By Joanne Sapudar
In response to Naomi Yee’s article “ENMU needs to be more professional,” I disagree that Homecoming is a high-school tradition and possibly does not have a place within a university campus. Homecoming traditions actually started at a college level. The first homecoming event took place at the University of Missouri.
Yee writes “Because ENMU wasn’t the first university I attended, I compare it to NMSU quite frequently. In my two years here, I have concluded that ENMU lacks the professional atmosphere that NMSU has and holds in high regard. One area where this is especially noticeable to me is the activities that take place on campus.”
She continues by addressing the lack of professionalism of ENMU’s crowning of homecoming king and queen; however, she fails to state that NMSU also crowns a king and queen. The crowning takes place at their homecoming football game, according to the office of The Associated Students of NMSU.
Questioning the professionalism of ENMU based on one week out of a year of educational, professional, and social activities is absolutely absurd.
There are professional benefits behind running for homecoming king and queen. First, anyone who goes to an ENMU sporting event or campus-sponsored activity can recognize the lack of spirit the ENMU body possesses. Homecoming activities such as crowning a king and queen allow students to express ENMU spirit. Second, the process of running for homecoming king and queen has a real-life application. Candidates must budget, advertise, and network in a healthy competitive environment. These are skills candidates can list on a resume or discuss within an interview with potential employers.
Yee writes “Students, faculty and administrators need to focus on retention rates, graduation rates, the quality of education, the vote for the new stadium, and funding for the renovation of the library.” Yee continues by stating, “These are the issues that should be advertised campus wide but often times aren’t.”
For more than a month, President Steven Gamble has arranged numerous town-hall meetings in the Campus Union Pecos Room for the multipurpose football stadium. Since school began, signs also have been placed around campus for the stadium, along with other advertising material. The fact that Yee includes the stadium as an aspect not being focused on makes an obvious statement of her knowledge of issues on campus.
Retention is another issue I disagree about with Yee. By providing on-campus activities, including homecoming and ASAB events, the university helps retain students at ENMU and prevents students from making poor decisions that could lead to illegal activities such as underage drinking and drugs. By including students in the ENMU community, they feel a sense of belonging on campus. When a student has a sense of belonging, they will stay in that environment.
Professionalism at ENMU does need improvement, however, for entirely different reasons then Yee gives. Administrators, faculty, staff, and students should display that professionalism. Department staff and professors should promote the school slogan “Student Success: that’s what it’s all about.” As a credible university, each member of the ENMU community should hold a sense of professionalism.