— STAFF EDITORIAL —
Trust us, the students
Recently, the Newswire has sought to point out the various restrictions Xavier is implementing to curb the ugly monster of underage drinking.
To start, there are the new ridiculous fines for getting caught playing drinking games. While we reported that “card games will have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis,” that decision is ultimately left up to the RA who observes the incident. Now we believe most people get along with their RAs just fine, but in the off chance that you get written up by your arch-nemesis, the pack of cards sitting on your coffee table will most certainly be involved, and as a result, you’re fined twice, your parents are informed and you receive an educational sanction. It gets worse if it’s not your first time offense.
A letter sent out to freshmen by Dr. Luther Smith, Dean of Students, warning them not to attend a party also sent up red flags at the Newswire. And while the most problematic aspect of that situation is probably the fact that a Facebook user (thus, a student) ratted out the party, Dr. Smith’s decision to send out letters to the student’s homes, which no doubt alerted their parents, is alarming as well.
Finally, the apparently unwarranted crackdown on off-campus parties seems questionable as well. It might be safe to assume that the parties were a little out of control and the neighbors did in fact complain, but since the incidents occured over Manresa move-in day, the action might have been taken to preserve the “innocent” image of Xavier. It wouldn’t be the first time Xavier University officials have taken rash action, such as pulling a student publication, for fear of parents getting a less-than-perfect impression of their child’s choice of a higher-learning institution.
The Newswire understands that all these actions are done out of concern for the students. Many people suffer from alcohol-related illnesses and addictions, and sometimes excessive drinking can lead to death. However, these policies are suffocating our freedom as students and purvey a sentiment of mistrust. We as students are not going to be able to “make wise decisions” unless we are trusted enough to make those decisions ourselves. We’re not children.
Or are we? While the Newswire is quick to proclaim cries of injustice in the wake of these disciplinary actions, the situation in Brockman Hall seems to justify the university’s precautions. Accumulating $2,000 worth of damage is no small feat, especially in roughly three weeks. Through mostly speculation, we assume that alcohol or other substances were involved in some, if not all, of these violations.
It seems, unfortunately, that the university’s precautions to curb drinking and inappropriate behavior have failed to produce the desired effect. Attempting to choke and scare the fun out of the students doesn’t result in the behavior Residence Life is looking for.
Fortunately, there is a happy ending to the Brockman story. Hall Director Amy Korstange held a meeting with the students and was straightforward and honest with them: If people didn’t own up to their mistakes, then everyone was going to have to pay. Simple as that.
The Brockman students were treated as they should have been – as mature young adults capable of making proper choices and faced with rectifying poor ones.
Residence Life as a whole should take a few tips from Ms. Korstange’s handling of the situation. Instead of going out of their way to scare students from making what they deem “poor choices,” they should trust that students are making good choices, and if they do make a mistake, they should suffer fair consequences.
Propaganda, apathy and MTV
Darren LaCour
Opinions & Editorials Editor
I am not voting for Charlie Winburn for Cincinnati City Council.
I walked out to my car the other day, which was merrily parked in the exclusive and coveted R-1 lot, and noticed a flyer placed under my windshield wiper.
No doubt this flyer was placed by one of those lovely Philosophy Politics and the Public students who are forced into overzealously caring about the local elections and required to slave away for a candidate.
Needless to say, the flyer proudly displayed “Vote Winburn for Cincinnati City Council ’07,” with more capital letters and a much more creative color scheme.
“That’s nice,” I thought, which probably meant, “How annoying.” I then proceeded to remove the flyer from my windshield.
The flyer, however, did not wish to cooperate.
Now there is a large chunk of torn paper stuck to the base of my windshield.
While Winburn might have “leadership that gets things done for the people of Cincinnati,” he also leaves nice white messes on your car.
I am prone to irrational anger over petty things, and this was certainly one of them. But while it was bad enough that this flyer has left a blemish on my vehicle’s pristine, not-washed-in-two-or-three-months appearance, I was also irked because the people distributing these flyers did not use common sense.
My car proudly displays Missouri license plates. And guess what? Missouri is a state, and that state is not Ohio!
I LIVE IN MISSOURI AND MY CAR SAYS SO.
Thus, the likelihood of me being registered to vote in an Ohio election, much less a Cincinnati local election, is laughable.
Finally, the biggest detail this PPP vandal overlooked was that I am a young adult voter.
This means I am apathetic.
Our generation doesn’t vote!
You’re wasting paper by peppering all of our cars with your annoying slogans about people we can’t even vote for because most of us aren’t from Cincinnati, and who we wouldn’t vote for even if we could because we don’t vote for anyone.
I blame MTV.
Where does this channel get off? First they had a great idea to play music videos.
Then they had a terrible idea to play reality TV instead. Then they had the worst idea ever by giving a rapper a silly shirt about being politically active, and stuck with it.
I’ll tell you what, MTV. I’ll vote when somebody vows to make you live up to your name.
MTV stands for Music TeleVision, not Maybeitwillbeniceto Talkaboutourextremelyliberal Views-o-vision.
Phew. I’m done.
And yes, PPPs, I do vote.
Just not for Charlie Winburn.
Pat Ponders
Patrick Stevenson
Editor-in-Cheif
After attending Xavier University for almost three and a half years, I still have a few questions:
Nine credit hours of science? Really? We’re still doing that?
What could possibly possess anyone to drink Milwaukee’s Best?
Does Stanley Burrell really think he’s going to play in the NBA?
What else are they hiding behind the RA desks?
Why isn’t there a Waffle House in the Norwood Plaza? Wouldn’t that place just print money?
Is anyone entirely sure the College Democrats club actually exists?
Isn’t being the number two university in the Midwest without a doctorate program kind of a dubious achievement? Many of the other colleges in that category are branch campuses of Big Ten schools. Aren’t we supposed to be a better college than the University of Wisconsin-Platteville?
Are we just accepting the existence of the crappy shuttle system at this point?
How do you think the Zumbiel people are going to spend their $8 million? Buy another decrepit factory and try to sell it to another university at a 400% markup?
Is Ann Coulter’s speech going to be the biggest event that happens at Xavier this year?
Where did the wreath from the Woods go? If they auctioned it off in Gallagher, how high would the bidding get?
Why does the eatery formerly known as Ryan’s Pub close at 12 a.m. on weekends?
Why isn’t there tailgating for men’s basketball games? What’s more fun than grilling meat outside in January?
Does it make any sense whatsoever that the shuttle doesn’t stop at Dana’s? Isn’t this just encouraging students to drive home drunk?
How much money does this university spend on pizza to lure students to lame meetings? Hundreds of dollars? Thousands?
Since two of Dana’s main competitors (Soupie’s and the Woods) are now closed, how much do you think Dana’s value has increased? Is Xavier going to try and buy it for $20 million?
Has anyone figured out exactly what SGA does yet? Do they clean the cat poop out of the sand volleyball courts?
When did it become illegal for 21 year olds to drink at Xavier?
Why do certain middle aged, out of touch administrators at this college think they understand the social lives of college students well enough to micromanage them?
Can someone please bring back the Scoops n’ Scones quesadillas?
Why do students at this university think that sitting in their living room and bitching about Xavier is going to change anything? Do they think that Xavier has their living room bugged and is intently listening to their blathering, uninformed opinions?
Does somebody really think that astronomy is a more valuable class for students to take than a class about the basics of managing one’s personal finances? Hey, who needs to understand the ramifications of credit card debt when they know the difference between Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, right?
And the most important question of all: does anybody care?
Fingers and flags
Matthew Finger
Managing Editor
I live with four other guys. For the most part, we get along well. There are, however, some things that just set people off.
One roommate, for example, doesn’t like it when we eat his Oreos.
Everyone else hates it when that roommate leaves oatmeal in the bowl until it hardens to a substance of diamond-like toughness.
This past weekend I attended the Indianapolis Irish Festival, like I do every year. The only difference is that when I returned, I hung the flag of Northern Ireland in our living room, across from the Republic of Ireland flag.
Holy crap did that make everyone mad.
It was like I hung a Nazi banner on the wall and then proceeded to have a rally in our house.
I don’t understand why everyone gets so bent out of shape over stuff like that.
Everyone in our house is Irish!
People were yelling and throwing cups, and before I even knew it, hundreds of years of oppression were pinned on me.
Now, I’m not saying that my Catholic, Irish roommates should get over it and let bygones be bygones.
I’m just saying that it wasn’t me who allegedly oppressed your ‘people.’
I think it’s silly to try and blame people now for what happened then.
Personally, I haven’t oppressed any Catholics, cut down any oak forests or even sworn allegiance to a queen.
So why take it out on me?
More importantly, why should I have to take down my flag?
I’m proud of where I came from, and I like the color orange.
What makes my flag any less worthy than their flag?
More importantly, what makes me any less worthy than them?
That’s what I never understood about people now fighting for people then.
I may be proud of where I come from, but I don’t necessarily have the same opinions or values as Fingers past.
Pride and heritage aren’t necessarily producers of hate and violence.
Throwing cups turns into punches, which turns into bricks, and from there Molotov cocktails and car bombs and riots.
So, why even start? I understand that we cannot forget about the past, but at the very least can’t we learn from it?
What’s the point of struggle if we’re never going to find a solution?
I think everyone just needs to simmer down and take it for what it is—a flag.
So, don’t fight the past, learn from it.
And don’t threaten to burn my flag, roommates!
Darren LaCour
Op-Ed Editor
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