With all the complaining that I hear students making, I think it’s about time we look on the bright side for once. Keene State College is not without its flaws (I’ve been the victim of a few), but it’s about time we take a step back and recognize some of the things that go unappreciated here.
Recently, however, KSC has put its ear to the ground on student needs and will now be putting a spotlight down in the Wal-Mart area to increase students’ peace of minds about walking in the area late at night.
With all the complaining that students do about the school, there really is a lot that the school does for us that goes unrecognized or is underappreciated. The spotlight in the Wal-Mart parking lot is a prime example. It’s a small gesture to help students, but it should be a really appreciated one. In addition, some of the services and improvements elsewhere on campus go unnoticed as well.
Another instance is the newly designed and opened TDS center on campus. With the safety, sustainable product design, and architecture majors, students now have a great academic building to develop themselves intellectually and professionally in a technologically advanced setting.
The shuttle is another amazing service that KSC provides. Campus Safety has a shuttle that lets students on and off anywhere around campus. I know there have been several times that it’s been frigid outside, so hopping on the Campus Safety shuttle is an amazing feature KSC offers. If a student is ever walking alone somewhere and is feeling unsafe, the shuttle can pick him or her up and take it to wherever they need to go.
It goes a long way in making sure students feel safe, as well as parents who might be worried about their son or daughter walking around campus alone at night.
While some people have complained about the food in the dining commons, we’re actually pretty spoiled for food options here on campus compared to other campuses. I’ve visited some friends around the New England area and they are paying for a meal plan but the food is so bad, they pay extra for food at a grocery store because the dining service they have is so poor.
We’re pretty spoiled with the food choices on campus because it’s a lot cheaper than buying yourself food from the grocery store every day. The gym is another valuable resource on campus. Chances are, you may not have the time (or the drive) to go to the gym after working a real job, but at the rec gym, all the equipment you may possibly need is at your fingertips, and it’s free.
There are always trainers to help you, in addition to personal trainers. Intramural sports help keep students active too. So there are plenty of things on the campus to be thankful for. We’re pretty spoiled here as far as amenities go. Living on campus with a meal plan is a lot cheaper than what it takes to live in the real world, so before you complain, just take a few seconds to look around the campus and see how much we have here.
The depth of student organizations at KSC is also a big plus. Everything from Ecology, Anime, volunteering, political science, club rugby and hockey teams, as well as knitting, SIFE, and frisbee are all included here at Keene State. Basically, if you have some sort of an interest, there’s probably a club on campus that can accommodate what you’re looking for.
KSC does try to listen to the students’ needs. Not every need can reasonably be met, but it’s not for lack of trying. Maybe students should start looking at some of the positives once, amongst some of the negatives.
Whitney Cyr can be contacted at
wcyr@keene-equinox.com