Wait—there was a homecoming this year? It seems like the majority of the student body at Colorado Mesa University was unaware there was a homecoming week until the end of the weekend and it was too late.
I am just going to come out and say it: homecoming was terrible. It was a very long week with underwhelming events that portrayed the lackadaisical effort by the school to convey school spirit.
First and foremost, the first three days of homecoming week consisted of events that are similar to those that take place on the campus on a regular basis. The Programming Activities Council put on a cookie decorating event the second day of homecoming week, but how was it any different or more “spirited” than a pancake Friday, which is held on a normal basis in the University Center?
Homecoming is supposed to represent school spirit at its finest: everyone in the student body wearing their school colors and coming together as a community throughout the week, expressing their pride in attending the university they are paying thousands of dollars to attend.
I did not pay thousands of dollars to get a free t-shirt and a caramel apple and expect to feel satisfied with my decision to attend this school.
But it’s all okay, right? We are supposed to okay with mediocrity and accept that CMU is “just a Division II school.” Therefore, students shouldn’t expect much. That’s what we are supposed to think.
The first event of the week that actually “spirit-filled” was the carnival and the bonfire which were at the end of the week. But, the carnival was the exact same as last year, except this year it felt more washed up and boring. Bull riding, trampoline jumping, inflatable boxing ring, food. Sounds fun right? Maybe for 20 minutes, because that is how long it took to complete the activities. For the remaining of the two hours, everyone either left or stood around bored.
The carnival and the bonfire were supposed to portray the end of a very successful week and get the students ready for the exciting football game the next day, which the students should be excited to attend and support their team.
The matter of the fact is, even though the bonfire was an appealing thing to look at and the music was a nice touch, that should not have been the only “successful” thing during a whole week of events.
The football game was no better. Attendance was below the average rate and the tailgate was nothing special despite the special occasion. CMU gets one homecoming game per year, and this year it felt as if it was pushed under the rug because it was too ugly to look at.
I refuse to accept the ploy of below-average results from above-average hype and that is all homecoming was at CMU—all hype and no delivery.
CMU is a great school with outstanding staff and it’s going to have a bright future. But the fact that people have trouble accepting that “CMU is boring,” need to open their eyes to see the laziness and below standard effort that make something as simple as homecoming feel so forced and washed up.
How about instead of pointing out the problems, you could better respond to this issue by stating solutions to the events to make them better. Even perhaps the Criterion could offer help to the organizations to make a more fun and enjoyable event. My question to the Criterion is how many school events do they help with and support? Of course if one is successful and or unenjoyable they are the first to write about it, but it’s easy to write about something that you put no help into. Perhaps issues were faced by the organizations that hosted and brought to life these activities that the Criterion doesn’t care to take into account.
How about instead of pointing out the problems, you could better respond to this issue by stating solutions to the events to make them better. Even perhaps the Criterion could offer help to the organizations to make a more fun and enjoyable event. My question to the Criterion is how many school events do they help with and support? Of course if one is successful and or unenjoyable they are the first to write about it, but it’s easy to write about something that you put no help into. Pehaps issues were faced by the organizations that hosted and brought to life these activities that the Criterion doesn’t care to take into account.