverford’s policy on protecting students and their private information but also some of the initiatives that are being taken on campus.

“In particular, we affirm the College’s solidarity with students, faculty, and staff who are non-United States citizens and/or members of vulnerable religious minorities who might in the future be subjected to harsh government restrictions, ranging from reduced status to deportation,” the email said in its introduction.

The resolution went on to state “its continuing adherence to strict practices governing the protection of student and employee information” and to declare “residential, dining, and learning spaces as ‘restricted’ areas” so that immigration officers need a warrant to enter.

Ideas expressed in the email mirror those of so-called “sanctuary campuses,” or schools that provide protection of some kind to undocumented students. But the word “sanctuary” is absent from Haverford’s message.

“If you look closely, we actually don’t use the term sanctuary because it doesn’t have a clear meaning,” Benston told The Bi-College News. Instead, the goal was to make it clear exactly what Haverford can and cannot do.

“It’s really … a focused reaffirmation of our commitment to anyone who comes into the community that we will do what we can do within legal boundaries to protect them,” Benston said.

The issue of “sanctuary cities,” from which sanctuary campuses were born, came up in Pennsylvania politics well before election night. The House voted in October in favor of placing sanctions on areas unwilling to follow certain Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rules, and a new bill may threaten funding for institutions of higher learning that declare themselves sanctuary campuses.

But a main motivator for the promise of some protection was spurred by national, not state, politics. President-Elect Donald Trump has pledged to get rid of much of Obama’s immigration policy, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which helps protect undocumented students.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Writing Nimisha Ladva, who teaches courses with an emphasis on immigration, says she worries about possible impacts of policy changes and negative rhetoric toward immigrants.

“Many [international students] reported that they chose America among other options to go to and now they are worried that maybe they will regret that choice,” said Ladva. “Those are legal immigrants who we invite to study, and they are expressing some concern.”

For Ladva, Haverford’s resolution is a step in the right direction.

“I think that we are in this together — students, faculty, staff, administration; that we are a community together,” said Ladva, “We are on the same side to continue making Haverford a safe space, a place that we can all come together … We have to be vigilant, we have to be mindful, we have to take care of each other.”

While the resolution makes Haverford’s position official, President Benston encourages “a continued dimension of dialogue” rather than the end of conversation. He invites students with questions or concerns about the issue to express them through student publications, by emailing him, or by speaking to him in person.

A number of other schools in the area have released similar statements. The University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore have both received press recently for declaring themselves sanctuaries, and Bryn Mawr College President Kim Cassidy sent out an email in early December voicing Bryn Mawr’s support for DACA and undocumented students.

“I think what we’re seeing is a broad collective affirmation that DACA students are a really important dimension of many campus communities,” said Benston. “Campuses feel enriched by their presence and also dedicated to ensuring that they have the same opportunities as all their other students to succeed and to thrive at their institution.”