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Campus Activities
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and place for reader comment
Dear Editor,
Since I have been here at Mars Hill College, I as well as some of my peers have noticed some things that we would like to see changed. One problem I have noticed at Mars Hill is that there is nothing to do on the weekends. Many students don't have cars with them, so they are stuck with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Yes, there are athletic events that we could attend, and we could always use a little extra studying time, but it would be nice if there were some more opportunities for us to do things. I have heard many students complain that the gym isn't open and many students would like to go there and play a little basketball. For a lot of students, the weekend is their only free time. They want to be able to do some fun things besides school work.
Another thing that I have noticed to be a problem for students on the weekends is the lack of eating facilities. Sometimes, students just can't make it to the cafeteria within the hours that it is open. This is a problem especially on Sundays when many students go to churches quite a ways from campus. They come back from church to find that the cafeteria is closed and will be open again at 5:00 p.m. It would be a lot easier and more convenient is the Lion's Den and the Soda Shop were open on the weekends, at least during the hours that the cafeteria is not. This would give them an opportunity to eat when it is convenient for them. It might also prevent all the students from rushing back to the college from church and putting themselves at risk due to being in such a hurry.
I realize that putting in the extra activities, and adding in the hours for the eating facilities would involve getting more people to work and host such things. This could be done by simply hiring some students to work these extra hours, or coordinating some events for students to participate in. The gym could be open and a trusted student could be responsible to make sure everything is taken care of when they are finished using the facility. The Lions Den or the Soda Shop could be open just a couple of hours on the weekends between lunch and dinner so that students could have the opportunity to eat when they want to eat. It might take quite a bit of planning to make these things work, but I feel that the student body deserves to get the best.
Sincerely, Amber Leathers
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I think that Mars Hill College is in denial about the lack of benefits on and around campus, such as student activities, and the open hours of both the library and the cafeteria. So far campus life has been like one long church service where you meet a few people and talk about things, but never really stray from the main focus, which in this case is school!
On weekends I spend my time doing homework or walking around campus. Going to the football games on Saturdays is the highlight of my entire week. We're all on this island, and it seems everyone has a way off but me, because I don't have a car. The students here leave as soon as they can. Mars Hill is a ghost town on weekends.
I enjoy the small size of Mars Hill College for many reasons. It allows for more one on one help from professors, the classes are close together, it provides a close knit atmosphere, and makes the students feel significant. However, I also believe it should provide activities for students of this generation. This is especially important for students like me; I live here on campus.
The school has some activities, but not many students go to them because their aimed at an older group of people. For example, we had an Elvis impersonator which isn't something a group of people born from 1984-1988 would really enjoy.
I propose that the school add an extension to The Loft and upgrade it. The upgrade would include new arcade games, a two lane bowling ally, a bigger dance floor, a real dining area and low budget guests such as comedians, bands, singers and other forms of entertainment. This proposition is not only very possible but it also makes sense. With the larger size of The Loft we could accommodate many people. The attraction of entertainment would bring in people from neighboring colleges and even the community. Mars Hill can not only afford the changes, but could actually gain a profit.
Another benefit I would like to see at Mars Hill College is, more open hours for both the library and the cafeteria, especially on weekends. During the week I struggle to get to the cafeteria, and when I get there I have to stuff my face, and then sprint to my next class. On weekends lunch and breakfast are combined from ten-thirty a.m. to one-thirty p.m. After brunch is an empty four hour time span until dinner. I propose that the cafeteria serve breakfast from 7:00am-9:00am, lunch from 11:45am-2:30pm, and dinner from 5:30pm-7:30pm every day.
The library hours on weekdays are decent, but on the weekends (Saturday and Sunday) it's only open for a total of seven hours. I propose that the library be open from 7:30 am- 3:30pm, and then from 4:30pm-11:30pm every day.
If more students concerned about the lack of activities here at MHC joined me in my effort to liven up our school, I'm sure we could make a difference in student's attitudes towards the liveliness of MHC. The changes I talked about would not be too difficult to accomplish. All it would take is consideration by the administration, strategic planning, and initiative on the part of the student body - Kenneth Wells
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Attending college at Mars Hill is a different experience than being at a major university. Being a small college in a small town, students at Mars Hill are limited to the activities they can do on campus. We have this one place called The Loft, where weekly functions are held.
When the school first started the functions at the Loft, they were fun and interesting. They're no longer appealing to the students here. There are several factors that play leading to why no one attends the Loft anymore. Up until last Monday there would be about six to ten people there, including the people who organized the party. Then everyone was standing around preparing to leave.
Personally I think the reason for this is that the people in charge tried to place too many limitations on the fun. Like at first they tried to charge Mars Hill students for admission. Only two dollars, but still, it's our school they should not charge at all. On top of that the selection of music was very shallow. Songs were played repeatedly throughout the night. A solution to that was for students to bring a selection on CD's and they would be played and returned at the end of the night. The problem with that was, that, they said only edited songs would be played. That made a lot of people very upset. By us being college students we should be able to listen to music uncensored.
If this continues, the Loft as we know it will cease to exist. It is not too late to save the Loft. I suggest that they have some sort of event at the Loft to bring people back. They should get some type of performer. Not any guy but, someone that is appealing to our age group and time frame. They would have to charge admission of course but, if it is a great enough entertainer, then people would be willing to pay a few dollars.
Also they should have their selection of CD's already prepared for the whole night, and unedited too. So when it's party time there won't be any more confusion on with songs to play next. This would make things go a lot more smoothly. Then maybe people will start coming back to the Loft on nights and we would have something to do on campus.
In closing, my suggestions are only just my personal opinion unless they are taken into consideration. Other people might have their opinion, which are more affordable than my option. But I think people will come if my suggestion is tried. - Tony Boyd
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In the Mars Hill College community I see a lot things that needs to be improved. My reason for wanting to improve Mars Hill College is to make it a better place for enroll student attending this school. The school can achieve this by giving students a sense of freedom. The students at this school feel trapped so improvement on the quality of living by the addition of resources will help relieve this feeling.
Mars Hill College as a community can improve on the quality of living.
Improvement on the quality of living will include better dorm rooms and an addition of activities or forms of entrainment for students. The tuition for a student at this school can easily be a year's pay of 30,000 dollars. This is a high tuition cost for a small school. I believe because of the high cost of the school as students, we hold Mars Hill College to higher standards. As a student you wonder where the money is going when you don't have AC in your dorm room, you eat the same thing each week, and, are cramped with a roommate in a "prison cell" environment. Room space is a necessity; many people don't know their roommates and if they do, that doesn't stop them from wanting to hit their roommate with a chair. Room space will create something that everyone wants: their privacy. Privacy gives a student their freedom. For most people at the school they feel trapped on campus. I know the small room space makes me feel as if I'm not able to leave, so by expanding the room space students will feel freer.
I know the school is located in Madison County, which is a very dry county. This county doesn't attract a lot of business, so you have to go to other places to find entertainment. This creates a problem. Many students like me that are not familiar with the area or not able to find a ride, and are stuck on campus. Many people on the weekends leave, leaving the school a deserted place anyway. The school needs to add more activities that are for the youth. The activities need to be interesting to our age group. The school has at least attempted to improve on their activities, but they're not successful because the activities seem to attract an older audience. The activities they add should focus on our generation. Activities that can be added are intramural sports and game and movie rooms are some suggestions for improvement of campus activities.
Mars Hill College is a very old school and seems to have kept its old traditions. The school can't add a whole bunch of strip malls simply because business won't come here, any business will not profit in this area. The school can offer a bus or shuttle that will transport you to more exciting parts of the area. A bus or shuttle should be able to take you to Weaverville or Ashville where you are provided strip malls and other forms of entertainment. Being able to not leave campus also causes students like me to feel stuck on campus. The school providing a system of transportation will also help relieve this feeling.
The quality of living needs to be improved for students to make Mars Hill College a place where one can really call "home". It gives students a sense of security and pride for their school. I feel this school is a very boring campus but the school is making some steps to create entertainment for students. The school does have the Outdoor Center and Club Night at the Loft, but there is more that needs to be done. The college atmosphere is a good experience because for most students this is their first time being on their own, but most students like the feeling, the sense of freedom and being away from their parents. Mars Hill College can be a second home for students by creating a home away from home feeling. - Jamal Green
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Dear Editor,
Mars Hill College has a very welcoming environment about it. I knew from the time I saw the campus, this was where I wanted to go to college. It's located very close to my home and I wanted to stay in the beautiful mountains. So far Mars Hill College has been everything I thought it would be and more. The historic buildings and landmarks just add to the beauty of it all.
However, there is one thing to which I would like to bring attention. This one thing is the appearance of our student union. I think that whenever the prospective students or upcoming freshman come on the visitors day to tour the campus, they might be somewhat turned away by the unattractiveness of the student union. What is the sole purpose of a student union away?
On the Mars Hill College website, under the Wren Student Union, it states that:
"Mars Hill College acknowledges the inter-relatedness of its academic program and its extracurricular activities and affirms the belief that learning takes place in all experiences of daily living, not just in the classroom. The Student Life program encompasses housing, student government, student activities, counseling, health care, orientation, student organizations, and campus police. Closely associated are intercollegiate and intramural athletics, food services, and the bookstore. In addition, the college's integrated academic and co-curricular program, the LifeWorks Learning Partnership, links the liberal arts education to life and work."
This description of our Student Union is accurate except for the part about our daily living. We have plenty of fun extracurricular activities that the staff in the Student Life plan for us, but then when it comes to the activities to do in the actual Student Union, this is where we fall short of things to do.
What I mean by unattractiveness is our student union may not be very appealing at all to these visitors. Sure, we have our nice little weight room with a TV in it and we have the Outdoor center, and the Lions Den. Oh, and we can't forget the two arcade games. To some people, that is enough to satisfy them, but to other people, it may make the difference if it was a bit more inviting. The Outdoor center was a great idea, but not all people find interest in participating in outdoor activities. We need more variety of things to do and maybe even another place to eat.
I realize that we are somewhat short of space to be adding on additions, but we could find a way to make more space for fun activities that could attract more people to the college. By doing this, we could really live up to the quote stated above that is shown on our Mars Hill College website. On the day that we have visitors touring our campus, I believe that we should have a survey that each prospective student completes at the end of their tour. The survey would need to have questions about our Student Life program and what could be improved and what would make our out-of-class activities more appealing. I believe that we need to have our current students also make realistic suggestions because they also know what could be made possible here at Mars Hill College.
Thanks for your consideration, Jamie Morgan
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While I was living at home I lived a sheltered and somewhat strict life. During high school I made a habit of sneaking to do the things I wanted, because I knew if I asked my parents they would answer me with a quick no or wait until the last minute to give me an answer. By that time I would have cancelled my plans and I felt that they knew that I would. I began getting excited about college, because I knew I would be free to do whatever was available to me. I think a lot of college bound students feel that way.
When I first got here at Mars Hill College, I was on a high from being away from home until around the second week. That is when I found that there is nothing to do on the campus. I believe that my peers were also becoming aware of this, because people began doing things that I do not believe they would normally do. There were frequent water balloon fights and burning of objects in parking lots for no apparent reason besides pure boredom. I believe the sneaking of alcohol onto campus also increased. If there were more interesting activities for our age group, then I believe things like this would be cut down significantly. I think the biggest thing would be to improve dances in The Loft.
At the beginning of the year everyone attended dances in the loft, because they were fun and they played all the popular music even though the attendees had to supply the music. After the first couple of weeks The Loft rules began to become strict. First they stopped letting students bring in their music. Then the music was edited which was understandable for some songs. Everyone was completely disappointed when they stopped playing those songs entirely. After that it was a continuous repeat of the same songs. Nobody wanted to attend the parties in The Loft anymore, because the life had died. The Electric Slide is fun the first time, but it loses its appeal after it has been played ten times. The Loft parties eventually died down to only close friends of the hostesses.
College kids are still going to party. So if it is not in The Loft it will be somewhere else. And that somewhere else will most likely have plenty of alcohol, because that appeals to college students. When the parties are in The Loft nobody expects alcohol so it is safer environment where we can get together for fun. So why would someone take the fun out of those once a week dances and turn students towards other things, I do not know. I do know that we as a student body should stand up for what we want and try to get the fun back into the dances at The Loft. We, as college students, deserve it and if we want it we have to show it. -Ciara L. Felder
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Dear editor,
When I think about college, I think about having places to go and things to do around campus. This is not so here at Mars Hill College. If a student wanted to go somewhere, they would have to go to Asheville or Johnson City. To me this is not acceptable. What I think needs to be done is the construction of a general place close to campus that students here can go and socialize. This would make the student population happier and it would keep some out of trouble. I have heard too many times about people doing some wild and crazy things out of boredom.
I know that the town of Mars Hill doesn't want to grow into a large booming city. Most of the residents probably think that building something for the purpose of hanging out would jeopardize the way they want their town. In my opinion this would not jeopardize anything toward the town. If anything, it would help out with keeping the students occupied while they're not doing school work. I have known some students that can't get out of Mars Hill, but still want something to do; so they go out around Mars Hill, and sometimes they can get a little destructive. I do not want this to have to happen anymore.
What I propose is that Mars Hill College needs to look into building a coffee shop that is opened late at night. This would take care of the problem of not having a place close to campus to hang out. As a bonus, being a coffee shop, this would make some jobs and would have some kind of income to the town. There could be a number of things that could be hosted by the coffee shop. You could have a poetry night every week where students and whoever wants to could come and read their poetry. I know that I would enjoy that. Live music could also be an event held there. This would most definitely make the students happier. Not only could the coffee shop be used for students to socialize, but they could also use it for study groups. Maybe certain students would want to meet there and study while enjoying a nice cup of coffee. There are many possibilities for the coffee shop, and I think personally that it would truly be a great thing to have on campus.
To conclude, I would have to say that I am getting sick and tired of not having anything to do on campus that is fun to me. If the school is really serious about making to students happier and more comfortable, then they should take what I have said in this letter into consideration. I hope that this problem doesn't go on for much longer. I would really like to see a change before I graduate.
Sincerely, Mark Waisner
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Dear Editor,
My name is Justin Williams and I think Mars Hill has a great educational program, but it seems to be very boring around here. I think one thing that would help prevent a lot of boredom is if we had a shuttle bus to take students to Asheville. I think by having a bus going to Asheville it would give students more things to do. They could go downtown or go to restaurants of their choice. They could get to the Mall or the movies and many other places in Asheville to have fun.
This shuttle would also benefit a lot of students who don't have cars that might be less fortunate than others and need to go shopping for school supplies, groceries, clothes, or things they just really need, that they can't get from Mars Hill. Then they don't have to bum rides. This would save a lot of people gas. I know a lot of people who would probably even pay money to get a bus to take them to Asheville, because there aren't really a lot of stores or restaurants in Mars Hill, and every one who can't find a ride to Asheville when they really need things are out of luck. Some may have a job in Asheville, or they might just want to explore the town. I think that we should be able to have a shuttle bus. As much money as we pay for tuition, the school should be able to pay for a shuttle bus to run, or if we don't have the funds I think we could have fun raisers, or the bus could just charge a couple of dollars per person. I think this shuttle bus would make Mars Hill and even better place to go to college. Thanks for listening to my suggestion and concerns.
Sincerely, Justin Williams
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Dear Hilltop,
Students feel that there is not enough to do here on campus so we have been brainstorming and have thought of some ideas that might be of some interest to Mars Hill.
One problem that we came across was that there is not any entertainment here on campus. This is a problem because then the students resolve to leave campus, or they get into trouble on the weekends. Personally, I think that the events that go on here on campus are boring. Maybe not for someone of an older age, such as my parents, but for college age students they are not worthwhile. Elvis impersonators, plays and musicals are fine for some, but younger generations need something more. We should try to get a show booked that no one has seen before. From what I understand the Elvis impersonator has been here before and most of the audience appears to be from an older generation.
Many students in our class said that they would be willing to help raise money or even pay to go to a show if it was worthwhile and appealing. Therefore I think that we need to utilize this and try to bring more events to campus so that students that do not have anything to do on the weekends will not get into trouble.
Another solution to this problem that we came up with was to get a shuttle. This shuttle would be free to students and would make trips to Asheville. It would stop downtown, stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, etc. This would be beneficial to students that do not have cars or money for gas. They could use the shuttle to run errands or just to get away for the weekend. I think that many students would find this beneficial and really appreciate it especially for the weekends when there is nothing to do. The Outdoor Center gets vans to take them skiing sometimes, so I do not see why we could not get a bus or shuttle to take students into Asheville. I am also sure that many students would probably use a shuttle if we could get one. Just because we need to run errands and it is hard for those of us who do not have access to a car.
In conclusion, I feel that we should try to get more events here on campus that are entertaining for younger generations. If this cannot be achieved then I think that we should try to get a shuttle so that students can leave for the weekends when there is nothing to do.
Sincerely, Ali Pettit
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On the weekdays, we are all preoccupied with a workload of homework. By the end of the week, we have all had our share of going to and from classes. The weekend sounds like fun and we are expecting fun after the full week we just had. Friday night, there is always something to do, but students usually choose to go either to Asheville or off-campus at friend's houses. Saturday, there are some activities going on, but they are usually football or soccer games. At night, people usually do the same thing they did Friday night, which was go off-campus to have fun. It would be better if students could all stay here and socialize.
The college needs more activities to do over the weekend. The campus needs some way to make it more inviting, so that students will want to stay here and do the same sort of things they would do off-campus. The Loft is here for a reason. I agree there were activities here for the first couple weeks, but then they slowly died down. People stopped going to them and it did not look exciting anymore. The school started to charge money for the students to get into Club Night, so in turn they stopped coming to the dance. They stopped charging after seeing that almost no one was coming, but it was already losing interest and students had stopped coming. Also, they cut out songs that college students like to listen to and that helped the problem of people not wanting to come even more. Club Night used to be so fun and students looked forward to seeing all their friends there and dancing. It was a time for everyone to socialize and get away from homework and everything else that crowded their time of fun and enjoyment.
My English class was talking about this the other day and the majority of the students said that they would even pay and raise money for events that go on at the college, if the school isn't willing to pay itself. Events such as concerts or celebrities coming to talk popped into our heads when we were discussing what we would like at this school, to make it more inviting. I would love to participate in school activities if they were activities like these that I just mentioned. If the school could not afford any of this, like I said, we could raise money for them by doing fundraisers. Car washes, bake sales, or even charity work around the community would be some ideas the student body could start up. I would just like to see at least part of the money I am paying to come to this college be used in a way that I would enjoy and participate in.
Another activity the campus could set up is a Battle of the Bands. In high school, it was interesting to see all different kinds of bands performing. With being in college, I would like to see that again and see what different talented people we have here among us. There is always fun in watching bands play, and if we had Battle of the Bands at college, we would have one more activity we would enjoy and participate in.
If we could get more activities for us to participate in, then all of us would not leave every weekend. This in turn would bring in more students to come to the school if they see we have activities planned that students enjoy. If everybody gets what they want, or at least some of what they want, they won't complain about how this school is boring all the time. - Erika Whicker
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My name is Alex Blucher and I'll give some advice on what MHC needs to improve to get the students involved with activities around the campus. Since this week is homecoming, there has been a lot of activities happening around campus, such as hit a car three times for a dollar, a few big dances at The Loft, and etc..
These activities should not only be done just for homecoming, but on a regular bases around the campus to keep the students and the community involved with the college. Mars Hill has the resources to make the college better, but it just needs someone to take the time and energy to develop it well for the students and the community. Mars Hill College should have some kind of surveys being sent to the students on e-mail or a handout on paper about what activities could be done around campus. The survey will be use for opinions and ideas to start some of the activities.
Mars Hill has Moore Theater and The Loft, which are some good places to have events going on for the students and community. For instance, at the Moore Theater we could have a poetry night going on inside where there is music, soft drinks, and mini entertainment being held. Any student who wants to read their poems must apply on a form three days from the show. At The Loft we could have music as usual, but a different artist once a month can come out and perform on stage. Around inside The Loft there could be a couple of pool tables set up and a disco ball hanging from the middle of the dance floor.
These are the basics to start something fun around campus. Students would be able to pay their money's worth on something they like to see and do. Mars Hill College is the place to be and become creative in what you want to do. It's not easy to be done, but it can be accomplished. I'm a student here at MHC and would like to see something develop around the campus. Maybe I'll be the person to step up and make a difference. - Alex Blucher
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Personally, I wish weekends on the Hill were a bit more eventful. With the closest city with a mall or movie theater about 30 minutes away, it makes it hard to have things to do. Not everyone has a car or access to a car on weekends. A good number of students go home on weekends leaving us poor, car-less people stranded with nothing to do. My solution, bring more events to campus!
Now I realize some events are brought here, but let's face it, they are things that no college student is really interested in seeing. For example, seeing an Elvis impersonator might be fun for say my parents, but for a 19 or 20 year old college student, I don't think so. The theater department puts on show, such as Treasures, and that's fine and dandy, and I'm sure some students would find that entertaining, but what about those who don't particularly find that to be a fun way to spend their time? So here poses the dilemma, what events should we bring?
Not to compare Mars Hill to Appalachian State University, but when I went there to visit two weekends ago, I went to an event that I swear was the best show I have ever seen. For their homecoming weekend, they brought a hypnotist to campus. He go volunteers from the audience, about 20 students, and hypnotized them. He then proceeded to give them a situation, and we go to see what they would do and how they would react. The auditorium was packed and the students were laughing for a solid 2 hours. The students thoroughly enjoyed it and talked about it the next day. I think what drew them in was the fact that it was a sarcastic and humorous show. It was witty and savvy and the students weren't ready for it to end. All in all, the show was incredible. All my friend and I could talk about was how we wished Mars Hill would bring him to campus and how we would go see him again. I t was so simple, but entertaining.
In class we talked about bring musicians here to perform. Some people said we just couldn't afford to do that. Then that poses another question; if we are paying close to $30,000 a year to come here, where on earth is all that money going to that we can't use some of it for entertainment? Some students even said they would be willing to buy tickets for a good artist and even help raise money to bring them here. So why on earth can't we manage to do that?
In conclusion, all we want is a little entertainment on weekends. The students are willing to help bring someone here and we pay such a large tuition, so entertainment should be able to be brought here. It really stinks bring bored for two full days. I would think if the students are happy, the school is going to be too.
Sincerely, Jaimie Auten
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Reader Comment:
Jennifer Cross, Senior, 10/27/06, 6:59 a.m.
Dear Editor,
It seems that many students are not happy with Campus Activities!!! So I am here to clear some things up. I am on the Campus Activities Board and I know for a fact that we have a limited budget. Students say that they want more things in the Loft, they want different musicians, comedians, etc to come in. CAB has news for the students....it takes money to do all of that and unless we charge for the club nights (or charge for food), then we will not be able to do any of that!!!! BEGGERS CANNOT BE CHOOSERS!!! We also only charged one night, and if the students came out more often, they would know this. This is also a Baptist College...so therefore, we need to play censored music, and the main word that we want censored is the 'F' word! CAB also did a couple of tailgate parties that NOBODY came to. It takes money to do that!!!! Thursday nights are also theme nights in the caf...Cab is doing the best that we can with what budget we have!
All of the activities that CAB does for the students are listed on the monthly calandar that gets places in the student mailboxes each month...and they end up in the trash can!!!!
All I am saying is that CAB does things!!! We would do more if we had the money...and we are not going to find the money unless we charge for things.
Derrick Everhart, Senior, 10/31/2006, 10:06 p.m.
Dear Editor: I will have to agree with Jennifer Cross, in saying that CAB does have a limited budget, and I have noticed that most of the things students would like to have will cost quite a bit of money. The problem lies within. I know that CAB has many events that they work hard to plan and prepare, but I have noticed that when these events take place no one is there. I don't think that it is because the student body doesn know about them either. Emails are sent, calendars are made, and posters are placed around campus. I think that if more students would actually show up to events that are being put on, then the administration would take notice and maybe they would plan to budget more for campus activities. It's just like the calendars: if people would take them to their rooms and look at them instead of throwing them away at first sight, then they might notice something that is going on around campus instead of saying there is nothing to do.
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