Keep paddling.

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Dear KCC Students,

I don't consider myself to be adventurous, but I have gone whitewater rafting more times than I would like to count, I have also fallen out of the raft and had to be rescued and gotten stuck on rocks (and had to be rescued) more times than I would like to count.  If you know anything about whitewater rafting, you know that there are certain things you need to do to reduce the risk of these things happening. 

For one, because you are never in the raft alone, the first thing you have to do is work as a team.  Typically there are 4-6 people in a raft, one person is the captain, they sit in the back and help to steer the raft and everyone else has to paddle.  If you don't paddle, you won't move.  So you have to paddle forward, or if the water (which you can't control) turns you around, paddle backwards to reorient the raft in the right direction.  On the river, the water is sometimes calm and moves steadily; but other times the water is rough, with waves and rocks (that you have to avoid) and the raft picks up speed and bounces down the river-- which is why you can see it is easy to fall out of the raft. 

Recently, a friend asked me to take her whitewater rafting, I didn't want to at first, but I am glad I did.  Because for the first time I really understood what I just explained to you, the role of the captain, the importance continuous paddling, and the importance of paddling in the direction that gets you where you need to go.  And for the times you get stuck on a rock, or the times the water is really rough and turns you around, or you end up in the river, someone (a guide or your raft mates) is here to help you get unstuck, turned around in the right direction, and back in the raft.

Our records show that you haven't registered to date. If are you stuck, turned around or fell off your path, we are here to help you get back on track.

Email me (president@kbcc.cuny.edu) and let me know what the challenge is,  send your student ID and a phone number where you can be reached and we will work to see how we can best help you resolve the issue and get you registered for the fall. 

KCC students don't stop paddling. You are almost there.   

 

-President Schrader