Student Involvement Declining on Campus

Monica Guzman, Staff Reporter

Monica_Guzman@csumb.edu

May 1, 2008

CSU Monterey Bay (CSUMB) students

feel that the school has lost its pride. Those

who have been at CSUMB for a while got

to see the peak of student involvement in

making changes on campus.

Denise Huey, an eight year student

getting her Masters in Education, said

about her earlier years here, “The BBC

was open almost every day of the week

and bombarded with weekly events

such as Open Mic. [Things like the]

University Hour was real and had so

many students occupy the Main Quad on

Wednesdays making music, dancing, and

spoken word.”

Students believe that there is a lack of will

and drive on campus. Third year HCOM

major Darrell Collins said, “Students want

change but when it actually comes down to

it, they don’t do anything.”

Collins described how in his freshman

year his dorm worked hard to get ashtrays

approved, but felt that no one even heard

about small things like that happening

on campus. “I thought that with this

year’s huge freshman class there would

be more involvement but they’re not,”

said Collins.

Students wonder why the involvement

changed. Huey said, “The leaders [on

campus] all graduated and moved on to

bigger and better battles to fight.”

According to Huey, the student’s

involvement on campus has not changed,

what has changed is the definition of

involvement.

“At one point in CSUMB’s history,

student involvement meant getting

involved in clubs, organizations, fighting

the system, becoming an activist, and

throwing amazing cultural events both on

and off campus,” said Huey. “Now, student

involvement means getting students to

participate in fun activities on campus,

including Homecoming, basketball games,

roller discos, and concerts at the BBC.”

Another reason to explain the lack of

student involvement is that either there

are not enough activities on campus or

that they are just not well advertised.

Collins felt that activities in the Student

Center and Residential Halls have

significantly decreased.

First year Business major Michael

Barrett feels the opposite about student

involvement on campus. According to

Barrett, it seems as if there is always

something going on and if he lived closer

to school he would attend the events.

“This school reminds me a lot of my

high school except here it’s easier to get

involved” said Barrett.