Spring Break
Campus Activities Board is best left to administration
Anthony Cesarini
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: Ed-Op
Every year, I get a multitude of e-mails saying that I should submit my idea for improving the campus to President Papadakis for the chance to win a cash prize at graduation.
While the prospect of receiving a paycheck along with my diploma sounds great, I'd rather print my ideas in The Triangle where they can be mulled over by the entire University, instead of just send them in an e-mail that hopefully will be read by Taki.
So, here is my first idea for improving campus: dissolve the Campus Activity Board.
Please understand, I have nothing against any CAB member. As a five-year member of The Triangle, I understand how time-consuming student organizations can be, and how underappreciated your work can be. Yes, CAB certainly has problems, and I doubt any single member of CAB is to blame for them.
In fact, many of the problems with CAB result simply from it being run by students. The students who run CAB have other things to worry about: classes, social lives and getting their own Drexel degree. That's why, try as they might, they can never efficiently and effectively run an organization responsible for the entertainment of the entire student body.
You may recall that last spring at Spring Jam, the headline band, Jack's Mannequin, played hours before CAB advertised they were supposed to play. The result: the band played to a few select students who happened to be there, while most students felt cheated out of a Spring Jam that their student activities fee paid for.
Two years ago, at the 2005 Crystal Ball, CAB crowned the incorrect homecoming queen. CAB members blamed it on "confusion." The two young women who were involved in the mess up weren't too happy, and students couldn't understand how such a seemingly simple task was executed incorrectly.
Generally, each year after the headlining band for Spring Jam or the comedian for the Comedy Show is announced, students across campus can be heard complaining about the choice. While CAB has recently pledged to include more student input into the selection in the future, the past tells me that it will either never happen, or only be temporary.
While the prospect of receiving a paycheck along with my diploma sounds great, I'd rather print my ideas in The Triangle where they can be mulled over by the entire University, instead of just send them in an e-mail that hopefully will be read by Taki.
So, here is my first idea for improving campus: dissolve the Campus Activity Board.
Please understand, I have nothing against any CAB member. As a five-year member of The Triangle, I understand how time-consuming student organizations can be, and how underappreciated your work can be. Yes, CAB certainly has problems, and I doubt any single member of CAB is to blame for them.
In fact, many of the problems with CAB result simply from it being run by students. The students who run CAB have other things to worry about: classes, social lives and getting their own Drexel degree. That's why, try as they might, they can never efficiently and effectively run an organization responsible for the entertainment of the entire student body.
You may recall that last spring at Spring Jam, the headline band, Jack's Mannequin, played hours before CAB advertised they were supposed to play. The result: the band played to a few select students who happened to be there, while most students felt cheated out of a Spring Jam that their student activities fee paid for.
Two years ago, at the 2005 Crystal Ball, CAB crowned the incorrect homecoming queen. CAB members blamed it on "confusion." The two young women who were involved in the mess up weren't too happy, and students couldn't understand how such a seemingly simple task was executed incorrectly.
Generally, each year after the headlining band for Spring Jam or the comedian for the Comedy Show is announced, students across campus can be heard complaining about the choice. While CAB has recently pledged to include more student input into the selection in the future, the past tells me that it will either never happen, or only be temporary.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 8
Sarah
posted 2/01/08 @ 9:12 AM EST
THIS ARTICLE IS A WASTE OF SPACE IN OUR SCHOOL PAPER. The administration controls everything at Drexel and obviously cannot plan anything. CAB is the only group that can set-up real events and make them happen. (Continued…)
B
posted 2/01/08 @ 12:59 PM EST
This article makes a good point... between CAB and USGA each student pays a lot of money from their activity fee considering what actually gets done.
Chris
posted 2/01/08 @ 3:54 PM EST
I think that you are forgetting about all other student run organizations. Are you telling me that all other student organizations are run perfectly? The thing about CAB is that they are a student run organization which doesn't have events specifically for themselves. (Continued…)
Andy
posted 2/01/08 @ 10:26 PM EST
I think students running the organization is great! Besides, who knows what students want better than students?! And afterall let's not take away student involvement on a campus which does little to promote student involvement in the first place!
CAB can, however, be improved in many ways. (Continued…)
Shannon
posted 2/06/08 @ 12:29 PM EST
Personally, I think the idea of a student-run organization is great... but from past experiences, CAB SUCKS! I have never dealt with more, for lack of a better word, idiotic people in my life. (Continued…)
Post a Comment