Sorry for that bit of alliteration. I couldn’t resist. In case you’ve never been here before, Cheers and Jeers is our opportunity at FUnderground to celebrate or revile the events of the day, related to Furman or not.
I’m sorry I’ve been gone for so long. You know how it is. Boy meets blog, boy gets hospitalized with the flu, comes close to failing a few tests, and decides to procrastinate for the next ones by getting with the blog again. So right to it…
Jeers this week to the swan in the middle of the lake. Isn’t there a better way to raise awareness for the waste of bottled water than to create visual pollution yourselves? I understand that awareness is important, but this isn’t Darfur, this isn’t human rights… it’s rampant plastic water bottle usage. Still bad, but not “Awareness Campaign” worthy. What if the thing sinks? I’m not going to go rescue it from the bottom of the lake.
Cheers to Founder’s week and its excellent set of CLP’s. In case you missed it, make sure to check out this week’s CLP Roundup. Now, sure, it means that there will be more old people around campus, but that also means better food in the DH. And you’re not complaining about that, now are you?
Jeers to the inebriated morons who trashed a bunch of bikes this past weekend. You know who you are. And if you’re reading this blog, you’re the only ones laughing. What in our culture has made it acceptable, even humorous, to destroy other people’s property? Maybe I missed the joke, but more likely, you just missed the part of your upbringing where someone was supposed to teach you about your obligation to others and your responsibility as an intelligent human being. And for that, we’re all sorry. I hope FuPo has a stroke of effectiveness, finds you, and expels you.
Cheers, albeit belated, go out this week to the decision to change to the new calendar system. Upon almost a full year of classes and reflection in the best and worst of times, I think the system works out better this ways. It still has kinks that need to be worked out (coughcoughlanguagescough), but the curriculum change, along with the switch to every-other-day classes, allows students to do more with the time they’re given here. Got an opinion? It would be sooo good to hear it.
And, in case you’re new here, Cheers every week to PUPPIES!
What are you Cheering and Jeering about this week?
Johnny
I have to disagree about the change of schedule. It has only managed to make student life more stressful, screw up beach weekend, and mess up fraternity functioning (shorter pledge time, alot of formals overlapping, etc). Bah.
Mar 25, 2009 @ 10:19 am
bobby
Word to Johnny for this one, Sam. New schedule gets a big thumbs down from this blogger.
Mar 25, 2009 @ 1:54 pm
drew
I’m going with Sam on the schedule.
I definitely am a fan of not going to the same classes every day. Works out better for some of the more discussion based classes, too, since you can let material just sit on your brain for a couple of days.
Mar 25, 2009 @ 2:04 pm
Tory
Comme ci, comme ça. I went to a high school that followed a university-style format so I found it weird to see the same professors and classmates every day with the old schedule. But I think that four classes are too many for one semester; all of my biology classes have weekly 3-hour afternoon labs, leaving me to study late into the night.
Mar 25, 2009 @ 2:23 pm
samuel
I agree about some of the Fraternity/Sorority things… more complicated, sure, but a priority for changing the system? I understand the concern, though.
Tory, I know the feeling. With ensemble rehearsals 4 days a week (and required recitals in the evenings), life as a music major can be as wonky as the science peoples. At least we have real majors, right?
Mar 25, 2009 @ 8:14 pm
Courtney O.
Jeers to the University Health-care system. Way to misdiagnose an illness and make the condition WORSE. really? We’re paying this much for a nondescript bag of ibuprofen and “sinus relief”? fail.
Mar 25, 2009 @ 9:22 pm
Brita
Ech, I hate the semester system. The old calendar offered quite a few courses (usually ones largely dependent on discussion) that only met 2-3 times a week, even though the majority of classes were every day. As a French major, I hate not having class every day. And juggling four courses at once is insane, especially when taking your senior seminar. Le trimestre me manque.
Mar 26, 2009 @ 12:11 am
Edward
I personally decided that this was the school I wanted to come to above all others because they had the neat trimester thing that no one else had. End of freshman year roles around and I found out (officially) that it’s being changed… well needless to say, I’ve been kind of pissed for the past two semesters, but whatever. Things will work themselves out. Also, I’ve got to question this whole assumption that FuPo could have a “stroke of effectiveness.” You must be more of an optimist than the rest of us. Maybe things would be better if they had, say, just a stroke. Collectively. I guess.
Mar 26, 2009 @ 7:55 am
Courtney
Oh, snap, Ed! I totally feel you on the coming-here-because-of-the-trimesters thing. It was so unique, involved. But I’ve grown fond of this new system. Yes, 4 classes at once is hella intense and I’d rather have our good ol’ 3:2:3 back but I think I can definitely make do with the change.
As for FuPo, I really don’t think there was anything they could have done to stop the bike vandalism, nor do I think it’s possible for them to catch the jerks who did it. It’s really not their fault we have idiots running around totaling bikes (because of them, mine is completely non-usable and one of my friend’s has $150 worth of damage to it.)
Mar 26, 2009 @ 9:46 am
Edward
@ Courtney.
I’m sorry about your bike. And you’re right, no, FuPo is not responsible because they didn’t stop it or at least catch the people who did it, but things like this shouldn’t happen. It’s upsetting for everyone, and especially for those who were the unfortunate victims. What I would ask for and what I’m saying is that, instead of concentrating so much on handing out parking (officer 21, I’m looking at you on this one, prick) and traffic violations, they could show a little more initiative in protecting the property and well being of the students. If I am unaware of something that is being done to rectify the situation, then please, correct me.
Mar 26, 2009 @ 10:25 am
Paul
Jeers also to assholes who park their mopeds in the parking spots for cars. You can park your little wanker motorcycle wanna be bikes next to the other bikes, leave the parking spots for the cars.
Also gonna go with Johnny. Semester system is meh compared to the old trimester system. I liked the old way more, and I only got a year of it.
Mar 26, 2009 @ 7:30 pm
drew
@ Paul
Dude. Not saying this from personal experience or anything, but you should totally just pick up the moped and move it far away. Say, if you’re in SoHo, move it to the front of the library or something. THEN park your car there.
Certainly helps if the keys are there though. But hey! You never know.
Mar 26, 2009 @ 9:50 pm
Paul
Haha, now that sounds like a plan I like. That, or I could just park it in the GTFO lot (The one by the U.C.). FUPO doesn’t like students using that one.
Mar 26, 2009 @ 10:09 pm
Kelly
Props to Ed for sticking it to the FUPO, albeit semi-anonymously…
I miss the trimesters so much. Maybe cause I take music classes so I always had every other day format anyway–now I just have every other day plus an extra class. Thrilling. Academically, I see some benefits, once everyone gets settled in to the changes (ahem not this year!). I think that life at Furman is generally less fun, though. I remember having something exciting every weekend last Spring, now I barely even have any Spring at Furman and I’ll be stressing over finals/juries for half of it
I never really saw what was wrong with the old system to begin with.
Mar 29, 2009 @ 8:41 pm
Heather
I can’t believe so few people dislike the new schedule! I have 0 classes on Weds. & Fri. thanks to it–seriously, I’d have to be crazy to complain! And 4 classes a semester. I get it, I’m a jr. I’ve been here a while and I know profs seem to conveniently forget that there is more to life at FU than homework. But is it worth complaining about? Most of my non-FU friends take at least 5 classes a semester… friends in Education and Nursing take closer to 7 at other colleges. I’d say we have it pretty good all in all. Although, my sympathies go out to science & music majors for all the other crap you have to go through outside of classes.
Mar 30, 2009 @ 11:43 am