Something I appreciate about Drake is our willingness to try new things, such as the J-term implementation, campus-wide printing, block meal plans and those darn Friday First-Year Seminar sessions. As both a PMAC and the former first-year senator, your comfort at Drake has become a burden of mine. If these sessions aren’t exactly the highlight of your week, here are four things to consider:
1) The entire class of 2015 is coming together to discuss important elements of life. This, minus graduation, will be the only time that you will be able to share moments of common thought with everyone in your grade. Powerful.
2) The people in charge are aware of your concerns. This will improve.
3) Our futures will be full of technology. If we are unable to focus here then I really worry about today’s first-graders with smart-phones.
4) Our beloved Wanda Everage must be proud to see that you are critically questioning the meaning of your education. With that same intention, Drake’s move to do these new sessions is also challenging the effectiveness of upper education.
People saying that, “you have to go to this so you might as well stop complaining,” is a poor excuse. The power of this time may not seem meaningful to you now, but keep in mind that you are a part of both the learning and the teaching process at this university. That responsibility is often overlooked. Keep using your powerful voice. Thank you.
– David Karaz
Karaz can be contacted at david.karaz@drake.edu