Page 79 - TheGoldBug1973-74

Mav 2. 1974 GOLD BUG PAGE 3 Christians versus Lions with one's advisor. One realizes of course that you earth. Pity the poor 'student who has to spend a As I sit down every other week to prepare an must make an appointment at your advisor's .rna toritv of his/her waking hours trying to schedule article for this column, I find that I have a horrid earliest convenient hour, which may range from all the infinite number of courses for hts/ner major time coming up with a topic. I usually pace the twelve to one a.m. in the basement of Little Baker (all of which are scheduled at the same time, and in room scratching at my brain, trying the patience of Chapel, to high noon on the fifth green (not to be some cases with overlapping labs). Pity the poor my creativity, screaming at my roommate to confused with the seventh green). Once you finally student who finds himself/herself after four years suggest a topic, and going into a primal fit. After an find your advisor (and there's the rubl), you must of: a) torture b) misery c) hell d) frustration (circle one), without a major. hour of these antics, I calmly sit down and beat the persuade him/her that you need these courses in hell out of my typewriter. I suppose this is what the order to graduate within the next seven years (if other writers of the Gold Bug staff go through - I and only if you don't have to hock the family jewels would like to think that I am not the only student to go to summer school). Once your advisor blindly The problem, as you can see, lies not in solving who is frustrated at contributing to the general signs your schedule; pets you on the head; tells you this frustrating situation of course scheduling, but welfare of this illustrious institution. to brace up and study and have fun; are you free to rather in figuring out what such obscurities mean in All of which brings me to my topic of the week. All enter the ARENA! There within (the ARENA) the first place. The true tragedy in this saga at tne these inane remarks come out of a yearning to begins the search for Nirvana, or as one well known student endurance test, is that some students never comment on the average student and his/her local theologian says, Karma. The ARENA is really get the courses they need or want. Consider frustrations. The latest frustration is that of ye olde likene-d unto a rat maze (courtesy of the this: a student (who shall remain anonymous) course scheduling. I have to assume that certain Psychology Department), where if you are closed awakens on the last day of class before the final to smile as I watch students running around like out of your desired courses, you receive a swift find himself/herself, not in Invertebrate Zoology, hominoids, attempting to construct a workable and electrical shock and are sent back to the first but in Beginning Acting. livable schedule for the following year. station of the ARENA (not to be confused with the The first door to greater comradeship between First Station of the Cross). You then must find your Should any of you feel compelled to respond student and faculty, is trying to get an appointment advisor, who of course does not have convenient "Balderdash!" to this modest essay of student Voicebox office hours, and is probably home watching Truth frustration, just consult your nearest student, who hours of at the local gourmat or Consequences. drowns out his sorrows After these several you exit from the clinical psychological testing, cafeteria. I have written this essay not to criticize ARENA to be rewarded with your computerized the system, or to try to cast out devils, but rather to schedule, which is totally incomprehensible and continued totally unlivable. make light of a situation that perhaps needs some light shed upon it. One last word of caution: Beware For those of you who shake your heads and say the ARENA! "Tish- Tosh." I offer up proof of the students' hell on DRESL treated like little kids. After all, they have paid Commentary "------- don't think the students should let themselves be their board bill and should be allowed to take full advantage of it. What does the management think 'I'ne purpose of a college education has school and one must look far and wide to find a you are going to do with the food you take out of the undergone considerable change in many in- person in authority who openly opposes these cafeteria'? Give it to someone who hasn't paid'? stitutions during the past few years. One of the moves. What, then, is stopping progress at over-riding philosophies adopted by Western Maryland? Many theories have been Waste it? By treating the students as children, the progressive schools is one which states that advanced including ones aimed at student management has developed childish attitudes. the student enters into higher education to apathy, conservatism among administrators, Is it better to take food out of the cafeteria and eat it later or to leave it on your tray to be wasted? increase his knowledge and the job of the traditionalism, etc. No one denies that many Then, there's the thing with ice cream being college is to help him with this task. When it WMC students are an apathetic lot and there allowed out only on a cone and not in a paper dish. comes to the non-academic aspects of the are some slow-to-change officials on the Are the dishes becoming scarce, are the plastic college experience a student is like any other faculty and staff, but that is just part of the spoons too costly, or are the napkins being saved for citizen-free to do as he choses within the problem. The real inpediment to progress lies future use'? The tagbcard sign reads that no food bounds of the law. in the financial backers of this college. It has may be taken from the cafeteria wrapped in ~ese It would seem that such a policy would be been said that the Alumni Association napkins. This must mean that you can carry It out required in any institution dealing with adults receives numerous complaints and monetary in your hand with nothing on it. Or maybe it means who are paying that institution to provide the threats every time an old restriction is that you can take a ham sandwich out on a cone, goods and services essential to their eliminated (i.e. men in women's dorms). One since a cone seems to be the only acceptable carry- education. Regardless of the legal ideal, we at cannot help but feel sorry for Dr. John and out container. All of this nonsense also makes more Western Maryland are subject to a myriad of other progressive sorts in charge of for- work for the check-in personnel. When they stop rules and regulations which tend to deny our mulating policy changes who have to put up somebody with food, the violator merely drops it on status as adults. The most obvious and the table and leaves in disgust. The checker is left distastefull of these is the archaic system of with so much geriatric grumbling from ageing to dispose of it. alienated alumni. However, it must be I don't think these restrictions can be enforced for housing employed by WMC. Closing hours, realized that future financial support will very long. If these new acts aren't repealed soon, total segregation by sex and the like are come from what is now the student body. If the I'm sure more jackets will be worn to the cafeteria unheard of in many other colleges and wishes of our present backers override the for food removal. This will only result in a mass universities. The control of the social aspects desires and needs of the present students, how search and seizure at the exit turnstile. of these schools is delegated to the student can the school expect to receive similar Preposterous circumstances will lead to more body, keeping in mind that without students a support when some of us are wealthy preposterous circumstances. When is the cafeteria staff going to wise up? They seem to be trying to college is merely a group of buildings graduates? Its something to be considered institute a dictatorship within the dining room. The populated by unemployed professors and when the next student initative for open students of Western Maryland deserve more administrators. housing or any other progressive policy is mature treatment in the limitations on food ac- Efforts have been made to "liberalize" this denied to please the money givers cessibility and reduced prices for their weekend Dave White guests. Caff staff! Give students something to brag Does SGA effect anyone or anything beyond about! Not something to despise! Homecoming and May Weekend? As SGA elections ever greater 'than that eating away at SGA, Sincerely, draw nearer (May 9) the purpose and importance fraternities and sororities direct much of what's Diner (sore) )f SGA might be reexamined, along with students' happening but not in such a way as to inhibit in- I was really in the mood to dance and have a good attitude toward their governmental organization. terest in sports events or other things their members should all have time to personally pursue. One With poor attendance at Senate meetings and the time last Friday night, so I went to the GIGIF. Once noncholance with which representatives and of- cannot seriously conclude that well over one there I found all the ingredients for a great ficers are elected few people show any concern for thousand people between the ages of 17and 25 spend evening: people, music, beer ...but as is usual for a things other than dances or concerts. all their time devoutly studying, rigorously prac- GIGIF, the volume was way too high. Several The unglorified responsibilities and duties are ticing an in-season sport, drinking beer, catching people I talked to (or rather, screamed at) agreed thrown in the laps of the elected officers, for whieh up on th •. latest gossip, or inhaling illegal smoke; with me that the music was ridiculously loud. only a minority of students bothered to come out ~~;2l.~ naving any time to at least wonder about the I can't believe that my ears are different than nd vote for in the first place. Despite the best of latest accomplishments or activities of SGA. everyone else's, and I found the noise unbearable. I leaders, SGA can not exert its potential influence SGA is not a gathering of people who all convene love good loud music, but I think the intensity of ver the student body without more than an , at once for the purpose of having them all wish they sound at these parties has gone to a painful ex- pathetic check next to the name of your choice were somewhere else. It is instead organized as the treme. One person I talked to laughed when I told nce a year. Nor does much power stem from a only group made up entirely of students to give him I felt deaf and said, "Sure, you always feel that egislative body comprised of people who volun- them a say in their fate while at Western way after a GIGIF but by the next morning it's red for the position of Senators out of the kind- Maryland College, it expresses student voice in the gone." I expressed my concern that this deaf ess of their hearts, for the "dumb" freshmen who affairs of the college, it may influence disciplinary feeling could be damaging to our ears and he said, ooked forward to the kind of student influence SGA . p-oblems, enlighten the social life, or serve as the "It probably is." Yes, it probably is, and it's a aintained in the high schools they recently left. voice for all students when their counsel is shame that people are putting up with it. It is These aspiring newcomers seem to vansh by requested by faculty or administration. On the possible to have loud music and a good time without other hand SGA may be ignored, may frustrate making ourselves deaf. hanksgiving.) those willing to lead it, and may only be known on If SGA doesn't absorb much interest what does'? July Kastner ass Councils and projects suffer from an apathy campus for a few concerts and dances. G.P.