Here at Brenau University, we have an assembly called Convocation that is mandatory to attend. They have been going on for years as teachers, faculty and staff try to bring students together during important times in each semester. These assemblies are designed to motivate and inform current students, but why are students obligated to attend? There are a few reasons why assemblies like this shouldn’t be mandatory.
1. Different Religious Practices: As we all know, college campuses are full of students with different religions and cultures. Usually, when convocations are held, they incorporate traditions that belong to one religion. Not only do many students practice other religions, but there are also a significant amount of students who are not religious. Many students may find religious aspects to be a bit more difficult to understand or even uncomfortable to take part in.
2. Speakers: There are great guest speakers and teachers who speak to us during convocations about a variety of topics. We all appreciate the time and effort they put into their speeches, but sometimes they talk about things that some students either cannot relate to or do not agree with. There are students of various backgrounds, experiences, and opinions who may find certain topics to be contrary to their own beliefs or difficult to connect to. While addressing different opinions and promoting a more well-rounded view by taking different stances and exposing students to unique topics is important, students should not be required to attend if they feel so disconnected from what is being said or if they feel uncomfortable hearing about ideas they are against.
3. It Interrupts day: As hardworking students, we tend ot have really busy days full of homework to complete, projects to put together, and tests to study for. Initially, taking an hour and a half out of our day may sound like it won’t be a problem. However, for most students, every hour counts and going to convocation is not something on top of their lists of priorities and they’d rather spend their time getting other work done. Furthermore, many students have jobs and having to attend Convocation may cause them to lose money (by not working) or disrupt their working schedules.
4. Dress Code: At Convocation, attendants must dress formally and look “presentable”, but everyone’s definition of dressing up is different and many may not want to conform to these standards set for attire. Furthermore, students may not want to dress a certain way – they may feel awkward or unhappy about having to wear certain types of formal clothing or fancy clothes in general.
5. Forced to be Social: Convocation may be considered to be a social event for students because of the way they are gathered together and the way the topics addressed invite discussion. While this is a very encouraging concept, some students don’t view socializing in such a positive manner. They may feel anxious about socializing with other people or being around so many people for that matter, so attending Convocation should not be mandatory for them.
While attending Convocation is great for getting students to think outside of the box as well as motivating and informing them, some people are not responsive to it for a variety of reasons. Therefore, if a student would like to attend, it should be on their own time. In other words, it should be voluntary, not mandatory.