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Nov. 15, 2001
ODimons
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Editorial
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what really matters
Every Thanksgiving, one of
our staff members makes a habit
of writing down why she is
thankful. The list includes ev
erything from family members
and friends to life’s ordinary
events.
Elon students have felt the
stress of classes, jobs and stu
dent organizations piling up re
cently. We’re doing a lot of com
plaining.
Our staff wrote down some
of the things we’re thankful for:
“I’m thankful to be surrounded
by such an amazing group of friends
and to have such a supportive fam
ily.”
“I am thankful for all the self
wisdom I have found over the past
semester in regards to classes, work
and elements in life.”
“I am thankful for a loving fam
ily and wonderful friends, in addi
tion to my copy editor and
Robitussin.”
“1 am thankful that in a week, I
will be able to enjoy a deep, long,
happy sleep.”
“I am thankful for the crunch
of the leaves under my feet, be
cause it reminds me to take a step
back and look at the beauty
around me.”
We’re thankful for a lot.
We’re thankful for our readers,
even those who question the
ideas presented each week.
We’re thankful for our adviser
who uses everything as a learn
ing opportunity and challenges
us to be our best.
Instead of being thankful for
a big turkey dinner, think about
the amazing people and oppor
tunities that surround you each
. day. Take some time to say
thanks.
m
The views and ideas expressed in Opinions are not necessarily those of
The Pendulum, its staff or Elon University.
Class registration: a stone age behind the rest of the world
Kate Houston
Columnist
Auto response from KStheQT:
Registration here is sooooo behind
the rest of the world...
MyJMUfriend: I’m sure places
like Afghanistan and Siberia have
it a little worse than Elon. Ever reg
istered in sub-zero temperatures on
an empty stomach?
KStheQT: ...Elon has a great
study abroad program. Maybe
that’s where they’re getting this
barbaric system they’re using.
MyJMUfriend: So you’re tell
ing me Elon needs to look to third-
world countries for help? They’re
probably wondering, “How are
those sneaky Polish reconfiguring
their servers?” It’s not that bad is
it?
KStheQT: Exactly!! Servers?
What are those? We have lines di
vided by Disney World chains, we
carry carbon copies, we stand in
alphabetical order (to add a little
variety, sometimes reverse alpha
betical order), we run rat races to
THE PENDULUM
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turned.
Taresa LaRock, Editor in Chief
Jennifer Guarino, Managing Editor
Elizabeth Sudduth, News Editor
Josh Davis, Opinions Editor
Jason Chick, A & E Editor
Katie Bonebrake, Focus Editor
Justin Mazzola, Sports Editor
Emily Hudson, Photography Editor
Amy Cowen, Asst. Photography Editor
Jessica Vitak, Chief Copy Editor
Lauren Vilis, Business Manager
Kevin Burrows, Artist
7012 Campus Box
Elon, NIC 27244
Newsroom: 278-7247
Fax: 278-7246
E-mail: pendulum@elon.edu
get into certain classes and last but
not least, we enter Hell (a small
room with a crammed row of
cranky people sitting behind com
puters).
MyJMUfriend: That sounds
like something out of a bad ‘80’s
movie
KStheQT: You’re tellin’ me.
In this conversation with my
friend from JMU, I was finally able
to reduce my blood pressure to a
number actually on the charts and
put my finger on exactly what was
bothering me about Elon. I had
been time warped backward when
I took part in my first registration
process.
I was under the impression that
since my birth in 1983, large steps
in the joumey of mankind had been
taken. Did I just imagine the auto-,
mated telephone systems, the
health research on the long term
effects of stress and A1 Gore’s “in
vention” of the Internet that the rest
of the worid is taking significant
advantages of? Apparently I was
raised outside of this “Elon
Bubble.”
Call me crazy, but I just as
sumed that my $19,430 a year was
going toward this “state of the art”
equipment I’m using. I guess that
would be the white carbon copy
registration form I can proudly call
my own. Or maybe it’s that incred
ible computer system they used to
inform me that I got into two of the
five classes in which I attempted
to register.
Server? Who needs one of
those? We have that wholesome
one-on-one human contact that
Elon so hearrily promised us.
Thank goodness my family’s hard
earned money is going toward such
updated technology. At least we can
say we got our promised one-on-
one. . .with an ever-so-pleasant reg
istration faculty member.
Since my tuition obviously isn’t
going toward a “state of the art”
registration process, I would hope
it would at least go toward my
classes. As one of the bazillion
communications majors, I am re
quired to take the introduction to
journalism and communications
class as a prerequisite for almost
other course in the major. However,
there were only four classes offered
this semester.
Out of the 725 freshmen in the
new student record, more than one
in four declared communications
or journalism as their major before
school even started.
Out of the 1,214 freshmen en
rolled in the fall, even more have
invariably jumped on the journal
ism and communications band
wagon, even if they haven’t de
clared it yet.
So I was right when I thought it
to be strange that only four classes
of the most basic course were be
ing offered. By 4:23 p.m. on Mon
day, the first day of freshmen reg
istration, not one basic communi
cations course was open, unless I
wanted to enroll in a public speak
ing class for only two credit hours.
Supply and demand? That class
must have also been filled for the
poor soul who is coming up with
these class options.
Elon’s registration process is
like the Russian bread lines. In the
name of this barbaric process, I
wait in the long lines for an unsat
isfactory product. Except that the
cost of my bread line is a signifi
cant $ 19,430 more. Unfortunately,
my more expensive process en
compasses the same ideals. It is
primitive, inefficient and unsatis-
factory to public interest.
The good news is we have other
options for better ways of doing
this educational ritual. Maybe we
could just line up tallest to short
est, draw names but of a hat or play
darts for admittance into the classes
we need for our mijofi-Seems just
as sensible...and efficient.
The bottom line is that we are
attending a private university that
can’t offer perks like online regis
tration for its students. The bricks
under my feet and the fresh flower
aroma that fills my nostrils are nice
perks, but they are in no way help
ful to my education.
I personally would be willing to
deal with paved sidewalks, bare
flowerbeds during the winter
months and even a few more
people in my classes if I could reg
ister and actually get into classes,
with the speed and'efficiency of the
rest of the civilized college world.