Three cheers for school spirit
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Opinion & Editorial
Last Saturday the Simmons College basketball team played against St. Joseph's College at home in the Holmes Sports Center, surrounded by fans, parents and peers. The sweeping victory was a triumph not only for the basketball team, but also for a greater sense of community that is noticeably missing from everyday life on campus. With the incentive of giveaway 'weekend warrior' tee-shirts at a pep rally before and the possibility of free food, Simmons students hesitantly emerged from their dorms and gathered to support their fellow students.
This display of encouragement and participation is, unfortunately, anomalous on the residence campus. The general attitude of residence students is apathetic at best, which is why we were so pleasantly surprised by the turnout at Saturday's game. Many students feel that their dorms are a place to come home to, a place where their responsibilities to Simmons do not penetrate. As students, we can understand the temptation to retreat into our tiny rooms and check out of student life, but the reality is that we all are much happier when we feel we are backed by a sense of community. The gym at Saturday's game was full of excitement, anticipation, and a feeling of belonging that one would expect from a community of college students.
Organizations that plan events at Simmons should not be scrambling for attendees. They should expect more from their peers. Even the Simmons Soirée, the only annual semi-formal event, is desperate to sell enough tickets to make a profit. Inaction breeds more inaction-event planners are less likely to schedule programs if they know nobody is going to attend. It also generates a sense of ingratitude that is frankly depressing at an institution of higher learning that touts itself on inclusivity.
It doesn't have to be that way. There are plenty of opportunities for involvement on both the residence and academic campuses. A new program called "sponsor a weekend" is starting this semester in which a student or organization can plan an event for the Simmons community using a 100 dollar budget. Interested students should contact Ryan Grant at ryan.grant@simmons.edu and keep an eye out for Sponsor a Weekend events!
This display of encouragement and participation is, unfortunately, anomalous on the residence campus. The general attitude of residence students is apathetic at best, which is why we were so pleasantly surprised by the turnout at Saturday's game. Many students feel that their dorms are a place to come home to, a place where their responsibilities to Simmons do not penetrate. As students, we can understand the temptation to retreat into our tiny rooms and check out of student life, but the reality is that we all are much happier when we feel we are backed by a sense of community. The gym at Saturday's game was full of excitement, anticipation, and a feeling of belonging that one would expect from a community of college students.
Organizations that plan events at Simmons should not be scrambling for attendees. They should expect more from their peers. Even the Simmons Soirée, the only annual semi-formal event, is desperate to sell enough tickets to make a profit. Inaction breeds more inaction-event planners are less likely to schedule programs if they know nobody is going to attend. It also generates a sense of ingratitude that is frankly depressing at an institution of higher learning that touts itself on inclusivity.
It doesn't have to be that way. There are plenty of opportunities for involvement on both the residence and academic campuses. A new program called "sponsor a weekend" is starting this semester in which a student or organization can plan an event for the Simmons community using a 100 dollar budget. Interested students should contact Ryan Grant at ryan.grant@simmons.edu and keep an eye out for Sponsor a Weekend events!
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