Pro: by Veronica Jones
Each year students can always look forward to the Crew producing mega ideas for mega fun. The scale of their ideas and events grows each year. Put it like this, if you can’t get to the zoo, the Crew will bring the zoo to you.
The events I have attended were always fun and exciting because I met new friends as well as connections. I attended the events with friends and left with new ones.The Crew activities bring excitement to campus as well as establish new friendships and memories for college scrapbooks.
I went around campus and asked other students to share their opinions about the Crew.
“I love the Crew," junior speech pathology major Delisha Ford said. "They put so much effort into what they do, which makes it enjoyable.”
I have to agree; the Crew has always kept me perched on my toes, wondering what new activity they were going to bring on campus next.
Sophomore Logan Mittie also agrees by stating, “They always have cool stuff that is worth taking a look at.” Cool activities such as the bull riding, Velcro wall, batting cage, petting zoo and the other wild activities The Crew has brought to TCU’s campus.
The Crew is a positive light; they help to keep the words and meaning of family fun on TCU’s campus by bringing students together for a good time. Thanks to The Crew, they’ve given us a much-needed infusion of innocent fun with structured activities that keep TCU’s campus fun and memorable.
Con: by Spencer Heath
TCU’s The Crew: Have They Got the Right Idea?
My father tells some fantastic stories about his college experiences. Most of them begin with a sly, reminiscent grin and a “do you remember…?” followed by some outlandish tale of adventure (the most memorable involved narrowly avoiding setting fire to most of Eastern Wyoming while camping). The common thread through all of these stories is spontaneity and fun with friends through a lack of planning or structure. TCU’s The Crew aims to provide fun and engaging activities for the on-campus student body, but I can’t help but think that such spontaneity is missing from the equation.
The Crew provides about 5 activities per week which are open to the entire student body (although, honestly, how many upperclassmen find themselves in the right place at the right time to participate?). They do this with a budget of $257,000 a year ($118,000 for continuous programming and $139,000 for larger events such as Homecoming, Family Weekend, etc.) from SGA’s budget, which comes from the $90 student body fee that is charged to each student’s account. As one of the largest organizations on campus, they are well-staffed by student volunteers who are looking both to have a good time and give back to the TCU community.
I don’t doubt the validity of The Crew’s mission, their funding, or their volunteers. My concern lies with the structure of events. While puppies in the commons, monkeys in the BLUU, bull riding, swimming pool fishing, and real-life Mario Kart racing are all awesomely fun and creative ideas, are they really what the college experience is all about? To me, these events seem more like extended summer camp fare than part of a place of higher learning. With the ‘market‘ flooded by numerous The Crew events each week, do students still have the motivation to seek out and create their own unique college memories? In my opinion, students need the encouragement and motivation to go out and seek new adventures beyond the standard campus fare. My favorite college experiences were unorthodox excursions made on a whim with close friends. Perhaps, as an upperclassman for whom these events are by nature less accessible, I simply can't appreciate them the way that those who live on campus can.
