3/07/08
With a long day of Baker Weekend activities Saturday, controversy arose as the comedian brought in for the weekend by the Student Activities Council did not receive the entire time for his routine.
Watch a slideshow of the weekend activities.<a href="http://www.bakeru.edu/orangeline/0708slideshows/bakerweekend" target="_blank">Watch a slideshow of the weekend activities.</a> Watch a slideshow of the weekend activities.
“I was opposed to the material,” Director of Admissions Daniel McKinney said. “We’ve had comedians before, but they haven’t had to talk about the kinds of things this guy talked about.”
SAC cut comedian Tommy Johnagin’s act short when some of his jokes became inappropriate, McKinney said. The comedian made some jokes that contained references to male and female genitalia.
“SAC spoke up and said ‘You need to stop,'” McKinney said. “This isn’t the Baker comedy club, this is Baker University.”
However, some students didn’t see things the same way.
“I thought it was very rude by a Baker standpoint,” junior Brandon Jacobs said. “I wouldn’t come to Baker after that because they didn’t take into account that we were having fun.”
McKinney said the administration stands behind its decision.
“I had to resonate with the opinions of the SAC representatives,” McKinney said. “I saw students walking out of the presentation.”
Fifty-seven high school juniors and seniors from Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma showed up to stay on campus for the weekend.
Despite the issues with Saturday’s evening entertainment, the other activities went smoothly. The visiting students began their day at Collins Center around 1 p.m. starting with an academic fair.
After the fair, students were divided into groups where they went outside and gathered in the garden behind the chapel. The groups discussed different topics about Baker, ranging from first-year seminar classes to how well teachers and students get to know each other.
From there, the students attended three interest sessions, which included a “Try-A-Class” session demonstrating a typical class at Baker.
“(The teacher) was more outgoing than I thought, which is just what I wanted,” high school senior Derek Phillips from Tulsa, Okla., said.
One of the biggest interest sessions was the presentation on Baker athletics presented by Athletic Director Dan Harris.
“I would love to play basketball here,” high school junior Stephanie Jenkins from Holton said. “I really don’t want to look at any other colleges.”
McKinney said the reception from the families he talked to was very positive.
“The students were excited to experience Baker from the social aspect,” McKinney said. “I heard very positive feedback from the parents in particular.”
McKinney said this year was the highest turnout in four years.
“Those numbers seem small, but they go under the microscope,” he said. “We’re responsible for keeping them.”