Page 66 - mcdanielfreepress2009-10

'nh1MENTARY Is Westminster ready for the MARC train? KARLA HOlLAND obstacles for our-of-stare scuderus without cars. Unfortunately, February 2, 2009, York, Pennsylvania's Rabblr Teanste announced SlaffReporter many graduations may come and go bdore McDaniel students the bunch of a commuter bus service which takes people across can enjoy the realization of a Westminster MARC rrain station. the state line to Timonium, Maryland, in order ro relieve traffic The issue regarding mass transit in [he counry has less to do on 1-83. Carroll has the CATS bus, which is efficient if a student The MARC [rain is Maryland's primary commuter train system whh basic necessity and more with rhe values of rhe local rest- needs to get around rown, bur there are scill limirs even to this consisting of three branches. The Brunswick Line reaches west rc dents. For instance, there is currently a struggle between rhose long time. county service. The CATS bus, along with the local Frederick Maryland and Martinsburg. West Virginia. The Penn •who seek [0 preserve the county's untouched rural character and gypsy cab services in [he County (two so far) do nor cross the Line travels east to Perryville in Cedl County, Maryland. The those: who believe it should adapt to rhe growing urbanization. At· coun~ line, even fo~ a fee. This fact becomes more frustrating Camden Line connects Baltimore to Washington DC. Carroll this year's annual State of the County Luncheon, Commissioner knowmg that cab services from neighboring Baltimore, How- Counry is the only county in Central Maryland with no physical Michael Zimmer explained rhar one side prefers national bust- ard, and Frederick COunties are willing 10 cross inro Carroll if connections to the state mass transit system. nesses [0 locate branches {and attract workers} into the county necl!Ssary. Ifanything. the Marc train would prove essendal to one of while others prefer to accommodate cornrnurers. He added that For now, cars rule the county. but not all people drive, espe- Westminster's reladvc life sources--McDaniel College. Every year, with the onslaught of the recent recession is causing many resi- c~ajjystudents and workers. Businesses will only go where [he en- students embark on a journey from hitching a ride from a friend, dents to seek work outside the county. One side appears to be vtronment accommodates them and their workers' welfare. Many to train hopping from the Metro to theligh[rai! before reaching winning this long-dme debate once and for all srudenrs at McDaniel don't even have cars, so what are they to do? the Amtrak itself. Since the Marc train already navels through the If Mr. Zimmer is righr, and the county needs to meet these If Carroll Counry wanrs to preserve their businesses, and their same stations as Amtrak, its inclusion would reduce a lot of these needs soon, there arc alternatives to MARC. For example, as of prime institution, they will have to give in order to get. liFE LEilONS FROM A WORLD TRAVELER 'The more I see, the less I know' CASSIDY BRYSON whelming! Uh,yeah! in che srreer. These other cows bad been hitby I had been nervous to come to a "third- Stoff Reporter J will always remember my first day of cars and died. He asked me, if I saw rhis cow world conrury" alone. Hell, I'd been ner- classes in Costa Rica. I was nervous as all hell. again, could I please take it by rhe collar, and vous to go (0 Europe with a whole bunch of It felt like kindergarten. I didn't know what to lead ir back into his yard? I obliged and agreed friends! I had expecred things and people to be On a humid beach in wear. ! tied and re-tied my shoes. I wondered if to participate in the suicide-warch of this cow. so extremely different outside of my safe, lit- Panama I sat rubbmg !'d make friends. I'd hoped my teachers would At least three times a week, I would leave tle American-girl world. But 1 found that any- sand off my legs and like me. for my classes and find the cow standing, im- where you go in rhe world, people are people. wondering whether or I had left my host:family's house and mobile in [he middle of the road. I would lead When it comes down to it, we're not so unlike ncr I really wanted an- walked Out on to the poorly paved sueee. A jt back ro its yard while tdling her that she had each other. While we might rhink we're differ- other Margarita. Ifelr fatigued, sunburned and large cow with a collar made of old, purple so much to live for, that llfe as a cow couldn't ent; divided by countries and religion, sexual slighrlyannoyed by the roorhlee. beach-dwell- rope, srood there standing in the middle of the be thar bad, that I was there for her, if ever she preference or skin color, but no, we arc all the ing man who was currently hovering over me in road, directly in front of my family's home. The needed ro talk. same. We all fear, we all love and we all, some- effon to sell me cocaine. Needless to say, I was cow stared at me. It was stationary in the hot Near the end of my semester there, the rlmes. need help. leaning towards yes on the second margarita. morning sunshine, with its soft-brown eyes af- shirtless man's family had saved up enough I've found ihar some of the most important Ihad been abroad for almost an entire year. fixed to my own. There was not a person in money ro install anew fence around their yard. rhings you can ever learn in life are besr learned Ihad spent the spring living in Budapest; step- sight and! had no idea what (0 do. Should I Thus, the cow was safely conralned and my by stepping out of your comfort zone. It is so ping on sea-urchins on Croatian beaches, pos- touch this cow? Pull it by its cow-collar out of mornings of saving the cow's life were over. much easier [0 roll through life in a safe tOU- ing with fake-Gladiators outside of Roman the street where it would most likely get hit by Before 1 leflto remrnhometo (he US, the tine, then to take a chance. But in this rut, in ruins, having suave men buy me pims of beer a car? Should I walk on by? Perhaps this was a shirtless man approached me on the streer. He rhis safe routine, how' much do we ever really in lrdand. 1 had ba:nlucky enough to live with Straycow ...is there such a thing? hugged me and [han ked me for all my help. experience? How much do we really ever learn my c\o$e