Friday, March 6, 2026
The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
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The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
Editorial

Lack of student participation is disappointing

Eagle Staff

CSC’s two presidential candidates, Guy Mills and Randy Rhine, were on campus this week to speak with students and faculty. There was a student meeting for both Mills and Rhine.

Both meetings attracted a surprisingly limited number of students. Mills’ meeting drew about 30 students, while Rhine’s drew about 15. So looking at that, only about two percent of students showed up to meet the two candidates vying to be in charge of their school.

Both Rhine and Mills stressed the importance of students to them. “Students are important to us, it’s why we’re here,” Rhine said, while Mills maintained, “Students are what it’s all about.”

If the students are what it’s all about, why aren’t more students proving that by taking an interest in our new president?

Several of the students in attendance were there for extra credit and even admitted that they may not have attended had it not been for that. However, these students were at least some representation of our school, unlike the other students on campus who apparently did not find the future of our school important.

There is, of course, the argument that the open meetings with the candidates would interfere with classes.

This is an unfortunate situation. If more students were interested in getting involved, but could not because of the time, this is unfortunate.

This isn’t the fault of the students, but of the System Office, which scheduled the meetings. By press time Wednesday night, no System Office personnel returned calls seeking comment.

Even taking classes into account, however, it is hard to believe that 98 percent of the campus was unable to attend at least one of the meetings.

The ever-deteriorating interest that students have in their own campus has become disappointing. To the two percent who did take an interest, well done. To the other 98 percent, perhaps it is time for you to start considering how important you are to this campus.

Because as both Mills and Rhine pointed out, the students are the whole reason the college is here.