Every event put on at Colorado Mesa University is received by students in both positive and negative ways. Perhaps this phenomenon is just human nature; however, just like anything, the experience relies on the attitude.
There are certain students at CMU who choose to go into an event, with a very negative mindset, which affects their perception of the entirety of it. I heard mixed reviews about the 2017 homecoming festivities from several of my peers.
This year I decided to go to each event that I was able to go to with an open mind and a lot of energy. The first event I went to was free coffee and donuts in the UC. CMU Program Activities Council (PAC) offered everyone donuts from Daylight Donuts and hot coffee. I am never one to say no to free donuts, so I stopped by right before class.
On Tuesday PAC encouraged everyone to join them in decorating their own Maverick themed sugar cookie. I tried my hardest to draw Rowdy, unfortunately, I lack in artistic ability. The cookies turned out to taste pretty good and it was fun to take a short break in the middle of a long day and just laugh about my horrible artwork.
On Wednesday PAC, hosted DIY caramel apples in the UC. I was unable to attend this event and the bonfire that was hosted Friday evening on the Quad.
Thursday was Halloween-themed Pub night at Warehouse25Sixty-five and Saturday was the tailgate and football game at Stocker Stadium. There were food and drinks for sale, along with classic tailgating games. The football team ended up beating the New Mexico Highlands by a landslide, 77-7, which was predicted.
My favorite event was the carnival on the plaza Friday evening. There were clubs set up hosting games and KMSA was playing music. It was so much fun watching my friends ride a mechanical bull and random people fall into the dunk tank. Sustainability Council gave out some sick and useful prizes. Greek life gave out treats and PAC gave out swag; I made sure to grab a T-shirt and a beer cozy.
There were other events hosted by CMU organizations and clubs. There was a ping pong tournament and a ton of social media contests. I am sure there are things that I wasn’t even remotely aware of.
At a Division II school, it can sometimes seem like activities surrounding campus leave some room to be desired. Students with these feelings typically have high expectations, those of which could only be met at a large university with a huge student population. People who say they are unaware of the events, by no means put in an effort to be aware. People are always going to make excuses as to why they don’t enjoy something, but it is all about mindset and the people you are surrounded by.
I have made so many great memories with my best friends at events hosted by CMU. Rather than complaining about the quality, perhaps we should encourage PAC and other organizations by giving them both positive and negative feedback. When people feel that they are succeeding in their job, they tend to try harder.
