Celebrating Student Achievement (CSA) Day at Meredith College is a day full of presentations, performances and ceremonies to celebrate the wonderful student body and their accomplishments. However, many students see CSA Day as just a day off of classes. CSA Day is incredibly important to our peers and showing up for them is imperative.
CSA Day at Meredith College will be hosted on April 7 in a hybrid format. After being online for the past two years, there will be somewhat of a return to normalcy with a vast array of events to attend.
With CSA Day being such a long-standing tradition at Meredith and it being somewhat rare in comparison to other schools, I found it surprising how few students, particularly freshmen, knew about the event and how even fewer planned on attending.
I remember being a prospective student last April and being able to celebrate the day virtually while living in South Africa. It was absolutely fascinating finding departments that interested me and learning something new about different topics. It seems only fitting to now attend in person and enjoy celebrating fellow students’ achievements.
In many ways, it’s understandable why so few would be in attendance—no one seems to know what or when it is and students have the opportunity to take advantage of a day off from classes and campus activities.
I am sure I can attest for many when I say it has been a whirlwind of a semester. Time seems to simultaneously be going fast and slow as well as being stressful, which has left many spinning heads. Who can keep track of days and time and not use the day to catch up on some much needed sleep or work?
With that said, in many ways that makes me want to attend even more. Students partaking in CSA Day have spent so much energy and time in their research, performances and work. Feeling the same academic pressure as everyone else, it would be a shame for their achievements not to be appreciated to their fullest extent.
I find the thought of cheering my friends and classmates on as they explore something they are passionate about to be a truly rewarding experience. It is a great opportunity for growth. I think of the opportunities to not only grow as a student in the pursuit of knowledge, but also to grow my circle of people with similar interests. CSA Day is a great time to meet people in the same field as you who can help navigate your field of interest.
There is no reason why a balance cannot be found between rest, work and supporting your peers. The whole day does not need to be spent at CSA Day. One can review the schedule, attend whatever appeals to them and thereafter spend the day however they choose. For many students, this will be their first mostly in-person CSA Day, so I think it would be beneficial to experience the normal version at least once. Don’t make an assumption about the event until you have experienced it. If it's enjoyable, there are many to come in the future to enjoy as well, but if not, you do not have to go again.
The benefit goes far beyond that of participants and is useful to attendees. By the time Meredith students graduate, 51% conduct undergraduate research in partnership with faculty mentors. While it may seem daunting, attending CSA Day can give invaluable insight into how one could become involved in research or deeper learning in a content area
CSA Day is filled with the excitement and exhilaration of celebrating student achievement. Find balance and carve out at least a fraction of time to spend growing as a student, individual and community in attending the day’s event. In a day filled with appreciation, let’s choose to appreciate this wonderful opportunity together.
By Shae-Lynn Henderson, Staff Writer
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