The Solution
- Derek Watson
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
So… where do we go from
here?
What is going on, chat? I know last time we talked I didn’t really have anything new or interesting to say, and, yeah, that’s my bad. But, while I was still going around asking people about the lack of student engagement on campus, I actually found out something kind of interesting.
For those of you tuning in late or who didn’t know this is a three-part series, here’s a quick recap. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been talking about how I’ve noticed a pretty big decline in student engagement on campus. Not just that, but also a drop in attendance at events. So, I started asking students and faculty what they think is going on.
Through a little birdy (Kyle Peach), I found out there is someone on campus who is in charge of student activities, and to my surprise, it’s not him.
That’s when I found out about Rachel Refenes, the Student Life Coordinator (and also the volleyball coach). Once I heard that, I knew she was the person I needed to talk to. Refenes said there are a lot of reasons behind the decline in participation. She mentioned social media, a lack of desire to really engage with other students, and even the comfort of on-campus apartments—where people just don’t feel the need to leave. She also pointed out that students who live off campus are less likely to come back for events.
“There are lots of reasons… maybe there are events students don’t want to participate in.”
She also said she’s still trying to figure out what kinds of events students actually want, and she’s working on it by trying different things and asking for feedback from both the people who show up and the people who don’t.
I’m not going to lie—the response she gave me was probably the most satisfying one I’ve gotten this whole time. Springfest just finished up and actually turned out pretty decent, so I can’t help but feel like things might start heading in a better direction for Wabash Valley. But, at the same time, this isn’t something with one easy fix. It’s easy to blame social media or just say students don’t care, but it’s not that simple. People are busy. Between classes, work, and everything else, going to events isn’t always a priority. But, also, if events don’t seem interesting, people aren’t going to go out of their way to show up.
Soooo, it kind of goes both ways.
What gives me some hope is that there are actually people trying to fix it. They’re asking questions, trying new ideas, and putting in effort to make things better. That means it’s not just on them—it’s on us too. If we want better events and a more active campus, we can’t just sit around and complain about it. We have to actually show up. Even doing the bare minimum—just going to something—can make a difference. At the end of the day, student life is really what we make it.
As this series comes to an end, I just hope it gets people thinking a little bit more about what’s going on and what we can do about it. The opportunity for a better, more involved campus is there.
It’s just a matter of whether we actually do something with it.
What are some events you would like to see in the future? Let us know below!
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