THE RUSH AT THE SOCIAL SCIENCE’S LARGE LECTURE THEATER

“We are not living in a state of nature”

By Akande Aanuoluwapo Favour

Anytime I see students pushing themselves to get into or leave the Large Lecture Theater, I am reminded of Thomas Hobbes's state of nature, where life was short, nasty and brutish because there was no one to impose rules. Why are there many struggles when entering the hall? What does this nasty behaviour aim to achieve? Why is it so difficult for students to exercise patience? Must there be a constituted authority before people act civilized?

Thomas Hobbes's state of nature was all about "might makes right," which motivates this constant rush at the LLT. I fear one day, it might lead to someone getting severely injured or, worse, dead. What surprises me most about the rush is that it is not limited to the 100-level students alone. Students in higher levels who are believed to be "smarter" or "wiser" are sometimes the first to break the rule by taking the door, which is meant for entrance when they want to exit the hall and vice-versa (especially when there's another class immediately after theirs). Sometimes, I wonder if they are not aware of the rule.

Have you ever imagined that there would be a rush if an authoritative figure were present? Do you think the presence of sanctions for deviants will make people stop pushing themselves like animals with no sense of orderliness? There are two, in fact, three doors in the hall. The faculty president made it clear ( at least to the 100-level students) that when there's a clash of classes ( This is when one class ends and another class is to start the next minute), the door at the right is meant to be used exclusively for entrance, the one at the left for departure and the back door ( the one which leads to the cafeteria) for departure also.

However, this simple rule needs to be followed by most students. Do we need to ask ourselves, "does it mean that we can't have an organized society without the presence of a constituted authority"? Does this justify Hobbes's theory that humans are selfish and every man thinks for himself? Does this simple act in a public school hall reflect and justify the state of nature, where life was short, nasty and brutish because there was no government to ensure peace and orderliness? The comparison of the rush at the LLT to the state of nature would be correct because the faculty president had addressed students on Wednesday, the 7th of December, on the right doors to follow so that orderliness can be ensured.

Some students might try to justify reasons for the rush in the LLT. They have to get somewhere really quickly that without them pushing the next person or passing the wrong door, they wouldn't be able to get there on time. Some are very eager to sit in the front seats as failure to do so is detrimental to their studies. However, the way these explanations are put, there need to be more reasons to push or step on each other's toes whenever we want to enter or leave the hall.

There are intelligent ways to solve these problems without pushing other people. Students who want to sit in the front rows should come early, while those who want to leave the hall early should sit close to the exit doors. They can also sit at the edge seat of each row for closer proximity to the exit doors.

Lastly, we don't need to wait for the presence of authority to do the right thing. It serves us better and is more peaceful and beneficial when we follow established rules and regulations.