In accordance with an Instagram post made by the Class of 2023 on April 10, the gift that the class was set to give Elizabethtown College upon their graduation has been changed. Prior to the change, the gift was to be a permanent disability ramp for the Dell, but will now be an endowment fund for the purposes of other Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-related projects. This change was made due to unknown administrative issues, as well as because of “unforeseen challenges with construction and the borough’s water management systems.” Students in the Class of 2023, both in its governing body and in the general student population, have much to say about the change and what it means for the future of accessibility on campus.
When asked about the events surrounding the class gift and its changes, Class of 2023 President Brooke Charria stated that, “Although we [the Class of 2023] are disappointed, the ramp could not be installed as we had all originally hoped…we are happy that we can still contribute to ADA accessibility on campus. We are hoping that the endowment is a way that we can still leave a lasting impact on the campus by hopefully funding multiple ADA projects for years to come.”
Regarding how the endowment fund will align with the original goals for the class gift, Charria also said, “The original goals for the class gift were to improve accessibility through building the ramp on the Dell. We believe the endowment allows us to still accomplish that goal and hopefully expand it so that other projects can be funded in the coming years. We hope that with the endowment, the school can do even more to improve accessibility on campus rather than just the one project.”
It is clear that the Class of 2023 as a whole is feeling the effects of this change in the mark they wished to leave on campus, but are content with the fact that their endowment fund will provide accessibility on campus in the future.
2023 students who are not involved in senate had varying reactions to the change in the class gift. One student commented, “I think it was very poorly planned, is what I think.”
Another student expressed indifference, stating, “I didn’t even know or care that class gifts were a thing. I’m leaving and they can do whatever they want.”
Yet another student said, “An ADA ramp should be there without us having to fund it. And now they’re not doing it at all,” clearly expressing disappointment in response to the change.
Students who are not part of the governing body of the class seem to have more reactions on the negative side of the spectrum, most likely due to not being part of the decisions themselves and having little awareness of the logistics surrounding them.
Overall, the Class of 2023 likely has the best interests of this campus at heart, and the issues that impeded upon their original hope of installing a disability ramp on the Dell were out of their control. Hopefully, the endowment fund that the College is to receive will be used for increased accessibility on campus, as stated on the Instagram post from the Class of 2023. All reactions to this change are appropriate and valid, but it’s important to keep in mind that there are circumstances related to the change that are out of the hands of the Class of 2023 and its leaders.
