It is known that the number of students on campus is decreasing. The reasons behind that are numerous, but one reason is the fact that we as students don’t feel like our voices are being heard. Now, there are some requests from students that are just not feasible, such as putting in a swimming pool, due to lack of funds. However, there are other ideas that have been brought up that can be done to entice visiting high school students to fall in love with our campus and have current students love being a part of this school.

As stated by Benjamin Wilks in his column last issue, we are a liberal arts college, but we don’t look like one. All the classrooms are a boring color. Now, we are here to learn, but why can we not do it in a place that is visually pleasing? All it will take is some paint and we can liven up the buildings.

Since paint can be expensive, a simple solution is to have all of the art and writing students hang their favorite pieces around campus. It would give some personality to our campus and highlight all of the talent that exists at Lakeland.

During Muskie Tank, which was hosted by Assistant Professor of Composition Joshua Kutney’s Core 3 class, several ideas were brought up that would make living here more enjoyable. One of these ideas was to have more healthy options in the Muskie Mart. While it is nice to have fried food, there is also a benefit to having healthier options to go along with that. Some options include wraps, fresh vegetables, more bread options and a wider variety of cereal.

Students also need to create more activities for the student body. The school cannot have events if there is no interest. The only way to get interest is to have ideas generated by students. If there is interest to spend a Saturday at Six Flags, get a group together and plan it.

Even planning an event on campus can be easy. However, it cannot be a last-minute event. As college students, we are all busy with our own lives. In order to have people show up, there needs to be advance warning. There will be little to no attendance if there is only a week’s notice.

These ideas will not keep every student who comes to Lakeland from leaving. Often, there are other factors that go into the decision of whether to stay or not. For the students who choose to stay, this is our home; make your voices heard so it can be a place where everyone wants to live.