Ask Mads anything—answering your questions and giving advice with all the wisdom of a broke English major.

The Pros of Cecil, School Dances, and Armed Intruder Training

Q: Dear Mads – Do you think it would be fun to have a type of dance at Cecil College? –Sara M.

A: Yes! I’m thinking the final scene of Footloose with balloons and confetti raining from the sky. If you had asked in me in high school, I would have said yes to the dress and no to the awkward dancing, low lighting, and B.O. But, that was high school, that was when everyone was trapped in the same building together for four years as hormones ran wild. Now we’ve (hopefully) grown up a bit. We’re comfortable in our own skin, comfortable with our dancing skills (or lack thereof). And to me, Cecil seems to be a special case. There is such variety in age and background and level of education and place of residence—and let’s be real: it’s hard to make friends at a community college. We don’t all live in dorms together and eat lunch in the same dining hall. We go to class and drive home to our own familiar group of friends. But at a dance we’re all trapped in the same room together (looking super fine) and sharing in the deepest form of human intimacy: shouting the lyrics to an early 00’s R&B love song together.

Q: Dear Mads – What do you think is the best thing about Cecil? – Adam B.

A: I love so much about Cecil, although I will admit it took me quite some time to put aside my prejudices against community college. I applied to Cecil because my mom made me. You know, “just in case.” I got into my top choice school, faraway and far overpriced. It soon became very apparent that Cecil was all I could afford. I thought I would come here, close my eyes, and grit my teeth through the next two years. But now, I’m only in my second semester and there is plenty I have grown to love about Cecil. I love how small the classes are, especially when it comes to having discussions and debates. I love how diverse the student body is, it’s not just 20 something’s living in dorms together. I had a woman in her 70s in one of my classes last semester! I was able to hear her perspective on so many different things—something I may have never gotten to experience at a four-year university. I love the feeling of saving up my own money and not having to take out student loans to pay for classes. I mean, I still think the Seahawk is a strange choice for a mascot, but even that is growing on me.

Q: Dear Mads – I have been seeing those ALICE “armed intruder” signs all around campus lately.  It makes me feel a little bit uneasy.  What do you think about these new security measures here on campus? – Jesse K.

A: I think it’s about time. It’s great that Cecil has the posters everywhere and is increasing security measures. It has taken far too long for the ALICE program to be developed, and it’s fantastic that Cecil is embracing it. The Columbine massacre happened 18 years ago, and this program is just now being implemented. My dad just recently spent an entire day in training, learning how to overpower an active shooter or throw objects at them as a distraction and run away—the complete opposite of what we have been taught to do since elementary school. It’s important that we learn from the tragedies of the past, but that does not mean we have to be afraid, either. If we have the education needed to prevent loss of life and a college providing us with that education, then we are able to be cautious without being anxious. When you are well prepared, there is less room for worry.

Send your questions for Mads to: bara7596@chawk.cecil.edu

Featured Photo by Caroline Ford