This semester marks my third year here at ENC, and I’ve come to realize one thing: there aren’t enough school sponsored events.

We have intramural sports, clubs, and active groups that reach out to the community. There are even a bunch of welcome week activities that are fun, but after that, activities for our student body decrease significantly.

ENC has made some progress, but at this point, “some” just doesn’t cut it. We need more non-educational activities to make us feel like we are going to a place that will give the full college experience, not just an education.

I don’t mean that SGA needs to start hosting regular parties. However, I believe we lose too many good students every year because we do not have enough extracurricular activities for students to get involved in.

In college, you have the ability to break away from your parents and become your own person. But here, a lot of students feel that they are still at home and the faculty and staff are their new set of parents—just in a different place and with different faces.

I propose that instead of just the harbor cruise, which many students do enjoy during welcome week, we use that money and have a similar event each month of the year instead of one large event the first week of school.

Another idea is to have at least two Friday night movies with popcorn and the ability to make your own ice cream sundaes.

Along with those suggestions, we could include more intramural sports such as softball or Wiffle ball, or make the intramural sports that we have now last longer than just a month.

Being a junior now, I understand that the school has rules and how unlikely it is that there will be a change from the method of success administrators and employees feel has kept the school going since 1900.

However, just like other companies or colleges that have been around for a while, sometimes change is necessary to reach higher levels. I want to see my school be considered a great college for students to come to; but, in order for a school to thrive, you need students, and more importantly, we need to keep students.

It’s time for a season of change here at ENC, one that moves us in a positive direction and respects the school’s Christian background, but also allows us to still feel like young adults who are learning how to get through life on their own.