Program prioritization is happening no matter what anyone would like to say — and it’s scary.

We recognize that this is an uneasy and worrisome time for pretty much everyone, but we have just a few things to ask you to keep in mind.

1. We are all going through this together. You are not alone, your department is not alone, your favorite staff and faculty members are not alone.

2. Please be kind to one another. We know that you may think that certain departments are more at risk than others, but you really don’t need to be rude about it. So, none of this “I hope this department goes so we don’t have to worry about our department going.” How would you feel if it was the other way around? Do you really think it’s nice to be wishing another department out? As the wise and wonderful Ellen DeGeneres always says, “Be kind to one another.”

3. If you have questions, there are so many people you can talk to. Ask the faculty members in your department or in other departments. Talk to your friends about this. Just Talk. Talking helps make things seem less scary. Also, you can email [email protected] to get answers straight from the source. We can’t speak for him, but we can guess that President Simmons will talk with you if he can.

4. Educate yourself. Talking helps, but if you go out and actively try to educate yourself on what may be happening around here, it could seem like standing up to a beast and looking it in the face. Look up what other schools have been doing.

5. And most important of all: Remember that we are all Simpson College. We are all here to get an education, and we all picked Simpson for a reason. Remember that. We are #TeamSimpson.

If you take these tips into consideration, we sincerely hope that the looming cloud of program prioritization seems less scary for you.

We will continue to bring you updates as we get them. And if you have something you want to say and would like to write an editorial for the Simpsonian, we would love to hear your opinions and give you a platform for your voice.