By Ji Kim
Elm Staff Writer
Washington College is moving forward with numerous renovations and changes. Among these, the Rose O’Neill Literary House has undergone significant administrative changes this semester.
Since last year, returning students have noticed shortened Lit House hours, a farewell to resident cat Langston, and renovations and reinventions to upstairs offices and fellowship rooms.
“One of the goals that the college is striving for is to give more attention to the Literary House as a center of excellence and build it up to the same stature and standards as that of the other centers: the C.V. Starr Center and the Center for Environment & Society (CES),” said assistant English professor Jehanne Dubrow, who was appointed interim lit house director this summer.
She said that one of her hopes for the Literary House is for it to evolve into an academic center where students of all majors and disciplines could aspire towards becoming better readers and writers.
“The key word is ‘everyone’,” she said. “We want an interdisciplinary focus with an environment that welcomes everyone.”
Dubrow said most changes are “behind the scenes” and focused on programming and procedure. For example, a new mission statement has been posted on the About Us section of the lit house website, defining the house as “Washington College’s cultural center.”
Dubrow said most changes will not be instituted until next semester or next year.
One of these changes re-evaluates the kitchen space and how it fits into the house’s literary atmosphere.
“It seemed like there was a lot of confusion about what the kitchen was for,” she said.
This advising day, Dubrow invited lit house staff members and literary club leaders to meet and discuss kitchen regulations and goals. These changes will go into effect in the new year.
The draft of kitchen guidelines adjusts baking hours, addresses the sign-up procedure, and encourages students to “look for opportunities to bring literary endeavor, the writing life, and academic excellence to your time in the kitchen.”
There is also a clean-up checklist for students to complete after using the kitchen.
House hours also changed this year. The house is now open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and it is closed on Sundays. Dubrow said these changes were made out of safety concerns. The lit house would need more faculty staff members and more security in order to offset the potential danger of late night hours.
Students also noticed that Langston, the resident cat who arrived at the lit house last year, no longer spends his lazy afternoons curled up on his favorite couch.
According to the lit house blog, Langston’s health problems and allergies convinced the staff that a more “traditional home away from the Lit House” would be more appropriate. He is now living with Lit House assistant director Kate Bursick.
“Langston is living a happy healthy life here in Chestertown…Langston loved to snuggle with anyone that could stay quiet and still for more than a few minutes. But with such a loving cat it was hard to leave Langston alone each and every night, weekend and holiday. It felt cruel to think that he would wander the halls of the Lit House wondering where everyone went,” the blog says.
Dubrow said there are “very few changes other than cosmetic things. It’s more of an environmental shift than a shift in policies.”
She said she has heard mixed feedback about these changes.
“Besides the new hours, which aren’t that different from last year’s, and the new paint job, not much seems to have really changed here for the moment,” she said.
Freshman Ty Van Horn, a student Lit House worker, has his own ideas about how the house can improve.
“The Literary House needs to be advertised more. A lot of people honestly don’t really see a point in going to the Literary House, especially those that live in dorms further away,” he said.
Dubrow said that administrative plans and ideas are currently being developed. One of the challenges she has faced is unique to the literary house: how to strike a balance between a prominent academic center and a casual, cozy atmosphere to enjoy with friends.
“This college has a wonderful writing culture filled with people passionate about all kinds of interests, and we want to create a programing that reflects that and builds upon these passions,” she said.
Dubrow said students can expect to see more changes come to fruition next fall, and she encourages them to talk to Lit House staff with any questions.