2008 Woodie Awards
Guest Commentary
Scott Tapp
Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: Opinions
Well the semester is off with a bang, and UMSL is full of many new faces as well as many familiar ones.
Take a look around and you may notice another student you recognize from a previous school, be it high school or college. You may find a person or a few people who you've worked with before.
You will most certainly notice many of the faces do not appear to be what might be referred to as traditional college students.
Why is that?
Because UMSL is what some call a university for non-traditional students.This is not to say traditional students are not welcome, they are!
In fact look around the Student Government chamber this Friday, or most student activities and you will notice that while the majority of UMSL may be non-traditional, the voices of governance and leadership are primarily focused towards traditional students.
This is not the universities fault, but rather in my opinion due to the many other responsibilities we non-traditional students have.
When you have professional responsibilities, family responsibilities and civic obligations in addition to your studies it's hard to find spare time to get involved on campus.
When you do find spare time and choose to spend some of it on campus in an activity it is frustrating that so few are designed for us students who have matured past the scavenger hunt and drunken toga party stage of our life.
Do not get me wrong these events do offer important networking and recreation opportunities for some members of our student body, but what about the rest of us? You know the majority of the UMSL student body!
The parents as students, the returning adults who by day have the title CEO or General Manager, and by night have the title student.
What events and organizations are there for these students?
The answer is there are some, and the number keeps growing each year.
Check out Delta Omega Alpha, the nation's first co-ed fraternity for non-traditional students, in addition to many major specific organizations such as the Political Science Academy or Delta Sigma Pi.
I know first hand the university administration is committed to increasing the programming for non-traditional students in addition there are at least two members of the Student Senate who are non-traditional students.
But we cannot do it alone.
We need you to get involved!
Join organizations and voice your opinions.
Not interested in current organizations, that's fine create your own, the Office of Student Life will help.
But most importantly actively involve yourself in campus governance through attending this Friday's Student Government Association meeting. The meeting is in the SGA chamber on the 3rd floor of the MSC at 12:30 PM.
If you want to know more about opportunities available on campus, or if you just need someone to talk to who understand the unique circumstances of non-traditional students give me a call at (314) 516-5176 or e-mail me at askamentor@umsl.edu.
Thanks and Best of Luck for Fall '08!
Take a look around and you may notice another student you recognize from a previous school, be it high school or college. You may find a person or a few people who you've worked with before.
You will most certainly notice many of the faces do not appear to be what might be referred to as traditional college students.
Why is that?
Because UMSL is what some call a university for non-traditional students.This is not to say traditional students are not welcome, they are!
In fact look around the Student Government chamber this Friday, or most student activities and you will notice that while the majority of UMSL may be non-traditional, the voices of governance and leadership are primarily focused towards traditional students.
This is not the universities fault, but rather in my opinion due to the many other responsibilities we non-traditional students have.
When you have professional responsibilities, family responsibilities and civic obligations in addition to your studies it's hard to find spare time to get involved on campus.
When you do find spare time and choose to spend some of it on campus in an activity it is frustrating that so few are designed for us students who have matured past the scavenger hunt and drunken toga party stage of our life.
Do not get me wrong these events do offer important networking and recreation opportunities for some members of our student body, but what about the rest of us? You know the majority of the UMSL student body!
The parents as students, the returning adults who by day have the title CEO or General Manager, and by night have the title student.
What events and organizations are there for these students?
The answer is there are some, and the number keeps growing each year.
Check out Delta Omega Alpha, the nation's first co-ed fraternity for non-traditional students, in addition to many major specific organizations such as the Political Science Academy or Delta Sigma Pi.
I know first hand the university administration is committed to increasing the programming for non-traditional students in addition there are at least two members of the Student Senate who are non-traditional students.
But we cannot do it alone.
We need you to get involved!
Join organizations and voice your opinions.
Not interested in current organizations, that's fine create your own, the Office of Student Life will help.
But most importantly actively involve yourself in campus governance through attending this Friday's Student Government Association meeting. The meeting is in the SGA chamber on the 3rd floor of the MSC at 12:30 PM.
If you want to know more about opportunities available on campus, or if you just need someone to talk to who understand the unique circumstances of non-traditional students give me a call at (314) 516-5176 or e-mail me at askamentor@umsl.edu.
Thanks and Best of Luck for Fall '08!
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