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FEBRUARY 10, 2005 - Page 4 COMMENTARY A student journalist's image of Matt Cowdrey ROB GOEKE come with a sense of obliga- at the chance to live with out for me was his smile." NEWSEDrTOR tion to honor Matt. By some "He lived his life someone she called "a big force I was given this role, with that smile, brother." But like everyone At mattcowdrey.com, a In his far too limited time and I feel this piece is the way website set up in his honor by here a t McDaniel, Ma tt Ican best fulfill it. all of his life with else who knew Matt, the girls some of his friends from high of 301 are regretful that they Cowdrey and I never were in- Perhaps the best sense that energy." do not get the chance to bet- school, a slideshow of pictures troduced to each other. But in of Matt Ireceived was when -William Sims Jr. ter know their dose friend. of Matt has been established. In all my interviews for my trib- Italked to his roommate first Above ail, Matt was a nearly all of them, Matt's smile ute story to Matt, r now have semester, junior John Floyd. Yet, in the 15 or 20 people I regular guy. is blindingly beautiful. On the some sense of what he was like A couple of Matt's closest talked to who knew Matt, I Professor Terry Dalton, front of the page, next to a pic- and my heart wrenches at the friends Ihad talked to noted could not find any. He who taught Matt first semes- ture of.Matt's pearly whites, is fact Inever got that chance. that he and 'his roommate sounded like the ultimate ter, mentioned thatMatt'sat_ a quote from William Sims [r.: For the people who knew were not that close. When I jock: playing sports of all sorts "He lived his life with that Matt well. there is devastation. tried to call John, Iwas wor- and living the life of a lacrosse tendance was not always per- smile, all of his life with I asked Floyd feet: When A light upon the world was lost ried I would open old star. about some of his favorite that energy." on January 17. But what struck wounds of roommate conflict Yet, there is no doubt stories about Matt, he hesi- In New Orleans, a Cajun me while working on the story and put Floyd in a difficult that Matt had a feminine tated for a moment and said, tradition exists where, when was the number of people with position. Yet,when Floyd an- sweetness under his rough, "Well I have plenty, but norh- one dies, an ornate funeral pro- whom Matt was a mere ac- swered the phone, I was re- masculine exterior. And he cession OCCurs;loud music is quaintance that were almost as lieved to hear a much differ- would have been'surrotmded ing that f think you can played while the deceased'S print." devastated that they never will entmood than Iwas forebod- by femininity, being the only There is a pattern that family and friends dance in the get the chance to better know ingly expecting. Floyd told man among five women liv- one notices when they talk to streets. This is done not to dis- the radiance of Matt Cowdrey. me that, though he and Matt ing in suite 301 in Daniel ~att's. friends: the beauty of honor the departed, but to cel- It is possible that Iam not were not the closest of Mact.ea Hall during the ebrate their life. For some rea- the right person to write this friends, they bonded over the spring semester. his smile. Sophomore Harvey son, I think Ma tt would have 'piece because I never had per- types of music they both Sophomore Jamie Horsey said Matt "loved to liked that to have been done for show off his really white sonal contact with Matt. Yet in liked and got along just fine. Bodden, who would have teeth." Sophomore Steve him. With the loud music he the process of writing my news ,I am sure Matt had lived a lacrosse ball throw loved, the fun he had and the article about Matt, I was over- some flaws. No one is perfect. away from Mart-was excited Hoffman noted that "The one people he knew, his life was a thing that will always stick celebration. Largest voter turnout since Dorm dirtiness, a 1968 not as great as it seems finable offense Democratic no matter what' us, for better or for worse. Has BRIAN PATTERSON Personal hygiene jokes PAT O'TOOLE thought. wel- our comfort level induced aside, it seems a little unfair that Mediocrity COEDITOR comed me back with open apathy? I would say that it SENIOR WRITER students can be fined for smells On November 2, 2004, I arms. seems so. I cannot even begin What do obliterated in dorm rooms. This appears showed that I cared about my About 60% of my fel- to COWltthe number of people windows, defaced doors, especially unjust considering country. low eligible voters in this who have confided in me that broken that many of the dorms have After pa- "land of opportunity" turned they do not vote because their elevators, developed their own pungent t i e.n t I Y out to vote that day, the high- vote "won't count anyways." missing odors aver the years. waiting est percentage since 1968. Well what would happen if all c a u chI lived on the fourth floor through Chest bumps and high fives of those people went out and cushions, of Rouzer my first year and the my 1:20 ensued. voted? The world may never :Oci~:~~e~ hallway smelled something class, I Maybe our celebrations know. h a I e fierce. Junior year I moved into jumped in were a bit premature. Voting in our country the Garden Apartments and the my 1998 On Sunday, January 30, could not be any easier. i nth e carpet in the apartment was lit- j Ford Con+ the citizens of Iraq partici- We don't have to con- wall, and tered with cigarette burns and tour and pated in their first free eJec- tend with any of the obstacles a dilapi_ emitting a smell similar to that dated chair have in com- made the 40-minute drive to tion in 50 years. George W. that the Iraqi people were mon? Not a hard riddle, but of the hallway in Rouzer. Frederick. It was a test of will, Bush was just learning basic faced with, and there are poll- Over the summer J we all know that when the one that would challenge me to grammar skills 50 years ago. ing centers everywhere you year ends an itemized list worked on the Conference Ser- the core of my being. On sev- Hey...learrung them and us- look. like this can cost a pretty vice ~taff for the college and eral occasions, J was forced to ing them are two separate Voting has even taken penny. part of my job was performing pass on the left. And don't even skills, so back off. on a sort of trendy reputation. room, checks. Going from door get me started on those "Left Despite their inexperi- Celebrities show their support stranger As a senior I am no to door ended up like a rwisted to the wonderful turn yield on green" stoplights. ence with the Democratic for candidates and go on na- game of Russian Roulette. Left There was a line when 1 process, almost 60% of eli- tional television to promote world of residence life fines. to their' own resources the got to the elementary school, gible Iraqi voters came out to voter turnout. I've never had a sizable bill rooms Were able to develop and my name wasn't on the vote in their election. And So maybe we only like to and have always tried t~ their OWn unique smell. Each master list. Ihad to wait while they had a lot more than stop- do things when we're not al- stick to proper dormitory empty building took on an odor the attendant consulted her su- lights and apostrophes to lowed to do them. After all, discipline with regards to of its OWn,and some were bet- pervisor to confirm that Icould deal with. the allure of binge drinking school property. I've paid ter than others. If the dorms on in fact cast my vote. 1 think it There was the ever- seems to significantly de- my fines, and that was fine' campus were a grade school was the apostrophe in my present threat of bombings at crease after that golden age of by me. r thought r had a class, Rouzer would be teased name. The Irish never get a the polling centers; the recog- 21. Some studies have shown good sense of what I could for being the stinky kid. break. nition that taking part in the that the percentage of regular be fined for, but now J can . Of COursethe policy of fin- I can vote !Jow? Thank you. democratic process could be marijuana users is higher in add smell to the list. 109 students for this infraction This may be self-in_ Do I need help with the computer? martyrdom the Ll.S. than in Amsterdam, criminating, but when I re- raises several important ques- No, but I think thai elderly mnn Even after voting, the where marijuana is legal. turned from winter break hans. Who decides when an over there just tried to put his Iraqis had to handle the fear With this in mind, per- odor reaches a finable level? credit card in it. of being spotted on theway haps we. should make voting my apartment mates and I How are the fines determined; After deciphering the out and possibly killed for the "rebellious" thing to do. P. received a note saying Our is it.fi~ed fine or is it judged on complex system of "Touch Here their actions. The company Diddy might want to consider apartment smelled. If the a slidIng emelliness scale? situation was not addressed to Vote for So-and-So", I that makes the "I Voted" making shirts that say "Vote and fixed, we would be What's my point? I quickly completed my ballot, stickers probably had a hard. and Die" in place of his "Vote fined. haven't been financially corn- accepted my "T Voted" sticker time meeting quotas. or Die" shirts. The whole ad p~nsated for my odor inconve- souvenir, and headed back to What do the results of campaign could take on a new A quick search of the nience. This needs to be a two McDaniel with a newfound the Iraqi election say about vibe. area yielded spoiled food way street. If someone gets a sense of purpose in this crazy us? We live in a place where Decision 2008: "You and a bag of trash that were roommate freshmen year that world. Ithen remembered that we have always had the right won't vote. Seriously. Don't." left behind in Our haste to never learned how to do laun- Maryland was going to vote to decide who is going to lead evacuate our apartment be- dry, then the school owes that fore ten on the first day of winter break. student a new room and some coin for their nasal anguish.