An Open Letter to President LaForge #2 Jennie Guido Delta State University Office of the President Kent Wyatt Hall 255 Box A-1 Cleveland, MS 38733 Attn: President Bill LaForge Re: Staying Connected Dear President LaForge: I have not had the opportunity to meet you since you were named President of Delta State University. I visited your “welcome” letter on the website, and I saw where you suggested we “stay connected.” As an attempt to “stay connected” with the town, school, and community that I held near and dear for six years of my life, I am writing to you today to share my story with you. While taking classes at Delta State University, I was taught to “show and not tell” when writing; so, let me paint a picture for you. I came to the Delta fresh from high school in the tall, historic bluffs of Natchez, Mississippi. Scared beyond words and nervous to a fault, I attended orientation, met the head of my somewhat-chosen major’s department, and began my life in the halls of Language and Literature. While the head of the department was wiser than I could have ever imagined, this meeting gave me hope and sparked a want in me to learn, to read, and to become wise. Over the years, I fell in love with the written word in all of its forms. I began to dive into the classics as if they were infinite pools of knowledge waiting to engulf me. I took an unbelievable amount of classes learning these classics, spending time with their authors as if we were throwing back a cold one at the Pickled Okra, and finding their relevance in my day-to-day life. English had become my mantra, my way of being, and my goal at the end of the yellow-bricked road. During the summer before my senior year of undergrad, I miraculously decided to leave behind the Education minor of my major and tackled a Spanish minor within one year. At my May graduation, I remember standing outside of the coliseum, trying not to sweat in the early morning heat, and anxious to take my diploma and run into my Master’s degree a very short three weeks later. As I stood in line waiting for the pomp and circumstance to drown out the nerves, the wise head of my department came cycling around the circular drive. It was like something straight out of Dead Poets Society and made me proud to call myself an English major. I went on to complete my Master’s in a short year and a half and found myself back at that coliseum; however, this time I had less nerves, more sleeves, and was much farther up the totem pole of the line to enter the ceremonial passing of the torch. As I’m sure you are aware, the after-graduation mass of a crowd that pours out quickly allows for your small family of three to become lost and impossible to find. However, I was able to find them quickly standing in front of Kent Wyatt because the head of my department was standing proudly with them like a dot on a map screaming you are here – this is your life. What did I learn during my years at Delta State University? I learned that sometimes you can judge a book by its cover, especially when covered with a movie-poster version of a classic. The people that read those things are not the real English majors; they are the ones majoring in Elementary Education and need credits for their Language Arts specialty by taking classes, such as American Literature, and reading The Great Gatsby. I learned that symbolism can be found in the most obscure of events. On my last morning in the Delta, it began to rain as we packed up the U-Haul. I learned that this act of rain was more than just a hindrance in the moving process that day. It was a symbol of my renewal into the world – my cleansing from the Delta. It was the ending to my Delta story that could only be appreciated after taking Introduction to Film in both undergrad and graduate with the head of the department. I learned that your teachers are your people. When I had to compile my committee for my Oral Comprehensive Final, I chose Dr. Ford because of my love of Jane Austen; I chose Dr. Sarcone because we shared many a tears together over several courses; and I chose the head of the department because he brought me to that point. He brought me through my college years and two degrees with finesse and ease. He brought me to the real world by teaching me the fictional worlds of others. So, why am I sharing my story with you? I feel that it is necessary for you to understand the connection that so many have, that I have, with this University. In the two and a half years since I graduated with my Masters, my way of “staying connected” with Delta State University is through the head of my department. Every time I see him and am able to catch up, I remember why I loved this place and why I need to keep coming back throughout the years. While I am not looking for an answer personally as to why you terminated Dr. Hays’ title as Head of Language and Literature, I do believe that you owe us an apology. Every single soul that went through that department at some point in time came face-to-face with Dr. Hays. They got to know him. They were able to grow from his wisdom. They owe him the world. I am one of those people. I owe him the world that he created for me. So, you owe us an apology for cutting his time short; and you owe an apology to those who will only experience him in the classroom and not within the planning process of their collegiate years in the English department. At some point, you have to realize that you came back into the Delta; and while we welcomed you in the beginning with open arms, we can just as easily turn our backs when you hurt one of our own. I am aware that you have been sending generic responses to each of your letters concerning this decision; however, I would like for you to save the postage and refrain from sending me your sad excuse that “this decision was one made properly and internally at Delta State in the University’s best interests. It is not a decision for review, explanation, or consultation with you and your fellow supporters.” That, my friend, is a mere slap in the face to those who have spent so many years at your University and can still call it home. Sincerely, Jennie Guido Class of 2010 and 2011
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 19:20:52 +0000
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