Point News, 1993 April 6

              They say college is what you make of it. Then students at
St. Mary's College must have the best of both worlds. A beautiful
campus with cute ducklings waddling around, joined with an
academic program that is gaining recognition, making SMC a
nationally prominent institution. With such fabulous opportunities,
students must be capitalizing on their college years.
What a joke. Before you lull yourself into a superficial and
false sense of security, wake up. Is this school really that great? A
case could be made that some community colleges are the best
liberal arts buy in the north, using the same criteria that earned St.
Mary's the honorable distinction.
We competed with places like Slippery Rock College. How
can you take "Slippery Rock" seriously? And just how many liberal
arts schools are there in the north with less than 2500 students
costing less than $10,000 in-state, with lots of natural water bodies,
Division III sports, bricks, fake belltowers and a cast of drunken
sailors?
What am I worrying about? St. Mary's has a bunch of
professors taking attendance and sending out progress reports if
we’re not doing so well. Can they hold our hands if we have to go
the bathroom? If we ask nicely? Students should be here because
they want to, not because they think that coming here will mean
improving their chances of "getting a good job and making lots of
money after graduation."
I didn't come here because of the superior faculty-student
ratio. But I sure as hell can't wait till the freshman SAT scores are
over 1300. Then we'll be really good. I heard at Yale they have lights
out at 12:00. Can we do that too? Once you get past bricks, ducks
and selective admissions, what have you got? Don't even mention
the social life, because that's a waste of breath. I can't wait to visit the
student union after I've graduated. Simply put this College will
never be the lopsided ideal it aspires to be. Just consider the library.
Not exactly the most complete collection of books and periodicals
ever assembled.
Recently I've been wondering just how great this place is/
What would life be like other places? Something tells me it can be
better. Because after all, college is what you make it.
TOP TEN NEW TV-6 MOVIES: "
10. BETTER OFF DEAD,-STARRING TfHE MAINTENANCE DEPT. :
9.1992-3 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HIGHLIGHT'TAPE ' '
8ARACHINOPHOBIA, WITH DOZENS OF QA RESIDENTS
7.HARD TO KILL, FEATURING ANY WOODS ENTREE
6.TWINS, WITH TED AND ELI!
5.NIGHTHAWKS AFTER HOURS (CHILDREN ONLY)
4.CANT BUY ME LOVE, STARRING REGGIE SAVAGE
3I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA YES, REGGIE (DOUBLE FEATURE)
2.DEAD MEN REALLY DO WE/JR PLAID, WITH HERB WINNIK
1. CHILD’S PLAY, FEATURING THE ENTIRE SGA
Benoit misjudges Theatre Dept
Gosh. I am shocked. I never knew
that Jamie Benoit knew the SMC
Theatre Department so well. I spend
many, many hours of my life haunt­ing
the hollowed ways of Monty Hall
yet have never gotten to know him.
But it seems that he has decided upon
the general character of our humble
(ok, not so humble) folk. “The I^ecca
ofpolitical correctness!!??” As Walt’s
peers we “can’t joke at all?” I beg to
differ.
First, to label an entire department
as PC is not only silly, but unfair to the
individuals involved. He pointed out
two exceptions to [his perception of)
the norm and I c ould add myself to his
list. This is assuming, of course, that
I understand the definition of PC. If
PC means to go through life never
expressing my opinion or straddling
both sides of an issue for fear of
offending someone, then this is not
me. I am not afraid to stand by a
controversial notion AND I am not
afraid to consider the ideas of others.
I try not to judge people based on my
own opinions and I respect others and
their ideas. I believe, judging differ­ent
political opinion in the Theatre
Department, that I am not alone in this
belief. I don’t think that this supports
the now derogatory label o f ‘politicaly
correct.” And if it does, then to hell
with it! I wear the label with pride.
But I don’t think that’s what he means
by PC.
Mr. Benoit, have you ever attende d
a SMC theatre production? If yes,
have you ever attended a post-show
discussion? If yes, than how can you
label the department as PC?? In most
of our productions we make conscious
choices— choices made to disturb
people, choices tailored to make
people question the society in which
we live, choices thatprovoke thought.
For instance, in the recent perfor­mance
of Execution of Justice the
production made very strog state­ments
about the structure of justice in
our society among other ideas. The
production as a whole made these
statements. Individuals in the pro­duction
often differed—as Rae
Edmonson, our “token? conservative”
pointed out in his own opinion. The
production took a stand on some­thing.
Right or wrong- it took a stand.
Everyone-including any detractor-was
invited to participate in post­show
discussions and share thoughts
or opinions. Strangely, I don’t re­member
hearing anyone comment on
the “political correctness” of SMC
theatre after visits with gay transves­tite
nuns, vigilante-bound cops and
other strange characters. Maybe you
just didrf’t pay close enough attention
Mr. Benoit?
You remind Joani Harris that she
judged “the common sense of people
she ’ s never met.” You express distain
that “some liberal stereotypes him [a
conservative] as a reactionary and
banters on about something she knows
nothing about.” I wonder howyou got
to know our Theatre Department so
well that you could make such judg­mental
statements without any illus­tration
except for your exceptions.
Wait! Maybe I understand. It’s just
those (mostly) liberal theatre f**ks
who (usually) never take a strong
stand on anything (really-kinda sorta)
important. And they never told a good
Polish/Italian/Lithuanian/Black/
White/Y ella/Liberal/Conservati ve/
feminist/blonde joke anyway.
-Kerry Jo Richards
SMC Theatre Major and
Usually Happy Go-Lucky Gal
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion
THE TOINT NEWS
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Editor-in-Chief
Chris Heun
Associate Editor
Brooks Scoville
Professional Advisor
Judy Landau
Vice President a t Lai;
Jeff Wilcox
Sports Editor
Leigh Kesslpr
----------- h
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Marie Smythe
i
Photographer
Joshua Pinetree Gray
Advertising Manager
Susan Prather
Copy Editor
Rachael Carper
Layout
Jon Anderson
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Staff Writers
Krista Andersen
Walt Bartas
Jamie Bennett
Rose Bohan
Lori Drapalski
Katie Edwards
J. Harper
Matthew Hill
Kristen Jones
Aaron Koos
Jamie Manfuso
Lauren Matukaitis
Karen O’Neill
Jeremy Rusnock
Steve T. Smith
Mairi Steven
Typists
Rose Bohan
Patti Lafferty
The Point News is published weekly during the academic semester by the students of
St. Mary’s College of Maiyland. The ideas and opinions expressed on its pages are
not necessarily those of the college.
' Strange. Every time I open The
Point News, every discussion I get
- into, every debate inmy english class,
it’s always the sarrte. Df. Hammer
;(EngUsh-professor)' Said It best after
cutting off our class from trying to
verbally strangle the opinions from
another classmate. “...You’re trying
to pull the rug out from one another.”
True. We were all trying to get our
classmate, and everyone else, to see it
our way, another way, and abandon
their own opinions. I thought about
this for a long time. What would we
be if there were no differences in
thought and opinion? We would no
longer be individuals.
Every time I read an article that has
an edge of ignorance to it, or a differ­ent
scope that may be controversial, I
soon after see another that attempts to
rip the first authors opinions and writ­ings
to shreds. In the process are the
other’s suggestions and advice, try­ing
to “pull the rug out” from under
the other, making them “see the light.”
Then comes another article attacking
the latter’s response, then another...
Itis understandable to question oth­ers
opinion, it is even a good idea in
my mind. However, to not acknowl­edge
that another is entitled to their
own opinions, in my opinion, is not
appropriate. Say what you want, and
say it how you want to, and if some­one
disagrees with you, let them.
If you disagree with me, great.
That’s what makes life so interesting,
not having the same views, ideas and
opinions as everyone else. So if you
don’t agree with me and felt you
wanted to tell me, please do. But if
you have a different view, perhaps a
response offering your opinion while
acknowledging me and mine, would
be more appropriate.
Now I may get a slew of flaming
responses telling me it is
inaappropriate for me to dictate what
is “appropriate” and what is not.
Well... it is my opinion.
—B. Devan Powel
F.G.S. announces general meeting
For Goodness Sake would like to
announce a General Meeting to be
held on Wednesday, April 7 at 8:3 0 in
the Blackistone Room in Anne
Arundel Hall. The meeting will focus
on the experiences of SMC students
who attended the Spring Breakaway
Trip to Florida. Also on the agenda
will be a discussion about hunger and
homelessness. The meeting is open to
anyone who would like to find out
more on these issues and other oppor­tunities
in community service.
Announcements about FGS staff
leadershippositions forthe 1993-1994
school year will also be announced at
this meeting. No experience is neces­sary
to apply for staff positions - just
enthusiasm and dedication to com­munity
service. Formore information
and for an application, stop by the
Community Service Office (Marg­aret
Brent 2nd Floor). Applications
are due in by noon and April 19, and
elections will be held on April 21.
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