When asked where on campus I live, I instinctively blurt out “the library.” Not only do I work in the Academic Center for Excellence as a writing tutor, but I spend a good portion of my day there. However, it did take me some time to realize that Payson Library is not a designated social area for eating, practicing your musical instrument, Skyping or sleeping. The sad truth is that the campus closes down relatively early, and as a result, the library has unofficially been dubbed adequate grounds for social gatherings, despite the well intentioned and poorly enforced “quiet zone” signs. “People literally think it’s a giant conference room or a place to socialize,” says junior Spiritual Life Advisor Genevieve David. I am genuinely perplexed at those who stay in the library with no intention of studying and in doing so, disturbing the peace. I am not perplexed that they disturb the peace. I am perplexed that they are in the library. I am perplexed that they stay in the library.
And that is because collectively as a student body, we do not value academics enough. We pride ourselves in a picturesque location by the beach, our ability to drink legally in Lausanne, Heidelberg, Shanghai and BA, and athletics, but few of us talk about, or even know about the conflict resolution program. I feel like I go to a school. Yet when we were dubbed a “B student” school last year, we were surprised momentarily — and carried on with our B student ways.
The good news is — it makes it very easy for students who try to get ahead. The bad news is — it is very easy for students who try to get ahead. This spirit of relative indifference towards learning is fostered by a multitude of things — one being the nature of General Education courses themselves. With the structure of a liberal arts education, spurred by the politics of certain professors eager to teach their favorite class, many of us are forced to take classes we are not strong in. And we do not embrace that. Those classes are GPA-dropping, time-wasting, and do not cater to our interests (that we know of). This lukewarm approach of “do-the-bare-minimum-and-survive” makes it easy for learning to take the back seat, and I definitely fell guilty of this my freshmen year by dismissing religion classes as intrusively religious or “just a history class” before I even took it.
This mediocrity is fostered by an attitude that is equally healthy as it is toxic — the comfort that learning takes place outside of the classroom. The reason is that instead of expanding the classroom to day-to-day life, learning in the classroom is often dismissed as didactic or even tainted if the professor does not cater to your learning style. I am not assessing this B-status as completely negative. An A-status and being well rounded are not mutually exclusive, but complementary. Demanding genuine excellence in the classroom should not take away from ability to be social.
I am simply suggesting an atmosphere that values excellence over “being ratchet,” and respecting the library is a start.
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Follow Justina Huang on Twitter: @huanderwoman
