Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Oct. 27, 1994, edition 1 / Page 2
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Editorials October 27,1994 2 Viewpoint Il'i nicc to know that students arc willing to take a stand for something they believe in (especially those involved in the greek lystcm). It's good to know that they are outraged by the fact that putting silver coins into a penny-drive jar will take points away from their organization during Homecoming next week. Wait a minute, how old are we? Isn’t the purpose of the penny drive to raise money for philanthropy? Oh sorry, we wouldn't want to raise money or anything. We just want to win. That's all we care about. Win. Win. Win. It's also rather amusing that several fraternities and sororities are not allowed to enter a king or a queen because the participants don't have a grade point average of at least 2.25. That's sad news, folks. If you can’t get higher than a2.25, you don’t need to be representing the college. And if you can't keep a 2.25 at this college, that's even more pathetic. What's the big deal about Homecoming anyway? All it ever turns out to be is Greek Week in the fall. Let's paint a picture of Homecoming at Elon. Bus loads of frat boys are all decked out in their coats and ties, sloppy drunk. Their dates (even sloppier than the boys taking them out) are dressed up in their red pumps and skirts that arc too tight to even walk in. They all head down to the high school football stadium to watch our college football team struggle through another Homecoming game. At the half, some girl is crowned queen (something she’ll probably put on her resume, along with the fact that the’s been in a sorority for the past three years, was a fraternity sweetheart, and a waitress at a local cafe). And throughout the week, students make up lame excuses why they couldn’t get their homework done because they were working on keeping silver coins out of their penny-drive jar. Gee, that sounds like a lot of fun for everyone. Off The Record 'This is my world and I am a world leader pretend...! have been given the freedom to do as I see fit...lt's high time I raised the wall that I constructed." _ R.E.M. "World Leader Pretend" THE Pendulum Informing the Elon College Community tlditor Enck Gill Maiiagiiin Editor Rob Moncuso AssisUiii Maiiaiini Kdilor Amy Lugerwcll A & E Kdilor Chnsty Evnhardl SporU Kdilor Apnl Pcrliini Opinion Kdilor Scon Miller Pholo Kdilor i'onya Huban Advcrlltinn Michclle Riley Adviser Joey Senai Senior Reporter Mary Kelli Badges Reporters Heather Anderjon Shannon Prater Andrea Schirudt Jon Coiiiphell Jeff Wincii Sporls Keporlerj Chuck Walker Bob Gnminie Jeff Dunlop Colleen Herndon A A E Reporter Chns Adanu Marne Blake Illuslralor Bnan Corrado Graphic artist Stacy Kummer Noel McKenue The Pendulum, founded in 1974, is published by Elon students. Single copies of The Pendulum are free. If extra copies are needed, they can be purchased at The Pendulum ofpce. Office: 102 Lebanon Ave., Elon College, N.C., 27244. 584-2331. Prohibition comes to Elon for a week Just what do those right wing 'fascists at the Religious Life Coun cil think they are doing with this 'alcohol awareness week? Treating us like babies dunng the week of Oct. 17-24 was an outrage. After all, we’re all adults here. Except for a scant few 17- year-olds in the Freshman class, all of us arc old enough to be drafted to fight for our country. If we’re old enough to go fight, we certainly should be able to hoist one up to toast Old Glory. The old men send the kids to fight but don’t even allow them the opportunity to drown their sorrows about having to go. We of all people should be able to criticize the hippies who are run ning the country now. They smoked pot. drank like fish and now are making claims about the legitimacy of alcohol and so- called illicit drugs. They coined the phrase, “Don’t trust anyone over 30.” Now, they are the ones over 30 and we should be plenty angry. They had wild crazy sex; we have AIDS, they had a free reign onjust about every cool mind- altering substance known to man; we have Clinton’s $2 a cigarette pack tax hike. They had music that really rocked like the Dead; we have ex gospel singer Amy Grant. I could rest my case here, but I'll go on. 1 guess the mam point that all Scott Miller these Bible-banging prohib itionists are making is that alcohol is bad for the Elon community. There was a pledge up on different banners around campus, I pledge to remain substance free for a week”. This is probably one of the silliest idealist propositions I’ve heard in a long time. Come on, let’s look at the good points of alcohol and drugs at the college level. * Alcohol stimulates creativity — Just read the Crime Watch sec tion of this newspaper to see the multitude of places and ways people have been arrested for public urina tion. * Alcohol prepares the student for the real world — How many business deals have been consum mated by individuals able to outdrink others at the table and keep their wits enough to have the upper hand? High tolerance levels are reached in college. * Marijuana stimulates the local economy — How many thou sands of dollars in business havaj The Pantry and Subway done wheoi J stoned students come into satiatef' the “munchies”? * Alcohol doesn’t affect aca-i ■ demies — Only rarely do students, miss class because of hangovers;^« For goodness sake, you just drin^, on weekends, right? Timeouthere. Ifyousaid,“Yeah,j' Yeah, I think he’s right” to any one]] of the above remarks, you shoul^i take a serious look at yourself. Youij ■ mind is the one thing that you havej \ absolute control over at all timesj ‘ If you can read this column, yoi^' have control of your destiny. Alco^ ‘ hoi and drugs cut away at that con^' trol. Yeah, college is about learn-ind ( the art of social interaction. How ever, the emphasis placed on alctJi hoi at this institution, whilel miniscule compared to other insti^ tutions of comparable size, is toi^ heavy. Every year, inordinate num- bers of freshmen try to becomi greeks. To put on their resume?) Yeah right. Even though the work involvcdj might well have been slight, a grea^ deal of credit should go to the Re ligious Life Council for saying what) needs to be said. I’ll go a step further. Stay sub-) stance free for a lifetime. Let’s be] clear headed and start fixing ouij problems. Elon student visits homeless in N.Y. Neil Smith Guest Columnist The weekend of Oct. 14-16,1 along with four others from Elon traveled up to the “Big Apple” for the National Student Campaign on Hunger and Homelessness. These are important issues as they affect us all. Whether one l.as a nice home and personal security or one is on the street panhandling for change, one IS not alone as we ALL com pose society. When we walk the bricks of privilege on a daily basis and view only cultivated shrubbery, we for get those who go without a home and security. We are members of the society that cultivates the class of “forgettablcs.” We worry what shirt will match what pair of pants instead of what we can do to end this state of the union. 1 point no fingers nor do I seek to blame "so ciety” for these problems. I merely state that such problems do exist and as a greater whole we all con tribute to the on going sameness or difference that the future holds. The weekend offered panel discussions with workers and home less people who can speak with authority on such issues as what it means to be living on the streets or poor and HIV positive. These people know how it feels to go hungry while those around them in comfortable setting dine on expen sive food. Hunger and homelessness are not isolated to urban setting nor do they effect only minorities. While many women and ethnic backgrounds fall below the poverty line, while males are also affected as a 14 year-old told us. We heard at the conference that some low-income people have organized themselves, but they need our help to break away from diffi cult and oppressive conditions. Once in such a difficult situation the immediate circumstances mayj be viewed as a “slippery slope” -) not easy to overcome. Many factors contribute to thiij social disease including the amount^ of minimum wage, governmenlj policy (e.g. laws and health car^ plans), but the most important-th^ mind set that poverty is accepiablej and that soup kitchens and home less shelters are permanent solu tions to the “problem” of) homelessness. Homelessness andj hunger are not the problems; thejfJ are the symptoms. If you feel that tax dollars arej not being spent wisely ($ 100 mil lion for a military refurbishment off antique aircraft) or if you have anyl suggestion on how this country is^ ( run, please write your congress-, | man today. Get to know someone^ J poor. We have the power to change.j :
Elon University Student Newspaper
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Oct. 27, 1994, edition 1
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