After being the Arts & Rec Editor at The Royal Purple for almost two years there is one thing I have learned about college students.

Most students don’t do anything unless they absolutely have to or unless there is some sort of extra credit involved.

This realization happened quickly after attending only a few events at Young Auditorium and Greenhill Center of the Arts for event coverage. Time after time, I asked students what made them want to attend an event, and eight out of 10 times the answer was simply “WOTA.”

I know this is not a surprise to anyone because odds are you were one of those eight out of 10 students at some point.

Nearly all students on campus have had to take the GenEd course World of the Arts that involves attending a couple of events on campus, and I know all students have different feelings about it.

Some have loved it, others have hated it and some won’t even remember ever being awake for any of it.

But a student’s experience with art should not begin and end with WOTA.

Personally, I have never regretted attending an event because it has always been an experience that I would otherwise never have had.

Throughout my time at Whitewater I have had the chance to see many talented and diverse student artists and performers that I have learned to stop taking it all for granted.

For example, this week I had the chance to see amazing Mexican-American dancers from California perform at our campus, and it was all free to students.

I am convinced that there is something for everyone on campus, and all it takes is a little bit of planning to find the time and an event that you will enjoy.

I know time is a huge thing for college students, but trust me it is worth it. Perhaps you will end up attending an event that you won’t particularly enjoy, but at least you tried something new, which is what college is all about.

So do it for you and not for WOTA.

Or at least, for my sake, humor me the next time you see me asking ‘what made you want to attend this event?’