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"We're bringing spirit back" - Sound Off Forum Seeks Answers
by Miley White
There's nothing to do on campus. Nobody will come because it's a school event. Nothing happens here on the weekends. What is there to do? Mars Hill is so boring and lame.
Those are just a few of the comments that have spread around campus and have left us asking, "Where is the school spirit?"
Such comments reached the ears of the Campus Activities Board, which is headed up by Robin Cole and also is made up of students like Mary Margaret Fulk, Caty Carpenter, and Ollin Dunford, who are all seeking to bring spirit back to the hill. Cole recently sent a survey to all students to get feedback about the lack of participation in campus events.
CAB teamed up on November 9 with Intramural Director and Difficult Dialogues Coordinator Jay Gillie and Student Body President Aubrey Green to host Sound-Off, a night when students voice their opinions about the school and things that need to be changed.
Many students came thinking that it would be an opportunity to criticize programs and address problems at the school. However, in Gillie's introduction he specified that this forum would be geared towards positive suggestions for how to get students more involved in campus activities. Twenty-six students and five staff showed up for the evening in Belk Auditorium, and nearly everyone made suggestions.
One of the challenges that CAB faces is a low budget. However, many suggestions were made about ways to supplement this.
"Western has concerts all the time. We could work with another college to combine forces," said Carling Stepniak.
The many organizations on campus could combine activities and work together, said Briteny Dies. "Now each organization holds its own events. The people who are a part of an organization are the ones that show up to it. We need to find a way to get people to support each other in other organizations," she said.
Ollin Dunford agreed, "The people you live with, you form relationships with. Try to create relationships with people that you wouldn't necessarily have friendships with by mingling with different students from different venues."
Elizabeth Head said she is in two of the most unsupported organizations on campus: cross-country and choir. "For different organizations to cross barriers is so important. If you have a friend or a roommate, support them," said Elizabeth Head.
If groups on campus combine to host activities, then more people will feel invited to come, said Gillie. "There is only so much that staff can do to make everyone feel welcome," he said. "A lot of footwork is going to have to be done between the individuals that head up those organizations. Until then, things will stay the way they are."
Students are the best advertisement for student activities, said Chris Aline, adding that many students get news of campus events from word of mouth. "I hear people say, 'Oh, it's not good' and that goes around, so people don't come," he said. "This is a small college, and words goes around."
Matt Kupstas, who hosts Yoga classes in the Outdoor Center and made efforts to restart the Conservation Club, commented on the "massive amount of energy that you have to put into getting people there. People are complaining that they want more activities. But when something does come along, people don't support it. So I think individually we could take more responsibility for helping organizations that are just starting out."
Chris Aline is another student who has organized events on campus. Last year he and a friend organized Salsa Nights in the Loft where students could learn to salsa dance. Cole said CAB would be happy to support students who want to host an event on campus and need help getting it started.
She also urged students to speak up and make suggestions for events they would like to have. "It is a human tendency to assume things. This activity is bad, so we don't go. If you don't have time to be on CAB then take the time to use your voice and contact us with suggestions on what events you would like to have. You're more likely to see what you want on campus if you tell us what you want."
Aline suggested focusing on student interests. "If we cover their interests, then they'll come." Another motivator is providing opportunities for participants to learn things. The Outdoor Center has been successful in offering students a chance to learn biking, kayaking, mountain climbing, and other outdoor activities.
Gillie asked students to think about whether they would rather have six or seven solid campus events throughout the year or a larger number of smaller campus events. Smaller events would involve less money, require less planning, and draw fewer people, but having just a few major events would leave students without small weekly activities.
Another issue raised was how to get commuter students involved when the only advertisement is email and word of mouth.
Commuter Elliot Austin said, "Ninety-nine percent of the stuff I hear about comes from other people. Way too many emails come through every day, and sometimes I don't have time to check it all. I just go through it."
Students suggested more activities similar to Homecoming, events supporting spring and winter sports, and identical t-shirts in school colors to inspire spirit.
Aline suggested supporting the basketball team as we do the football team --with a pep rally, half-time show, and tailgating. .
One girl described how her high school inspired school spirit by encouraging everyone to wear a red shirt at the soccer game. " It was such a big event, and it was announced on the news. It was so big, and I don't even like soccer, but it was fun to get involved with them."
Another student said, "If I was just to walk into the gym and see everybody in a blue shirt, it would just bring me closer together to the school."
Professors - particularly those in LAA classes -- could help by announcing weekly events in class and offering extra credit for attending campus events "It's only the first time that you get rewarded. After that you go for your own self," said one student. But others said the prime motivation should be interest, not class credit.
Some enjoy seeing faculty and staff at events. "Grant Gosch is awesome and gets us involved," said one student " I've seen Todd Boling at many various campus events. If faculty supports our activities, that's only going to make us more pumped."
But others weren't so sure. There are certain things that you don't want to do with your professors, said Stepniak amidst great laughter.. "I don't wanna go and dance with my professors in the Loft." Caty Carpenter added that "They have families and have to get away. They work all day. They can't be here all the time."
Coaches can help too, by notifying athletes of campus events, said Elliot Austin. "You get five people on our cross country team going somewhere, then pretty much everyone's going to go, because we move in a flock," he said.
Campus Activities Board members said they have done everything they can think of to advertise and host campus events. In the end, they said, students have to take responsibility for supporting each other.
Mary Margaret Fulk who has served on CAB since her sophomore year also observed that numbers aren't the only measure of success. "As a student you have to decide what is a successful event. If you are thinking that a successful event is getting 75 people there every time, then you're going to be sorely disappointed…but if you go in thinking that the twenty people who are there are having a good time, then that's a successful event."
Click for Report by Jay Gillie
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