Point News, 1995 March 28

              March 28,1995 The Point News Page 3
This week’s sign that the
Apocalypse is now upon us:
So here it is, my final issue as Editor-in-Chief-I never knew this day
would arrive so soon. Next week two experienced staffers, both ex­editors,
Brooks Scoville and Chris Heun, will step forward and take over.
With the responsibilities of Student Trustee increasing for me, it is time
for a change.
What have I learned? First, a career for journalism is not for me. The
long hours, constant headaches, and always being at the center of activity
at the College tests the nerves. It is always exciting, but always fatiguing,
to face the challenges of running this little paper. I learned a lot about
myself, my friends, and my world. Now it is time to find something that
takes less of a toll.
Editing has been a crash course in the pressures and j oys of the student
life at a small liberal arts college. St. Mary’s is a small school with a big
community. There is as little or as much diversity as you seek out.
Beneath the surface the stereotypes break down. Not all sailors, jocks,
or scholars are the same. On average, I think SMC students do a good j ob
of tolerating and even enj oying the different groups on campus, but there
is still a lot of self-segregation and at times we are a student body that is
very fragmented. It is obvious to anyone who has every attended a block
party, but this campus needs to find ways to bring everyone together.
St. Mary’s is a beautiful place. Aplace so reliant onnature requires that
students learn to respect it on its own terms. You cannot come here
expecting to be educated, entertained, or fulfilled without seeking those
experiences out, translation: if you can not find anything to do than you
are not looking hard or imaginatively enough. Never forget the river, the
hills, or the trails. Thesearenotthingsyoucanbuildorbuy. Harvarddoes
not have them, College Park does not have them, and if you can not
appreciate them than you are cheating yourself. In fairness, the College
activities facilities leave a lot of room for improvement, and I wish I could
say the College had made more progress on this. One day soon there will
be construction equipment plying the earth, in the meantime students
should enjoy what we have and keep the heat on the administration.
I really enjoyed the people I have met along the way. The administra­tors,
students and professors in all their variety have provided me with
ample criticism, advice and assistance. Thanks. If I ever promised you
a favor from the paper and did not deliver, I apologize. Call me a victim
of my own best intentions.
I guess if I make one gross generalization, and leave the community
with one piece of advice it would be this: keep a perspective on our
problems and challenges. Many of our challenges and problems are
those of a college that is expanding. We have to worry about when the
expansions, renovations, reviews, and what-not will be completed, and
what they will mean. We have a college driven by community leaders
with courage, vision and wisdom. Many other colleges are just complet­ing
or in the process of tuition hikes, cutting services and canceling
programs. Perhaps St. Mary’s is far from perfect, but in all the rumbling
and political in-fighting remember in most cases we are arguing how to
expand, not shrink.
THET01M WKW5
Editor-In-Chief
Evan Christman
Assistant Editor
Jonathan Allen
Vice President at Large
Aaron Garnett
Sports Editor
Cindy Davenport
Mary Poppins
Katie Edwards
Graphics Editor
Mark Smythe
Photographer
Rachel Sussman
Advertising Manager
Chris Heun
Production Editor
Brooks Scoville
Production Assistants
Andrew Kitchenman
Joey Hipolito
Bethany Leddy
SUIT Writers
K.C. Culver
Cary Fentzloff
Jamie Manfuso
Scott McCormick
Rebecca Miller
Jonathan Mills
Keisha Reynolds
Steve T. Smith
The Point News is published weekly during the academic semester by the students
of St Mary’s College of Maryland. The ideas and opinions expressed on its pages
are not necessarily those of the college.
We welcome all readers to submit commentaries and letters to the editor. Submissions
must be sent to The Point News or dropped off at our office in Lower Charles Hall. We
reserve the right to edit submissions in order to correct errors in spelling and grammar, to
shortenlength, or to remove libelous statements. The opinions expressed in commentaries
and letters to the editor are solely those of the writers.
Anyone mayplace advertising in ThePointNews. Forcurrent advertising rates,
please call our Advertising Manager at (301) 862-0213 orx42$4.Advertisements
represent no endorsement by The Point News orthe college.
Ohio and Obedin may be
cold, but they are not "square
As a 1987 graduate of Oberlin Col­lege,
I am compelled to respond to
your 7 March 1995 editorial which
degenerated Ohio as “one of the many
cold flat-square states in the midwest
that may, indeed, be further from civi­lization
than Planet St. Mary’s.”
Admittedly, northern Ohio is flat-though
I have yet to spot any moun­tains
here in southern Maryland, not
counting the hike up to Montgomery
Hall from the Library. Moreover, the
last time I looked at a map, Ohio was
not square either: perhaps the writer
was confusing it with Colorado, or
Wyoming? or perhaps Ohio merely
appears square to someone accus­tomed
to states boundaries that more
closely resemble a gerrymandered
district than anything else? But it is
a travesty to assert that St. Mary’s is
in any way a bastion of civilization.
Oberlin, a town of only 10,000
people, can at least claim, among
more mundane features, a coffee
shop (no, McDonald’s does not
qualify, for all you local boosters),
an excellent book store, a bakery,
and several clothing boutiques
(maybe it is just me, but I do not yet
regard Wal-Mart as a clothing em­porium).
As for Oberlin College, it can
boost a library of nearly one million
volumes and an internationally rec­ognized
conservatory of music
where no less than the Cleveland Sym­phony
Orchestra performs twice a year.
Oberlin, as well, is a college with a long
and admirable history. Before St. Mary’s
College was even a dream, Oberlin Col­lege
was admitting blacks and women
(it was, in fact, the first college in the
country to do so), and at a time when St.
Mary’s economy depended on tobacco
plantations, Oberlin served as the north­ern-
most stop on the Underground Rail­road.
St. Mary’s College, City, and
County are fine places, but The Point
News should really make an effort not to
let its provincial jealousy turn into hy­perbole.
Professor Jeffrey Auerbach
History Department
"Bowl for Kids" offers a chance to help kids
It’s that time again! Time to “Bowl
for Kids’ Sake.” Members of the
college community are invitedto come
to the Bowling Center for a day of
bowling and fun to help raise money
for the Big Brothers & Big Sisters of
Southern Maryland, Inc. Big Broth­ers/
Big Sisters is a program that
matches children from single parent
families to adult mentors. This helps
foster a sense of self-esteem within
these children and also helps them
make that sometimes difficult transi­tion
into adulthood. It is so important
to the community that these children
realize that they have choices in life
and that there are responsible adults
to help them make these choices.
However, for each child who has a
Big Brother or Big Sister, there is
another child still waiting. These
children are the reason for Bowl for
Kids’ Sake.
Anyone can participate. All you
have to do is put together a team of
five people. Teams can represent
clubs, organizations, residence halls,
your friends and family, anyone. Pick
up a sponsor sheet for each team
member and collect as many pledges
as you can. Sponsors pledge perpoint
onyour combined score oftwo games,
or a flat donation. Then come down,
bowl and have fun! The individual
that brings in the most pledges will
win a trip for two to Disney world,
including round-trip air transporta­tion,
hotel accommodations, and un­limited
admission to All Seven Disney
theme parks, all courtesy of Carlson
Wagonlit Travel. There is no charge
to bowl or for shoe rental, but in order
to offset the cost of renting the bowl­ing
lanes, we require each team mem­ber
to have a minimum of$25 in pledges.
Funds raised are used to match children
in Southern Maryland. This is a great
way to help local kids!
This year St. Mary’s Bowl for Kids’
Sake event will be from 1 -9 PM. For
more information, or to register your
team, please call the Big Brothers
office at 475-3930. This is a fun
event- but we need your help to make
it a success!
Elizabeth M. Flynn
Executive Director
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Notice to Student Boat Owners
All students who store boats at the Waterfront are asked to see or call Mike or
Walter (Boathouse, x4291) about the status of their boat A Waterfront clean-up
project is in progress. This project will involve relocation of student boats.
Students will be required to remove boats from campus by the end of the
semester. Please contact us for details immediately.