Does Post Lack School Spirit?

Genna Apfel

We’ve got spirit, yes we do, we’ve got spirit, how about you? But, do C.W. Post students really show off their school pride? Colleges and universities encourage school spirit, which can be anything from dressing in school colors, to attending sporting events. However, it seems students would rather not take part in some events on campus. While school programming groups such as the Commuter Student Association and Student Government Association work to provide students with a great college experience and a chance to get involved on the campus, it seems students couldn’t care less.

Some students feel C.W. Post is more of a commuter school. Marissa Santomosa, a senior Public Relations major said, “ I feel too many students go home on the weekends and that’s why there isn’t much to do here then. You can compare our school to another school, maybe like Penn State or Syracuse University and it seems students only want to stay on the campus and show off their school pride.”

Chelsea Serra, a sophomore Environmental Science major said, “Even though I live really close to home, I choose to stay on campus, but I don’t attend anything like football games or go to school events. I can say I am getting a good college experience, but I feel a lot of the reasons students go home or don’t get too involved is because there isn’t much school spirit and a lot of students commute.”

Electronic Media Professor Christopher Dodrill added, “Unfortunately, students care more about getting their degrees and don’t focus enough attention to the learning process. The Long Island University Campus community only wants to get their degrees and leave. Therefore, they don’t participate in enough events on the campus. I try to get students to get out and go do things, like going into the city for example.”

Deborah Khalou, the SGA Treasurer said, “I don’t feel that Post necessarily lacks school spirit. Instead, I feel that it’s a matter of students – both commuters and residents – not being aware of the different activities taking place on campus. Students who want to learn more of the wide range of activities occurring on campus should attend the SGA General meetings!”

In my opinion, a good curriculum and faculty is essential when choosing the right college. But let’s face the facts; we’re young college kids and we’re all interested in one thing, a good social life. College needs to be more than just getting good grades and networking with your professors. It’s also about making the most incredible memories with your friends, going to that party that you have talked about for weeks, or just having fun on the campus. Students involved in SGA and CSA are extremely dedicated to setting up events and keeping the community up-to-date, but a lack of school spirit can cause students to turn to other colleges for fun.