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“Spot Reserved for Faculty”
AMY PORTER
EDITOR
It’s 8:55 am. And I’m driving and looking and looking and driving.
And oh yeah, there’s no where to park. No surprises here. Even the spots
in BFE are full.
Where am I? LC on Monday morning.
Enrollment increases each and every semester which means there are more
people and of course, less parking. So what’s a body to do? Parking in
Park-N-Shop’s lot seems to be the only option so far. I don’t think
that’s exactly going to thrill the owners, however.
Okay, I must admit, as editor of The Bridge I do have a coveted key card
to the gated faculty lot. So my morning life is easier than most.
But for the less fortunate students, what are the options?
A) Come to school earlier. Not so great for those with children to drop
off at school. Or those who have a tendency to wake up late on a regular
basis.
B) Go to three Student Government Association meeting in a row as an
independent or a student organization representative and get one of the
afore mentioned key cards. There are so many problems with that plan.
C) Park in the grass and pay the five-dollar ticket you might get.
Right, like you really want to do that.
D) Take all of your classes on-line, so you don’t even have to come to
the campus. Unless you’re not computer literate.
Fortunately for those who will attend long after I’m gone, the school is
looking into putting up a parking garage. But what are we supposed to do
for now?
My grand suggestion is to wait it out. After the first few weeks, those
who can’t hack it drop out like flies and the situation is a little
easier on the rest of us.
What gets me are all of the empty spaces I see day after day labeled
“Spot Reserved for Faculty,” that sit between the Math Building and
River Bend Arena. What’s up with that?
And as nice as the brown, trampled grass looks, why not pour a little
more asphalt and give us break. We’re parking on it any way.
OR (and this is a big or) don’t schedule all the classes at 9 and 10 am.
This campus is all but barren after 1:30, so let’s take advantage of
that time and have some classes then. I know more than a few late risers
and non-morning people that wouldn’t mind.
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Serve a Purpose
STEPHANIE HOKE
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Now is your chance as a student to share some of your comments and
concerns regarding this campus. Feb. 17 to 19 a team from the Higher
Learning Commission will be on campus.
This will be a reaccredidation visit, and it is a very critical time for the
college. The campus accreditation is a voluntary process for recognizing
that an institution has the facilities, education program, staff and
faculty, policies and procedures that meet the accepted standard for
excellence, therefore, recognizing it as an accredited institution of higher
learning. This team has been formed to visit in response to the school’s
Self-Study for Accreditation Report. The college’s educational programs,
governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and personnel
services, institutional resources, academic achievement, institutional
effectiveness, and relationships with constituencies outside of the college
will be assessed during the three-day visit.
It is very important that students are heard from during the team’s time on
our campus. It is a chance for all day and night student to express their
views on the topics concerning our school. Several student organizations on
campus are hosting the campus briefs. Any students wishing to see the
Self-Study report, it is posted on the college web site. Linda Chapman is
the coordinator of the visit, and she is willing to answer any questions
anyone might have about the visit.
The briefs will only be two hours long and it will be a great chance to have
a voice or to just get more familiar with how much work goes into
maintaining a campus like ours. Your ideas and participation is exactly what
this campus needs to progress and grow.
If it were not for we the students this campus would serve no purpose. Take
advantage of your outlets and help the campus to better serve the student.
The team members consist of chair Dr. Joyce K. Elsner, Dean of
Administrative Services at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, AZ,
Dr. Phyllis J. Abt, Dean of Instructional Services at Front Range Community
College in Fort Collins, CO, Dr. Christa Elaine Adams, President of Owens
Community College in Toledo, OH, Dr. David H. Devier, Dean of the University
of Cincinnati-Clermont College, Batavia, OH, Mr. David K. Ho, instructor of
Management at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, NE, and Dr. Charles
L. Van Middlesworth, District Director for Research Evaluation and
Assessment at Metropolitan Community College District in Kansas City, MO.
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Buying Books or Selling Your Soul -
It’s All the Same.
DEVON HUDNUT
STUDENT LIFE EDITOR
 You’ve probably seen me walking around, big mouthed, curly headed and
ten feet tall. To my friends, I’m loud. To my coach, I’m slow. To my
coworkers, I’m scatterbrained. Most would call me crazy, but you can
call me Devon. And like every red blooded American, I have opinions.
So here it is. I’m not quite sure what surprised me most. My first
semester of college when I discovered I had to pay $300 for books, or
just a few days ago when I had to pay almost $400 for my second semester
books.
Why does this surprise me? Who knows. In all honesty, I shouldn’t be.
Our campus bookstore is famous for outrageous fees.
Normally I would keep my mouth shut, suck it up and hand over my money.
But that would be a lie and could never happen, because I never shut my
mouth.
I, like many of you, am not made out of money. (If you are we need to
get in touch.) I blow my would-be paycheck on four books that I’m only
going to be using for four to five months, and then turn around and sell
them back for not even 20 percent of what I bought them for.
As much fun as it is to rant and rave, there is really nothing I can do
about it but give in to the vicious cycle that is the college economy.
Although not run by the school but by a company known as The College
Bookstores Of America, I think the student body should be as concerned
about this as I am.
True, we need the books for class, and in return for paying these
prices, we are getting an education. And yes, you can get book money
from scholarships and other financial aid. But what about those who
can’t?
I met a man when I was standing in the mile long line that was the
checkout in the bookstore on Monday, who has three kids and a wife. He
carries mail for a living and is going back to school to make a better
life for them. I know we have all heard this kind of story before, but
for those who are trying to make a better way, should he have to pay
outrageous fees for aids in helping him get a second chance?
My final thought is, we pay for supplies, we pay for food and we pay for
school. Just a little extra help in our endeavors is all I ask. Maybe it
will make the students a little happier, and maybe it will keep the
angry mob of demonstrators that’s going to be at the bookstore tomorrow
afternoon away.
Gotcha.
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