SGA President Nate Cornell based his campaign in May on increasing community pride and engagement. He by no means meant to suggest that Conn lacks school pride, but as the centennial approaches, Cornell wants to ensure that any sense of apathy on campus is avoided.
Last weekend, SGA launched their 2010 initiative to reach out and engage the student body. They began with the promotion of athletic events as a motivational first step.
SGA has every intention of spreading the initiative further, whether it is to academic lectures or the LGBTQ center. However, since the athletics here at Conn are such a dominant force on campus, it seemed an appropriate place to begin. Conn athletic shirts were given away as promotion for the initiative at the men’s soccer game versus Williams as well as the women’s volleyball game against the same NESCAC powerhouse.
When asked about Conn’s sense of pride while watching a home soccer match against the neighboring Coast Guard Academy, Emily Caplan ’14 said that “the turnout at the soccer games says a lot about our school – that we’re a close knit community that supports our teams even though we’re not D1.”
Her classmate Lily Plotkin ’14 added, “I came from a high school that had no school spirit, so it was something I always wanted when looking for a college. In just four weeks here, I’ve definitely seen a lot of it!” It seems as though the initiative is off to a good start.
With approximately 450 varsity student-athletes, almost a quarter of the students here are competing at the NCAA division three level. Hundreds more are involved in club sports as well, and even those who are not actively enjoy the picturesque Tempel Green, striking arboretum and state of the art fitness center. It is the norm for the Dawley Fields and the winding trails that loop around them to be overflowing with various teams or sole runners merely enjoying an afternoon jog between classes.
Being a Camel athlete does not just mean that an athlete is talented on their field (whatever kind it may be), that he or she represents CC wearing blue and white at all competitions across New England and that he or she is eligible to sit on the right hand side of Harris, though all of these components may be true. It’s not even playing winning games, ranking high in our conference or drawing the large crowds to the competitions that SGA is striving for. These things are all due to the persona of a Camel—intelligent, willing and able, but most importantly, one of a team and of the greater community on campus.
Even for the sports that might fall through the cracks—admittedly, cross country, for example, might not be the most spectator-friendly activity—the familiar “Awww, CC!” preceding any and all events echoes loud and clear.
So, Conn, SGA is challenging you: get outside this weekend, if you aren’t already, and let those camels know you hear them!
Photo By: Amelia Smith
