水果派AV鈥檚 year-long coverage of the closing of Wells College 鈥 its devastating impact on the academic community and its challenging consequences for the village of Aurora 鈥 has been outstanding.
In the midst all this, however, it鈥檚 important to remember that although the college is gone, the campus is not empty. Far from it.
The Community Medical Center, located on the edge of the campus, continues to serve the region. Recent figures from the Family Care Medical Group show that 2,400 patients receive care from Dr. MacAdam and her team. That is an extraordinary force for good emanating from our tiny village.
Residents regularly see the students of Peachtown Elementary School, drawn from six local districts, playing around their campus home and walking through the village on their way to our local library. Recently, teams from the Southern Cayuga and Moravia high schools played on the campus baseball field, cheered on by family, friends and neighbors.
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In addition, we understand that a significant portion of Aurora鈥檚 documented history remains on campus, within the Wells archives where village materials were placed for safekeeping years ago.
Thus, the campus is not empty. It remains closely tied to, and used by, the community. Those ties should be recognized and strengthened as the village moves forward into a partnership supporting the new campus owners.
The Wells College website states that 鈥渃ollege leadership ... believe(s) it is important that any prospective buyer understands the longstanding relationship between Wells and the village community, including the community鈥檚 historical access to the campus.鈥 Clearly, the recent ban prohibiting all local residents from walking on campus acts to undermine that very important relationship. The decision should be revisited and revised.
The campus is an integral part of Aurora. The sparks of its future life are kept alive by our community residents, valued organizations and vibrant history, all very much present on the campus without a college.
With thanks to you for your ongoing coverage.
Crawford Thoburn, a professor emeritus of Wells College, lives in Aurora.
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