The Clarion October 30, 1989 Page 3
Commentary
Get a grip©
by Russ Evans
Clariim Senior Reporter
Why did most of us come to Brevard Col
lege? If I had two guesses, one of them
would be to gripe and complain all the
time.
Every day someone comes up to me and
whines about one thing or another. I don’t
know why they come to me, but I have a
feeling that I’m not the only one that gets
the gripes.
What is there that is so horrible about
BC? Someone constantly complains about
the food here. I’ll agree, it may not be
mom’s cooking, but mom isn’t here to
change your diaper either. What is so bad
about the food? If you think it is so bad,
then go to Ethiopia.
If you are going to gripe, then get a real
issue, such as nuclear waste. The food here
won’t kill you, but that stuff sure will. Get
off the cafeteria’s back, after all, you don’t
have to eat.
On the other hand you do have to
breathe. Why doesn’t someone gripe about
the smoke in the lobby of McLarty-
(Joodson or in any of the dorm lobbies.?
Maybe we should start making smokers
hold their breath. If everyone would go
outside and smoke or whatever you call it.
instead of doing it inside where everyone
can breathe it with you, everything would
be much better.
Maybe you are one of those who com
plains about the parking situation. Maybe
you think the spaces are too small. The
spaces are big enough — no one here
drives a Cadillac, so what’s the big deal?
Why did you come to college? Was it to
drive around? Who needs a car here
anyway?
Anything you need is within close walk
ing distance. Sure, I have a car here, but I
need it to get away from the moaning and
groaning that constantly plagues my ears.
Even so, I don’t cry when I can’t park
next to my room. If you think the parking
is bad here, try to get a parking space at
Clemson University — even the students
have to move their cars when there is a
home football game so that the fans can
park.
So Just keep complaining about the park
ing, and enjoy your space while you have
it.
For those of you who don’t like security
here at BC, I have nothing nice to say to
you. So what if you get a ticket for
speeding, they didn’t make you speed, they
are just doing their job.
I hear that they are too “gung-ho.” Well,
Commentary
AIDS; a change of heart
by Lora Woodrum
Clarion Asst. Editor
Just one more night! If half of Brevard
College students would have stayed one
more night before they left for Fall Break.
I am sure that they would have experienc
ed a feeling that is almost indescribable.
AIDS seminar: boy, that sounds like an
interesting one, if I attended I could get ex
tra credit. But the funny thing is — when it
was over, it didn’t seem right to fill out the
extra credit form. I actually learned
something significant and felt something
profound. . I was happy that I went and did
not even care about the extra credit.
Three AIDS victims: they all look so
“normal.” There was one lady and two
guys. The first man who spoke was very
educated looking. Proper, fit, and in
telligent. I say intelligent not because of
any education you can get in a classroom
but because he came to know the true
meaning of the virus and came to know
himself and life. “I never let anything get
me down before and I am not going to
now,” he said bravely and powerfully.
Each of them came to teach the lesson of
practicing ‘safe sex.’ But what I learned
from this man was much more than that.
To stand up for myself and to fight for
what I believe in. That is what I learned
from him.
The second man seemed more shy about
his disease. Oh, it was not because he was
ashamed of it. None of them were afraid.
He just seemed to be very concerned about
young students today. His heart was more
than warm. It was flaming with the desire
to burst out from the highest mountain, “It
can happen to you. For the love of God,
protect yourself.” Well, although he did
not exactly do just that, I heard him.
Finally, the lady. At first she seemed
very nervous, but after a while she became
overwhelmed with the topic and informed
the audience of all of the pain that comes
along with it. As she silently cried, one of
the guys reached over and gently rubbed
her back to calm and reassure her. The
love that these three people had for one
another was enormous. You could see the
special relationship that they had with one
another and it was all because they had
that one terrible thing in common.
The three speakers were very infor
mative. I became more knowledgeable
about the disease. But more importantly, I
learned what I could do to protect myself.
By the time I walked out of the auditorium
I was scared and immediately I changed
my total view of an AIDS victim.
You see, they are not “different” and
they are not all gay either. They are
human, just like you and me. It is not the
AIDS virus that brings them to death, it is
us. We carry the bacteria and viruses that
infect AIDS victims and siege their im
mune systems until they surrender.
At first I thought that I was the only one
that felt this way after listening to their
testimonials. But as I was walking out of
Dunham Auditorium, I overheard one girl
say to her boyfriend, “please, stay with me
forever.” One student replied, "God,
that’s scary!” I think every student that
attended that seminar felt something
strongly. . , ,
So, maybe I didn’t get to leave early for
Fall Break, who cares! What I did was
more memorable than any vacation. I
learned how to care, and how to feel for
aids victims.
They say that a writer has the power of
the pen ” I wish that I could take that
power and resolve all AIDS victims from
their pain. But since I can’t, I hope that I
have helped them by making their sorrow
and reality known.
I don’t see them carrying guns or other
weapons, but you speed demons better
look out for their heat-seeking missiles on
their undercover car which some geek
looking for a cheap thrill painted.
Security keeps the less desirable popula
tion who aren’t students out of our hair.
Sure, we could form vigilante groups and
handle them ourselves, or may^ we could
call in the National Guard to protect us.
Wow. that would be great. They could
stop us at gunpoint and demand to see pro
of showing that we are students here, or
they could nuke the noisy people in the
Beam courtyard at two in the morning. 1
think that security is doing a great job, so
leave them alone. Like I said before, get a
real issue to gripe about.
I shouldn’t even have to bring up alcohol,
but many people do, whether verbal or
otherwise. So, you can’t have alcohol on
campus. Big deal. That’s just too bad.
Maybe there is a reason for that. It could
be a little thing like your health, or maybe
the Administration just doen’t want some
drunken idiot driving around campus and
running over people, or hitting my car.
I know I certainly don’t. Besides, this is
a junior college, and most people here are
under 21.1 know there are a few of us that
are of age, but most of us aren’t.
In case you didn’t know, 21 is the legal
age in North Carolina, and the policy of the
College probably protects your backside
from the City Police, who love college
students with a little ketchup for
breakfast.
You knew the policy before you came
here, so leave, or learn to live with it.
Visitation is another big gripe. I look at it
this way, if you can’t finish whatever
you’re doing by 8 p.m., then you don’t need
to be doing it in the first place.
How about the rules? What rules? All
you need is common sense to get by at this
College. If everyone had common sense,
then there wouldn’t be any need to have
rules.
Poets Corner
But, like they say, one l)ad apple spoils
them all. Not everyone who comes here
has common sense. Some make me
wonder if they have any sense at all. It
really takes a brain to kick a soccer ball
through my window, or just to kick it
against a wall full of windows. I guess that
person just needed directions to the wide
open non-breakable goal l>ehind the gym,
or mayl>e a windowless wall inside the
gym. What I can’t figure is why he just
didn’t knock on the door and ask me.
I don’t ever want to hear someone say
that they are bored. There are many
things to do around campus, like kicking
soccer balls through my window. There is
also plenty of space for frisbees,
I almost forgot. I’m not your mother and
I’m not going to tell you what to do when
you’re bored. Go find out for yourself. I
could probably suggest a million things to
do, and somebody wouldn’t like any of
them, so I won’t bother.
I will say this though, the woods are good
for something other than forest parties,
which I hear are just “social gatherings,”
and aren’t worth a DUI to go to.
If you are one of us with common sense,
you could find plenty to do without so
meone having to hold your hand and show
you where to go or what to do, so don’t in
sult your intelligence, or lack of it, by com
plaining about boredom.
Finally, my turn to gripe about you
gripers is over. If you must gripe and com
plain about something, make it a wor
thwhile gripe. Get something worth your
tears and crying, instead of little trivial
things that don’t matter anyway. A gripe
can be a great tool in making things better,
but complaining about every little thing
that comes along will turn those of us who
listen to you against you.
Sure, Brevard College may not be
paradise, but then again it’s a long way
from purgatory. All you incessant gripers
need to get real and grow up a little, or like
so many of us say, GET A GRIP.
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