David Brody, Executive Editor: Duct Tape, 3-prong to 2-prong electrical plug adapters (lots of them), funky hats.
Erin Fults, Editor in Chief: Hair cutting scissors, fun dress-up clothes, an umbrella (you’re going to need it here).
Felicia Baskin, Senior Scene Editor: A flashlight, for all those late night adventures, a vibrating alarm clock to violently shake you awake, and an apple cutter, because they are pretty darn sweet and surprisingly handy.
Scott BresslerStudents buying Internet access from Student Technology Services this fall will now be required to pay for cable television as well. Student Technology Services (STS) announced that the new service package will cost $240 per semester and that unbundled services will not be available.
With the new bundled package, students will receive a wired data port to connect to the Internet via Ethernet, wireless accessibility in residential areas, 512kb/s of guaranteed bandwidth, anti-virus software and standard cable. The package is being offered to all South 40, North Side, Millbrook and fraternity residents and does not apply to those living off-campus. All students, regardless of whether they purchase the bundle or not, will still have access to their residence’s computer labs.
Students can also opt to pay for a faster Internet connection or premium cable channels and pay-per-view. For an extra 1mb/s of bandwidth, students will pay $120 per semester. The pricing of premium cable services is still being negotiated.
For students who would not otherwise buy cable, this new package is a significant price increase over last year. Previously, students paid $135 per semester for Internet access and $160 per semester for a single cable hook up. For a suite of four people, that meant $700 per semester for Internet and one cable TV. This year that same suite would be paying $960 per semester for the same services.
Jan Weller, assistant vice chancellor for Network Technology Services (NTS), says that about 4,000 students signed up for Internet access last year, the vast majority of all on-campus residents. Far fewer paid for cable, and NTS estimates that many students used stolen cable.
In response to the new plan, hundreds of students joined a Facebook group protesting the new STS bundle and signed a petition directed at Chancellor Wrighton and Barbara Coleman, the incoming STS director. The group, “Demand Affordable Internet for WashU Students,” has around 530 members as of Tuesday and about 275 members have signed the accompanying petition.
Weller says that bundling cable with Internet was the recommendation of the Student Technology Needs Task Force, which the administration convened last year. According to the task force, the rampant stealing of cable and the need to renovate the existing infrastructure presented three options: either no cable at all on campus, a large investment in infrastructure to regulate the existing system, or spreading out the cost over all residents.
“It almost became an all-or-nothing choice,” said Weller.
In addition, NTS has undertaken to expand the network infrastructure of the campus’s residential areas. Last year there were 100mb/s of bandwidth available for residential use. That amount has been tripled to 300mb/s. Wireless access, desired by students for several years, has also been installed in all on-campus residential facilities, including fraternities.
Student Union President Neil Patel and Senator Jeff Nelson are acting as mediators between the school and upset students and are trying to increase dialogue on the issue.
Patel says that any decision STS made was likely to be unpopular because “Internet is crucial to the Wash. U. experience.” He is working with members of the Facebook group to collect their views and convey them to administrators.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s what has to be done to bring in new technology,” said Nelson about the bundle. “It’s a necessary evil, if you will.”
Both Nelson and Patel expressed discontent that the new fee was announced during the summer, only weeks before students return to campus. They also added that they would like to see these fees, as well as others, incorporated into either tuition or room and board so that students do not feel like they are being nickel and dimed. The high cost of the new bundle could be especially difficult for students already struggling to finance their Washington University education.
Some of the University’s peer institutions incorporate both Internet and cable into their room and board charges. Emory, Duke, Cornell, Northwestern, Columbia and Brown universities all include Internet access in their room and board rates, which are comparable to those of the University.
Weller said that the University may be examining this possibility but that such changes take time to implement. Nelson added that such a change could occur for the 2008-09 school year.
Bill Witbrodt, director of Student Financial Services, says that all costs associated with attending the University are taken into account when determining financial aid packages. If costs increase as a result of a fee like this one, SFS will provide financial aid for the increase to those that qualify.
Before the Class of 2011 freshmen arrive on campus in August, they will have spent the summer receiving hundreds of University mailings, purchasing thousands of dollars worth of dorm supplies and pondering every detail of college life.
And they will have made scores of friends without ever leaving their homes.
This year, more than any in the past, incoming freshmen have taken advantage of Facebook to meet their classmates before setting foot on campus.
“Facebook lets you meet a lot of people and you feel more comfortable going into school,” said Perri Feinsilber, an incoming freshman from New York. “I can’t imagine what people did before [Facebook].”
He admits, however, that Facebook cannot replace meeting people in person.
“You can’t just judge people by what’s on their profile-you need to meet them,” he said. “But, without knowing anything else, Facebook is a good start for a friendship.”
This year’s incoming freshman class is the first to have made extensive use of Facebook while still in high school. As a result, even before joining the University network, many students have already made hundreds of friends.
At least three freshman Facebook groups have been created, the largest of which has a membership of more than 900 members. Additionally, in some major cities including New York and Chicago, groups of students have met under events publicized using Facebook.
The groups for admitted students first began to appear after the first round of early decision applicants received their admissions notifications in December. They continued to grow when regular decision students were notified in April.
“Once I got into college, being on the Facebook groups was one of the first things I could do to make it feel like I was a part of the campus,” said Lucas Olivieri, an incoming freshman from Milwaukee, and the creator of the three largest groups.
Olivieri explained that the groups’ discussion boards allow admitted students to begin interacting with others from anywhere in the world. Topics of discussion on these boards range from the practical questions about college life-the best bank to use in St. Louis, what type of computer to buy, how to log in to WebSTAC-to attempts to network and find friends with common interests-Anyone interested in starting a band? Going backpacking? Playing soccer?
Some discussion topics organized by location introduced students from the same town, state, and, in the case of two students from Africa, continent.
The ability to help facilitate community building is part of what has drawn the Office of Orientation to endorse one of the Class of 2011 groups and to use Facebook as a tool to answer student questions.
“Most people are worried about making friends [before coming to school], but Facebook has changed that,” said Jeff Nelson, a sophomore and member of the Orientation Executive Board who has worked extensively with Facebook. “I think they’re able to focus on things like academics and what the social life will be like.”
Since the creation of these groups, Nelson has worked to have a presence in the group “WashU ’11” to answer student questions and distribute information from the Office of Orientation.
“I think it’s helpful that there’s an upperclassman on their WashU ’11 site to answer questions and dispel the myths,” said Danielle Bristow, director of Orientation and Parents’ Weekend. “[Sending Facebook messages] is something we use sparingly, but it has been helpful.”
Courtesy of Lindsay CasmaerBetween conducting studies on Alzheimer’s disease and preparing to apply to medical school, Washington University researcher Lindsay Casmaer recently found the time to win the Miss Missouri Pageant.
Casmaer, a 2005 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in neurobiology and behavior and the 2006 Miss River City, was awarded the title at the 2007 Miss Missouri Pageant, which took place June 6-9 in Mexico, Missouri.
Casmaer’s principal responsibility for the next year will be touring the state on her platform of Internet safety.
“I was the victim of a series of cyber crimes while a student at Penn. It had such a profound impact on me as a 21 year-old student,” said Casmaer. “At 21, I was so deeply hurt and I could not imagine how young children who are taunted or threatened online must feel. Promoting Internet safety awareness is my true passion.”
As Miss River City, Casmaer used a national program called “Netsmartz” to work with the local Girl Scout Council and educate teenaged girls about online safety. In the upcoming year, she will continue that program on a statewide scale.
“She has a busy year ahead of her,” said Susan Atkins, the executive director of the Miss Missouri program. “In addition to traveling on her platform, she will be making appearances and serving as the official hostess of the state of Missouri.”
Additionally, as a result of her victory, Casmaer will compete for the title of Miss America at the 2008 Pageant in Las Vegas.
“When I got back to St. Louis [after college], I started to compete in the pageants because it was a chance to start paying those student loans that were starting to come due,” said Casmaer. “It is a little surreal to think that I am going to the Miss America competition next year because I have had so many goals in life that to have Miss America on the radar is mind blowing.”
Casmaer had competed in pageants on the junior level before college, but this was her first time participating since then.
At the University’s department of psychology, Casmaer works as a researcher in the Head laboratory, a lab that focuses on the neural basis of aging, operating under the supervision of Dr. Denise Head.
“Aging in and of itself is not a disease. We’re examining components of the aging process that are perhaps the early stages of disease,” explained Casmaer.
The Miss Missouri Pageant is a state franchise of the Miss America organization and awards its contestants scholarship money.
“What we give the state of Missouri is a young woman who has a mission that she wants to accomplish,” said Atkins. “It just so happens that all this is wrapped up in someone who is very beautiful and intelligent-just as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside.”
In mid-May, Clayton Police Department and the Washington University Police Department (WUPD) announced the arrest of a suspect in the sexual assault of a Washington University student in Myers residence hall, which occurred February 12, 2007. The suspect was identified as 24 year-old William Harris.
Harris had been in custody since March 5, 2007 for violation of his parole in an unrelated crime that occurred in University City in 2003. He became the prime suspect in the sexual assault case after further investigations by both Clayton Police Department and WUPD. Harris was a resident of University City and was employed by the campus Subway in 2003. He was not employed at Subway at the time of the incident.
The assault of the Myers resident shocked the community and enhanced the focus on improving safety and security on campus and in the dorms.
“Following the assault, we put together a work group and identified a series of initiatives we wanted to implement to respond to this incident,” said Don Strom, director of campus police.
After students departed for the summer, workers started updating dorm security features. Tim Lempfert, associate director of Residential Life, noted that the plans for these updates had always been in place, but following the assault, the University decided to speed up the timeline for enacting the changes. The University plans to complete dormitory updates by the time students arrive in the fall.
Closed circuit television cameras are being installed in all entrance and exit points of dorms and University apartments. Previously, most dorms had multiple entrance points but card access is now limited to just one main entrance per dorm in order to reduce the opportunities intruders have to tailgate residents into the dorms.
Workers are replacing door locks with stand-alone card readers on all room and suite entrance doors. The doors are also equipped with automatic closing hinges.
In the traditional style dorms, students often leave their doors open or neglect to lock them when they leave. Rob Wild, assistant to the chancellor, noted that the new door features have the benefit of locking automatically, thereby reducing chances of theft. Swipe cards are also easier to replace than keys if they are lost because Residential Life can simply deactivate the lost card rather than changing the lock.
Card readers will also be installed on the doors of common bathrooms in all traditional dormitories. Lempfert noted that the extra security is necessary for these bathrooms, which several people use, as opposed to the smaller suite bathrooms, which only four to six residents use.
Immediately following the assault, peepholes were installed in all doors that open out onto the hallway. In the suite style arrangement, the main suite door was equipped with a peephole but not the bedroom doors. Now, the peepholes are being expanded to room doors as well.
These safety changes were the result of discussions between both students and faculty after the Myers attack. Residential Life will continue to conduct internal reviews in order to assess how safety can be improved in the dorms.
“We are constantly reviewing our safety and security measures so that students have the most updated security measures possible,” said Lempfert.
Following the Virginia Tech tragedy, Chancellor Mark Wrighton formed a group to look into any possible adjustments to emergency protocol. Representatives from Student Health Services, University Police, faculty members, Environmental Healthy and Safety, Human Resources and Technology and Communications were present at the group’s first meeting in mid-June.
“A lot of the dialogue is about looking at early warning signs and making sure the community is well informed on recognizing those signs,” said Strom.
The tragedy sparked an interest in finding efficient and affordable mass notification systems. In the fall, the University will introduce the clear text program in which those who sign up will receive a text message in the event of an emergency. Chief Strom noted that this program has its limits because many students do not check their messages immediately or do not have text messaging capabilities.
The University will therefore look into other forms of mass notification, such as public address systems.
“The lesson we’ve learned from these discussions is that there is no one system that is the right system. We also need Web resources and a system in place so that [Residential Advisors] can quickly pass on information to their residents,” said Wild.
Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration John Klein is leaving the University to become the ninth president of Randolph College in Lynchburg, Va.
Klein, whose tenure at the 700-student school will begin in August, was chosen from a field of more than 100 applicants. The college’s Presidential Search Committee, a group of students, faculty, alumni, administrators, staff members and trustees in charge of evaluating the applicants, recommended him unanimously to the Board of Trustees.
According to Brenda Edson, strategic communications manager at Randolph, the committee chose him for his broad range of credentials.
“Everyone I talked to on the Presidential Search Committee said that all of his credentials, all of his experiences, make him the right person for the college at this moment. They cited his leadership skills, his business background and his global background,” said Edson.
Klein’s appointment accompanies a new strategic initiative plan at the financially troubled Randolph College, which, according to the Associated Press, has recently had to eliminate several faculty positions and dip into its $140 million endowment to offer scholarships to attract prospective students.
As part of the plan, which is aimed at increasing the global perspectives of the school community, Randolph, historically a women’s college, will become a coeducational institution, admitting male students starting this fall. To go along with that change, the school, previously known as Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, changed its name to Randolph College on July 1.
“This is a very pivotal moment in our history, and it will be a challenging year for our new president, but he’s proven in the past that he has the ability and the energy and he has the drive to accomplish his goals,” said Edson.
“I am very excited about the prospect of becoming president of Randolph College. It’s facing the dual challenges of becoming a co-ed institution for the first time in its 116-year history and it also has some financial challenges,” said Klein, who leaves the University after three years as Executive Vice Chancellor. “Those two challenges are what I’m looking forward to trying to make a difference in at Randolph College, with a very good team that is currently in place there.”
According to Edson, Klein’s credentials made him a perfect choice to help the college become more global in its educational focus. After Klein earned his undergraduate degree at Princeton University, he served as a teaching fellow at International College in Beirut, Lebanon. He then obtained his law degree from the University of Michigan. Klein travels frequently and speaks three foreign languages.
Edson said that Klein was a great choice to guide the college through a period of transition as it becomes coed in the fall.
“He understands the need for single-sex colleges and he understands why people value all-women’s colleges,” said Edson. “Going co-ed, one of our goals is not to lose that focus [on women’s education]. He is very committed to that and committed to not forgetting that uniqueness about this college and really building on the community here.”
She pointed to Klein’s personal experiences in secondary school education. Klein and his siblings attended single-sex high schools. As a trustee at all-male St. Louis Country Day School for males and all-female Mary Institute in nearby Ladue, Klein assisted when the two schools merged and became co-ed in 1992, helping the school deal with finances, curriculum changes and serving on numerous school committees.
The decision to go co-ed was controversial in the Randolph community, particularly among the school’s alumni, and it prompted a major lawsuit by an alumni-led group that is still being fought in court in an attempt to preserve the school’s single-sex status.
“The alumni have been very unhappy about [the school going co-ed] and wish it would remain single-sex,” said Emily Mills, president of the Alumnae Board Association at Randolph-Macon and a member of the college’s Board of Trustees. “It will take a lot of time for many alums to come to terms with that and some may not come to terms with that.”
Mills hopes that once alumni have the opportunity to meet Klein, they will feel more comfortable with the change.
“I was just so excited about everything he has to offer. I think that he’s just what we need,” said Mills. “I think he has the ability to bridge the past with the future, and bring our community together.”
As Executive Vice Chancellor, Klein handled Washington University’s finances, information technology, police, transportation and environmental health and sustainability. In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations of the University, Klein has long been involved in the local community. According to Edson, Klein helped found the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, served on the boards of two secondary schools, has been a member of several art museums and is a former trustee of the St. Louis Science Center.
Klein contributed much to the campus community during his three years at the University, as well. From the beginning of his work he was involved with student affairs, even assisting in the negotiations with the Student Worker Alliance’s sit-in in Spring of 2005.
Though Klein is leaving the University, he takes much with him and leaves much behind.
“I learned the importance of having a broad consensus, of working within a decentralized environment, of how a university can grow and strengthen reputation by the efforts of those in charge,” said Klein. “I’m very proud to have been associated with Washington University and to have worked with the people that I worked with because they are a fabulous and talented group of people.”
MCTThis year, incoming freshman will all arrive on campus with at least one thing in common besides their acceptance to Washington University-they will all read Alan Lightman’s book, “Einstein’s Dreams.”
“The title is what came to me first and the book developed from there,” said author Lightman. “Those two words together seemed to me to represent the creative tension between the sciences and the arts.with Einstein representing the rational side and dreams representing the intuitive side.”
Lightman’s book was selected for this year’s Freshman Reading Program, in which freshmen are assigned to read the selected text before arriving to campus. Students will attend discussions led by faculty members on Monday, August 27 and are strongly recommended to participate in online discussions before arriving to campus.
“It’s an opportunity for new students to meet with a faculty member in an informal setting and to have meaningful discussions with other students on a level that is more what the academic experience is going to be like here,” said Karen Coburn, assistant vice chancellor for students and associate dean for the freshman transition.
In choosing this year’s book, suggestions were solicited from current students and faculty through online polling. These suggestions were collected and reviewed by the Freshman Reading Program steering committee, composed of students, faculty and staff, and ultimately, Lightman’s book was selected. Previous program picks have included “One Nation, Underprivileged: Why Poverty Affects Us All” by Mark Rank and selections from the works of Mexican-American author Richard Rodriguez.
“[Einstein’s Dreams] is the kind of book that I think will stimulate discussion among students who do have a strong science background as well as those who don’t,” said Coburn. “It’s a stimulating, thought-provoking work of art.”
“Einstein’s Dreams” takes students to new worlds inside the mind of Albert Einstein as he slumbers. The pages share with readers the new worlds of Einstein’s dreams, worlds where time acts quite differently than we know it.
“I hope that the book changes the readers view of the world and makes them think about the world in a larger way. Time is something that is so basic to our lives that we don’t even think about it. I hope this book will make people think about things that they didn’t think about before,” said Lightman.
Lightman says he has always been interested in both the sciences and the arts. Throughout his life he has made major contributions in both science, particularly in the field of astrophysics, and literature, with his poetry and other writings.
“I’m a physicist, so I do theoretical work and physics. I also write about science and then I write novels,” he said.
Lightman bridges the gap between science and writing through his novels and he is also the co-founder of the Graduate Program in Science Writing at MIT. The science displayed in his books, however, is not what is called science writing and he is quick to point out the difference.
“Although the novels have science in them, they are very different from pedagogical writing. [Science writing] is a very different activity than novel writing,” he said.
Lightman is excited to have his book adopted by Washington University’s program, because he feels he has special ties to the school since his wife graduated from the University in the mid-70s.
“An important thing about any work of art is not just the message but the emotional experience. I want the readers to be amused, delighted and provoked and just have a good experience reading the book, beyond any big philosophical goal,” said Lightman.
For more information on the 2007 Freshman Reading Program, visit frp.wustl.edu.
Scott BresslerHip-hop returns to W.I.L.D. this fall as Lupe Fiasco headlines at the biannual outdoor concert. The rap artist received three Grammy nominations for his debut album, “Food & Liquor” and is well known for his hit single, “Kick, Push,” which references skateboarding.
“Lupe Fiasco is a big name. He’s decently respected in hip-hop circles and because his music isn’t hard-core and really dirty, he’s made waves with people who don’t listen to hip-hop as their main genre,” said Team 31 Co-chair Pehr Hovey, a senior.
Opening for Lupe Fiasco will be Kid Beyond and DJ Unk.
Kid Beyond is touted as a one-man band-a singer and beat boxer who live-loops his vocals.
“It’s been a while since [Kid Beyond] has played in St. Louis. He’s excited and loves doing college gigs,” said Kid Beyond’s manager, Joyce Williams.
DJ Unk entered the music spotlight in 2006 with his hit single “Walk it Out.” He started out as a DJ and then started writing raps, with music characterized by energy and heavy bass lines.
“In the past we’ve had a strong demand for hip-hop. We’re really happy to be able to deliver high-quality hip-hop acts to students this year,” said Team 31 Co-chair Randy Lubin. “The primary focus for us is shows that are high energy and interesting and we definitely have that.”
W.I.L.D., or Walk In Lay Down, has stood as a Washington University tradition since 1973. Each semester, the student group Team 31 brings in several artists for a school-wide concert in the Brookings Quad, complete with pizza and soda. Students can register to bring couches to the Quad and those who are of age can bring in six-packs of beer with an ID.
Students can get involved in W.I.L.D. by becoming roadies and helping out with the show, sometimes even getting a chance to meet the bands.
“W.I.L.D. really shows the less serious side of Wash. U. students and I look forward to a fun and safe W.I.L.D.,” said Student Union President Neil Patel.”
Last spring, Team 31 faced some student opposition with their choices of OK Go and Reel Big Fish, particularly after a fall W.I.L.D. featuring Guster, when traditionally fall W.I.L.D. features a hip-hop artist.
“My co-chair Randy had the idea back then that we should look into it. [Lupe Fiasco] wasn’t available because he was playing Coachella [a music festival in Indio, California]. So from the get-go this year we wanted it to be hip-hop as well and that’s very evident in the line-up that we have,” said Hovey.
W.I.L.D. will be Saturday, September 29, a date set to accommodate Lupe Fiasco. The Quad opens at 4:30 p.m. and there will be a free barbeque for students. The first act starts at 5 p.m. and pizza will be served starting at 5:30 p.m.
“It’s going to be an exciting show from start to finish,” said junior and SU Vice President Brittany Perez.
W.I.L.D. is one of SU’s premiere events. Team 31 has an annual budget of over $200,000 to pay for both the fall and spring shows.
“There are a lot of opportunities to get involved in W.I.L.D. and people have great stories to tell. It all comes down to showing up and being involved,” said Hovey.
Students can bring their non-Wash. U. friends to the show, but must purchase tickets in advance. Tickets go on sale in September.
For more information on the bands or how to get involved with W.I.L.D., visit team31.wustl.edu.
Hello and welcome to incoming freshmen. I hope you are proud of yourself and I hope that your parents are proud of you as well because a stranger, such as myself, is proud of you. I am proud because you are on your way to one of the best and most selective universities in a nation known for some of the highest quality (and ironically also known for the worst quality) education in the world. Isn’t that nice to hear?
The fact that you have made it this far means many things: you are, if not very smart, interesting and talented, you probably worked fairly hard in high school, you probably have some impressive achievements and awards in all facets of life (Lord knows I do) and your parents have probably been breathing down your neck for you to get into a college since you were in the eighth grade.
Here is the point in my article where parents should read carefully: if your children are smart enough, talented enough and diligent enough to get in to Washington University then they are prepared to succeed academically in their new school as well. I am not worried about the academic acumen of incoming freshmen because, having gotten into Wash. U., freshmen know what it takes to get the grades necessary to graduate. Now please lay off.
Not everyone graduates, some flunk out, you might say. This is true. I would say, however, from my experience, that it is usually not because a student is unable to pass his or her classes, but it is because something else has impeded his or her ability to do so and more often than not it is an issue of personal happiness on a college campus. This issue I am worried about and, due to my apprehension on the subject, I will henceforth provide some words of advice that have gotten me as far as my senior year.
1. Do not try to replace your friends. You will miss your friends from home because they are your friends and they are awesome. Conversely, you will meet so many amazing people in your first few days on campus, and some of them may be lifelong friends. That does not mean that you should lose touch with friends from high school. In fact, friends from home are going through the same exact experiences at the same exact time and they will be some of the most helpful in getting used to your new surroundings. So give them a call when you are having a hard time, but do not forget that all of the other freshmen are also in the same boat and want to talk it out too. It is a hard balance to strike, not relying on but not forgetting old friends while making new ones, but in the end it is the most rewarding.
2. You do not need to be the best at something to be the most involved in it. At times it may feel like no matter what you like to do, there is someone on campus that is better than you at it. I say to you, so what? That person is probably a jerk anyway. Do not let someone (including yourself) be the reason that you stay out of a club or organization that revolves around something that you enjoy. Joining a club or organization is the best way to meet people and plant some roots on the Washington University campus. To illustrate my original point, I will give an example from my own experience.
I play rugby with the Washington University Griffons and I have seen people join the team who are mediocre at best out on the field. Yet their dedication to the sport, coming to practice, going to games even if they will not play, volunteering for more responsibility, makes them an integral and unforgettable part of the team. These people become just as, and often more, important than the star athlete because it is obvious that they really want to be there. A few years down the line, these people, through their involvement, become the best at what they do.
3. Do not drink too much. I am not your parents. I will be the first to say that drinking is fun (I play rugby remember). Anyone that tells you that heavy drinking is not a part of college life either never went to college, has forgotten what college was like (probably from drinking) or is lying to you about what college was like. Drinking is obviously a part of college campus life and it is often a hotly debated issue between students and the evermore oppressive dictators of the school. As freshmen, you have earned the right to drink because, when you think about it, in most other countries you would be legal anyway.
However, and this is a big however, everything can be overdone and this is especially true with alcohol. Alcohol and drugs are probably the leading factor in people not enjoying their time at college. It would seem that drinking would be a way to enjoy oneself, and in moderation it definitely is, but dangerous drinking is not acceptable. The worst times I have ever had at college never involved getting a bad grade or missing out on a party, but they were caring for one of my friends when they were drunkenly out of control, getting in fights with friends because of drinking, losing friends because of drinking and finding out that friends are leaving school because of drinking or drugs. Dangerous drinking unfortunately happens all of the time and anything you can do to avoid it is most advisable.
The way to be the most successful in your college career is to make sure that you like where you are and that you like what you are doing. If you satisfy these two requirements then everything else like activities, friends and grades will work themselves out naturally.
Again I say welcome and make sure you are having fun.
Christian is a senior in Arts & Sciences and is a Forum editor. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
If you are like me, now that you’re in college you’ve got one thing on your mind: romance. There are members of whatever sex you want in your classes, on your floor and, if you play your cards right, in your room. The hard part is getting in the game, staying in the game and being happy. Here are eight rules to help you get through college romance.
OK, despite the amount of high school experience you had, everyone here starts on an even playing field, because none of you have dated in college. So, the first rule of romance is: do not focus on your high school record. For most of you, this won’t be a problem, unless you’re still in your committed high school relationship. Good for those of you who are; you’re very brave. Just make sure you don’t get discouraged by whatever happened or didn’t happen in high school. So even if you’ve never been on a date or your last girlfriend was a succubus, you can still play at Wash. U. and don’t forget it.
The second rule, which I’m going to credit to my mother, is: try to stay out of a committed relationship during the first month or two of college. Relationships get in the way of meeting new people and when you two break up, you’ll want an independent identity and friend group. Flirt all you want, but save serious relationships for after mid-terms or even spring semester.
Which brings me to the third rule of college romance: most relationships break up. So if that cute girl down the hall is dating someone at Rice, don’t give up on her yet. I’d put money down on, “it probably won’t last longer than sophomore year.” She might be single as early as a month in and at latest sophomore year. And don’t be afraid to strategize that far in advance; keeping an eye on someone is not as creepy as it sounds.
Fourth rule: Limit yourself to one person per dorm room/suite, unless the first one broke up with you in a jerk way and made it very clear he/she has no more feelings for you and you really dig the other one. Having a buffer relationship between the two will help, but it still has great potential for awkward encounters, hurt feelings and, well, a nasty reputation. Sometimes it works out fine; just try not to be malicious.
Similarly, rule five is: don’t date your own roommate. Like seriously, don’t.
Rule six is from my older brother: if you aren’t happy with someone, break it off. You’ve only got four years of college, so there is no point being with someone when you’d be happier, or simply not as sad, without him or her. Trust me, you will be happier and you will find someone else.
The seventh rule needs some cooperation: Be sure to test out prospects in a group of friends before you get too into them. If your friends don’t like him or her beware, there might be something fundamentally wrong with the new one: he might not be that great of a guy, he might not be treating you that well or, if your friends are shallow, the guy is ugly and you just don’t know it.
Finally, there is nothing sexier than confidence. Learn to exude it. Ladies, trust me, guys like it. Guys, trust me, ladies like it. Thus, rule eight is: amass loads and loads of self-respect. Self-respect (but not vanity) will get you to the right kind of confidence that will make people more attracted to you.
So, figure out what you love about yourself before you start looking around. It is a lot easier to show people the best parts of you when you know ahead of time what they are.
So go. Date outside your comfort zone, keep a running tally of your hook-ups and stay friends with your ex’s. After all, it’s just college.
Cat is a senior in Arts & Sciences. She can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].