Forum? Maybe
Jocelyn Harris
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Campus Life
Many on-campus group discussion and forums fall short under the student participation sector.
With Morgan State's on-campus participation and patriotism at an all time low, is a forum really a forum with only 6 people in attendance.
The ladies of the Swing Phi Swing social fellowship Marli Nubia Bear Chapter were among the latest organizations to fall prey to the ever growing phenomenon of the absent student and lack of participation. The forum, which took place on November 7, 2007 at 7pm in the Student Center, was met with blank stares and ambiguity as the sponsors waited idly for more participators to arrive. The topic at hand was the legalization of marijuana, a pro or con for present day society.
The social fellowship of Swing Phi Swing, which was chartered in 1975, began their forum with terse introductions by affiliates, followed by a series of open-ended questions. "What age did you all began smoking?" and "Do you think marijuana should be legal?" were among a few of the questions. Those who are pro-marijuana may agree that marijuana use in moderation can be safe, if not, healthy for the body. Those who view the legalization of marijuana as a negative provided a contrary opinion and stated that marijuana is a gateway drug. Tiffany, a senior at Morgan and member of Swing Phi Swing closed the forum with an ambiguous brain teaser saying "Don't legalize marijuana because it's safe, but legalize marijuana because it's dangerous".
There are several on-campus forums and discussions which have fallen prey to the "Absent Student". Events would include the town hall forum Renewing Student Activism in the 21 Century, which was held on October 1 and a spoken word, song and panel discussion, opened to a group of about eight or nine students. Stan Gordon, member of the Graduate Student Association and organizer of the event was unavailable for comment.
The Writing Fellows, who have sponsored several on-campus forums, joined the ranks of desolate organizers when as little as nine people showed up to their latest event. Poetry for the People held on Thursday October 25 in the Student Center, which included performances, had touched bases on the need for art in our community. Deana V. Ikhinmwin, Director of Community Service has also noticed a decline in student participation on campus. She however, does no attribute to the decline of student's willingness to participate, but to a change in student's financial need.
"One day events like Kwanza generate lots of volunteers but the real crunch comes when you ask for a long term commitment and those volunteers are few and far between." explains Dr Estelle Young, a professor at Morgan State. "I've been here four years there has never been a lot of student participation." There are many underlying factors that can be accredited to the decline of student participation on at the University.
Whether it is the student's willingness or change in financial need, one factor can be concluded that there is an ever growing need for volunteers and participators on and off MSU campus.
With Morgan State's on-campus participation and patriotism at an all time low, is a forum really a forum with only 6 people in attendance.
The ladies of the Swing Phi Swing social fellowship Marli Nubia Bear Chapter were among the latest organizations to fall prey to the ever growing phenomenon of the absent student and lack of participation. The forum, which took place on November 7, 2007 at 7pm in the Student Center, was met with blank stares and ambiguity as the sponsors waited idly for more participators to arrive. The topic at hand was the legalization of marijuana, a pro or con for present day society.
The social fellowship of Swing Phi Swing, which was chartered in 1975, began their forum with terse introductions by affiliates, followed by a series of open-ended questions. "What age did you all began smoking?" and "Do you think marijuana should be legal?" were among a few of the questions. Those who are pro-marijuana may agree that marijuana use in moderation can be safe, if not, healthy for the body. Those who view the legalization of marijuana as a negative provided a contrary opinion and stated that marijuana is a gateway drug. Tiffany, a senior at Morgan and member of Swing Phi Swing closed the forum with an ambiguous brain teaser saying "Don't legalize marijuana because it's safe, but legalize marijuana because it's dangerous".
There are several on-campus forums and discussions which have fallen prey to the "Absent Student". Events would include the town hall forum Renewing Student Activism in the 21 Century, which was held on October 1 and a spoken word, song and panel discussion, opened to a group of about eight or nine students. Stan Gordon, member of the Graduate Student Association and organizer of the event was unavailable for comment.
The Writing Fellows, who have sponsored several on-campus forums, joined the ranks of desolate organizers when as little as nine people showed up to their latest event. Poetry for the People held on Thursday October 25 in the Student Center, which included performances, had touched bases on the need for art in our community. Deana V. Ikhinmwin, Director of Community Service has also noticed a decline in student participation on campus. She however, does no attribute to the decline of student's willingness to participate, but to a change in student's financial need.
"One day events like Kwanza generate lots of volunteers but the real crunch comes when you ask for a long term commitment and those volunteers are few and far between." explains Dr Estelle Young, a professor at Morgan State. "I've been here four years there has never been a lot of student participation." There are many underlying factors that can be accredited to the decline of student participation on at the University.
Whether it is the student's willingness or change in financial need, one factor can be concluded that there is an ever growing need for volunteers and participators on and off MSU campus.
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