“Crap! I was so close,”  she said. “I only won once this time!” The prize she was referring to was a free meal from McDonald’s. “That’s more than you came with!” her roommate, Megan McGregor, said, “You complain like this every time.”

Manning lives in Vernon, Vt., with her parents, Norma and Wayne, and her three siblings: Helen, 16, Ethan, 14, and Abigail, 13. She is a 19-year-old International Leadership Studies major, with a minor in Asian Studies. In her free time, she said she likes to sleep and do anything that has to do with music. She is in the Women’s Choir and plays clarinet in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. She also volunteers at Betsy Mills, in a classroom with 3- and 4-year olds. “The little girls always want me to braid their hair,” she said” but sometimes they try to braid mine and it hurts.”

Manning’s most memorable moment from college so far was a rafting trip her freshman year. “It was a real bonding experience for me and my roommate. We met our first friend, Nicole Holstein, there and all got thrown into a “Class 4” rapid. She said if she could change anything about Marietta, she would move it closer to Vermont. “I want to be able to go home more often,” she added.

The biggest difference between Vermont and Ohio, she said, is the ideological diversity. “Like, there are actually Republicans here,” she quipped. She also said that the seasons are a little bit different in Ohio. “How it can snow and be sunny and 50 degrees in the same day is beyond me,” she concluded.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  This article is by Joe Dillon, a Media Writing Two student at Marietta College.  If you are interested in writing for Writing on the Mall, send an e-mail to Patrick_H@writingonthemall.net.

Are you a woman on campus thinking about going greek? Now is a great opportunity to visit the sisters of Chi Omega.

Chi Omega is hosting two events this week.  Tonight from seven to nine PM, head down to the Gathering Place for a game night.  They will have games to play and snacks to eat.  On Wednesday (tomorrow night) from six to eight PM, they will be hosting a Valentine Making Party.  All valentines will be made for U.S. Soldiers overseas.  They will also have cookies to bake and decorate.

Chi Omega was founded in 1895, and has grown to become one of the world’s largest women’s organizations.  They have over 290,000 initiates and 171 chapters.  For more information, visit their national website, their local website, or visit one of their events for more information

For a full schedule of what’s happening in the weeks and months ahead, check out the Calendar Page.

TONIGHT, January 29
BINGO - 8:00 PM
The Gathering Place - Sponsored by CUB

TONIGHT, January 29
LATE NIGHT ART INSTITUTE - 10:00 PM
The Gathering Place - Sponsored by FNF

Friday, February 5
CATALYST & DYSIFA – Christian Rap – 10 PM
The Gathering Place - Sponsored by: CSHO, CUB, FAN, MultiCultural Affairs, Student Activities & Greek Life

Saturday, February 6
WACKY OLYMPICS – 10 PM
The Gathering Place - Sponsored by FNF

Saturday, February 6
LATE NIGHT BOWLING - 11:00pm
Pastime Lanes - Sponsored by FNF

Sunday, February 7
SUPEROWL PARTY - Time: TBA
The Gathering Place - Sponsored by CUB & IFC

A friend and I talked with one of the band members after the show, and all he could ask is where everybody was.  Well…where was everybody?

I understand that there are several underlying factors.  One, it’s the weekend before Thanksgiving.  Everybody is working on projects or just staying in and getting ready to go home for a bit.  Also, there was a performance in the theater by Jay Sefton of “The Most Mediocre Story Never Told”.  There were a lot of good college football games on, and bands brought in by CUB can be hit-or-miss.

However, I think what it came down to was publicity for the event.  Most people only heard about AG Silver when I mentioned that they were performing.  Posters were put out, but it was a very passive advertising method.  Also, by this point in the year, students have been bombarded with poster and flyer after poster and flyer.  They’re all over the place, and blend into each other.

I think another problem was that there is the stigma that a Club 21 event is a pay event.  Let me inform everybody that it is free to attend ANY Club 21 event the college hosts.  The only charge comes if you are over the age of 21 and decide to purchase a wristband.  The experience is not detracted from if you are under 21.

So how could CUB improve attendance?  Why did, say, Blessid Union of Souls do so well compared to AG Silver.  Well, for one, Blessid played at the beginning of the semester as part of Welcome Back Bash.  Freshmen were heavily encouraged to go as part of their First Year Experience classes.  And yes, Blessid does have name recognition.  But looking past that, what did CUB do differently?

For one, they advertised in every form.  RSS feed?  Yep.  Facebook Event?  Yep.  Rock?  Pretty sure they painted it.  Banner on Gilman?  Yep.  Word of mouth?  Most CUB members wore shirts with the concert info on it.  Table Tents?  On every table in Gilman and Izzy’s.  And yes, there were posters that were hung up.  Also, advertising was put out more than two days before the event.

CUB does a lot of good work.  So don’t think I’m bashing them.  I’m just sharing ideas to help all organizations, not just CUB, advertise events better.

I will run any press release for an event at Marietta College, no matter which organization wrote it.  Just send it to me (check the contact page) and I’ll check it and post it if I think it meets my criteria.

Let me finish by asking this question.  Why didn’t you go to AG Silver’s concert?

The band is currently on a tour of colleges to promote their new album and and to help raise money/awareness for clean water in Africa.

The show starts at 9 PM, but doors open at 8.

• McDonalds, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Gathering Place??? – The Gathering Place now offers snacks that you can purchase.  Items include Buffalo Chicken Tenders, Mini Corn Dogs, Pizza Bagel Bites, Beef and Cheese Chimichangas.  Supposedly more items will be offered, as well.  No prices were announced.  The food options are now available after 10 PM.  It is currently cash only, but declining balance may become an option.
• Appropriations Round 2: The Sequel – Looking for money from Student Senate for your organization?  The second chance to reclaim money from the college is next week.  Forms are due to the student life office by 1 pm on Monday, November 9th. The two-day circus begins November 10th at 7 pm, and continues November 11th at 7 pm.
• Fenton Glass is Dirty – Dirty Jobs (personal favorite TV show) taped an episode at Fenton Glass, a staple of Williamstown, WV (the city opposite of Marietta).  Host Mike Rowe learned the craft of glass making, and attempted to create versions of famous Fenton works.  According to the site, he didn’t do so well, so this should be interesting to watch.  The episode runs November 10th at 9 pm on Discovery.
• Community Service Update – I was told today that food drive efforts so far (not counting the recently wrapped-up North American Food Drive) have raised nearly 4,000 cans of food for the local food bank.  We should hear the total poundage from Lambda Chi Alpha’s food drive sometime soon.
• Relay for Life Deadline – Remember that forms for all teams that want to be a part of Relay for Life are due on Monday.  Registration Fee is also required at that time, and is $5 a member.  Relay for Life is November 13th from 8 pm until 2 am.  Writing on the Mall will be covering the event.
• Fall Fest – Greek Council is sponsoring the first ever Fall Fest, a chance to enjoy typical fall snacks from 7 to 9 pm at the Kremer Amphitheater.  I know I’m looking forward to having my picture taken in front of a fall background they’ve created.  Probably moreso the Cider, Hot Chocolate, and Pumpkin Pie.  They will have Cornhole (hold on, forgot we have to be politically correct, Corn Toss) to play as well.

The Academic Resource Center will be celebrating the occasion from 11 AM to 2 PM.  Refreshments will be served.

Pumpkin Carving will be at the Gathering Place tonight for Friday Night Fever.  Festivities begin at 10 PM.  Pumpkins will be provided by Lambda Chi Alpha

Haunted Hermann is from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Hermann Fine Arts center.  Either donate canned goods, $1, or warm clothes to be admitted.  Haunted Hermann is sponsored by APO, A&H Council, Kappa Pi, and Charles Sumner Harrison Organization.

College Union Board, National Broadcasting Society, and A&H Council will be hosting a Halloween Party at the Gathering Place Saturday night starting at 7 PM.  There will be a costume contest, classic horror films, and more to enjoy.  This event runs until 1 AM.

According to the HazingPrevention.Org, 55% of  students involved in clubs or organizations experienced some level of hazing.  40% of athletes reported that their coach knew of hazing happening, with 22% responding that the coach was directly involved.  More frighteningly, nine out of ten students have experienced some sort of hazing, but feel they were not hazed.

This week, Greek Council is sponsoring National Hazing Prevention Week and  National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (although I think most college students are well aware of alcohol…poor choice for a name), with support from Student Activities and Greek Life.  Here is the week’s events:

• Monday, Oct. 19: “Happy Hour” with Bernie McGrenahan, Alma McDonough Auditorium, 8 p.m. Enjoy a comedy and inspirational message about alcohol, hazing and its effects.
• Tuesday, Oct. 20: Participate in saving a life. Blood Drive at The Gathering Place 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Click this link to sign-up to donate blood, save a life: www.givelife.org. Type in mariettac for the sponsor code. Or contact Greek Council President Zohare Khan via email at zhk001 at marietta dot edu.
• Wednesday, Oct. 21: Banners designed by each Greek chapters on hazing prevention.
• Thursday, Oct. 22: Greek Council members will be at a table outside Gilman with pamphlets and information on Hazing Prevention and Alcohol Awareness.
• Friday, Oct. 23: T-shirt Day.

• Viva La Revolucion!  Parking for upperclassmen has been restored to the Gathering Place parking lot.  All blue parking passes can now park in the lot, along with red passes for freshmen that received them.
• Hooray for the Blue and White!  The Pioneers defeated Thiel College in the River City Bowl with a score of 20-14.  Looking ahead, Marietta College plays Wilmington College this Saturday at 6 PM, the season’s only home night game.
• Lambda Chi Alpha held their annual Watermelon Bust.  13 teams from various organizations competed in events ranging from watermelon tossing to melon carving.  The teams raised nearly 500 pounds of food, which will go to the Marietta Community Food Pantry as part of the Lambda Chi chapter’s North American Food Drive effort.
• H1N1 “Swine” Flu may have finally made it to Marietta College.  There have been a couple reported cases of potential H1N1 infections, but they haven’t been confirmed yet as far as I know.  More information will be posted later.
• Sternwheeler has come and gone.  The three day event brought thousands of visitors to the city of Marietta for a fun-filled weekend that culminated in one of the region’s most spectacular firework shows.  I was once again happy to get myself some Quaker Steak and Lube wings and a Bloomin’ Onion from vendors, and won a t-shirt from the Ohio Lottery.
• Fraternity and Sorority Recruitment began yesterday.  Events continue through Thursday for IFC and Friday for PHC.

Over the summer, the college decided to turn the entire Gathering Place parking lot into a a red lot, which is freshmen only.  Prior to the change, the lot had been both blue and red, with blue being for upperclassmen.  At the same time, the former Moose Lodge parking lot is now yellow (faculty) and blue.  The change has made many upperclassmen as red as the freshmen lots.

This Facebook Group was started to raise the issue with fellow students and organize an Electronic Executive Carpet Bomb of sorts, by asking students to e-mail Rita Smith Kipp (the provost of Marietta College).  The group wants to see the parking policies changed back to allow upperclassmen to park in the Gathering Place parking lot once again, and shift commuters and freshmen to the Moose Lodge lot.  Here is a comment from the group.

This is ridiculous. Don’t most schools not even allow freshmen to bring their cars? And yet we are giving them more privileges? If anything, it should go the other way.

~ Katie Wolfe, MC Student

Student Senate has been notified of the problem, and I’m sure that it will be discussed at the first meeting of the year, which is this coming Wednesday.  Writing on the Mall will be there to cover the meeting.

If anything, the one thing that shocks me the most from the group is the claim that a CPS officer told the group’s creator to “take a cab”.  If true, something needs to be done about this mentality at CPS.  Campus Police offers free escort services from any part of campus to wherever you need to go.  It’s their job to provide that opportunity to students.

Is there a good way of fixing things this semester?  Possibly.  But the difficulty is that the parking passes are out and the spaces have been designated.  Any changes may take as long as next year to see come to fruition.  But better to work through Student Senate and e-mails with Rita Kipp about the issue so that the College knows that it is a problem than to let it sit idle and not have anything done about.