JUST A THOUGHT COLUMN: A swing in the right direction
NATE BLOOMQUIST
For the past five years of my education I’ve been wondering, when’s recess? IVCC has a wide variety of classes to chose from, why isn’t recess one of them?
It probably takes a great deal of interest in a certain subject to get a class that pertains to it. I can’t think of a subject that would generate more interest than recess. This is simply because college students like to take breaks.
There’s a lot of stress in everyday college life. IVCC students are faced with tough decisions and strenuous study time every day.
This is why recess needs to be reinstated. I’m not suggesting that IVCC establish a class called recess 1001 (but it would sure help improve my GPA).
There is a much easier way to bring recess back. IVCC’s courtyard is currently bare, except for a few rocks, picnic benches and a sidewalk. Why not build a swing-set there?
In a recent experiment conducted by a friend and myself I made a trip to an area park and spent an hour of ‘research’ time on the swings. Despite taunts from young children, I found the experiment to be relaxing.
A swing-set is by no means an eyesore. I’m not asking for monkey bars or a merry-go-round either. Those playground utilities are a law suit waiting to happen.
But a simple swing set could easily improve the average college student’s stress level. Outside of class, and studying there really isn’t much to do for recreation on campus. A swing would also get rid of this problem.
Currently, IVCC has an arcade that consists of a pinball machine, and a pair of video games from the pong-era. New video arcade games can cost thousands of dollars.
At a local hardware store, a swing-set was priced at $113. For that price, IVCC could purchase three or four swing-sets and still spend less than it would for a video game.
A swing-set on the campus would give students the best of both worlds. Students can relax with the care-free innocence of a child, and still have all the responsibilities of an adult when they leave the swing, as long as they don’t use it as an excuse for skipping class.
By erecting a swing in the courtyard, recess will make a triumphant, and welcome return to the education system.