This is not what I signed up for. When I applied to CMC through Early Decision (a binding agreement to attend the college if accepted), I had a strong sense of the community I was so eager to join. I knew that during the next four years, I would take part in CMC’s vibrant social scene, rigorous academics, and various programs and resources that appealed to my interests—both personal and academic.

The Robert A. Day School of Finance stands to change all that. In fact, it will improve our reputation, in general, as a top liberal arts school that specializes in economics and government. Beyond furthering CMC’s name, it will give economics-, finance-, and business-minded students an excellent program to better prepare them for jobs in related professions.

But with such a sizeable gift ($215 million), CMC runs the risk of no longer being a liberal arts college with a specialty in government, economics, and international relations (the majors of one-third of CMC students). Instead, CMC may become a “white collar trade school,” as one faculty member put it, which happens to teach some other subjects. That’s not the school that I applied to my senior year of high school.

The Robert A. Day School of Finance was not brought before faculty or students for consideration—it was shoved down their throats. Since the Day School is a done deal—it is time to consider how we might limit its omnipotent potential. We must protect and provide for the other disciplines of the College. Even though, as it stands, there are no resources being taken away from the other departments at CMC, the added emphasis on economics and finance from the Day School’s addition to CMC will surely overshadow all other programs.

CMC students should be angry. Right now, most students are simply aware of some controversial chunk of money that was given to the school for something about finance and a master’s degree. They don’t get it. This is likely to be the single most important happening at CMC during their four years here. Students should familiarize themselves with what is being proposed (read the full-length proposal here), formulate opinions. and take action. That would have been typical of students at the CMC I decided to attend two years ago. These days, I’m not so sure that we have many of those students left at CMC.