Page 16 - Phoenix1999-2000

Thursday, September 30, 1999 - Page 8 COMMENTARY Students make changes Parties, date rape, and tips for new school year you should know Ed Schultheis discusses the Maybe it was the fact that we still have The Phoenix Staff takes on the little comparison we have set up is that the changes that accompany the to ask where everything is on campus. Or, issue of date rape addressed on characters in the third situation are consid- it might have just been the fact that simply, college transition. we have something to prove here in our first page 1. erably more responsible, and consequently, more content with their decisions. year. Now, we all know, that in the heat of the When I first arrived here, I was greeted We know already that we can't take any- Situation One: Girl and boy are at a riot- moment things can get sort of confusing, but by the opportunity to meet new people and thing lightly here in our first semester. ous college party. The bass is thumping, there is a way to be sure that minor miscom- to explore all the different places here. - Most of the new students here took a people are cramped and laughing, and beer munications don't cause major amounts of I came from a rather modest, all male high course load that would be easy for them to flows from the keg like honey. Sloshed, boy hurt. school in Baltimore, Mt. St. Joseph. All the manage, but still enable them to get into the asks girl up to his room. Girl agrees. Just clarify what you will and will not students knew everyone there. swing of college. There, he thinks she is "all about" him, do, before he, or she, assumes you are going That's what brought me here to WMC. When I came out of high school, Ireally and the two have sex. to do it. I realized however, that things would be didn't know what to expect when Icame to In the morning, he discovers she wasn't It doesn't necessarily sound dorky to say remarkably different. college. I had heard horror stories from as agreeable as he thought. Now, she says he you won't have sex with someone, if you say First of all, I wasn't just going to school friends at other colleges of classes with 200 took advantage of her; more harshly, she says it the right way. We'll leave it to you to be here, I was living here. students in them. she was date raped. creative. It wasn't just about getting to know your- How can you [earn anything in there? Situation Two: Girl and boy are at typi- Plus, there are other mutually amusing self, it was getting to know your roommate, I was nervous about the fact of coming cal party. Girl asks boy upstairs to her room. occupations thai might be appealing, with- your neighbors, and even your classmates. here, and Iwas sure Icould see it on the faces Off they go. He knows what she wants, and out having sex. So, if you're somewhat Itake comfort in the fact though that Iwasn't of other students as I walked in. they have sex. imaginative, you can probably still present the only one that went through this rite of I was pleasantly surprised however, that Hung over the next morning, he discov- possibilities for pleasure without proposing passage. all my classes, had no more than 25 people ers that she didn't want to sleep with him. sex. My class, the class of 2003, has just be- in them. She calls it date rape. Now, saying you won't have sex with gun their journey, and I'm sure that all of us I was also surprised simply that some Situation Three: Boy and girl are at typi- someone before you go to a room together have had our doubts so far. food and drinks were allowed in class, a real cal college party. Both are trying to drink as does not mean you won't be date raped, but I'm sure J wasn't the only one that had to change from the atmosphere that I had got- much as they can before the are totally it does make your intentions more clear, and deal with being away from friends and fam- ten so accustomed to. trashed; they want to keep some of their abili- if you are raped, it won't be because of mis- ily. As we all look around, and still even get ties to reason. communication. Nor did J feel alone when I realized that lost occasionally, we know that we have so It doesn't matter if he asks her, or if she Having some friends around helps, too. there were hundreds of new freshman that much to learn still. This is of course why asks him, but one way or another, they end They provide a network of support in those felt the same way, and maybe had the same we are here. up in someone's room, alone, together, seem- tough moments when you are not sure what reservations that 1 had. The Class of 2003 has come from all over ingly in the same state of mind. to do, and they can look out for you if you J have already gone through some tough the world, and just like our classes before Before things go too far, she says she are unable to look out for yourself. And, if times, and some great times, and it's only us, we have a chemistry and a bond unique won't have sex with him. the party is really awful, you have people to been a month. 10 our own class. In the morning they both wake up to joke about it with later. Many of us felt comfort in the fact that When I stare into the future, I am re- something that mayor may not have been Of course, a few ways to remain safe is we had brothers or sisters that went before minded that this is just the beginning for us. more than a one-night-stand, but now nei- to avoid parties, to drink apple juice instead us, or even the fact that we had friends go- We still have 4 years of contemplation and ther person feels ashamed of their actions, of wine coolers, and to never go to anyone's ing to same place as us. discovery ahead of us. • and they aren't worried about pregnancy or room if you think you might be alone with f had neither. We can let it slip by, or live it up. I prefer STDs. them. But you might also consider living in Most of my friends went to colleges the latter. So ... which of these things is not like the asmall hole, with purified air and water, and closer to home, and I haven't seen any of We already have a bond to one another, other? plenty of magazines. them since we started school. now all we have to do, is exercise it. If you're not drunk while you're reading Obviously, it might be a good idea to One symptom was studying all night for Even some of the bonds I have formed this, (and we would hope you'd have better avoid taking our hyperbole seriously. But a test just to make sure that I could pass it. here in my first month will help me reach things to do when you're drunk) you could realistically, you may want to consider our Or, J set up study groups until the late hours that light at the end of the tunnel. probably figure it out. advice. Set your. own limits, then you won't to make sure my friends could pass too. But what you should really notice in this be caught off guard. Do the math: Too many students equals not enough parking spaces Inoticed a problem beginning last semes- of available spaces diminished by about 15 it particularly annoying to search for park- ter, and I see that it has carried over into the Kristen G. Fraser questions the or so. ing on the opposite end of campus late at start of the new academic year. Since it is parking allotment at the Whiteford But, I found some way to live with that. night to park my car, and hike back to my still relatively early, it seems proper to ad- parking lot Now, the problem seems worse. There are dorm. All those tour guides who brag about dress this issue while there is still time. still unclear regulations for where it is legal WMC being so small are correct. But, the The parking situation on campus has dis- for cars to turn around and join the traffic to park in the Whiteford lot, but I try to stick hike from the water tower doesn't seem short integrated from bad to worse. There are circle. There are occasional backups of cars with the traditional lot, figuring I should not after a frustrating search for a simple park- many reasons for this problem, and no solu- attempting to get by, and perfecting the three be ticketed in that area. ingspace. tion in sight. But, it is certainly cumbersome point turn as they leave the lot in frustration But, that only works when there are I suggest a few different things. First of for students with cars. at not finding a space. spaces available. Which isn't often. But, all, if you're not supposed to be parking on And although the problem seems en- Now, that would be fine in it of itself. I judging by the tickets that abound, the rea- campus, don't do it. It's simple. There are demic to the entire campus, I will address can recognize the need for patience while the son that there are no vacancies stems from plenty of places where you can park that . the particular difficulties of the Whiteford fine constructions workers toil to improve the fact that people are parking there unau- don't interfere with campus parking. lot. our school. But, it has been continuing for thorized. Second, I have a word of warning. If you First of all, the continued construction many months. However, this article is sup- Based on some discussion tbat I've heard are authorized to park here, but don't have continues to inhibit the flow of traffic over posed to"be about parking. around campus, the number of freshmen that your permit yet, buy it. Either suck it up and near Levine. This is ridiculous! The construc- The parking allowed in the Whiteford lot have cars this year seems to be up. And, pay the $30, or expect headaches galore for tion near Blanche has caused great eyesore, has changed dramatically over the past few don't tell campus safety, but I don't think the rest of the year. but that is a subject for another day. The months. Before the construction began, there most of them are authorized. Third, get down on your knees and pray fact that they are obviously running way be- was plenty of open parking both down in the Not to mention the fact that in the past that the building construction will be finished hind schedule has affected other aspects of actual Whiteford lot, and also in the sections few years, the number of students at WMC soon. At least we will have a livable traffic. campus life. extending out towards Main Street. has increased. So, let's do some basic math. pattern by Whiteford when it is finally com- The ugly fences placed at the end of the This is no longer the case. I noticed in More students, same number of parking pleted. construction serve two purposes. First, they about February that Campus Safety seemed spots. That would be bad math. So, let's Fourth, let's find some way to explain that serve to block traffic from proceeding to to change where they nonnaiJy allowed park- review the current situation. More students, more students means more cars. We need Main Street. Second, it restricts the amount ing. Now, all cars parked in the dreaded "par- less parking spots. That sounds even smarter, more parking. Seems simple enough to me. of parking allotted to students. Also impor- allel" position were routinely ticketed. So, doesn't it? tam to note, the fences make it.very difficult unless, you want to get a ticket, the number So, what to do about the problem? I find