EDITORIAL

By Shane McAdams

Despite attempts by organizers to boost intramural sports on campus, the number of students participating is down and dwindling.

Quincy University brought back a campus favorite this semester, but the number of teams involved in intramural bowling is half of what it was last semester.  Bowling was one of the few intramural activities that had successful student engagement Fall semester of 2017. Intramural bowling in the past has been one of the universities most participated in intramural activities, and while students are still participating, student engagement is dropping.

Along with dwindling student participation, another problem is teams not showing up for events even though they have signed up. Bowling used to be a popular intramural activity with many of the teams consisting of student athletes from different sports. Last semester there were 15 teams of four competing in intramural bowling. Now, there are just eight. One of the biggest complaints from intramural athletes last semester, was the lack of prizes for the winners.

However, this semester intramural bowling has not only organized prizes, but they are also paying for each teams’ last two weeks of entry fees at the bowling alley.

Charlie Grimsley is the intramural organizer.

“It’s stressful, we are doing prizes this semester, and paying for every teams’ last two weeks and I had more teams sign up last semester than I did this semester. Intramurals is basically a dying thing. Students would rather party than participate in things like this,” Grimsley said.

With the future of intramural sports at Quincy University hanging by a thread, and under threat of being cancelled all together. The question remains how do we as students save intramural sports, or is it even worth saving?

Quincy University student and Quincy native Kale Houghton started participating in intramural bowling last semester.

“I like bowling a lot, it’s a nice break from school work in the middle of the week,” Houghton said.

Houghton thinks the future of intramural sports is uncertain.

“I really enjoy intramural sports but you can definitely tell that its a dying thing, just from last semester to this one bowling has dropped off and just isn’t the same anymore,” Houghton said.

But there is a new residence life director on campus who wants to revamp intramurals.

“Our goal right now is to basically start over fresh in the fall of 2018. Johann (Johann St. John director of campus programs and residence life) is trying to fix the program and make it better. We have several ideas that we are playing with right now on how to improve intramurals as a whole,” Grimsley said.

For more information on intramural events contact Charlie Grimsley at (573)470-7381.