The Circleville Student Farm is currently being "reorganized" and the student management of the farm is being turned over to Farm Operations.

Essentially, agricultural management experiences will no longer be an available option to students. Since approximately 85 percent of us in the College of Agriculture have no previous agricultural background or experience I question the motives and student considerations of this restructuring.

I learned about Circleville Student Farm strictly by accident in a casual conversation. I worked there for one year as a work study student and without doubt, it was the most valuable experience of my college career.

I walked onto the farm not knowing the difference between hay and straw. When I left the farm I had been exposed to horticulture, livestock, agronomy, farm machinery and a group of hardworking, dedicated people.

Circleville's diversity and focus on student education through experience picked up where all of my classes left off. I became part of a team that made management decisions.

I learned how to drive and operate equipment, plow, plant and harvest a crop, assist with lambing, trim hooves, mix and grind feed, start seeds, transplant, fertilize and care for vegetables and fruit trees, fix fences -- the list goes on.

More important are the intangible skills I learned such as recognizing livestock behaviors, the different relationships that exist within one field, the smell of good and moldy hay, the responsibility of livestock care in the dead of winter, farm terminology, how to use tools and how to feel comfortable and confident of my abilities.

I am very proud of my association with Circleville and grateful for the knowledge and skills I gained there. It already has opened doors for my future.

This past summer I was offered an internship with the Centre County Crop Management Association and the Soil Conservation Service. Both of my interviews focused on Circleville.

I would like to be a soil conservationist, which requires a college degree and agricultural experience. Where would someone like me have gone and benefited so much in such a short time without Circleville Student Farm?

It is beyond my comprehension how an agricultural institution such as Penn State can justify sending a person out the door after four years with a piece of paper and no application of knowledge to back it up!

Our ability to work with and be credible in the agricultural population is not gained in the classroom. It is our right to leave this institution confident and competent.

In turn, the College of Agriculture has an obligation to provide us the tools and skills we need to successfully apply our education in the field of agriculture. We continue to pay higher tuition each semester. Where is that money going and why are our educational resources being taken away?

The powers of Penn State are not so great that they can ignore questions from students who honestly believe in the importance of experiential education.

You have the right to question the administration about Circleville Farm and right now is the time to do so.