LETTER: Drew University must listen to students on forest issue

TO THE EDITOR: As a current Drew student, I strongly agree with what Erica Cowper and Morgan Zielenski wrote in their May 12 response to the president’s commentary in the Madison Eagle.

The importance of the forest is more than just what it can offer financially and the ways in which the president and the Drew administration have handled this process have not been transparent.

I also want to address the Student Government Resolution, written by Senator Gabby Rizzolo and I, that was unanimously passed by the Student Government which made demands that once passed were set to be followed, which have yet to be seen through.

I recently spoke at a Madison Town Council meeting expressing my thoughts on the situation and wanted to pull some of what I said from there to here.

I began my speech by pointing out the significance the forest has had on me given the unprecedented college experience I have had. It has been the one thing that has served as a positive constant throughout my time and was also something that both attracted me to the university and has allowed me many opportunities as a student.

Overall, I would be very devastated to see the University go in this direction with the forest, and hope they will hear out students going forward on this issue.

RACHEL PAPA

Student Government Senator

Drew University