Newspapers / Brevard College Student Newspaper / Dec. 14, 1995, edition 1 / Page 2
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The Clarion December 14, 1995 Page 2 Editorials Facility Hours Unreasonable Shelby Hepler Staff Writer It has come to this writer’s attention that Brevard college is a “suitcase school.” It seems that Just about all the students go home on the weekends. This probably is because of the lack of activities that this booming town has to offer. Or it could be the strict rules that students are made to abide by. But enough with the policies of the^campus. My purpose in writing this editorial is to come to the defense of the students who are here on weekends and who devote their weekends to studying. The lack of open facilities on the weekend is appalling. I am writing with reference to your November 3 editorial entitled “The Death of a Great Idea.” To paraphrase Mark Twain’s wry comment upon reading his own obituary in a newspaper: your report of the demise of the Fellowship Work Program is greatly exaggerated. Let me share some background that may be of interest to you and your readers. When the College first began operations in Brevard in 1934 during the Great Depression, most of our students worked on campus- on the dairy farm or in the cafeteria, for example- to help cover the costs of their education. The alumni of those years look back on their work experiences with great affection, hi recent decades, however, almost without exception our student workers have been those who qualified for federal work study funds. In this respect, Brevard College’s work study program became no different from that at most other institutions in the nation. Last year, the College committed itself to creating a new climate for student work on campus. We established the new post of Student and Volunteer Work Opportunity. We sent Becky Sanchez to learn about strong work study programs at institutions like Berry and Berea, Young Harris and Warren Wilson. Going beyond the federal funding limits, we began to create additional work opportunities for students to be jjaid from institutional funds. We sought out highly motivated students like yourself for these new jobs. The Work Fellowship Program ♦ I'he library, which is open 4 hoiu's on Saturday, does not allow much lime for one to get a great load of work done, not to mention the computer labs which are very seldom accessible during the week. Either a class is occupying them or they are closed. Of course, there are alternatives to the weekend studying. The SU is available, that quiet place where a flimsy wooden wall protects the noise of a GAME ROOM, or the constant chattering of students that go there to just talk. Another alternative is that studetns could go to their rooms where the phone rings, hall mates come by, or roommates watch rV. it seems that the real sensible •place to study is the library, although it is that you mentioned was an experimental component of this larger institutional elfort. This year the number of student workers paid from institutional funds increased more than seven-fold, from 3 workers to 24 workers, including the 5 male students admitted to the Fellowship Program. Your Glowing comments about the value of the Fellowship Program echo the sentiments of other participants and remind me of how much I gained working my own way through college washing dishes. Unfortunately, as you point out accurately in your editorial, the College was not able to maintain the program in the housing units originally assigned. By the end of the summer only 3 of the original 5 students • in the program remained, too few a number to justify our keeping them in the duplex, which is designed to house seven students. So the program was moved to a college house on Robinson Street. By mid-fall, we realized that wc needed the Robinson Street house in order to help us get our environmental studies program underway, and so we sat down with the three students remaining in the program to talk about the college’s needs. You were the student who presented the plan which we all finally agreed was a satisfactory solution. It is a regrettable fact that changing circumstances sometimes force institutions to change plans. Maintaining the Fellowship program in the Robinson Street house through the remainder of the academic year, for example, would have resulted in only one person living in that house throughout the second semester. That would not have been a responsible a real shame that it is only open 4 hours on Satjurday and also that it closes very early on the week nights.. That bring's up my next point. Why does the library close at 10:30? At most colleges and universities libraries are open 24 hours or do not close until 12:00 or 1:00 in the morning. The hours of our library are limited which cause problems for the students here. Many students at this school who have to go to class all day, then go to work or some type of athletic activity , then rush back from practice around 6:00 -6:30 and go eat, then try to make it to the library around 7:00 or 8:00 are only left with a tew hours to study. Many students do not begin to study until the later hours of the Editorial use of college facilities, nor would it nave accomplished the original intent of the Fellowship Program. The bottom line is that some kinks developed during the experimental first year of the Fellowship Program. The program did provide some real benefits i'or the participating students and, because of the quality of work, some real benefit to the College. Because of our administrative failure to anticipate various housing needs, you students suffered some real inconveniences, for which we negotiated a solution that you yourself designed and labeled “satisfactory.” Unfortunately, that solution resulted in the break-up of your Fellowship group two months earlier than would have occurred anyway due to your early graduation. What we have learned from this first year ol the Fellowship Work Program will help us design a better program in the future. 1 hope you can lake some measure of satisfaction from that. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to reply to your editorial. Sincerely, J. Thomas Bertrand President Letters to the Editor can be deposited iji the white Clarion box on the wall in the lobby of McClarty-Goodson or in the Clarion office room 102. They can also be given to Rhue Miller in M.G. 110. evening. Unfortunately, the hours of the library prevent them from having a quiet, peaceful and resourceful place to study Maybe the hierarchy of Brevard College should consider some changes in the hours of their facilities. One possibility is to leave the library open till midnight and extend the weekend hours. Also, they could leave computer labs open a little bit longer than 10:00, extending the time by only a few hours. Many of the sokitions are merely suggestions, but should be looked into quite seriously. Guest Commentary By Tamaki Minakawa I have been in the U.S. over two years. This is the biggest event in my life. 1 have been learning so many things here. it was three years ago that I went to high school in Virginia as an international student. I was so excited. I was ready to try anything. 1 really wanted American friends, so 1 tried to make some friends there even though 1 spoke little English. However, I did not make friends easily because I was Japanese. 1 did not want to think so, but some students told me that they did not like me because I was Japanese. I could not understand it, and they said they did not like “yellow” jieople. This made iiie depressed and sad. 1 had never thought about my skin color. Did I need to be aware of my skin color. Did 1 need to be aware of my skin color or race? Since 1 heard about it I'rom the students, 1 lost my confidence and became very ciuiet. Now 1 am here at Brevard College. This is my first year, and 1 was very nervous at the beginning; would the students at the college treat me like those high school students? 1 knew 1 was different from other students because of my culture, customs, and my skin color. I expected that everything would be hard I or me. but to my delight, people here are very nice to me. For example, when I have difficulty in taking notes in class, some American students will help nic with that, and they are very patient to explain to me until I understand. Besides, the teachers are also helpful and take care of me anytime I need help. 1 feel much more comfortable than before. 1 teel I am respected here. Gradually things have been changing - my English is getting along, so is my confidence. 1 a"' bcainninu to eniov mv college lilt-’ here- L.^ i --Sf • President Responds To
Brevard College Student Newspaper
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