Time to change enrollment policies The early enrollment policy for
special populations is under fire. It
angers some students that a policy
like this exists at GRCC. The idea that a student can
enroll early because they belong
to groups deemed as special
populations is questionable. This
is a valuable policy, however, it has
been abused and requires changing.
It would be wrong to continue on a
path that causes students to leave
a college of their choice based on
early enrollment. This policy cannot be eliminated
because it is important for some
students who need early enrollment.
Deciding which students should
have this opportunity is the issue
at hand. GRCC can start with student
workers and athletes, who do not
need this policy. This is very simple
to fix. A student worker should
register with students who have 24
plus credits. Student workers are capable
of scheduling their jobs on campus
around their classes. Students who
work off-campus can take their
class schedule to their employer
and show their availability. Students
who have set work schedules simply
take the classes they can. If employers and employees
cannot work out
a schedule, it’s a
problem working
students will have
to manage on their
own. It is not up to
the college to give
student workers
special enrollment.
It is early enough
at the 24 credits
plus enrollment
time for student
workers. Athletes
are also capable of settling for
enrollment at the 24 credits
plus enrollment. Athletes know
their practice and game times. If
sacrifi ces have to be made, students
can make them. A pharmaceuticals
student said it’s clear “everyone has
responsibilities.” GRCC cannot keep this practice
as is. Athletes and student workers
are not a disability, and it does
not give them the
right to fall under a
special population. The classes for GRCC's nursing, dental and culinary fields are filled with waiting lists,
making enrolling for
those requirements
diffi cult. The fact is
GRCC is dealing with
high enrollment.
It’s reasonable
to reserve nursing
classes for those in
the program, but in
general required classes, early
enrollment for special populations
is an unfair advantage. The college could close classes
that reach a halfway point in
enrollment, and reopen them for
the general population. This would
allow a class to not be fi lled so early.
GRCC cannot add more classes, but
it can prevent a full class before
open enrollment. The college has an opportunity
to do something as GRCC continues
working on a solution to early
enrollment. The first remedy the
college should consider is to remove
some groups from the special
population list. That is where
change can begin. GRCC has the
tools to make this happen. If this college cares for all students enrolled here, it should not be dividing populations of capable adults who have the ability to register around commitments. Students have an obligation to their own education. If they are capable of taking those weekend or night classes, then let a sacrifice be made. It’s time to be responsible and make changes that eliminate those who do not need early enrollment. A need for cameras on campus Would you steal a car
if you knew you were on
camera? Would you mug
someone if a camera was
filming you? My guess is
probably not. So maybe having
cameras around campus
will help to cut the number
of thefts or the number of
people who get mugged.
It may even cut down on
attacks. I think back to last
year, when a girl was raped
in the parking garage, how
cameras could have made a
significant difference. Maybe it would be a
good idea to place cameras
up in the parking garages
as well. It’s sad that people
are afraid to be alone in the
Student Center after their
night classes. There was a night when
I was down there, and a girl
I didn’t even know asked
if she could sit with me
because she was afraid to
be alone due to the recent
mugging. It’s pathetic that people
don’t even feel safe to be at
the school they pay money
to attend. Another thing I
find interesting is the fact
that so many people rely
on the campus police, yet
I have to ask: where are
they? Someone should have been there when the woman was raped. Someone should have kept a closer eye on things when several laptops were stolen before holiday break. Someone should have been around at night when a young man was jumped in the Student Center. Sure you see them walking around throughout the day, but where are they at night? I understand they can’t be everywhere at once, but it seems that when things happen, they are nowhere to be found. If they can’t be everywhere, maybe if people knew they were on camera, they wouldn’t steal things, jump people, or attack women. The cameras would serve as a safety net for some people. I know I would feel better being here alone at night. Is the Martin Luther King Jr. dream dead? In 1968, legendary
civil rights activist Martin
Luther King Jr. was slain
in Memphis, Tenn., after
marches, boycotts, and
activities in pursuit of
equality for all Americans. As GRCC celebrated
Martin Luther King Jr. Day,
some people on campus
wondered why the college
does not honor the day by
shutting down the school
completely.
Black Student Union
President Brandon McCall
said, “Yes, we should
close the school. The main
purpose would be to reflect
on the impact he has had on
the country”. At GRCC, one staff
member voiced their
desire to participate in
the school’s program but
staffing obligation would
not allow attendance. “The president’s offi ce, administrators, and dean’s offi ces are allowed to go, but we are not. If I didn’t have to work, I would watch a special on television as a way to remember Martin Luther King, Jr.,” the veteran faculty member said. “In my opinion, there
are many different views
on the issue of a day on
or a day off. I view it as
an opportunity to bring
the community to GRCC’s
campus for a day long
celebration,” David Selmon,
program director of
GRCC’s Martin Luther King
Jr. program, said. On Jan. 21, GRCC held
its 22nd annual “Inherit
the Dream” program, in
the Ford Fieldhouse. The
event began at 11:30 a.m.
with a peace march through
downtown. The program resumed
inside with GRCC music
students singing the Negro
National Anthem. Local
elementary and middle
school choirs displayed
their appreciation of King’s
dream. The GRCC Choir
led by director Duane
Davis, ended the program
with the traditional
spiritual “I Open My Mouth
to the Lord.” Other colleges
around Grand Rapids
also remained open, such
as Grand Valley State
University and Aquinas
College. The students and
faculty of these institutions
also honored King with
their own programs.
Students in the 1960s
sit-ins and protests were
an intricate part of the
fi ght for civil rights. The
Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS) conducted the first
American Time Use Survey
(ATUS) in 2003. On an “average day,“
persons in the U.S. age
15 and over slept about
8.6 hours, spent 5.1 hours
doing leisure and sports
activities, worked for 3.7
hours, and spent 1.8 hours
doing household activities.
During the remaining 4.8
hours, Americans ate,
drank, went to school, and
shopped. Martin Luther
King Jr. Day is not an“average day” for most.
All around the country
public offi ces, national and
local, pay homage to the
humanitarian. On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa
Parks gained national
attention for her actions.
On a crowded bus in
Montgomery, Ala, the
seamstress refused to give
up her seat in a “White’s
Only,” section of the bus to
a white man. Martin Luther King
Jr. sums up what he would
have us all do on a daily
basis to keep his dream
alive. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at the times of challenge and controversy.” A slave to computers My computer broke
down. In a day and age full of
photos, music, documents,
and video, this is perhaps
one of the worst things that
can happen to a college
student. Certainly, at
least, to someone who has
become so dependant on
technology to keep him
happy and entertained
whenever he has had a bad
day. It is almost as if I,
along with many others,
are slaves to computers in
this digital age. The vast
majority of us now depend
on them to write our
papers, e-mail others, and
communicate to the entire
world. However, when we are
suddenly set free from all
this, we panic and long for
the security of that world
once again. According to the U.S.
Census Bureau’s 2003
report on computer usage,
70 million American
households have at least
one computer. That
translates to 62 percent, up
from 56 percent in 2001.
From the same survey, an
estimated 54.7 percent of
households have Internet
access. Seven years later,
who knows how high that
number has climbed? Even if someone
does not own a computer,
public libraries have units
available for free for a
limited amount of time. We are a nation that is now
plugged in. Computers are
expected for coursework
at local colleges, certainly
here at Grand Rapids
Community College. Labs
are set up across campus
for those who need ready
access to a computer. Other
colleges, such as Kendall
State University, require
their students have a
laptop. However, my computer
is dead. No longer am I part of
the majority of Americans
who own a personal
computer and have regular
access to the Internet. I
do not have my photos, my
music or my writings. I am
currently dependant on
college computers to get
the coursework done for
my classes. Soon I will be able to
buy a new computer. And
then I can transfer content
from my hard drives and
start my digital life anew. Until then, all I can do is make do with what I have. And I eagerly await the day I can be a slave to my computer again. The lesson behind the tragedy Standing in the kitchen,
I was stunned and confused
when the words “Heath
Ledger was found dead in
his Manhattan apartment”
scrolled across the bottom
of the television screen.
Initially I thought it
was a hoax, or perhaps
some other person with
a famous name had died. Unfortunately, the familiar
tale of a talented young
person dying in their prime
was true. Actor Heath
Ledger, 28, of “Brokeback
Mountain” glory and “The
Dark Knight” anticipation,
was no more. Found dead on Jan. 22,
Ledger’s passing remains a
mystery as the fi rst autopsy
did not reveal the exact
cause or circumstances
surrounding his death.
Whether it was intentional
or accidental, the actor’s
demise has forever left a
tragic mark on 2008. It was reported that
Ledger was found just
after 3:30 p.m. on a Tuesday
afternoon. An hour had
barely passed before early
details of the tragedy
surfaced. At the announcement,
a disturbing recognition
settled over me. An hour
ago, I had merely been
sitting in a classroom, and
at that time the life of a
young man was still intact. After returning home, I
turned on the TV to hear
that the world had lost
another life. I was never a fanatic
follower of Ledger, and
have only seen handful
of his fi lms; however, fan
or not, the ending of his
story is both sad and all
too familiar as many of
Hollywood’s elite have
faced a similar, fatal end. While the reason for
his death is still unknown,
perhaps the greater
mystery is why one so
young and appreciative of
life had his time on earth
cut short. Some have argued
Ledger’s passing should
not overshadow more
important news, such as
that surrounding the lives
of America’s soldiers. While that is a valid point,
no matter what occupation
or legacy they left behind,
the loss of a person’s life is
always heartbreaking. Making such a big deal
over an actor’s death could
be viewed in two very
different ways. The first
as a clear sign our society
invests too much in the
world of entertainment. While that assumption is
accurate, the second is
just as true: though we put
actors on a pedestal, we are
aware all lives are equally
important. Ledger may
have been a public figure,
but he was also somebody’s
son, somebody’s friend,
and somebody’s father
(daughter Matilda Rose, 2.) Whether or not someone
cares about the lives of
Hollywood actors, there is
an alarmingly real lesson to
be learned from Ledger’s
death, and the deaths of all
who seemed to have their
life cut short. Next month, next week,
tomorrow, or even an hour
from now, you or someone
you know may take their
last breath. As morbid of
a thought that may be, it
is important to understand
just how fragile life truly
is. Ledger’s fans will get a fi nal goodbye with the summer 2008 release of the Batman sequel, “The Dark Knight.” As for the rest of us, we may not be so lucky. The power of music in society No matter who you
are, what race, religion, or
class, music is a powerful
universal influence in our
lives. One morning I woke up
with the song “Breakfast
at Tiffany’s” by Deep Blue
Something playing in my
head. The song created
personal enjoyment for a
hot cup of coffee, creating
confidence to take on the
day’s challenges. That morning, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
proved to me on a personal
level how music helps
people deal with life. Music is a foundation
that helps a person
establish their well being
in society. It creates the
spark that ignites the
essence of who we are as
people. A continuous cycle
exists when musicians
create the sound, and then
we in return find personal
enjoyment out of it. Bob Marley, for
example, spiritually
believed in a Rastafarian
reality. This strong belief
system led him to create
soulful music to envision“One Love, One World,” a
universal way of life.
Marley said, “My music
fi ghts against the system
that teaches to live and
die.” When will we become
more than just citizens of
society? Each individual
has a particular role strong
enough to keep surviving. I
believe music helps people
perform their roles in
society. Music is peaceful,
free, and everlasting. I
often ask myself if music
could help people work
together more. There are many
statistics and studies
to prove how music
is therapeutic. The
clinical effects show less
depression, a happier
attitude, comfort, and
relaxation. The Cancer.com Web site reads
that students who take
music lessons even have“improved IQ levels” and
an increase in other nonmusical
abilities. A medical news report
from the WebMD Web site
did research on college
students at Penn State
University. The students
had “music-listening
diaries” to report their
feelings for a two weeks.
Researcher Valerie N.
Stratton, Ph.D., said in
a news release that the
students’ “already positive
emotions were intensified.” As students journey
through the streets
of downtown, posters
indicating upcoming shows
are flashed into the eyes
of many. Students open up
their world through their
iPod, releasing music notes
into an unknown journey. Music has become readily
available, fun, educational,
and reliable. The music industry has
a huge impact on people.
In order for music to keep
up with the fast-paced
world, the sounds have to
be constantly up to par.
Luckily, I still witness
billboard signs around
town with history behind
them. The classic rock
radio station 96.9 LAV
continues to advertise the
popular band The Who on
signs across Grand Rapids. I enjoy history being
acknowledged. The Beatles
and AC/DC will always be
a part of history: the face
of John Lennon is pictured
everywhere, and AC/DC
shirts can be bought at a
local Wal-Mart. I believe we often forget to acknowledge the power we have through music. Although the high costs of tuition and parking hinder our thoughts to success, we cannot forfeit the opportunity to listen to a new sound. Poll Results Yes, it is fair (34.43%) No, it is not fair. (60.66%) Uncertian of how to answer. (4.92%) Click here to vote in our current poll. Speak Out! Have something to say? Sound off to The Collegiate at grcc_collegiate@yahoo.com for your tips or views on the current news, sports, arts & entertainment and opinion. Letters to the editors:
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