2 CAMPUS NEWS
Red & Black
Campus
12 april 2022
Magellan 2022 Update: A Conversation With Dean Eva & Dean Frick Katie Hahn Staff Writer & Manager Last month, the Red & Black campus newspaper published an article that covered the extension of the 2022 Magellan Project to graduating seniors. Although the deadline for Magellan Research funding has passed, many student questions and concerns were still left unanswered. “Personally, my experience about the Magellans this year has gone horribly,” explained Rosa Messersmith over email correspondence. “I feel as if the administrators were not listening to any of the seniors’ concerns at all, it felt very face-value as if they only had the meeting just to say they had one.” Messersmith was referring to the initial Magellan advisory meeting that took place back in December. As a student who had lost many travelabroad opportunities due to Covid-19, Messersmith was greatly involved in igniting the extension to seniors. “All of the travel opportunities on campus - the Jay-terms, Magellans, study abroad - are the main reasons why I came to W&J,” explained Messersmith, “and having every single opportunity for me be canceled while being a student here is disheartening.” Despite numerous attempts
to push for further conversation, Messersmith struggled with a lack of communication following the meeting and the establishment of the guidelines.
said Seabury. “I was disappointed that there wasn’t a way for us to travel internationally but understand the concerns about COVID.” Other students have expressed
I was disappointed that there wasn’t a “ way to travel internationally, but understand the concerns about Covid. On the other side of the discussion, many students are just appreciative of the extension altogether. “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that the College is providing for us to travel even though Seniors traditionally can’t,” said Jeff Seabury, another student graduating this spring. Seabury’s originally accepted Magellan intended to study the political system in London - now, Seabury is scheduled to travel to Alaska. Although he acknowledged the need to rework his project to fit within the Covid-19 guidelines, he also stated that it wasn’t a difficult process. “I have long dreamed of traveling to Alaska, so I am very excited by the prospect of being able to do so and not have money be a major concern,”
similar frustrations regarding how these institution-based travel restrictions also limit study abroad opportunities. “It is frustrating to me that the school can be so hypocritical and supply almost no compromises or answers for angry students, especially when W&J prides itself on international travel programs such as Magellan and Study abroad,” said junior Donnie Finney, who shared his experience with the cancelation of his semester abroad in Italy this year. Following last semester’s publication, Dean of Students, Eva Sutton, and Vice President of Academic Affairs at W&J, Dean Jeffrey Frick, agreed to collaborate with the newspaper to ease student vexations. The conversation began with addressing fund allocation - a main
point of contention for many students. In terms of legality with funding, Magellans have never been considered transferable. In other words, projects are funded - not people. According to Dean Eva and Dean Frick, Magellan funds are held in a rotating 20-account that continues to build interest and will sit there until it is dispersed for a different project. “The Magellan Committee that reviews proposals is funding a proposal to be executed by the student who submitted the proposal,” explained Dean Eva. That is, funds are not allocated unless the project comes to fruition. “The spirit of the Magellan fund is to fund projects for students who are returning to W&J,” said Dean Eva. “So in this case, we’re having to be creative and think about how to do that, but it’s probably not something that we’ve envisioned doing beyond this kind of, exceptional circumstance.” Dean Eva also addressed previous statements about how Covid-19 guidelines were determined in accordance with CDC guidance and mimicked the decisions of sister schools. However, sister schools such as Case Western Reserve University, Grove City College, and Allegheny College have allowed for study abroad during the 2021-2022 academic year.
