STLCC enrollment posterbird not suitable for a college audience
By: CORY MUEHLEBACH
Staff Writer
STLCC is a good school; No one can argue that it is a great choice for a community college, so why is it being presented as a pre-school with the new Earl E. Bird ad? Surely there are better alternatives and ideas to commit to that would represent our school better.
Earl E. Bird is an animated cartoon designed to persuade returning students to register for classes earlier. His green feathers and hysterical attitude show that registering early is no joke, but it’s childish and insulting to their intended audience. If STLCC wants to be taken seriously, it needs to take its students seriously.
Earl E. Bird is an insult to the maturity and intelligence of the STLCC student body. Not only does it portray a childish demeanor, it fails to really convey a meaningful message. The video itself looks like a kid in second grade drew it, the music is blatantly generic and message is even more childish. Fly By Night Productions, the tiny division responsible for this mass murdering of Dignity, should invest more time in learning what students need and want and less time animating ineffective advertisements. Though, admittedly, their follow through was effective. There are signs posted around school, Youtube videos published and outlets used on Facebook, however if you search, “Earl E. Bird” on facebook, dozens of matches are gong to show; Earl E. Bird is not creative or original.
More thought should be put into something so precious as enrollment for a school that has been experiencing a declination in it. Though the idea and intention are good, it only encompasses a small portion of students and leaves out all the others. Early registration only benefits students who are already enrolled. Its intention is to keep students longer and therefore gain a higher profit, but why are we dismissing new students or returning students?
STLCC should focus more of its energy on recruiting new students than keeping the old; community college is meant to be a segue and each campus should recognize that.
Instead of worrying about keeping students for two years, STLCC should focus on creating a great environment for new students; a welcoming smile, not a silly bird with a reading problem. Once STLCC figures out what kind of school it is, then it can improve. The college is a community college, but should bear the attitude of a university; that would attract new students who do not want to feel like STLCC is a cop-out from “real” universities. Meramec, in particular, offers a variety of degrees, has great programs and competent professors. There is no reason to regard the college as “easy.” Classes at Meramec are not throw away courses; just like any c o l l e g e course, they take persistence a n d effort.
That being said, STLCC is a community college not a community playground. Students come here to learn, develop skills and figure out what career they wish to pursue. A silly green bird does not represent the student body, Director, Wee Toldu-So should note that, “No, we are telling you so. Stop treating our education like a preschool.”
