04/18/08
Last week, I read that Baker University has canceled its tradition of the Senior Pub Crawl.
In effect, the administration is encouraging these seniors to take the much more sensible course of driving themselves to Lawrence bars, wading knee-deep in alcohol (Jager Bomb!) and driving themselves home.
What could possibly go wrong there?
Related story: Loss of Pub Crawl bad for campus life <a href="http://media.www.thebakerorange.com/media/storage/paper1028/news/2008/04/18/Opinion/Loss-Of.Pub.Crawl.Bad.For.Campus.Life-3332714.shtml"> Related story: Loss of Pub Crawl bad for campus life </a> Related story: Loss of Pub Crawl bad for campus life
To be honest, if you’re like me then you might not really care so much about the administration/student senate tiff over Senior Pub Crawl.
I mean if I want to get a bunch of my friends to go down to Mass Street and drink, I hardly need deans and student committees to help me do it. Rather, the controversy created over the end of Pub Crawl points out a major problem at Baker: the lack of student interest on any subject that doesn’t involve recreational (booze) aspects of college life.
Brace yourselves: a lot of Baker students drink. I’m not talking about “a glass of wine with dinner” drinking, I’m talking serious “he gonna do one more” drinking.
Now, I’m not going to venture into the debate as to whether this is a terrible and horrid college problem or a necessary aspect of undergrad existence. Although, I hope those who do choose to get bombed do so in a safe and nonviolent manner.
What pisses me off is that students seem to think that social activity planning or party policy discussions are the only things that they need to lobby the administration about.
What else might students concern themselves with?
Well, let’s see. Baker’s academic standards have dropped, and both retention rates and grade averages have followed.
A massive new residential complex has been created that has serious repercussions on student life.
Academic building projects have been delayed or scaled down.
Many departments fluctuate due to leaving faculty.
Tuition keeps going up.
The school’s gen ed curriculum is being reformed.
There are plenty of issues students should take an interest in. Why are pub crawls or themed parties the only things that students seem to be worried about?
If Baker students care at all about any of these, uh, REAL issues affecting their school’s future, they need to put the whiskey sour on the backburner (figuratively), and get a dialogue going with university administration.
Kudos to those few students who voted in the student senate elections: doubly so to those with the conviction to run for office.
Salutations as well to the news staff at the Orange that tries to keep everybody abreast of some of these issues.
However, my column isn’t for any of the people mentioned above (who might actually read it). It’s for the apparent majority of students who are apparently apathetic and ignorant to the more serious problems facing this school.
Show up to things not required in your syllabi! Your college is changing, and you’re not going to get a voice in those changes unless you start showing up.
Don’t get me wrong; I certainly feel that Baker University has to do a better job of including students in its decision-making process. I believe the administration should go out of its way to hear the opinions of the student body on absolutely every issue affecting Baker.
However, Baker students have got to relax their obsession with social and party related issues and take a proactive stance toward the more serious problems at Baker.
