1,650 minutes per semester.
1,650 minutes ACU asks of its students, to sit and soak in what has been planned from the start of the bells to the closing, “You’re dismissed.”
The mandatory credit count is a constant source of iPhone game-time and gripes.
But lately, Chapel-going has grown a little more painful.
Last Thursday, the evening Chapel forum brought in Mike Domitrz with the Date Safe Project.
Unfortunately, the speaker spent a good portion of his presentation asking several students to shut down their laptops. But he had to ask again. And then he asked again, once more.
Juvenile joking was made of a serious topic, turning a mature discussion into a scolding session.
The entire forum was, or should have been, an embarrassment to a student body of adults.
However, respect is a two-way street.
During the past few weeks, students have been made to endure Chapel speakers and presentations that question the requiring and intention of Chapel.
For example, last week an ACU alumna and “Extreme Huntress” contestant spent our Chapel time as a campaign for votes.
The aimless Chapel agenda continued, with last Friday’s Chapel focusing on a successful alum, whose message was, though perhaps not intended to be but interpreted as, a 30-minute “humble brag.”
Back-to-back sessions such as this have led us students to feel as though the time between 11 and 11:30 a.m. has been set aside for publicity exhibits or is a result of a lack of planning altogether.
If the low-quality Chapel lineup was designed to wake students’ desire for a more purposeful Chapel, consider the message received.
As a student body of adults, attending Chapel requires the most elementary courtesies to be given to guest speakers. Likewise, if students must meet a 55-credit per semester, Chapel programming should be designed to make that time worthwhile, both for students and for achieving the university’s desired purpose.
The 1,650 mandatory minutes are coming to a close with less than 20 to attend. We hope to see a Chapel overhaul for next semester, bringing more motivation to attend and fewer motorcycles ridden.
