COLUMN: Higher education isn't only for 18 and older
Central Michigan University might appear more like a bar or night club for anyone under 18 if officials pass a proposed policy regarding minors on campus.
The new policy, currently in its drafting stage, would restrict minors from being on campus without adult supervision.
That means CMU will be telling 17-year-old Chippewa fans they can’t come watch a football game alone or with friends their own age. It means telling high school students visiting the area that they aren't welcome. Underage joggers better find a route that circumvents campus.
The policy leads me to the only logical question: Where are we going to get the money for all the bouncers? It’s going to take a lot of security to protect these minors from all the adult activity that takes place in our nearly 100-building campus.
Let’s face it Chips, our reputation precedes us.
If there’s one thing CMU is known for, it’s that all the students here are binge thinkers. Every Monday through Friday, we are a sloppy mess of studying for tests and doing homework. Just check out the Park Library during exam week – it’s tough to find a place to sit.
One of the saddest sights to see is the poor souls getting kicked out of the library at 2 a.m. They’ve usually been thinking so much they can’t even see straight, eyelids sagging, lips sealed in a frown. Of course we cannot subject immature eyes to such loathsome behavior.
It doesn’t make sense not to open our doors to high schools students. Why would we want to block future students from the chance of exploring our beautiful campus?
Universities are a safe haven for out-of-the-box thinking. They are a community of creative thought and open minds eager to work with one another. They encourage learning and collaboration at every level with all types of people.
What sort of message is this policy sending to our community, to prospective students, and to their parents? Is our campus unsafe?
Director of Public Relations Steve Smith said the policy is still in the revision phase, and once there is a mature draft, it will be taken to the Cabinet for discussion. He said the policy is not a response to any specific event.
I suppose officials just decided it might be a good idea to make things unnecessarily complicated for students. What happens to high school students who are encouraged by CMU to dual-enroll in college courses? What happens to incoming freshman who have not yet had their 18th birthday? How can the school possibly enforce such a policy effectively?
It would be easier to scrap the idea all together than it would be to justify all of the adverse effects it could have.
