Wyatt Smith
Every Wooster student has undoubtedly either voiced or overheard a complaint about how boring Wooster is. These grumblings are indicative of a social defeatism felt by many students. These individuals, especially upperclassmen, complain about the ‘Wooster bubble’ and the lack of social events on campus without feeling the need to do anything about it themselves.
This perspective is lazy at best and destructive at worst. Those with an unnecessarily pessimistic social outlook create a self-fulfilling prophecy, causing them to enjoy their time at Wooster less and less. Instead of lamenting their choice of school or the college experience in general, these students need to take matters into their own hands.
This isn’t about joining more extracurriculars — any school’s supposed cure-all to student boredom. While such groups, especially time-intensive ones such as Moot Court and Ultimate Frisbee, definitely have their benefits, they do not seem to address the underlying dissatisfaction with campus life.
Rather, the key to social fulfillment is accepting responsibility for one’s own entertainment. Any student who dislikes Wooster’s weekend offerings should simply organize their own events. No need to invite the entire campus or design posters; just get some friends together and pick an activity.
The specifics of any such gathering are entirely dependent on the interests of the people involved. From cooking, to playing pick-up soccer, to just watching a movie, different pursuits appeal to different individuals. There should be no need to list options like a parent explaining the day’s potential to a sulking child.
While organizing an event may sound like the exclusive realm of the extroverted, it is well within the abilities of any college student. Even though each person has her or his own comfort zone, everyone should be able to ask a few friends or acquaintances to join them in some sort of shenanigans.
Taking charge of one’s own social life isn’t important only in college. Students who are dissatisfied with Wooster’s social scene are often under the impression that it will all be better once they enter the “real world.” However, the need for social resourcefulness will only increase upon leaving college. How will someone who can’t fill their weekend while in college survive without regularly scheduled parties and thousands of their peers in close proximity?
Choosing to complain about the campus’s weekend offerings instead of doing something about it demonstrates an embarrassing lack of creativity and social initiative. Hosting some sort of activity, even occasionally, can lead to a marked increase in one’s enjoyment of college life. Not only will the event itself be fun, but there also is a certain satisfaction in knowing that you’re