Students and faculty members of the English department gathered in the garden outside of Bradley House to plant Bleeding Heart flowers in honor of the recently deceased English major Caroline Rogers. Professor Meg Cronin organized the planting in coordination with the physical plant team.
Professor Cronin taught Caroline in her class “The Brontes,” where their final exam was scheduled during the time of the planting. “Our final was scheduled for this afternoon, but after her death, I knew we needed to do something different,” Professor Cronin said. “We could not sit in that room without her and take a final exam.” Many of Caroline’s classmates attended the planting and worked with one another to place six Bleeding Heart flowers in the Bradley House garden.
Kim Britton, Head of Grounds at the college, was happy to assist in the planting and help the college community create a beautiful display in memory of Caroline. Britton helped prepare the beds for the Bleeding Hearts and helped plant the flowers directly in the shade of the large tree in front of Bradley.
“These plants symbolize our hearts and our love in front of a building where Caroline spent so much time as an English major,” Croin said to the students prior to the planting.
After students planted the flowers, they gathered around to read a poem by Emily Bronte called “No Coward Soul is Mine.” Students then stayed for a brief moment of silence for prayer and reflection in front of the memorial that they had just created.
Professor Cronin not only had Caroline as one of her students, but got to know her more personally as her academic advisor. She praised Caroline for her intelligence and participation in the classroom, as well as for her warm personality and creativity. “She would always come to class prepared with interesting questions and ready to dive into the complexity of the readings. I was very appreciative of her passion that she put into her work,” Cronin said.
Professor Cronin will also remember Caroline for her humor and light-hearted presence. “Caroline was not only a sharp mind, but she was extraordinarily creative and just a really funny person. I am going to miss her for a long time and am forever grateful for the time that I got to share with her.”
The English department hopes to hold a blessing over the garden at some point over the summer. The department is also hoping to be able to install a plaque memorializing Caroline in the new Bleeding Heart garden.
