• Home
  • Campus
    • Academics
    • Greek Life
    • SGA
    • Student Life
  • State/Local
    • Around Town
    • Board of Regents
    • National
    • Pierre
    • Vermillion City Council
    • Vermillion Police Department
  • Sports
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Men’s Basketball
    • Soccer
    • Swimming/Diving
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball
    • Women’s Basketball
  • Verve
    • Feature
    • Diversity
    • Events
    • CAB
    • The Vault
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
The Volante
The Volante
  • Home
  • Campus
    • Academics
    • Greek Life
    • SGA
    • Student Life
  • State/Local
    • Around Town
    • Board of Regents
    • National
    • Pierre
    • Vermillion City Council
    • Vermillion Police Department
  • Sports
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Men’s Basketball
    • Soccer
    • Swimming/Diving
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball
    • Women’s Basketball
  • Verve
    • Feature
    • Diversity
    • Events
    • CAB
    • The Vault
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
Vermillion school spiritOpinion
Home
Opinion

Vermillion school spirit

November 28th, 2021 John Lefferts Opinion comments

Share this story

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest

Last month I attended a planning session for the USD strategic planning committee. The event was sparsely attended, but our small group did focus on one subject in particular: student morale.

It’s an interesting time to write about this because many of us, including me, are becoming a little burned out here at the end of the semester. Having a slightly lower morale seems natural right about now. Nevertheless, in our planning session we felt that the level of energy, enthusiasm and sociability on campus left something to be desired.

I’ve been told that at certain other schools there is a more extroverted and competitive spirit in the classroom. I can’t verify whether the grass is greener on the other side, but I do think there’s a very quiet midwestern temperament that a lot of us bring to the classroom and to campus life.

Another factor is that many students work and even live outside Vermillion. The campus feels very quiet on the weekends, as many students opt to drive home rather than stay in the dorms. There’s no easy fix for a lot of these things, and they are probably beyond the control of the school entirely.

Potential solutions may do as much harm as good. Consider if the classes were arbitrarily made more difficult, and the students were forced to band together and study intensely to succeed. This might work, but it’s probably too draconian to force the student body to bond over a forced march.

Every once in a while some extraordinary group of friends and peers manages to create a community of excellence. I’m especially thinking about the “Tubingen Three,” the classmates Hegel, Schelling and Holderlin, who were talented thinkers. Ambitious local cadres exist in sports as well, and probably every other field, such as the literary circle of the Lost Generation in Paris. One always hopes such groups could be inspired here at USD.

I also wonder if, rather than being a problem, the lethargy of student life is a sign of success. For most students, it will be hard to be equally enthusiastic about every class they end up taking here. An undergrad education is often broad rather than deep. Most students, I think, have some general education classes they dread. There is, hopefully, something to be said for this “well-rounded” approach. However, the price may be some dull classrooms.

Share this story

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest

John Lefferts

Related Posts

Opinion

Editorial: Temperature, water, the fate of our planet is in our hands

Apr 24th, 202240
The issue of climate change has been a problem for years, but it is evident that we are now experiencing the...
Opinion

Don't take my advice

Apr 24th, 202245
If there is one thing you should not do in your lifetime, it’s listen to me. However, as my time here at...
Opinion

Giant pandas are a treasure worth protecting

Apr 24th, 2022136
I recently watched a documentary on the life of a panda in captivity. Zookeepers and scientists all agree...

Facebook Comments

Latest Stories

May 10th 12:47 PM
Campus

Dispatches from the CDC: Remembering voices of diversity

Apr 25th 11:31 AM
Sports

Sara Reifenrath: The best accident

Apr 25th 11:30 AM
Sports

Stella Fairbanks back-to-back Summit League Champion

Apr 25th 11:29 AM
Sports

Coyote softball splits home opening weekend against NDSU

Apr 25th 11:28 AM
Sports

The track and field team saw nine first place finishes in four-day span

Apr 25th 11:26 AM
Sports

USD track and field conquers individual events in California

Apr 25th 11:26 AM
Sports

New additions are made to the Coyote basketball teams

Apr 25th 11:25 AM
Sports

Coyote softball sweep Fighting Hawks in Vermillion

Apr 25th 11:24 AM
Sports

Coyotes defeat Omaha, prepare for Summit League Tournament

Apr 25th 11:18 AM
Sports

Men’s track produces 25 top 10 finishes

Weather

Coyote News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zH8Dbag4i0

Advertisement

Read about: Best Detox Shampoos for Hair Drug Test and Synthetic Urine and Fake Pee manual
  • Home
  • Campus
  • State/Local
  • Sports
  • Verve
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
  • Back to top

The Volante

The Volante is the University of South Dakota’s independent student-run newspaper since 1887. Al Neuharth Media Center The Volante 555 N. Dakota Street Vermillion, SD 57069

Advertisement

About

  • About
  • Code of Ethics
  • History
  • Awards
  • Executive Staff
  • Jobs
  • Comment Policy
  • Advertising

Engage

  • Letters to the Editor
  • Contact Us
  • Submit an Overheard
  • Subscribe
  • Submit News Tips

Media Partners

  • Coyote News
  • KAOR 91.1
  • Media & Journalism Department
© The Volante 2015. All rights reserved.