The Observer, September 12, 2008
Volume XLI, Issue 3
Complaining about Case without action won't change a thing
It seems that anyone can start a conversation by complaining about Case, no matter what his or her major, year, or background. There's always an ample supply of discourse on the workload, the lack of social programming, Cleveland's weather, and a myriad of other topics. I'm not going to delineate what we all know and have come to lament; rather, I'd like to remind us all of the good aspects of going to Case. This is not intended to excuse shortcomings, but to encourage a positive mentality in the hopes that we might better our experience here.
The most obvious perk of attending Case is the education. The curriculum is rigorous and the expectations are high, but the majority of professors are supportive and caring. The key, however, is learning not to confuse support with handholding. Case professors adopt a very real-world style; they are more than happy to assist and mentor, but the burden is on you to ask for the help, as it should be. When you graduate, no matter where you work or attend grad school, you will have expectations placed upon you and these expectations will come with deadlines that you are expected to meet. Wouldn't you feel much better coming from a school that trained you to handle this? I know I would. Also, for those of you who try to argue that SAGES is an example of how the education here isn't noteworthy: I wouldn't worry about it unless you're majoring in SAGES.
Now, I'm not going to lie and say the social scene at Case is stellar, but at the same time, I will say that it is fully functional if, just like your classes, you put in a little effort. With 4000 undergrads, there is no doubt in my mind that you can establish a niche for yourself here. There is a veritable plethora of clubs available, anything from the Case Animal Rights and Ethics Society to the Case Lacrosse Club, ,and even the Case Cheese Club. There are social fraternities and sororities, service fraternities, and professional fraternities. Off campus, there is Little Italy, the Great Lakes Science Center, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, three professional sports teams (all of which the RTA will take you to) and more, but you have to make an effort to go to them. Can you walk across campus and find open keggers everywhere? No, but if those were your intentions when choosing a college, you probably could have made some better choices.
Having enumerated some of the benefits of Case, it's only fair to examine the other side of the coin, as well as to ask why we are so willing to complain. The Office of Student Affairs is devoted to furthering both our academic and extracurricular lives. It puts on Homecoming, Springfest, Thwing Study Over, and other large-scale events. UPB provides smaller weekly programming, while USG works as a buffer between the students and administration and provides some of its own programming. Yet, the fact remains that a substantial portion of students are dissatisfied with university programming. Perhaps the answer lies again in making an effort to not depend on others to come up with stuff for you to do.
The other aspect that seems to stir curiosity is why we complain in the first place. Why do we devote so much time and energy to degrading something we've invested four years of our lives in, if not more? One explanation is that we are overwhelmed. Case students are notoriously overworked and often overcommitted; complaining provides a convenient outlet for that frustration as well as a means to attack the institution that has a partial role in their angst without fear of repercussions. In this context, complaining is completely viable, but when one considers the volume and frequency of its occurrence, one has to question if we are simply complaining for complaining's sake. Complaining can serve a useful function if it prompts a response, but all too often, this is not the case. It's much akin to complain about someone in office when you didn't vote. If you've put in a concerted effort to affect a change yet find yourself in the same position, by all means, complain. I'll join you.
The common theme in all this seems to be that Case is what you make of it. Could things be improved? Yes. Should this stop you from enjoying your college experience? Absolutely not. With a little effort and willingness to find where you fit in, you can create your own experience here, rather than waiting for that experience to be handed to you.
Cooke is a senior math and psychology major with plans to go to graduate school and eventually join the FBI. He enjoys spending time wiht his horse and songwriting. Cooke can be reached at arc14@case.edu
