Students have more control over Arts and Cultural Events than they think.
Professor of English and Liberal Arts Studies Barbara Dinneen said if a student or organization has an idea for an event they simply have to contact the director of liberal arts studies and the idea will be presented to the ACE committee, she said.
“The intent is to provide experiences and to present perspectives that students at a small college in rural Kansas otherwise would be unlikely to be exposed to,” she said.
“Several student organizations have suggested speakers and events, and have received approval,” she said, “Likewise, individual students are involved in creating events as a result of international travel, senior core projects, theater productions, orchestra and choir concerts, jazz band concerts.”
Senior DJ Grayson said he wanted David D. Robertson, a college campus speaker on HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections, to come and speak so he took the necessary steps to make this happen.
“I first had to find funding for the event and then I had to just ask questions,” he said. “I then found the proper channels on faculty members that make it possible for an event to be considered ACE worthy.”
Freshman Darnell Leonard enjoys going to events such as choir or orchestra concerts, theatre productions and lectures on topics such as gangs in South Africa and religion.
“I actually like how they are required to attend,” he said. “They aren’t events that I’d attend otherwise. Each of the events keeps me interested and eager to come back for more.”
Sophomore Tonya Monteer does not feel this way, and finds ACE events boring and irrelevant to a college student’s life.
“I don’t really see much of a point in ACE except to broaden our cultural understanding,” she said.
Dinneen said ACE activities exist for exactly that purpose.
“The intent is to provide experiences and to present perspectives that students at a small college in rural Kansas otherwise would be unlikely to be exposed to,” she said.
Senior Brittney Mahurin said students know best what topics they want to learn more about or what events would benefit the campus.
“There are subjects that some students might not know about or might not have taken the time to research if not given the information,” she said. “Not your everyday routine kind of things. It’s a way for others to share their passions and awareness with others.”
Students who start at OU as freshmen are required to attend four ACE activities per semester for a total of six semesters in order to graduate.