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COMMENTARY Thursday, Apri126, 2001 - Page 7 Inside tips to care and Having What is The Phoenix? feed your professor nothing to do with the city in Ari- fact that this is a college campus The staff of this pa- newspaper. zona, the Phoenix is a bird. Leg- Dr. Becky Carpenter, a for a date, it is in bad form to stand end has it that this mythological per is not paid. In fact, the major- writers/editors ity of the students professor/rom Venus, gives up your professor. creature "consumed itself by tire are not even receiving academic tips to students from Mars. If you are asking for a make- every 500 years, and a new, young credit for their involvement. up test or quiz, you should be phoenix sprang from its ashes." Why do they sacrifice so much Students often regard profes- aware that your professor may feel It is that very legend that has time to the paper? They enjoy sors as an odd bunch. They are, of that he/she is under no obligation lent itself to the name of WMC's journalism. They want to be in- course, correct to give you that opportunity. campus newspaper when it rose lip volved. They want to serve the Professors are the kind of Thus, it might be a good idea in success from the Scrimshaw campus tn some way. people who finished their BAs, and to say something more along the You may be saying: what is the It is not easy putting out a then turned around and said "I fee! lines of "Is there any way I could point? My point is many times as BJ Shorb newspaper. Just like an athlete like going back to school for four take a make-up?" humans we hold 011 to perceptions spends lots of time practicing, and to ten more years!" of something, or someone, not re- itself is a big adjustment, but Ihave an actor spends lots of lime re- Professors are the kind of 3) "This (fill in alizing that our perceptions aren't to wonder how many people in the hearsing, newspaper staff mem- people who think reading is "fun," the blank: book, assignment, lab) of the present but the past freshmen class enjoy reading The bers spend a lot of time editing solving problems is "cool," and is (fill in the During this semester, as com- Phoenix. 1 suspect more than two and laying out the paper. research is "interesting," We have blank: hard, long, boring, mentary editor of The Phoenix, I people. So what happens in three IUs such a relief when the pa- been known to pump OUf fists in weird)!" have observed a great deal of years? Is there a paper at all? per is completed. We all anticipate the air and yell "Yessss!l!" when negative criticism end apa- It is important to know that to its arrival from the printer. Then our research is going well or when Yes, sometimes we will make thy toward this paper from when we hear things like, we gel an article accepted for pub- you read books that are hard to not only students, but also A newspaper cannot [ulfill its "1 can't believe they did lication in a scholarly journal. This comprehend or long. Sometimes, duty to the community without is not normal behavior. they may even seem boring or ~;~t:~aculty and adminls- ::~'~:f:!i:~s~i~eti~~~~ It is therefore not entirely the weird. It is my belief that a the community fulfilling its duty wefeellikesomeonejust fault of students that they some- Professors cling to this odd no- newspaper should act_ as a took the paper and threw times manage to irritate these tion that one of the points of col- voice for the community it to the newspaper. iton the floor and stepped wildly, unpredictable creatures. lege is to challenge you, to stimu- serves. It is a tool for in- all over it. and all over us Nonetheless, since professors are late you, and to stretch your hori- formation, a source of entertain- be involved with a campus news- in the process. the ones handing out the grades, it zons. ment, and an outlet for expression. paper: you don't need to be a won- It might expectable to hear behooves stud~nts to try to make We also are sometimes deluded I must say after giving this derful writer; that is. what editors some negative remarks from some these relationships as smooth as enough to think that it is our job to topic some deep thought, I have are for. You don't need to be able students. But from faculty and possible. improve your critical reading, writ- come to the following conclusion. to think of tOPIc after topic to write administration, the very same Here. then, are some beginner's ing, and thinking skills. Often, A newspaper cannot fulfill its duty about; that is what brainstorming people that are here !O teach and tips for the care and feeding of these goals are better accomplished to the community without the and story assignments are for. encourage us to find ourselves and these pen-wielding animals. by assigning stuff that it is hard, community fulfilling its duty to You don't even need to be a stu- get involved. How are those Stuffnever to say: long, and weird, than easy, short, the newspaper. dent; The Phoenix serves the en- words an encouragement? and normal. What do I mean? It is an inter- tire WMC community and fully I would like you, whether a I.) "Hey, I wasn't in class today. active process. First of all, con- welcomes staff, faculty, and admin- student, faculty member, or ad- Did I miss anything?" 4.) From a student who has a C- sider the staff: currently a group istrauon to contribute. Lastly, you ministrator, to ponder the follow- at midterm: "Tell me what Ineed of approximatcly 28 students. Of don't even have to make a big com- ing question. If you do not con- This statement tends to make to do to get an A in this course." that staff, how lllany arc from the mitment; a story here and there is tribute to something, what right do professors sarcastic, tempting us to freshman class? There is one appreciated. The greater the vari- you have to criticize it? say things like, "No, today we just Answer: Rewind time and do writer and one photographer from ety of people involved the better. sat around and shot the breeze for a better job during the first half of the class of 2004. The second part of the interac- -BJ Shorb is a junior communi- an hour and a half' or "Yes, today the semester. Recognize that you I know that college in and of tive process pertains mainly to the cation major. we covered 80% of everything are not in a strong negotiating po- that's going to be on the final. I'm sition here. go in with something Of Old Friends and ...Old Friends sorry, but if you missed tcday's I would class, you are basically doomed." more along the lines of "I'm con- I want to tell you all a story. to catch up on old times, although A properly penitent attitude and cerned because r seem to be strug- Yes, I have decided to take a break I must admit about 90% of our con- a promise to get notes from a class- gling in this course. Do you have from my usual whining and endless versation revolved around remem- mate are the secrets to your success any suggestions for how I might babbling to share a story regarding bering all the pranks we played on here. improve my skills?" a positive experience. our next-door neighbor. Those Sure, I could complain about were good times indeed. S·.) "Why don't you give WMC's class registration process, ~gll"i~ ~~~S~a-nk;-w-'iC:th-a-ny-o-n-e-C of In the end, my old roommate CC--'---c-- (fill in the or even the fun that is derived from spoke of how he was currently, as the following: my appointment blank: a mulnple choice test, a selecting housing for the fan semes- a baseball player, being scouted by with you, the test, the quiz, my matching test, no final, a shorter ter; but I would like to think that the majors while keeping up with oral report date.) When can [ paper, no homework on Fri- there is more to life then those his studies-and, basically, just try- make it up?" days)?" things (although I am still not to- ing to get by like everyone else. tally convinced). And, although my theories of his Don't miss appointments with Has that ever worked? I do, however, have some evi- Michael Wiles whereabouts all proved false, he professors unless you are very sick dence to support this theory. This did assure me that he has consid- or dead. Just as it isin bad form to -DI: Becky Carpenter is an Assis- past week, I was visited by an old Early this semester, I received ered moving west. Good old room- stand up your boyfriend/girlfriend tant Professor of English. friend that helped me realize there an e-mail from myoid roommate. mate. might just be more to life then these As it would turn out, he had opted The whole experience really got common college woes. for a last minute school transfer in me thinking, as experiences tend to My freshmen year roommate, the fall, but did assure me that there do. Myoid roommate reminded me who survived Rouzer Hall right was a story to go along with this that one truly does possess the key along with me, was un- --------------~---- to their own destiny, and able to return to WMC ... one truly does possess the key that life is not by any last semester. At first, I honestly thought he to their own destiny... ;o~~~~,~~~:~i~~~~~~~:~.om might be dead, because I really started to wonder I would really not put that sort of decision. Knowing him as J did, if I am leading my life too closely thing past him. and having always been a fan of his to the beaten path, and that maybe Around October, I had begun to stories of adventure, r awaited the there is still a lot life has to offer figure 'that he must have moved latest installment in the story of his that I have yet to find. west, much in the style of "On The life. Not a bad way to spend an hour. Road," since that sort of thing, even I received just that last week. Thanks, man. more than an untimely death, suited Appearing as iffrom nowhere, my what I remembered of his person- old roommate and friend finally -Michael Wiles is a sophomore ality. caught up with me. We proceeded English major.