By James Riswick
News Editor
I’m getting to my whit’s end. After nearly two and a half years of morning Convocation, I’ve had enough. Truth be told, my first Convo in August 2001 was enough for me, but with each passing week, the trek down to the Fieldhouse is growing more and more wearisome.
Now I’m not talking about the physical task of walking down John Tyler Drive from Lovernich Apartments. It’s always nice to go for a walk in the morning. Not that everyone agrees with me, I’m always awed by the amount of people who drive the 200 yards to Convo from the apartments. But I digress.
Maybe it’s because I am nearing my whit’s end, but it seems that Convo is becoming more and more preachy. With exceptions including Father Greg Boyle, it seems the topics of marriage, sex and relationships are constantly being discussed as if Pepperdine is some sort of lascivious, free love atmosphere in need of Christian cleansing. It’s not.
The Convo entitled, “How to Know When You’re in Love” was quite possibly the worst I’ve attended in my years here. Speaker Jim Burns didn’t even answer his own question and instead basically answered, “How do you know when you’re not in love and that you got married not because of love but because the sex was good.” I’m sorry, sir, but we do not need to hear about you and your wife’s sex life at 10 a.m. That’s just gross, man.
In my mind, Convo can do one of two things. The first is reinforce the already solidly held Christian moral beliefs of many Pepperdine students. If you don’t believe in sex before marriage or if you don’t believe in drinking or if you firmly believe in God and the Bible, a middle-aged inspirational speaker such as Burns is just there to make you nod your head and say, “yep, I guess I’m living my life right after all.” This is the exact definition of preaching to the choir.
For the many Pepperdine students who don’t necessarily fall under one or all of the moral ideologies listed above, these Convo speakers can be patronizing and tiresome. If you don’t have a problem with drinking or sex before marriage or are not quite so religiously inclined, no spunky Convo speaker is going to change your mind about these usually morally entrenched beliefs.
More speakers are needed like Father Boyle and France Palmer who leave the Convo audience speechless. Speakers who truly inspire students to live lives of greater purpose, who tell us we can make a difference and to persevere through hard times.
But there also needs to be more Convos in general. If we’re going to be graded for attendance at what is essentially 14 student assemblies, there needs to be a wider variety of Convos that meet different student audiences. A couple of chapels are not enough. The Moral Compass Series and Dean’s Lecture Series are excellent examples of different Convos, but more are still needed.
Convo is supposed to fill one of two purposes: uphold Pepperdine’s Christian mission and beliefs as well as bringing the student body together. There’s no reason why other student activities can’t cater to this second objective.
First, offer Convo credit for Pepperdine athletic events, or at least a half-credit. It would bring the student body together and would give the sports teams some free advertisement. At a school where a nationally recognized men’s basketball team has trouble drawing crowds for non-Gonzaga games, Convo credit could bring students out and get them hooked so they keep coming out even when Convo credit isn’t offered. This is especially more important for the other, sadly less-recognized teams. Go to a women’s volleyball game for Convo credit, love it, then come back the next week.
I can think of no better advertisement. Pepperdine would be supporting its sports teams and bringing its student body together to cheer for the home team.
Along the same lines, Convo credit could be offered for artistic performances at Smothers Theater, Coffee House or Pepperdine Improv Troupe shows.
It’s time to embrace Convos that inspire, uplift and bring students together rather than preach to them redundantly. Students shouldn’t be bored and put off by something meant to bring them together.
November 06, 2003