Faculty surrounded the entrance to Shippensburg University’s Ezra Lehman Library Wednesday offering free food to students and thanking them for their support during the three-day strike.
Many students and student organizations showed their support for faculty by joining the picket line and providing faculty with food and water. By offering students free food such as donuts, cookies, apples, muffins, granola bars and candy, the faculty showed students how grateful they were for their support.
Kara Laskowski, president of the SU’s chapter of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF), encouraged students to take snacks as they walked past the library. Laskowski said there was a tremendous outpouring of support from students and giving students free food was a way of saying thank you. Faculty members donated leftover cases of water to the SU ROTC 5K run to further show their gratitude of students.
The support of students during the strike meant everything, said Deborah Jacobs, an SU professor of social work. In the past, Jacobs said, the faculty was seen as greedy for not settling for a contract, but now they were seen as fighting for quality of education. “We wanted the students to know what the struggle was and why we were doing this,” Jacobs said.
Sophomore Taylor Wentzel said the mutual support between faculty and staff is what makes SU feel like home. Wentzel stood at the picket line to show support for faculty and also dropped off water.
“They welcomed us with arms wide open,” Wentzel said.
Billy Henson, an SU professor of criminal justice, brought pizza to Wentzel’s class as a way of saying thank you to his students for supporting faculty.
“They’re really acknowledging what we’re doing for them,” Wentzel said. “We support each other. We stand together.”
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.