|
opinion
So
long, farewell, auf Weidersehen...
For those of us lucky enough to be concluding our studies
at our soon-to-be alma mater, these last few days are equal
parts of exhaustion, exhilaration and dread.
The exhaustion comes from the end of the semester that, thanks
to world class procrastination skills learned at Cal State
Long Beach, resembles Mount Etna.
The exhilaration comes from the knowledge that when we face
those Mount Etna's of work in the near future, we will at
least get (poorly) paid for climbing them.
And the dread comes from the worry that friends made within
these "hallowed" halls might not ever be seen again.
Most friends from high school have scattered like so many
mobile homes caught up in a Texas-sized twister.
I can only hope that the same will not happen to the people
who made these last five semesters even remotely tolerable.
OK, so dread can also be used to refer to those of us entering
the journalism job market.
(Would anyone notice if I blotted out the "journalism"
on my diploma and wrote in "chemical engineering?")
Like my colleagues before me, I want to use my final column
for parting shots.
But, as my brain has been crushed by the weight of the literature
of England in the 20th century, my shots will be short.
Walking down from upper campus the other day, I glanced to
the east and noticed that the tarps had been removed from
the seemingly permanent chain-link fences around the Fine
Arts Buildings.
Many an article has been written about contractors hired,
fired and sued, and we finally get to see the fruits of their
labors.
If that is what we have been waiting for, you can put the
tarps back up; we did not miss much.
Don't skimp on the new Science Building.
Pay attention to how you spend your money.
Supermarkets that allow you to save 30 cents on cereal by
forcing you to bag your own groceries do so at the expense
of several bag boys and bag girls.
Stores like Wal-Mart are not able to charge $5 for DVDs by
giving their employees things like benefits, overtime or living
wages.
We weild power much stronger with our dollars than we do with
our votes. We already know where true power comes from in
Washington.
Though he has undoubtedly heard it enough to cause his head
to swell to the size of the Goodyear blimp, we really have
one of the best university presidents in Robert Maxson.
Few colleges in America could boast a higher percentage of
students who have had personal contact with their president.
It's not just lip service; he really does care about how you
are doing.
As one who has had both the best and worst of the teachers
CSULB has to offer, find the good ones and ride them until
the end.
There is something to be said for sampling the buffet of ideas
we have to choose from, but sitting through a semester with
teachers years past their sell-by date can be an interminable
experience.
While I'm at it, question everything, even what they tell
you.
They are smart, but they do not know everything.
As an integral member of the staff of the On-line Forty-Niner
the past four semesters, I hope our offerings have served
their purpose.
We have tried to entertain, educate, and inform, while not
offend too many people along the way.
Thanks also to all who have taken the time to read my ramblings
each week.
To those who have taken the time to respond, I value your
opinion, as discussion is the only way we can learn from each
other.
But I still think I am right.
And finally, I have one last request.
For goodness sake, people, we need to be kinder to each other.
We're all we've got.
Phil Witte is a soon-to-be journalism graduate at Cal State
Long Beach.
|
|
Phil
Witte
- Witticisms
-
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Search our site
DEPARTMENT
OF
JOURNALISM
ONLINE 49ER
DEPARTMENTS
ADVERTISING
ADMINISTRATION
DAILY
49ER ALUMNI
SUBSCRIPTION
SERVICE
GIVE
FEEDBACK
|
