Page 6 The Compass Oct.2005
Opinion
Students complain about resident
assignments
Is there truth to an old proverb?
By Carla Layton
Staff Writer
To have success in
most things in life, you first plan
on being successful. In deciding
on a school at which to further
one’s education, one of the most
important things to take care of
is housing. Having a comfortable
place to live is a prerequisite for
success.
With some Elizabeth
City State University students
assigned to halls and dormitories
they were not supposed to be
assigned to, suddenly ECSU’s
halls do not look so lovely. When
policies and principles begin to
contradict the lyrics of the
school’s alma mater, a problem
occurs for some students.
According to some
students, the ECSU housing
problem has caused a disruption
among the students and some
faculty. Students who returned,
to school, and have problems
with housing are late starting
classes, and some instructors are
held up in carrying out their class
activities because of tardy
students arriving late.
The problems students
report happening in Viking
Village have caused more than a
ripple in the school community.
Among the problems — some
students assigned to previously
single rooms in Viking Village
were given roommates.
Should students have
been notified of the situation for
the new school year before
having to decide on a dorm?
Candice Palmer says, “Yes, I feel
students should be notified about
the dorms so they can adjust
accordingly, or have time to
switch to another dorm.”
Last year residents of
Viking Village who lived in
single rooms did not have
roommates. This year, without
notification, students’ rooms are
being doubled up. Is it the
responsibihty of the school to let
the students know beforehand
what the living situation on
campus will entail?
Jedadiah Gist, a
resident assistant in Viking
Village, and Mr. ECSU, says,
“ Yeah, as an RA, it has caused
a lot of problems. PeOple arrived
with one assignment and when
they got to school, it was
something different. It appears
as if the school did not
adequately prepare for the
students. It is a very touchy
situation; students felt like the
school made them double up and
didn’t have the decency to send
out letters. Why couldn’t they
have the decency to notify
students because of the high
enrollment? I hold the school
personally responsible for lack of
acting accordingly.”
Viking Village, erected
in 2004, is a three-story building
with suite-style apartments,
living room areas, a club house
and courtyard, as is described on
the Elizabeth City State
University Web site. Students
scheduled to live in VV, were
placed in other dorms, many
with no air conditioning.
Students who were promised
single rooms, received
roommates.
Michael Burton a
senior said, “You can’t expect
much from temporary housing,
although it was an
inconvenience.Burton was
scheduled to move into Viking
Village last year and was placed
in Womack Hall, with an
unexpected roommate, and no
air
Many students had to
contend with inadequate
electrical outlets, no air and
limited space. When word
spread that VV would finally
open, it was delayed again
because it did not pass the safety
inspection. Once VV passed
inspection, students were finally
allowed to move in.
Burton says, “The
housing situation was very
difficult because it was hard to
get a good foothold in classes.”
Little did the students
know that the previous events
concerning Viking Village
foreshadowed much of what was
to come:, The 2005-2006 school
year began with students still
complaining about housing.
Burton, a second year
resident of Viking Village, had
no problems reserving and
receiving his room. Burton did
however, have some concerns.
“The parking is horrible, and
compared to other dorms, why
do I have to pay two dollars and
twenty five cents to wash and
dry clothes and everywhere else
students pay less?” A small
number of students did not have
concerns about Viking Village,
but an even bigger number did.
Many Students paid the one
hundred dollar housing fee over
the summer, and when they
arrived at school their rooms
were given away.
An ECSU student who
wished to remain anonymous
said, “I was supposed to be in
Viking Village last year and they
had to temporarily put me in
Womack. I had no, air, no phone
line, no cable, and on top of that
they gave me a roommate.”
The student added,
“This year I paid my housing
deposit three weeks into the
summer and I was sent a letter
from ECSU that guaranteed my
room.” Still when he arrived his
room in Viking Village had been
given away, and he was moved
into Butler Hall. Asked how he
tried to solve the problem or get
answers he said: “ All, Bruce
Boyd, in Residence Life told me
was that a lot of people were
being changed around.”
“I hold the school personally
responsible for lack of acting
accordingly.”
Other frustrations include cars
being towed from the parking lot
of Viking Village, a lot which
some claim does not have
enough parking spaces to
account for the number of
students living in the dorm.
Quitting is still the answer
Battling the addiction of
nicotine
By Keria Miller
Staff Writer
Smokers have a very hard time
battling the addiction of
nicotine. Most smokers who try
to quit know that one less puff
on a cigarette could make a life
or death difference.
The late ABC News’
chief anchor Peter Jennings
announced to the world on April
5, 2005 that he had lung cancer.
He quit smoking 20 years ago,
but still he struggled with
backsliding since. Jejiriings
fr
iii
died, on August 7,2005 at 67
years old.
“Nicotine is an
incredibly powerful addiction,”
says Peter Shields, a professor of
medicine at Lombardi Cancer
\
Center at Georgetown University
Medical Center. “A lot of
smokers 20 years later are still
dreaming about smoking.”
Lung cancer is
the leading cause of death among
all other cancers. Estimates from
the American Cancer Society
suggest 172,570 new cases this
year with 163,510 dying from the
disease.
Health care officials say
factors such as age when you
quit, how long you smoked and
heredity all play a role in whether
or not, someone will develop a
another smoking-related disease.
“If people quit smoking, they
have done the most important
thing they could do to improve
the quality of life and their life
expectancy,” says physician
Corrine Husten of the office on
Smoking and Health, part of the
federal Centers for Diseases
Control and Prevention.
Research shows
that former smokers reduce their
risk of heart disease and stroke
to the level of non-smokers
within a few years after quitting.
The risk never drops to the level
See Battle on page 8.
TATI
ERSIT!
Starting off on the right foot
By Kimberly Murphy
Staff Writer
It’s another exciting
school year here at Elizabeth
City State University, and I hope
that students will indulge in the
wonderful opportunities this
institution has to offer. In order
to make this school year
successful, students should first
set high principles for
themselves.
To be successful students should
discipline themselves to
maintain flourishing study
habits. Therefore I would like
to provide a few helpful tips to
help establish a winning learning
practice. According to
www.college.lifetips.com,
considering the following tips
will assist students, with
becoming successful.
Always take notes in
every class. Know what’s
expected of you. Take notes even
if it’s routine stuff you think you
already know. Establish a routine
time to study for each class. For
every hour you spend in class,
you will probably need to study
two hours outside class.
Studying for each subject should
be at the same time. Study
includes more than just doing
your homework. You will need
to go over your notes from class
by editing and making sure you
understand them. Studying your
syllabus daily is very important
to see where you are going and
where you have been. Be sure to
do reading assignments. (Don’t
put them off just because there’s
not a written assignment.) Read
ahead whenever possible.
Prepare for each class as if there
will be a pop quiz.
See Tips on page 8.