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opinion
Loftier goals
needed to improve CSULB
With the second largest
student enrollment in the California State University system,
Cal State Long Beach must step into national prominence by any
means necessary.
We all have our
reasons for attending college. The ultimate goal for many
of us is to get the job of our dreams after obtaining a college
degree.
We know Cal State
Long Beach is not Harvard. To be honest, it's not even on
par athletically or academically with UCLA or USC. The goal
is not to be the equal of these universities, but to obtain
the highest level of national recognition possible.
Employers do care
what college you attend. It's very beneficial for a university
to have name recognition with employers around the world.
Better name recognition
will also attract a higher caliber of student. This will in
turn raise retention and graduation rates.
Moreover, a higher
quality of student and a strong school image will make faculty
everywhere think twice before turning down a position at CSULB.
Well renowned faculty members do their own part to improve
a university's prestige.
Another means of
promoting a school is through athletic programs. We as a university
should take lessons from others in our own system.
Cal State Fresno
and San Diego State are known throughout the country. Media
coverage of athletic events involving these schools has made
them household names.
Yes, we have some
very good athletic programs at CSULB. The problem is a lack
of television coverage. We are the kings and queens of non-televised
sports. What good does that do for promoting our school?
CSU Fresno is currently
ranked 11th in college football. They also have a quarterback
in the middle of a race for the Heisman Trophy.
CSU Fresno has
an enrollment at nearly 19,000 students. In comparison, CSULB
has a current population topping the 30,000 mark.
Our basketball
and baseball teams were decent for many years, and they helped
bring Long Beach State some national prominence. But we are
in Long Beach, surrounded by some of the finest high school
athletes in the world, yet we have no recruiting power. We
must get this back at CSULB.
Greek life is another
aspect ignored by the current administration. Many would say
the Greek system is not important. Let me say as one who is
not involved in Greek life, the system is important. Greek
life is vital to a strong college environment.
If you travel around
the U.S. and visit other universities, the first thing you
notice about any school is its Greek row. Street after street
of massive houses with men and women living the "college
life."
The university
itself is responsible for the condition of our current Greek
system, which is ragged at best.
While other universities
have all white houses with huge column fronts and beautifully
landscaped yards, we have broken and busted fraternity and
sorority houses scattered throughout the city.
The university
must take a vested interest in our Greek system. How can you
increase the interest in Greek life with one dismal sign-up
day? Changes must be put into place. Have an emergency meeting
to figure out how the university can help fraternities and
sororities relocate to one central area. Give CSULB a Greek
row that will attract visiting students to our school. Take
a tour of Westwood to find out how it's done.
On the topic of
housing, we have to talk about the lack of dormitory housing
on campus. We need dorms large enough to house at least 5,000
students. It's necessary to have life on a college campus
at all times, or CSULB will have the feel of a community college.
As a major university
in California, we are in a position to promote ourselves to
the world.
The mindset of
university officials must change. The university must put
an emphasis on campus life at this university. Give students
a reason to take pride in the fact that they chose to attend
the CSULB -- do not continually give them reasons for wanting
to leave.
Yes, in recent
years, we have attracted a huge number of students to the
campus. A note to the administration: do not take credit for
this. It's happening all over the nation as more people feel
it's necessary to attend college. What you can take credit
for is the fact that nearly half of our enrollment will drop
out before receiving their college degree. Now that's something
CSULB can be proud of!
Dwight Flenniken
III is a journalism major at Cal State Long Beach.
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