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The Rev. Barb Blom opened the United Ministry of Aurora on Tuesday to provide a forum for Wells College employees and students to express their feelings about the school's impending closure.Ìý

The college's leaders announced Monday that Wells, which was founded in 1868, will cease operations at the end of the spring semester, leaving students unsure of where they will continue their studies. Nearly 200 employees will lose their jobs.Ìý

Although many attendees at the lament organized by Blom were aware of Wells' financial struggles, the timing of the closure was questioned.

Sadie Combs, a first-year student and member of the field hockey team, asked Stephen Zabriskie, who sits on the college's board of trustees, about the decision. Nobody wanted a closure, Zabriskie, said, and he acknowledged the donations that have been received over the years. But there were budget deficits because revenue "wasn't sufficient," he added.Ìý

Zabriskie did not address why Wells did not give students and staff more notice. When Cazenovia College closed at the end of the 2022-23 academic year, the school announced it at the end of the fall semester. The College of Saint Rose, which is closing at the end of this semester, informed its faculty and students in December.Ìý

Because of the sudden announcement by Wells, Combs has to find a new school with the fall semester only a few months away. She also doesn't know if she will be able to play field hockey.Ìý

"We're back to square one," she said.

Clara Lima, a senior and one of Combs' teammates, told Zabriskie that the field hockey team overcame obstacles, including illnesses and injuries, to compete. She criticized the board of trustees, many of whom don't reside in Aurora, for not attending games or supporting the team.Ìý

"Despite a lack of resources, despite the fact that we were putting our mental and physical bodies at risk because we believed in what this stood for, the community, the culture of Wells and the history that we're carrying down," she said.

Two employees — Rachel Porter, the alumni engagement officer, and Mary Webber, director of annual giving — sought to dispel the notion that staff members received advance notice that Wells was going to close.

Porter said her niece and a friend committed to Wells, paid deposits and visited the school last weekend. Webber had been seeking donations and was asked to continue fundraising after the closure announcement.Ìý

"All of us lost our jobs and love Wells so much," Porter said.Ìý

After an emotional hour of discussion, Blom led a deep-breathing exercise to calm the room. Each of us reacts out of love, she said, as attendees closed their eyes, inhaled and exhaled.Ìý

Blom has been affected by the closure, too. She is a Wells alumna and has family members either attending or employed at the college.Ìý

"There are so many questions," she said.Ìý