They say, “Goshen College is good because, May Term.”
Who says that? I don’t know. I made that quote up. I guess I say that. Nonetheless, it’s time for Goshen to acknowledge its true selling point. Each year, about halfway through Goshen’s six month winter, I start fantasizing about May Term. Heck, I start planning my May Term the first weekend in September.Unfortunately, I haven’t yet been able to enjoy May Term to its full extent. I took Calc III for May Term my freshman year. Let me repeat that. While the rest of you paint watercolors and snap photos of dandelions each May, there is a contingent of math and science nerds cooped up in third floor connectors feasting over hours of Web Assign problems. My sophomore year, I donned a pair of size 15 Chacos, and set off for Africa. SST is great and all, but it just doesn’t capture the true essence of Goshen.
But even in the face of such great obstacles to fun, my freshman year May Term was a blast. I played a lot of music, ate a lot of watermelon, and was surprised by the occasional group of seniors wandering through the dorms. This year however, I’m preparing myself for the rigor that is May Term humanities. I can’t wait.
May Term isn’t about the class you’re taking. As Billy Funk put it in his senior statement, “it’s about the people.” If Goshen wanted May Term to be academically worthwhile, they wouldn’t cram a semester of multidimensional calculus into three weeks. May Term is the time to for us to sleep in on weekends, play frisbee, break collarbones and (if we’re lucky) appreciate Goshen’s three weeks of good weather.
I’ll leave you with a few things to remember about Play Term:
You get a bit more Munch Money. I didn’t know this as a freshman and was distraught to realize I hadn’t bought my fair share of mango smoothies.
When you’re watching the NBA playoffs, root for the Chicago Bulls.
Fun > Not fun
The community standards are all still in effect
So study hard, pass your exams, and thank God for May Term!
– John “Tall John” Miller
