THE PENDULUM STYLE WEDNESDAY. APRIL 14. 2010//PAGE 17
21st century QDOOogjQ etiquette:
Lauren Ramsdell
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Knowing how to cover your tracks after a misplaced text message
or saving face while hung over in class is far more important for college
students than knowing which fork to use or how to fold your napkin
properly. Here are a few tips to keep you in good standing with your
professors and friends and maybe even make your college life a little
easier.
Avoid crossing the line
Darn it! I went out last night and ... well, other than all
of those disastrous pictures on Facebook, now I’m Oifta
to class due to ... dehydration. I fflFtifflffagTfa and now my
professor is calling on me!
Partying is a facet of college life. Whether you do or do not
participate, it will most likely affect your life. But going out too often
and missing class time is wasting you or your parents’ money, and
it’s definitely wasting the professor’s time. If you waste professors'
time by coming in late and disrupting class, thedy may not “waste
your time” by giving you study tips or reading over your term paper,
which could prevent a better grade, or just passing the class.
Keep the partying minimal. There is absolutely no reason to go
out every single night of the week. Your friends will still be there on
the weekends, but your job opportunities if you flunk a few classes
will dry up.
If you must go out, give yourself a time limit. The average college
student needs between eight and nine and a half hours of sleep per
night. If you have a 9:25 a.m. class, make sure you’re snug in bed
between 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. Give yourself enough time (about 30
minutes) to brush your teeth and hair and meander to class.
When called on and you have not followed the above tips, be
honest. If you don’t know, say that you don’t know. You don’t have to
detail why exactly you look and feel like you got hit by a truck, but
just admitting that you weren’t paying attention looks better than
floundering for an answer in your already addled brain.
At that party last night, I
61 Qsli to
Johnny that was supposed to go
to Julie about Johnny. Or was
it Janie? Anyway, I messed up.
\Si[iEQ(a9D(a!£*
More ubiquitous than the e-mail
gaffe, the text message twist is
terrible for everyone involved.
Double-triple-quadruple check to
whom you’re sending the message.
If you got the message from Julie,
hit reply instead of crafting a new
message. If you’re sending a new
message, carefully select the recipient
and check again right before you hit
send.
If you did mess up, ’fess up. Tell
Johnny how you really feel. Getting
things out in the open will help
smooth over any drama faster.
Just don’t say anything personal or
private over text messages. You don’t
want to have any misunderstandings,
and you definitely don’t want to end
up on “Texts from Last Night." If it’s
so important to say, go find Julie and
let her know. That way you’re sure
that you’re talking to the right person.
If you really have to disseminate
personal information,come up with a
kind of code language so that no one
else knows what you're talking about.
I was invited to a friend of a friend’s apartment, but I don’t want to go.
invitation?!
It’s a fact that you’re going to have friends of friends with whom you don’t get along. The worst you can do is insult your
friend, but if you handle the situation properly, you don’t have to.
Do not go into the specific reasons you don’t want to go to the friend-of-a-friend’s place. Your friend should be happy
with a simple “I don’t really want to,” or if you feel like stretching the truth, “I’m tired.” If you let them know that you think
their best friend Johnny’s a dud (while better than sending it through text message), your friend will likely get mad at you.
Make sure it’s clear that it’s not a personal attack on your friend. You might just not feel like it, or you and Johnny might
have bad blood. Regardless, it’s not about your relationship with your friend. It’s about you not wanting a relationship with
your friend’s friend.
Oh no! I think that
I just sent to my
came across as mean when
that’s not what I meant at
all! VTIVgfi rite
This scenario has happened
to almost everyone at least once.
You e-mail your professor asking
about the night’s reading and
once you hit “send” you realize
you wrote more of a demand for
information rather than a request
for help. Of course you don’t want
your professor to think you’re
insensitive, so damage control is
the best option.
Preventative measures are
key. Before sending anything
at all through e-mail — to your
professor, to your mom, to your
roommate — read it thoroughly.
Check for spelling errors,
grammatical errors, and, most
importantly, the tone of your
e-mail. Bear in mind that with the
absence of facial expressions, it’s
laughably easy to misinterpret a
message.
If you’ve already hit “send”
immediately write another e-mail.
It will appear first in their inbox,
and chances are they’ll read that
one first. Don’t send a message
such as “Disregard other e-mail.
Here is the real message.” Be
cordial and polite and plainly
state that you misworded the
other e-mail, and then rephrase
correctly, lest you drop two
angry-sounding e-mails at once.
Talk to the professor in person
the next time you have class to
make sure the real message came
across clearly. Following up will
also help clear up any remaining
misunderstandings that may have
"Creating magic"through directing and teaching
Performing arts professor honored with William S. Long award
Marlena Chertock
Design Intern
A high-pitched voice
flows out under the door
singing “Part of Your
World” from Disney's
movie “The Little
Mermaid.”
Suddenly, another
voice asks the first to
stop, listen to the piano
pitch and try again. The
singing begins once
more.
Behind the door, Elon
University’s performing
arts professor Catherine
McNeela is hard at work
helping a student during
a one-on-one voice lesson.
She has many of these
meetings with students,
listening to them perform
and helping them to
improve.
McNeela has
recently been awarded
the William S. Long
Endowed Professorship,
a prestigious honor, by
the Elon’s president, Leo
Lambert.
McNeela came to Elon
20 years ago and began the
performing arts program.
McNeela said she and
several other professors
created a Bachelor of Fine
Arts in music theater, a
Bachelor of Fine Arts in
acting and dance, a B.A.
in theatre studies and a
B.A. in design tech.
“I was so honored to
receivethe Williams. Long
Endowed Professorship,”
she said. “I’m guessing
that’s why I got the
award. Because the music
theatre program, which is
my baby.”
Elon’s music theatre
program is now
considered one of the top
in the nation, according
to McNeela. The rise of
the program happened in
a relatively short amount
of time.
“What dramatically
changed is the number
of students interested in
being in this program,"
McNeela said. “(It’s) much
more competitive.”
There were three
musical theatre graduates
in 1995. In that year, six
people auditioned for
the program and three
were chosen. This year,
400 high school seniors
auditioned for the
freshmen class. Only 16
to 20 students spots are
available.
The strength of the
performing arts program
is its faculty, according to
McNeela.
To become a program
that stands out “you
really need to be what we
call the triple threat,” she
said. “Equally fabulous
acting teachers, dance
teachers and voice
teachers. And the faculty
is filled with people who
love to teach but also are
professionals in the real
world.”
McNeela said the
program tries to foster
a healthy, competitive
atmosphere. She said the
faculty teaches students
to sing, act and dance as
well as how to be good
team players and good
human beings.
“I love that about us,"
she said. “I love that my
students are grateful,
and I remind them of that
all the time."
Theatre is a program
that needs to remain
current, McNeela said.
“I will always be trying
to improve what we do
here until I go off to the
home,” she said. “Because
the industry is constantly
changing. A big need
right now ... is to teach
pop styling. There’s so
many musicals now that
really require that kind
of voice.”
McNeela most recently
directed the Grand Night
of Singing 18 an annual
performance where all
the music theatre majors
come together and
perform. She said she
tries to give the students
the responsibility to run
the show.
McNeela will have
more time to spend with
students individually and
to direct shows like Grand
Night. The William S. Long
award offers money and a
course release.
She said the money
will be wonderful because
she will be able to attend
shows, take classes and
travel to Los Angeles
to meet with casting
directors. McNeela said
these opportunities
will make her a better
teacher.
“Dr. Lambert told me I
get a big medallion so I’m
really looking forward to
that because a girl can’t
have too much jewelry,”
she said.
McNeela seemed wary
of the other aspect of the
award, where she is only
required to teach one
course.
“Frankly, I won’t take
that because I can’t give
up anything that 1 do
right now,” she said. “I
don’t want to give up
teaching voice, and I don’t
want to not direct, and I
don’t want to not teach
my performance in music
theatre class or my senior
seminar. Maybe they
can give me a pink pony
instead. I’ll take that.”
... I
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PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
Professor of Performing Arts Catherine McNeela was recently
honored for her 20 years of dedicated work in Elon's musical
theatre program. President Leo Lambert gave McNeela the
William S. Long Endowment. The award offers McNeela
course release and money to take improve her skills.