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THE M'DA.NIELfREE PRESS APRil 3 2008 News FUSL credit, tuition details hazy for some "'Fro=m=-·".i::ro=...=,.·.-:o"'.pp"••;;;." -c-- . ring ~~~!:~tr~~."not decide Several Brussels students have made their own deals with profes- Free Press asks: were unprepared for the European how many credits students receive sors, opting ro rake an independent curriculum. for their work abroad, according to study "in lieu of the fifth class," ac- "I didn't know the language Provost Falkner. cording to Falkner. , 'What do you would be such an issue," Cima "There are agencies that do Frederic Delmorre, another think about the said. that son of thing," said the provosr. FUSL student at McDaniel, is nor "All courses taught in Eng- "'We hope that students would re- satisfied with th~ way FUSL is han- Brussels program? , , lish" is written under FUSL on the ceive approximately rhe same num- dling credit transfers. In February "'Affiliated Programs" page on the ber of credits in Brussels as they Delmorre received word from the McDaniel website. On the "Abour would here." head of the economics department FUSL" page, it states that there is a Credits are difficult to earn at at FUSL that the grades he earns at Join the discussion online at "wlde range of bilingual and rrllin- FUSL. Aston, for example, took McDaniel will be lowered upon his McDanielFreePress.com gual courses" available. eight classes in Brussels, includ- return home, due to McDaniel's al- Of the ten classes purported ing an independent study worth legedly easier curriculum. to be offered in English during the four credits, totaling what would "That's crazy," Delmcrre said, fall of 2007, McDaniel's website have been 18 credits at McDaniel. "because 1 work more here than I lists rwo independent srudles, one He only earned 11.5 credits from do in Brussels." internship and one French class, FUSL, not enough to constitute Aston said that because of taught in French, narrowing the full-rime status at McDaniel de- credits and language barriers, he number of available classes taught spire the full-rime bill he paid. would only recommend the Brus- that he paid $15,000 more than that completing a 16-credit course in English to six. Meanwhile, students here sels exchange program to students the "around one thousand" dollars load at FUSL would necessteare "an To the surprise of McDaniel from Brussels are facing a different who- "can think on their feet, not that Fecher said FUSLS students unreasonable amount of work," credit-transfer issue. The general population." pay to come here. said Provost Falkner. "'We have [0 take five courses Falkner tacitly agrees with As- Provost Falkner explained thar Some students agree that there Provost Falkner: "I here," said Melanie Pecher, an ton. "This program is for strong, McDaniel's students never paid tu- are concerns because the program think I'm as informed FUSL student at McDaniel this se- motivated, independent students," ition to FUSL, nor are the students has not been fully explored. "'I mester. "It's harder," she said of her she said. "It's not the cushy ex- from Brussels paying McDaniel, won't say it's not ready," said Del- about the program as current work load, "but you JUSt perien:e you get with other pro- OUTsideof meal plans and housing. motte about FUSI..:s program for I can possibly be." have to be used to the system." grams. "You pay home tuition," he said, American students, "but it's not According to Pecher, rhe extra According to Mary Beth "and study away." developed yet." work will payoff for FUSLs stu- Bounds, another participant at "It's completely fair," said As- One student who attended the students, six classes taught in Eng- dents, who will earn a total of 60 FUSL in 2007, the curriculum in ton of the variance in tuition. "Eu- meeting said that there was no clear lish at FUSL are not enough to credits by the end of the year. Each Belgium allows students freedom ropeans pay taxes so they can go to decision made about the future of equal a normal course load of 16 class raken here is worth six credits from attending classes, which school. We don't." the Brussels exchange program. credits at McDaniel. Before Paulus' at FUSL, she said. means freedom "for traveling or As for the discrepancy between Falkner, however, said that the meeting, the credit value of classes Provost Falkner denied some discovering Brussels." [he full-time tuition paid by Me- administration and faculty is sure at FUSL was allegedly "a series of students' claims that McDaniel There is a question of whether Daniel students at FUSL and the of one thing; "'We don't want the rumors and guesstimates on every- and FUSL had made a deal ensur- even strong students are willing to pan,-time credits they can transfer program to die." on.,,,,p"'~ ,,-....<"<> •.,u.., ..u~ ... j"n~",..., credit's for srudenfSfiOm rnke On [he exchange program with between schools, [he provost said e-mail. Brussels. KWhat our credits are FUSL. The issue of credit transfer it is up to the students themselves Partldpate In the discussion "2.5 credits is [he most'J could wonh in Europe is [heir decision," led some participants [0 qucsrion (0 earn the credits they need while at Mc:DanielfreePre51.com get our of a class," said Cima. he said. "We have nothing to do the ruinon they paid for the pro- they are abroad. "You're paying full time and ger- with that." gram. One McDaniel student said "Although, there is a concern" Time for a facelift Blanche Ward Hall has seen better days, but a bright future of extensive renovations lies ahead By Kate Delenick rooms. They are JUSt left stagnate ir's about time they do something well. He said that the ground floor lar to [he stuff when I was in school and gross." to the building," she said, work in the dormitory this past and that's over 25 years ago." Many McDaniel students see But building renovations Perhaps the Outcry of students summer was the first phase of a According to Dr. Ethan Blanche Ward Hall as their home may be coming faster than most is finally being heard. Plans for a building-wide project. Added to Seidel, Blanche has gone through away from home. It's where numer- students think. Lisa Jackson, the renovation project are currently the floor will be bathroom facilities a number of renovations over the ous college kids spend weeks on Blanche area coordinator since underway for the old dormitory, as well as residence hall rooms. past ren years, but nothing close to end lounging, laughing, and living. 2006, commented on the main- according ro Director of Residence Third floor Resident Assistant the "scale anticipated in the current Bur lately, students are searching tenance problems plaguing the Life Michael Robbins. Liz Brown said, ~I heard new car- plans." for a new place to rest rheir hearts building. She said that anytime she Robbins said that after gradu- petS, central air and new furniture. But can the students living at night. is told of a maintenance problem ation this May the renovations will !d:~~k this renovation is a good in Blanche now bear living in the A visitor ro Blanche soon no- she contacts the physical plant. get under way. "Floor lounges will hall for a little while longer? Brown rices vomit stains on the carpet, "They are the individuals who be added in the corner area of each minks so. ~There are perks to bet~ obscenities marked in ink on the are responsible for the upkeep and Roor where the two 'wings' meet. rer housing in places like NOM stairwells, garbage everywhere maintenance of the buildin& and The shorter hallway wing will be "The only good thing Village and Pennsylvania Avenue and sickening smells that JUSt don't grounds," she said. available for housing in the fall, but about Blanche is the houses, but I don't think it's that seem to go away. These are just a Since the problems are so [here will be ongoing renovation people that live here." bad." few of the many problems Blanche obvious to srudentli, can any light work until the spring '09 semester With only a few months left residents face on a daily basis. be shed on these issues? Some resi- and possibly for a little bit of time with the ~old" Blanche Ward Hall, But who is ro blame for this? dents don't think so. into thatsemestet next year." maybe it's time students and fac- Is it the resident assistants for not "The only good thing about New lounges are apparenrly For a dormiTOry built in 1935, ulty rake a moment to embrace it. keeping a close enough eye? Is it the Blanche is the people that live not the only thing students can many believe rhe future is finally A change of attitude could be in Blanche area coordinator? Could here," said sophomore resident look forward to. Lately many s~u- looking bright. Renovations in the place for many students, even the me physical plam be to blame? Or Ryan Liberarore. dents have been dumbfounded by million-dollar range are planned currene residents. They can be at should the blame be placed on the Senior Paige Willoughby, a what is happening to the ground for a building that according to Dr. peace knowing they were the last Blanche residents rhemselves? Blanche resident for almost three Roor of Blanche, which is currently James E. Lightner's book, Fra,ksr group of students on the Hill who Sophomore Blanche resident years, also has strong opinions on vacanT. and Bold, cost $161,042 to build. had to live through the bed bugs, Will Hopkins said, "'1 think all the old dorm. "The same problems "It seems like a waste of space "The changes to Blanche are the smells, the leaky showers, the parties involved are at fault. There have persisted for years -- bed begs, and with it looking so dirty down a great move for the school," said garbage and so on. mice and so on; the living condi- there it could be where many of the Craig Silbert, class of '75 and fa- are many things that can be done tions are just unhealthy." WiI~ bugs are coming from," said sopho- rher of current student, Saralyn Share your tlloupts at to change the overall appeal of Mc:D_lelfree ........ c:o_ this old dorm. Three rooms on my loughby believes no matter how more resident Anthony Bonaddio. Silbert, '10. "I can't say anything Aoor have had bed bugs and noth- much one cleans his or her room Robbins, however, mentioned for sure, but the furniture that's in ing has been done to clean those it'll always remain dirty. "I think renovation plans for that area as Blanche right now looks very simi-