Theodore Roosevelt once wrote, “With self-discipline most anything is possible.” Self-discipline is an essential skill – most people acknowledge its importance, but very few do something to strengthen it. With the temptations college lures us into, self-discipline seems to be a very difficult quality to embrace. The temptations of alcohol, partying, procrastination and giving up can lead a college student down a rocky path of regret.
As a student in NSU’s Fischler School of Education, I recently received an invitation to the Dean’s List reception, and I was honored and very excited. Yet, I noticed that I have a completely separate reception than those in NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences — rightfully so, since they are two different schools. However, that doesn’t mean one reception should be grander than the other. Each of us worked hard to achieve one common goal: to succeed in our classes and achieve a good GPA.
With this being said, the Fischler Dean’s List reception was in the middle of the day at the Flight Deck Pub, and guests were not invited. On the other hand, Farquhar’s Dean’s List reception was in the evening in the Don Taft University Center Arena, where recipients received an announced recognition and were allowed to bring guests.
It is unfair that a loved one of mine is unable to celebrate this accomplishment with me. It is unfair that I have to rush in between classes to attend a so-called “reception” that honors my accomplishments. An honor of this type should be an exciting experience, one to look forward to — not a rushed, lonely, “hurry up and eat so I can get back to class” type of celebration, especially when others receive the exact opposite treatment for accomplishing the same task, might I add.
I am not complaining nor am I ungrateful for Fischler’s reception. I would just like to know why recipients are treated differently. If the criteria for Dean’s List is the same university-wide, then why should its recipients receive different acknowledgment?
In fact, up until last year, Fischler didn’t have a Dean’s List reception at all. Why should only some students be honored and others not? NSU is all about diversity and unity, but we are constantly separated because of the career path we chose.
Part of NSU’s Vision 2020 is to produce alumni who serve with integrity in their lives, fields of study and resulting careers. Students who work exceedingly hard throughout their college career deserve a little more credit than they are receiving. Often times, incentives and rewards help to ensure and maintain success. Without the proper acknowledgment, students may begin to feel frustrated and might even fall behind in their coursework.
It seems that NSU students are putting in most of the work with high GPAs and continued success — making NSU’s statistics improve — but is the university holding their end of the bargain? It just doesn’t seem fair that we can’t receive a proper Dean’s List reception. I’m not looking for an overabundant amount of praise or attention, just simply equality — the same treatment all the way around.
