7 CAMPUS PERSPECTIVE
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Last year, while our coun*
try was still formally
immersed in a recession, I
decided to start my own
bookkeeping and consulting
business. I was one of the few
people blessed to have work,
and lots of it. 1 didn't even
have to advertise; word
spread quickly and the wait
ing list began. I had found my
niche.
At the time, no one was
hiring in my line of work, but
the small business owners
couldn't afford to pay their
CPA to handle day-to-day
fmancial operations, nor could
they afiford the risks of
attempting the task them
selves, so they had to strike a
middle ground, which is
where my opportunity lay.
Then, this spring, the
"recovery", as the Bush
administration has labeled our
current economic status,
began. Businesses that I
thought had survived the
worst of the economic down
turn began to fold. Non-prof-
its, the agencies that aid the
jobless, homeless and ill.
were crippled by the combi
nation of Federal and State
funding cuts, which will
increase if the Bush's $20 bil
lion dollar funding proposal
for Iraq is pushed through, as
well as by the significant drop
in public donations due to the
continuing recessions felt
within America's households.
While the financial conditions
of larger corporations
improved, thanks to Geoi^e
W's tax break to the wealthy,
smaller businesses who did
not reap the benefits of tax
breaks continued to collapse,
and with them, so did my
market.
In light of the downward
financial trends surrounding
me, i decided to return this
fall to college in pursuit of a
new career, along with hun
dreds ofjike-minded, former
ly employed adults. Now, as I
search the employment classi
fied advertisements, I under
stand perfectly the meaning of
a "jobless recovery." The
positions open in my field are
restricted to ftill-time CPA's
or minimum wage bookkeep
ers, and every profession,
with the exception of sales
and trades, follow this trend. 1
understand that with the high
rate of unemployment and the
still restricted amount of
lunds that businesses need to
be more selective, but the lack
of job opportunities for the
rest of us those without a
degree or the ability to raise a
family on eight dollars and
hour, is a sign that this is not
a recovery.
We are still in a recession.
The unemployment rate
continues to rise as funding
for agencies which serve peo
ple in need is continuing to be
cut, as well as the lack of
monies for educational pro
grams that would help people
learn the skills to obtain a job.
It is easy for an economic
analyst who sits on a three-
figure salary to tell the
American people about the
recovery in our economy, but
it is growing increasingly
harder for their constituents to
believe.
-Robin Macklin
Dear Editor.
Tonight we got the news
that we have to move dorms.
I dont think its fair to make us
move. This move would be
ok if we could take our furni
ture. if we were not moving
over a holiday, and if we had
known ahead of time that wc
were going to have to move
when we moved into Brewer.
I personally have $700 of my
own furniture that 1 bought
specifically to live in the
dorms. I don't think its fair to
not allow us to take this with
us. The reason that I chose to
live in Brewer compared to
Poteat or Barefoot was so that
I could have furniture that I
could move and that I could
bring my own furniture. 1
dont really need the extra
stress of trying to move over
an already hectic time. My
dad is terminally ill and
myself and my family do not
need to move me again, we
just moved in less than 3
months ago.
I think this completely point
less!
The only reason that we are
moving at this time is so that
MEREDI I II COLLEOH can
save money on construction
cost!
Meredith Frye
Reminder about Solicitation Policy
The Pcan ofSludenls 4nd ihc 0(T>cc otSludcnl AcUviltC9 and Leadership Dcvclopmem
wouU like 1o rcmmd «I1 sludcn($ ofMetcdiih’s policy on solicitation and disiril'ution. As
outlined in ihe 200J~2(X14 Siudcru J/atidb^ok and AcUviiics Calendar, "jollcifdtion by on-
or o(T* campus persons, or^i^aiions. or Uisinesscs b stnclly prohibiled unlc^
aulhoriAeO by ihe vice prcstdcM for student devclopmcnl or by ihc dircciof of siudcnr
ACtivifies and leddcrsbip devclopmcnl. Any use of College tacilUies by olT>cainpu^
petsorts for purposes ofsoltcUalioiLeven those spon&ofcd by campus organijiil ions, inu^
abo be apfwovcd. Under no circurn^anc«$ arc otT'C^mpus persons allowed U> solicit
door*to*doof." For instance, a student organiTaJbn from another eolkgc iray noi
dislribule inrormation or adveniscmcmsto Meredith College sludcnts witlK>ut approval.
Sludenrs are encouraged to repon any violations of (his policy by any onanipu$ persons
lo the Campus Police, Please conlaci ihc Office of Student Activities and [leadership
Dev«k>pineru 76lh$}38 /or more in/brrmlkM}.
Recent film is a treat
Students from
Kyrgyzstan visited
campus
C!RYSTAL DAVIS
Staff Writer
Bring your tissues and
your girlfi-iends to see
Under the Tuscan Sun. This
brilliant comedy is great for
bonding with your gal pals.
This is defmitely a chick
flick that boyfnends will
gripe and groan throughout.
Frances Mayes (played
by Diane Lane) must over
come a recent divorce and
a dull life, so she moves to
Italy on a whim! It is there
that she runs into many
obstacles, beginning with
refurbishing an old Tuscan
home that she bought
before ever having toured.
She struggles to find that
fulfilling and happy life
that she thought she could
never have again.
The theme in the movie
is literally repeated over
and over again by Frances
and one of her college stu
dents: Terrible ideas are the
best ideas. It is with this
notion that Frances begins
her journey in Tuscany.
Other sideline stories
include her best friend Patti
(played by Sandra Oh) who
is a pregnant lesbian, and a
young contractor Frances
hired who is in^ve with a
gir! whose father forbids a
relationship between the
two.
Viewers see even more
bonding between Frances
and Patti when each strug
gle with a problem and the
other is there for moral
support and, of course,
plenty of humor. Patti
comes to visit Frances in
her new home and is
unmistakably veiy pregnant
when she lies on the bed
and comically declares,
"They tell me there's a
baby in there.”
Later, she is pulled into
their situation when they
ask her to try to convince
the girl’s father that they
a-e meant to be together.
In finding the answers to
everyone's love dilemmas
except her own, Frances is
left with no idea how to
handle her love life and is
faced with issues she does
n't quite know how to han
dle.
This movie is radiant eye
candy that must be seen on
the big screen in order to
appreciate the architecture
and rich colors that can
only be encapsulated under
the Tuscan sun in the most
romantic place on earth-
Italy.
ANN GLEASON
Dean of Students
Students from
Kyrgyzstan visited
Meredith College on
Tuesday, September 30 as
part of their travel to a
number of colleges and
universities in the Midwest
and Southeast. The six stu
dents fi’om a variety of
higher education institu
tions in Kyrgyzstan met
with students, faculty and
staff from several
American universities and
colleges to gather informa
tion about honor codes and
honor councils, methods of
dealing with a range of aca
demic and ethical issues,
and student life. The stu
dents returned to
Kyrgyzstan to develop their
institutions’ Honor Codes
and conduct academic
integrity campaigns.
Meredith College stu
dents Kim Tumage, Mary
Hemphill, Jessica
Hammiel, Christelle
Geisier and Student
Development staff mem
bers Cheryl Jenkins, Kelly
Scott and Ann Gleason met
with the six Kyi^zstan
student leaders, their inter
preters, and a representa
tive from the U.S. Embassy
to discuss Meredith student
organizations, student gov
ernment, ethical standards
for student leaders,
Meredith’s Honor Code,
and Honor Council.