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Wednesday.tFebruary 13,2002 - Page 6 COMMENTARY Staff Don't be voiceless on WMC name change Editors-In-Chief Steve Sharkey promotes The students and the faculty were basi- might be mad about the name change and Edward K. Schultheis '03 alternatives to changing the cally told that the name was changing and the way that many of us were blind-sided by Matthew E. Hurff '03 that they would just have to deal with it. The it. Yes, I felt shafted by the process. But this college's name. research firm might come by and ask you also gives us a window of time to get our News Editor your opinion on the name change - if they voices heard on a wide range of campus is- LeRoy McDuffie '05 A lot of people have been asking me a want your opinion specifically. Well if you sues. lot of questions about this whole name want your voice to be heard then make sure T want you to tell the administration hon- change business. In truth, I have a lot of that it is. Don't leave a rude phone message estly what you feel about a range of issues. Assistant News Editor mixed emotions about the whole thing. I re- on President Coley's phone-mail, and don't This includes housing, food, academics reg- Stacey Myers '02 ally believe that the history behind this col- yell at her secretary either. istration, billing, student life, sports and any lege and its name is important. I strongly I believe that all students for and against other issue you can think of that pertains to Features Editor adhere to the ideal that to really understand the change should voice their opinions to the this campus. Don't tell them that the pub Jessica Watson '05 who you are, one must look back to one's people in power. The board of trustees is sucks. But do tellthem that you might enjoy own history. At the same time Iexpected this scheduled to meet during a later weekend in clearer residence life policies. Don't tell them change to come. February. Don't be rude to them. Most of that campus safety is a bunch of jerks; tell Commentary Editor I have known for a while that the higher them are alumni. You can usually tell who them specific problems that you have with Erin Romanski '04 ups in this college want to make this college they are that weekend. They frequently have the college in a logical manner. That way "better" by improving the academic stan- nametags and they are the people that are they might listen to you. Assistant Commentary Editor dards. Personally, Ibelieve that the academic wearing suits. If you see one, talk to him or You can do this by yourself or in groups. Donna Hurd '03 standards as they stand are at the level they. her calmly and politely. Tell them your feel- Force them to listen to what you like and need to be. However, Ibelieve that more geo- ings on the situation and then give them an what bothers you. Tell them how you really graphic diversity is needed. Will this name insight on what it is to be a WMC student. feel about this college and why you came Sports Editor change help that? Probably not in the short Give them ideas about what the new name Greg Lederer '03 term. Maybe in the long term. should or shouldn't be. Many of them will here. Say that it is because you honestly to go home on weekends. Tell them wanted More than just the name of this college even tell you interesting stories about their that you came here to play sports. Tell them Senior Writer will be changing drastically in the next ten days at WMC. You would be surprised - your that you came here for some really good aca- years. Ihonestly do not know where the col- old dinosaur professor might have taught Michael Jenkinson '02 demic department. Most of all, tell them lege is going. Hopefully, the people in power them too. what you wish could have been different and will make this place a national liberal arts Other people have discussed other ways if it is really what you thought it was going Staff Writers college - not a Baltimore area based Liberal Katy Champion '04 Arts College. to get their voices heard. These include fly- I to be. Although your one voice may not mean groups and rallies. ers, posters, discussion you and five to those in power, anything Tara Dellafranzia Many weekends are desolate here at the fully support both sides in their endeavors other students that share the same sentiments '03 college and one of the main reasons for that to have their voices heard. That is why I could make an impact. Joan Faulkner '02 is the college's dependence on recruiting stu- might be able to acquire 75 dollars for botli I am one student with my own opinions. dents that live less than an hour from here. sides of the debate. If so, I will hold two Jason Fitzgerald '02 I can go tell them how 1 feel. Now that I am As more students go home on the weekends meeting in which the leaders of both sides a senior it will not change all that much for Leigh Griffith '02 .Marcus Helton '02 this place becomes less of a community and will be elected. I will give each group the me. But, it might change something for next and any ads, and rallies more of a weekly assignment. Hopefully, this for flyers, monies year's Jessica M. Jones '03 can be ramified in the long term by admit- other way that they can get their message College freshman. The real root problem at It is that the "X" is not the name. Heather Sea volt '04 ting more out of state students and also out. t" want to do this so students will gel board of trustees and the administration does Steve Sharkey '02 changing many of the college's policies to- their voices through to the administration and not really know how to make life better here Heather Weisse wards students as discussed in my past edi- board. Iconsider it.an exercise in oligarchy. for the students. The only people that can do torials. Students from both camps will be able to that are the ones that sleep in the beds, eat in Michael Wiles ~03 I know that many of you are very mad Kathy Wilson '04 voice their opinions to people that have no gtar and in the end - the ones who go tell the about the name change. Icertainly feel jilted democratic incentive to vote for what the people in power what they want. by the whole process. When all of us Jan- students want. Yet, students will at least feel Demand to have input in what happens Advertising Manager Term Students got the message about the new as though they were a part of the process, here at the college. Directly tell your pro- Jeff Grever '02 college "initiative" Iknew that they were an- and maybe some helpful ideas will filter from fessors and the Deans of this college what nouncing the name change. It was the per- the students to the board of trustees concem- you want to happen here. These decisions Distribution Manager fect time to do it. Divide the students so that ing this whole name change situation. Al- might not be yours to make, but they will Beth Rudolph '05 half would be mad on January II and the though we as students did not get a say in not be made without your input. rest would be mad at home - a 35 minute the name change we can sure as heck tell -Steve Sharkey is a senior drive from the college. them where we want the college to go. We Political Science major. Adviser Coley may be wrong, but certainly not evil Terry Dalton The Phoenix is published biweekly. The Tara DellaJranzia looks at the fpinions expressed do not necessarily represen effects of the name change from a liefs and terrorist acts. Similarly, the oppo- and being a woman doesn't make her any !those of The Phoenix staff, the faculty, or Ih< different perspective. sition needs a single person to represent the more hungry for power. The hunger for !actministratorsofWMC. wrongness and to rally against. In our case, WMC's prestige of the future also lacks any The paper welcomes free-lance submissions So the school's name will be changed this person is President Coley, who stated connection to the gender of President Coley. n Macintosh disks in most word processor for- without the 'consultation of students and that she herself has no vote among the Board Her decision to support and allow this change rws. The editors reserve the right to edit fo alumni. What kind of evil, maniacal person of Trustees, while fully supporting the deci- may be wrong, and her leadership style ag- larity, length, and libel and to publish as space would do such a thing? President Coley sion. We don't see the Board of Trustees, gressive and unconventional. but what does penruts. All submissions (excluding self-ad- seems to be the most popular. Whenever we, and we don't interact with them on a daily that have to do with her gender? ~ diskettes) become the property of The as a community or as a country, get angry at basis. Setbacks such as this do not support the hoenix and cannot be reb.rned. something, there has to be that one person. Our president, however, has made a con- real reasons that the petition and other re- Please include a name and phone number General consensus is that President Coley is sistent effort since before her inauguration sources to save the name change were orverification. Names will be withheld only by out to do wrong in the community. to know and be openly kind to the students. founded upon. Bashing the president, mak- Ime discretion of the Editors-in-Chief. While Icompletely disagree with her de- Last semester, I sent her a letter directly, ing up rumors, or implying things (some of The Phoenix does not discriminate based on cision to support the name change, President addressing several of my concerns and those which are too graphic to include here) that ~e, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, Coley is in no way out to detriment our cam- offellow students. Within a week I received the president has done to advance the name ~=~gin,condition of handicap, or mari- pus. Even if she were, she would be one of a reply from President Coley, and I thereaf- change make our stance seem unprofes- many supporting the name change. As stated ter saw immediate action taken upon those sional. If the administration were to pay me in the Jan-Term meeting for students, Presi- concerns. On the successful online petition $200,000 to do the same type of research as Mail to: dent Coley was representing the Board of against the name change, an alumnus im- the finn they'd hired, I could tell them that ThePhoenix Trustees. None of the Board members were plies that the President is supporting this most students prefer the name Western Mary- WMC, 2 College Hill present. Therefore, the woman that used to change because she is a woman and needs land College above all others. Stop throw- Westminster,·MD 21157 be just Joan to many students became to prove her power. We should get a man ing darts at the President's picture, people, (410)751-8600 "Coley," or "President of Coley College." back in the office, he says. and st~ being positive about keeping West- FAlC(4iO) 857-2729 She is the figurehead of this change - this is The current president is a bit more ag- ern Maryland College as it is. E-Mail: phoenix@wmdc.edu her job,just as it is the job of President Bush gressive than Chambers, the only other presi- to represent our country and take blame; as dent that most students have known or can -Tara Dellafranzia is a junior it.is Bin Laden's fate to uphold his own be- remember, but that doesn't make her wrong, English major.