Blog

Rays of Sunshine in an otherwise Cloudy Fall.

November 27th, 2023 by Kenneth Abrahams

It is easy to get bogged down in all the gloom and doom that is going on in the world around us. There is no question why many people don’t read the paper, listen to the news on the radio or watch it on TV. Years ago, many Americans would tune into their local and or national news to stay informed. Over time, more people began to distrust the information being provided and the individuals that were delivering said information, with good reason. If you are paying attention this fall, what you have digested has to leave you feeling ill. Whether it is the conflict in the Middle East, shootings closer to home, or natural disasters, it has been a tough few months.

However, there have been more than a few bright spots, for me at least. COVID did a number on college life and the communities that are built on campuses. Campus organizations are often very good at replacing their leaders when students see and hear the benefits of being involved. Campus traditions are passed on from year to year by members of that community enthusiastically participating in those events. During COVID, students were rushed off campus in the spring of 2020 and had restricted access to campuses and events in the 2020/2021 academic year. As a result, campus communities lost that energy, and those student pipelines were gone. In some cases, for 2 years, traditional events either didn’t happen or happened very differently than they had before. New students didn’t see how some of the organizations worked or the benefits of being involved. Fall of 2023 has looked very different than the previous 3 falls. By now, many of those that were impacted by COVID while in college have moved on and many of the students coming in are enthusiastic to continue to rebuild those communities on campus.

Earlier in this very space a three day stay in Akron was detailed in a previous blog https://funent.com/blog?id=1263081/a-weekend-in-akron-ohio-was-just-what-i-needed. That weekend alone would have restored my belief that what these groups are doing on campus matters. Yes, that one weekend would have been great on its own, but it was a harbinger of things to come. Lots of the events that I have worked on, and students that I have interacted with, have been incredibly positive. There is a different energy and I have felt it time and again this fall.

Both students and staff have suffered since COVID. Many staff members love helping with student leader training and development, and it had been hard to find students that wanted those leadership positions. This year, more and more of our clients are reporting full program boards, SGA’s, Residence Hall Councils, Executive Boards for many organizations, and Pan Hellenic Councils. Students are also reenergized finding that their peers are back attending events, providing support, and giving feedback.

Worcester State University is a campus I am on fairly often. Right around Halloween I was there to do Photo Candy Boxes. It was part of a program where students had an opportunity to paint ceramic Pumpkins, get a photo, some snacks, and hang out with friends. When I got there to set up, the students I was working with let me know that they may have a pretty small group attending the event as giving away T-shirts was always a big draw and they had given away all their shirts at the event the day before. Our event time was from 4PM to 6PM but at 3:45 students were already trying to get in. By 4:20 they had given away all the pumpkins and almost every seat in the room was full. Luckily one of their advisors had some additional ceramic items in their office and brought them down so that students just arriving would also have something to paint. It was great to see the hard work put into these programs rewarded with the positive response they had gotten from their fellow students. Generation Z has gotten a bad rap as a generation that can’t really communicate or have a conversation, especially with someone older. All I can tell you is that the students I worked with that day were bright, engaging, and incredibly pleasant to talk to and work with. A trend I have seen over and over this fall.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with a group of student programmers from Bentley University. Their advisor wanted the opportunity for them to meet a vendor and talk a little bit about how that relationship works. We discussed that and a wide range of other topics including their programs. It was fascinating to hear what they felt worked and what didn’t. One committee had changed their focus a bit based on student interests and some of the changes they had seen on campus. Again, they were interested in the discussion and had no problem expressing what they felt worked and didn’t. It was nice to talk to them and hear what they enjoyed and that they all felt that what they were doing was important. I feel the same way about what they are doing.

Going back to Ohio, not the University of Akron but the University of Ohio in Athens, outside of the drive, was a lot of fun. I was there for Family weekend and 15 minutes before the program even started a line formed to make a street sign. Despite some people waiting for about 2 hours, when they got to the table for their Street Sign they were in great moods. Apparently, they enjoyed getting to know their neighbors in line. Few, if any, were cranky when they got to the table and almost no one complained about the wait. Even when the line was cut, there was surprisingly little grumbling. People were proudly showing their finished signs to those around them in line often getting a chuckle or a thumbs up. For the past few years attendance at Family Weekends has not been as robust and some students seemed reluctant to have their parents come to campus for them. That wasn’t the case at Ohio University or many of the other Family Weekend events this year.

Perhaps I am naive or I’m seeing the world, or my little piece of the world, through rose-colored glasses but at a time where so much of the news is dark and depressing it is great to meet and work with people that see things in a more positive light. People that believe they can make a difference and make the community on their campuses more inviting and exciting for all. One of the things that I love about my job and the work that we do is getting to work with people from different generations and different backgrounds. For me, it makes the world a more interesting and possibly hopeful place.

About the Author

Ken Abrahams is a bit of a curmudgeon and wears that label with pride. He has been working with program boards and student leaders on college campuses for 40 years and learns something new every day.

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