Swing sets used to dot around the majority of the Kennesaw campus on many key walkways and contributed to heightened student morale as a key destination to lay back and enjoy a bit of passive fun.
Over the past few semesters, the number of swings around campus has dwindled, leaving the ghost of the swings to haunt campus.
The wooden posts serve as a reminder for not only what is lost, but for the joy the swings once gave. The campus green alone used to boast four bench swings spread across the circle, now the empty frames serve as a warning to the one swing remaining.
Similar sights echo throughout the rest of the Kennesaw campus, such as the walkway adjacent to Owl Drive, next to the bus stop or the several pathways going towards the Social Science building.
A current theory surrounding the lack of swaying seats resides in a couple of potential bad apples. Some people who noticed the lack hypothesize that the mystery of the missing swings is the fault of irresponsible students.
Garret Shorter on the KSU subreddit noted the problem writing, “Why have so many of the swing benches disappeared? I really miss them why are they gone.”
The comments below this post blame how “freshmen act like they haven’t seen a swing bench in their life” or students “swinging WAY to hard.” If this theory is correct and the blame resides on student carelessness, some level of understanding can be leveled with the university and groundskeepers.
It can be reasoned that KSU would not want to reinstate the benches for fear of repetitive action from lack of consequence. If they put the bench swings back, who is to say someone will not just break them again?
However, multiple key arguments can be made against this theory with the first being the flaw of collective punishment. Collective punishment is seen as largely ineffective in education and society by many studies.
“General disapproval of the collective responsibility for an individual fault,” United Kingdom resident Philipp Chapkovski said. “An absolute majority evaluated such regimes as unfair.”
The removal of the bench swings only serves to punish the university’s entire population as a reminder of disapproval. Based on students’ reactions to their absence, the debt is certifiably paid.
Another potential reason for the empty frames could be the cost of replacement. KSU might simply not want to spend the money it requires to continually replace the bench chains if they are broken. On the other hand, it could be argued that KSU can pay the amount required since the university has continually faced record-breaking enrollment.
Whatever the reasoning, the fact remains that the ghostly remains of the swings show a potential that has yet to be reinstated and the student body should be more respectful of the privileges on campus.
If the bench swings do return, they should be treated with appreciation. Be gentle. They are benches, not rollercoasters.
