A few weeks ago, the CSA’s in my village put on a potluck. Each house was told to bring a dish, and we would all share and get to know each other out in the quad. When the day came, only a few people showed up, with more food than they could eat by themselves. Our CSA knocked on everyone’s door several times, but no one else came out.
Around my village, I’ll see signs for events that Residential Life is putting on, like ice cream socials or pool parties. Since the potluck, I’ll wonder ‘how many people are going to go to that event?
Talking to roommates and friends, I’ve found that no one really cares to get involved with the community. Everyone has their own group of friends, especially after freshman year, and they tend to stay with their groups. They don’t feel that they need to know their neighbors.
It’s not only in residential halls that I feel no sense of community or spirit; Campus events, rallies and even protests show little turnout, aside from the people who arranged them. Why is there so little school spirit at Sonoma State University?
One reason has to be that we do not have a major sports team that people can follow. Football teams bring student fans by the thousands, which is evident by every university with a football team.
The soccer team isn’t well known across campus, and the only advertisements I’ve noticed for games are on napkin dispensers in the dining hall.
Another reason would be our beloved mascot the Seawolf, a mascot that can only be justified by saying “I am a Seawolf!” No one is really sure what a Seawolf is, and that makes it a difficult mascot to rally behind.
But the main reason that we have so little spirit is because no one really cares. And I ask them why? There are so many events that are worth going to around campus.
Events that tell you about new programs, let you meet new people and have fun. I know a lot of people that complain that there is nothing to do around campus. Is there really nothing to do, or is it you who chooses not to do anything?
Even though we don’t have a football team, and even though no one understands our mascot, we are still united in the fact that we all go to Sonoma State, a university that we all chose to attend. We chose to come here to learn, grow and enjoy our time in college as best we can. So why do so many of us choose not to embrace it?
Last semester my roommates decided to go to an open mic night at Lobo’s, just to see what it was like. I wasn’t interested, and thought that staying home and watching TV would be more entertaining. My roommates returned after the event and they told me about what a great time they all had, and I felt that I had missed out.
So I encourage the student body to go to campus events, where I guarantee you will meet new friends, find new interests and have fun.
If you don’t want to meet new friends, bring the ones you have and make it a fun night out. If you don’t want to find new interests, join clubs where you can practice your current interest. School spirit is the foundation of community. Going to events creates school spirit and community encourages people to go to events. It’s a cycle, and in our case, it needs a push to start rolling.