By: Siri H. Burke
Recently, as of February it was suggested by students that they were not quite satisfied with the quality of life on campus. It was implied that this was due to lack of childlike wonder and whimsical opportunities on campus.
A proposal was made and submitted by students to Winthrop that a new department be opened called the the Department of Joy and Whimsy. This new department was supposed to offer classes such as “Rediscovering Childlike Wonder”, “The Art of Sidewalk Chalk” and “Hobbies: What do you like.”
After the announcement of the potential for the new department there was an outpouring of support from the student body. Unfortunately the excitement was quickly snuffed out by a statement from the Dean of Student Suffering.
In a statement made to the RMR, the Dean of Student Suffering stated, “We took your money so you’d become educated, not mentally stable. We can’t have it both ways”. This is a shocking statement coming from a university dean and could be grounds for termination.
The student outcry over this statement is immense and the anger and frustration seems to build as time goes on. Currently there is a protest scheduled for April 3 on the campus green. The organizer of the protest, who wishes to be anonymous at this time, stated “We are calling for a removal of the Dean of Student suffering, a reversal of his decision and a statement from President Serna.”
Clearly there is a want for more joy on campus and we can only hope that Winthrop University listens to the suggestions of their students.