Page 138 - ThePhoenix1994-95

CornrnentaQlL- --------------------------~W~e~dn~e~Sd~a~y,~M~a~rc~h~15~,~1~99~5~,p~a~g~e2 • Our View-Staff Editorial The Phoenix Honors housing may not be the best option for 1st-year students This past Friday, several anxious groups ment and personalized living space much differ- that is not the intention of those in charge of the found out who had been given the privilege of enl from the usual donn hallway. program. Although many attempts were made at Editor~ln-Chief living in Affinity Housing. Many disappointed However, do these quiet. rather secluded liv- including thefreshman honors students in the new Lisa T. Hill '97 students probably felt that they are just not "spe- ing areas really benefit freshman members of the First Year Program, many of them do not feel that cial enough" to live in the suites in Daniel Honors Program, or do they 5e!"C to hamper the lheywereablctohavethesamefullexpericnceas Advertising Manager MacLea. But is it really the best place to live at development of their college social life by seclud- those first-year students that were housed together David Weigelt '95 WMC? ing them from the rest of their classmates in the in Whiteford and Rouzer. Whilemanyofthehon- For upperclassmen who have already made most crucial social year of their college career? orsstudents believe they are having a "full experi- Business Manager their circle of mends and want to live together in It seems that many freshman living in the hon- ence," they do not know any betteruntil they make Pamela Barry '96 the suites in DMC, it IS probably the best place to ors suites believe this to be true. Many incoming the conscious effort to be a pan of the rest of the live; the suites are clean, in nothing less than ex- freshmen were soldon the idea of the Honors Pro- college community, as some did through living in News Editor cellentconclition, provide a prime study environ- gram by the prospect of the best housing, although other places or participating in Greek rush. Michelle Hamilton '98 Just because these students have been desig- nated as above average in intelligence and worthy On The Hill Editor \)1' ",e.~t ON l'lf,wS A,~ I.IIH~ ••• MO!l€ of participating in the Honors Program does not Jonathon Shacat '98 F~ ~Ile o.S, SIMPSo;JmAL., .• mean they are going to sit in their rooms and do Photography Editor t work all year long. They are not the stereotypical "nerds" that have no other interests other than Aden Mages '97 studying. Manyofthcm want to go out to parties, Tameka Collins '98 meet other students, especially other freshmen, Sports Co-Editors and have the full "college experience." However, by being members of the Honors Program and Josh Foster '96 living in DMC, they aIsoinadvertently receive-the John Manard '96 stereotype of being members of an elitist group on campus, and therefore students socialize with Distribution Manager themdifferenIJy. Amy Weigelt '96 Many of us on the Phoenix staff are mem- bers of the Honors Program, and while the pros- General Staff pect of living in the best housing on campus and Aaron Alhburn '97, Paco Frisuelos the only donn coed by room (with the exception Kromer, Elizabeth Valuet '98 of Elderdice) seemed to give us a one-up on our Laurie F. Cicero '98, Jill Marron '97 freshman counterparts, we know now that we Chrissy Pardew '97, Ross Hoiiebon probably missed out on a lot of great experiences '97, Sarah Sheckells '97, Stewart that the rest of our classes had as freshmen. The Bittel '95, William Bower '95, Sara bonds and friendships that are formed by liv- Beth Reyburn '98, James Riggins '98, ing with other students of the same age and Richard Thomas '95, Doug Yarroll '98, gender cannot really be compensated for by Sarah Snell '98 living in DMC, no matter how much cleaner it is than Rouzer or how many members of the Layout Staff opposite sex live in the same suite. Pamela Barry '96, Lisa Hill '97, We are told that living in DMC will not John Manard '96 hinder us from meeting other members of our class, but when you don't see the faces every Faculty Adviser day by living in the same dorm, you may not Terry Dalton even know which students ARE freshmen. The point is, maybe honors housing is not such a great idea for first-year students. Maybe in light of the concern over student retention The Phoenix is published bi- and integrating the development of the aca- weekly. The opinions expressed do not demic and social lives of first-year students, necessarily represent those of Tile Phoe- the plight of the freshman honors student nix staff, the faculty, or the adminisrra- should be taken into consideration too. Their torsofWMC. social life is just as important as their grades, The paper welcomes free-lance L _j no matter how smart they are. submissions on Macintosh disks in most word processor formats. The editor re- • Editorial serves the right to edit for clarity, length, Greeks have rights to their housing ... OR DO THEY? and libel and to publish as space permits. All submissions (excluding self-ad- dressed diskettes) become the property Ih liSA I. HILL asking for our input, since we are the ones those independents who are put on those of The Phoenix and cannot be returned. Editor-in-Chief who live there already. floors because there is no other option. Please include a name and Besides being the editor-in chief of Until now, Greeks have been allowed It is uncomfortable for everyone in- phone number for verification. Names the Phoenix, r am also a member of the to fill their halls on their own by inviting vclved to have someone not involved with will be withheld only by the discretion Alpha Nu Omega sorority. I share the independents to live with them on the hall, or close to the members of the organization of the Editor-in-Chief. dismay of all the Greeks at WMC as we independents who are friends with those living amollg them. Why put everyone The Phoenix does not discrimi- face the possibility of losing portions of Greeks andlor are interested injoining that through such stress when a much more nate based on age, race, religion, gen- our floors to the whim of Residence Life. organization. Still, the halls are not always simple and less painful option is available? der, sexual orientation, national origin, I understand that Residence Life is filled to capacity. Since it is crucial for Many if not all of the Greek groups arc hur- condition of handicap, or marital status. hard pressed to house the large number this coming year that all available spaces rying to invite independents to live on their of students enrolled at WMC next year, be filled, why not work WITH the Greeks halls so that they will not be faced with any Mail to: but Greeks have rights too! The Greek to fill their floors completely? akward situations such as I have explained. The Phoenix organizations have an agreement with the We are not protesting because we are My suggestion is that Residence Life WMC, 2 College Hill college that we can use specific floors as being selfish and want to keep our floors HELP the organizations fill those spaces in- Westminster, MD 21157 housing for our individual groups. Resi- all to ourselves. Our protest is that we are stead of doing it themselves through random dence Life is using the fact that these not being given a say in who lives on the room draw. Without students, there would (410) 751-8600 floors are not always filled to justify tak- floors that we already have a contract with be no college. So shouldn't the opinions and (410) 876-2055, ext 8600 ing parts of the floors away. Well, if this the college to use for our groups. Not only concerns of students playa major part in the college really cared about our rights as is it unfair to the organizations who already decision-making around here? Think about FAlC (410) 857-2729 students, they would not do this without live on those floors, but it is also unfair to it.