Night students finally get an event of their own

By: Abigail Nawrot

Staff writer

After being excluded from campus events, night class students finally enjoyed the Student Reception in the Siek Campus Center on Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Nearly all planned activities and events, such as lectures, musical performances and artist talks,  occur during the day. So for students attending night classes, the on-campus experience is significantly different from that of a student attending day classes.

The reception was hosted at a time when the majority of night students would be in class. A few professors let their students out early so they could experience the seldom-enjoyed festivities.

“I get why they had to do it at this time, but it didn’t make the most sense,” said Matt Barnes, a radiology major.

According to Barnes, students still arrived and had fun, but by the time they were let out of class, the peak of the festivities had passed.

“I got a lot of stuff going on, but I’m trying to better myself and my family,” said Bryan Bruce, an electrical construction and maintenance major. “I was able to head down here because my teacher let us out early,” he continued. “Some of the guys didn’t show up, but they had me at free food.” 

Max Tulchinsky, an individual studies major, said it’s one of the things he dislikes about being a night student. The reception was Tulchinsky’s first Hudson Valley Community College event. 

“I want to have a good time [and] have the college experience, [but] it’s just dry at night,” Tulchinsky said. “I think it’d be great to get to have group study parties or something, [but] instead we just go to class and go home.”

Many of the students taking night classes have other priorities in the daytime, like full time jobs and taking care of family. This makes it difficult to stay on campus for anything other than scheduled class-time. 

“Being an electrician is something I have a widespread future in, and I can get a job anywhere once I get my degree,” said Bruce. “[Hudson Valley Community College] is where it starts.” 

“This is my first [college] event,” said Bryon Chattoo an electrical construction and maintenance major. “I didn’t have any food, but it’s better than being in class,” he continued. “A lot of us work full time, and we just want to come here, do our classes and come home [so] I don’t really care about going to more events.” 

The DJ played music that some students stood up and started dancing too, while others laughed.

Bruce said the music played wasn’t the scene for most of the people in attendance and that most of the older attendees wanted to hear something they could enjoy. 

 “Of course, the kids are having a great time getting up and dancing, and we’re okay with it, it’s just we can tell it’s appealing to a certain demographic, and it’s not us,” he said. “I wouldn’t mind hearing some classic rock right about now.”