You probably woke up this morning thinking, “Gee, I just love how progressive my university is.” But maybe our beloved university isn’t as progressive as it could be, at least relative to schools that are popping up in the news lately.
Wouldn't you like your next class to look like this? Art courtesy of Nintendo.
For example, wouldn’t it be great if you could get college credit for playing video games? Well that’s what the University of Houston is doing. According to the Houston Chronicle, students are excited about a new class which consists of playing Wii Fit 20 to 30 minutes twice a week. Although studies have shown so far that the original Wii fit and Wii Sports is not a replacement for the real thing, school administrators seem to have embraced the idea that some exercise is better than none at all.
Actually, Wii Fit is being advertised at Ritchie Coliseum as an activity for students, but to our knowledge, there is no “Wii class” available. And no university yet has a Halo 3 class, so you can’t say you’re doing “homework” every time you plop down in front of an XBox360.
But progressive is not always better: Just look at many universities around the country that have done away with dining trays. The Los Angeles Times reports California schools are dropping trays to serve both environmental and economic interests. In fact, universities as close as Catholic University in D.C. have instituted trayless policies.
But students have complained the measure is an inconvenience, forcing them to balance their plates more precariously and forcing them into multiple trips within their college cafeterias — Northern Michigan recently brought their trays back. More importantly for students, the article points out, without trays, how would they go sledding on snow days?
Quick Hits
- It is worth mentioning that our university is featured prominently in both the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun websites this morning, but it’s also stuff you’ve already heard about from us here at The Diamondback: Obama and swine flu. How original, right?
- The Chronicle of Higher Education reported on a U.S. Education Department study projecting college enrollment will increase in diversity, and the increase of female enrollment will be almost double the increase in male enrollment by 2018. To break it down for the underclassmen guys out there: Your odds are getting more favorable.
Today at the University
- President Dan Mote is giving his annual State of the Campus address in room 0200 in the Skinner building. Two presidential addresses in two days — imagine that.
- The First Look Fair opens today on McKeldin Mall. Go get free stuff, and definitely stop at The Diamondback table.
- State Attorney General Doug Gansler will be in the Atrium of the Stamp Student Union celebrating Constitution Day from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. He didn’t realize Obama was coming tomorrow.