Activity Period Necessary
There’s an old country maxim which says, “Let sleeping dogs lie.” Unfortunately, one of the “sleeping dogs” out of the past has recently begun to bark again around the campus of TC.
We refer to the idea which has once again been resurrected of doing away with the student activity hour. Granted, there are some valid reasons which can be brought forth to support the elimination of the activity period, but the idea also has a number of drawbacks.
The extra hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays would make classes easier to schedule during morning hours, thereby reducing some of the time strains on both faculty and students. But this added convenience would also most likely result in the death of all but a few campus clubs.
Reference is often made to the fact that major universities maintain active social and political clubs without the benefit of an activity period. But TC isn’t a major school and, in fact, is different from quite a few junior colleges.
What must be continually kept in mind is that TC has no on-campus residents and therefore has no groups from which to consistently draw participation in activities after normal school hours. As has been demonstrated by events such as Senate-sponsored dances, students simply will not turn out in large numbers for nighttime activities.
One of the primary reasons for this is the commuter background of the student body. An individual could hardly be expected to make a 50 mile or greater round trip to attend a one hour club meeting. At a major university, with most students living within a small area, such meetings can indeed be made to work.
Recognizing this situation, the Student Senate voted unanimously in its last meeting to go on record opposing any attempt to do away with activity periods. Campus clubs would do well to take note of the Senate position and consider similar action on their own. Activity hours are usually filled well in advance with club meetings, but interest would not likely be as great if these periods are eliminated.
Apathy at TC – Who Cares?
The Monday speech of Jack Anderson was probably one of the most thought-provoking and well-delivered presentations to come to the TC campus in quite some time. It’s a shame most of TC didn’t hear it.
Let’s face it, a college of some 2,500 students was shown up, as far as attendance is concerned, by one of the local high schools — an institution of considerably less size.
Preaching on the lack of interest shown by TC students is easy to do, and probably justifiable. But it has all been said before, and still the apathy of the student body has not been changed.
The matter has received much consideration from the Student Senate, but that body has often found itself at somewhat of a loss for a remedy. Well-planned dances at night and interesting speakers during the day have generated similar attendance, or lack of attendance.
If TC students simply want to go to class, get their credits and go home, they have a perfect right to do so. But this attitude leaves out many of the activities associated with college life, and these activities are as much a part of a good education as class time.
Faculty should recognize this more than anyone, and attendance could likely be boosted at events such as the Anderson speech if students were encouraged, rather than discouraged as was done in some classes, to attend — yes, even during class time.
After all, from the student viewpoint, part of the speech expense came from activity fees. Attending, then, would only be getting the best out of everyone’s money — if anyone cares, that is.