Staff Editorial: Otelia Cromell Day mismanaged?
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Opinions
The Sophian has mixed feelings about Otelia Cromwell Day. We think it is important as a memorial and a symbol but think that, as an event, it has been mismanaged. The day seems to have self-congratulatory motives, while the events simply "preach to the choir" - the people who are interested in diversity and who support diversity causes on campus are the only ones who show up, other than those required to attend for a class.
While some professors do mandate attendance, more seem to respond to the event with eye rolls and exclamations, like "What, again?" or "Already?" They treat the afternoon off as an unwanted interruption in the syllabus, and some even assign extra homework to make up for the lost class, or schedule make-up classes.
Smith students do get a break from classes on Tuesday afternoon, making us wonder why Rally Day merits a full day without classes. However, what Smith forgets is that most of our work is done outside of class. So, canceling an afternoon's worth of class does not really help free up our time, especially when professors assign papers and midterms due the next day or shortly after.
The Sophian also questions the Afro-American-centric nature of the event. With so many other minorities on campus, we think it would make more sense to include other races and categories of diversity in the event. We wish the day would be used to tackle new and currently relevant issues rather than only looking back in history.
If the events were more creative and fun rather than lectures or panel discussions, which seem to come to campus every week, students might attend in higher numbers and appreciate the event - that is, if the administration and professors communicated about incorporating it into classes or not having copious amounts of work due the next day. As it stands now, for all but the very dedicated, Otelia Cromwell Day is nothing but extra time in the library or a good opportunity to catch up on sleep or last week's America's Next Top Model. We would like to see the day evolve into a more meaningful event that the whole campus will enjoy and anticipate each year.
While some professors do mandate attendance, more seem to respond to the event with eye rolls and exclamations, like "What, again?" or "Already?" They treat the afternoon off as an unwanted interruption in the syllabus, and some even assign extra homework to make up for the lost class, or schedule make-up classes.
Smith students do get a break from classes on Tuesday afternoon, making us wonder why Rally Day merits a full day without classes. However, what Smith forgets is that most of our work is done outside of class. So, canceling an afternoon's worth of class does not really help free up our time, especially when professors assign papers and midterms due the next day or shortly after.
The Sophian also questions the Afro-American-centric nature of the event. With so many other minorities on campus, we think it would make more sense to include other races and categories of diversity in the event. We wish the day would be used to tackle new and currently relevant issues rather than only looking back in history.
If the events were more creative and fun rather than lectures or panel discussions, which seem to come to campus every week, students might attend in higher numbers and appreciate the event - that is, if the administration and professors communicated about incorporating it into classes or not having copious amounts of work due the next day. As it stands now, for all but the very dedicated, Otelia Cromwell Day is nothing but extra time in the library or a good opportunity to catch up on sleep or last week's America's Next Top Model. We would like to see the day evolve into a more meaningful event that the whole campus will enjoy and anticipate each year.
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Smith
posted 11/06/09 @ 10:38 PM EST
I don't know what to think about the opinions of The Sophian's Staff Editorial on Otelia Cromwell Day. "We wish the day would tackle new and currently relevant issues rather than only looking back on history". (Continued…)
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