Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / May 2, 2014, edition 1 / Page 10
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ii 4 ir u I 1 ; 1 OPINION 10 WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM •» A few words of wisdom from a departing senior writer In a few short weeks, I will finally walk across the stage set up on Guilford's oaken quad and receive my diploma. Much more than its being just a piece of parchment, I would like to believe it signifies how Guilford has changed my life. I hope that the College will continue to change others' lives too. I will now impart some advice, even if it has not been asked, in hopes that others will listen. BY VICTOR LOPEZ Senior Writer Administrators: Be easy on The Guilfordian. Remember, this is an institution of learning, even for budding journalists. Don't refuse to be involved in articles because you disagree that you might be doing a less than stellar job. Remember, we students take it on the chin when we perform less than excellently. You are not immune the same criticism. By the same token, I know that you each love Guilford individually. Let's be team players in the years to come, and this includes being thankful to the student journalists who will come to our institution. Trustees — yes, you, our governing board. Please continue to interact with students. I cannot tell you how much it meant to my personal growth and professional development to be involved with your body. You all are highly successful in the community, and fielding questions from a student journalist the past few years I'm sure was not your top priority. Yet, many of you made time, individually, to speak to me whenever the story called for it. I really do hope that you will continue to reach out to students of all shapes and sizes. It is the kind of thing that will continue to set our school apart. Faculty: In the coming years, please be painfully open with the new administration, even at the cost of some hurt feelings. You all are the very backbone of our institution, yet you are underpaid. Being open about the changes crucial to the College's continuing success should be shared with our next president. She may not be able to wave a magic wand, but I get the sense she will receive all ideas and give agency to voices that have long been drowned out by a quantitative- based administration. Also, thank you for the change you brought into my life. Doubtless you have changed many others who came before me. You should be proud of yourselves. Your students love you. Staff: Please be vocal with the new administration about your grievances. If those who can change the environment you work in don't know what your concerns are, they won't address them. Becoming a cohesive, constructive college with differing thoughts and ideas would go a long way to boost morale. Understanding each other and respecting various opinions would strengthen our fabric. ^ Higher education faces ‘ feome" challenges in the future. We have experienced some over the past few years as we have seen enrollment decrease and positions be cut here at the College. Creative, principled thinking is what this institution needs from the top down. I would like to have faith that all who line the halls and fill the walks of this historic place of learning will rise to the occasion. ill HOPE THAT GUILFORDr>i CONTINUE TO CHANGE OTHERS / will impart some ADVICE EVEN , /f w N ASKED, IN HOPES that others will listen I i Support for CCE students needed BY EMILY CURRIE Staff Writer As a Center for Continuing Education student, I experience GuOford College differently than traditional students. As an adult student, I face countless challenges my traditional student peers do not. Along with classes, homework and exams, I am raising two boys, run a household and endure a lack of support from loved ones. But I am not alone. Most of my fellow CCE students face these same trials, as well as work full time jobs. "Having children that play sports, and working, plus going to school is a juggling act," said senior and CCE student Sonya McCorkle. "I don't want to miss any of their activities because I (have) always (been there) for them," said McCorHe. Since CCE students encounter greater obstacles, we need more support and resources to enable us to succeed as students. Guilford has some admirable resources available to adult students. Friend to Friend mentoring, the CCE Student Government Association, the Career Development Center, Hendricks Hall and individual counseling are all geared toward adidt students. Yet, even with these resources accessible, many adult students stiff struggle to balance schoolwork with other responsibilities. Most professors I have had seem oblivious to the fact that adult students have family obligations outside of the classroom. One major resource that we need is assistance with childcare. "I am a single parent and I work full-time, said senior and CCE Student Government President Sarah Dreier- Kasik. "There are traditional students that work full time as well, but it is rare that the combination exists. So, childcare is an issue." It is common to see CCE students bring their child with them to class because they don't have adequate childcare. "I have seen students have their child sit in the library, computer lab or even outside the classroom while they attend class," said McCorkle. A program where students could exchange childcare duties would be beneficial. 'The one titog that I would like to see offered to CCE students would be childcare coordination — maybe a work study program for students while their fellow students attend class," said Dreier-Kasik. Along with childcare, homework is problematic as well. 'Trying to help your children with school work and do your (own) homework (too) is difficult," said McCorkle. "You feel guilty because you have schoolwork that has to be done." I cringe when my sons impatiently say, "Mom, homework again?" My children don't always understand why mom can't spend as much quality time with them because I have to devote so much of it to Guilford. CCE students need professors to understand that overloading us with work causes us to struggle to stay in school and could lead to us dropping out. Another resource that would help adult students is a support group for mothers or single parents. Many adult students don't have an effective support system in place, so a support group where students can share frustrations and get encouragement would give them the motivation they need to continue their education. Also, more activities where CCE and traditional students could merge and close the age divide would ease some tension among the two groups. As we head towards the end of another semester and traditional students take a break from classes during the summer, CCE students still must work, take care of children and manage heavy family commitments. There seems to be no rest for the weary. Bottom line, we CCE students need more resources to help us get everything out of the college experience that we need. We support Guilford with tuition dollars, and we need Guilford to support us with more tools to succeed. Guilford is about inclusivity — why stop at the yoimger crowd? If you are an adult student interested in participating in a support group for moms, please contact Emily Currie: curriee@guilforcl^e€lu s ppI/'q juK 0 A note from The Guilfordian’s incoming Editor-in-Chief During my first year at Guilford, I was a bit of a shut-in. I had a few friends and my writing and work to keep me busy. That was good enough for me. And then I took Journalism. I know it may sotmd sappy or cliche but this organization and this College's community has become my family. You've taught me to be not only imafraid of new faces, but to embrace the new and the strange and the challenging. You've taught me to listen closely to the vibrations of the campus. And most importantly, you taught me that we, as a community, have a powerful voice. As the incoming editor-in-chief of The Guilfordian, I have a mission: to provide a venue for that voice and listen to your ideas. The Guilfordian can be the megaphone for our community's voice. If you want to shout out your worries or raise up a part of our College's ecosystem, we invite you to share your thoughts and stories. As a newspaper that calls this college home, we want to invite you join us in our responsibility to appreciate and criticize this institution. In the spirit of commimal collaboration, we will be reaching out to get pitches from you and streamlining the process of writing Letters to tire Editor and guest writing. We will also be working to mold this newspaper into what this community's been asking for. Our World and Nation section will be rededicated to reporting imtold and imdeireported national and global stories. We will tell the local news stories from the greater Greensboro community. And social justice will become a constant presence in print. Over the past three years. I've learned a lot from this College and all of those who help make it a great, ever-evolving place. With that in mind, I want to say thank you. Talk to you all soon. Sincerely, Justyn Melrose Reflecting Guilford College's core Quaker values, the topics and content . OF Staff-Editorials are chosen through consensus of all 1.5 editors ^d one 'FACULTY.ADVISER OF ThE GuILFOROIAN's EDITORIAL6oARD.-'«.
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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May 2, 2014, edition 1
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