Our university thrives on tradition and Christ, but how often does it place tradition over the well-being of the students? Now that Sing Song is finally over, students are beginning to recoup from the intense stress and sleepless nights.
It’s no surprise that students are far too sleep-deprived to function after Homecoming, Sing Song and other campus traditions. The problem arises when we consider whether or not university traditions should be valued more than the well-being of its students.
Every extra-curricular activity is completely voluntary; however, there is an unwritten rule that every social club must participate in events such as the Homecoming Parade and Sing Song. Our Alumni and even many students believe that one of the best things about our college is the four to five weeks of practicing for Sing Song, but they would also agree it is the most stressful part of their semester.
Both Alumni and the university love our traditions, and we all want Sing Song to be the best it can possibly be. This, however, is only possible if we place more value on the well being of our students than our traditions. Forcing students to practice eight hours or more a week while also maintaining classes only hurts the quality of the performances and the mental health of the students.
This is a problem that can only be solved by the university coming to a consensus that times of major ACU events need to be adjusted to allow students to get more sleep or even a day off from class. Certain professors even schedule tests the Friday of Sing Song. The issue could be easily fixed by canceling classes the Friday before a major event or allowing for excused absences for students involved.
These are all problems for the students and students only, but the university should set a norm that the week of homecoming or Sing Song should be a lighter workload for students. Our university will continue to love Sing Song and all of our many other traditions, but by allowing for easier work loads the week of events, we can begin to set the precedent that students’ health is valued just as much as tradition.
