Recap from Student Speak Out
A lot of topics got covered at Student Speak Out this year…probably mostly due to the fact that 90 more students were here this year. Â Here’s the gist of some of the things that got covered. Â Look for more recaps throughout the rest of the week.
Food Services
Questions about food services at Marietta College always come up a lot. Â Walter Miller, Director of Food Services at Marietta College, was on hand to address concerns. Â Several students complained about Izzy’s…ranging from how dirty it can be at times, to them closing early because they’ve run out of food. Â Walter said he would look into the issues and meet with the Izzy’s staff to address them. Â Also, Walter encouraged students to submit ideas for food at locations. Â This stemmed from a question regarding the fact that we now have three sandwich shops on campus. Â As always, everybody complains, but never directs their concerns about the food services. Â So if you want something changed, put something in the box in Gilman.
Honors Program
A lot of questions regarding scheduling of classes for the Honors Program. Â Kipp addressed the issue, saying that they are looking to make class selections more orderly and predictable, while allowing for additions and substitutions. Â There has been a high turnover in leadership for the Honors Program, but apparently that situation has been fixed and the College is looking to make positive changes.
Housing
According to Bruce, off-campus options will not be expanded for students any time soon. Â The college is working on moving upperclassmen out of freshmen housing, but it is a slow process. Â Housing will still be tight next semester. Â But the bottom line is that the College is not looking to lose any income from housing, so if you’re on campus, you’re stuck.
Tennis
A few students asked about adding coaches to aid the Tennis program in its development. Â Athletic Director Larry Hiser said that the money is not there to hire any new staff at this point, but said that there is a plan he is working on to help the situation. Â Another student asked about lighting the tennis facility so they could be used in the evening. Â Hiser said he would look into the cost of adding lights to some, but not all of the courts. Â However, there is no guarantee of lighting the courts anytime soon.
Fine Arts
It would appear that the Fine Arts Department is dealing with some funding cuts. Â Several students came to speak about how the College was treating what looked to be more of a choir problem than instrumental or theater problem. Â They have no permanent performance space. Â The choir tour has faced a lot of cost cutting, links to the Fine Arts Department website have been taken off the Marietta College website, and they only have one brochure for potential students to read. Â They do bring a valid point though. Â 8% of the student body, including many campus leaders, are involved with Fine Arts in some way. Â But the funding is just not there. Â Not just for their department, but for every department. Â Funds could be re-allocated, according to administrators, to help fund the trip, but adding a performance space on the side of Hermann will take years to raise funds for and then build. Â While a valiant effort, it will take current student’s motivation as alumni to make it happen.
Modern Languages
A few students asked if the Modern Languages department could be expanded with more faculty and staff. Â Kipp said that several staff were added, but adding more faculty to teach languages cannot happen at this time. Â For more faculty to be hired, more students would need to attend Marietta College.
Study Abroad and Trip Subsidies
Nope, the college is not planning on subsidizing trips abroad for some students with other students money. Â International travel is expensive, but not as expensive as one would think. Â The College will work with you to help raise money for trips, through grants and scholarships, but will not directly subsidize trips.
Health Center
This one was brought up by a Writing on the Mall reader. Â Lon Vickers, VP of Student Activities, responded by saying that he is not happy with the current set-up and is investigating ways to fix it. Â Options involve charging students more to add hours, and/or moving the health center back on campus. Â At the moment, though, hours cannot be expanded. Â Even with H1N1 “Swine” Flu bearing down on campus.
Posted by Patrick_H Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tags: Chartwells, College, Fine Arts, Food Services, Health, Housing, Marietta, Modern Languages, Ohio, Student Speak Out, Study Abroad, Tennis, Writing on the Mall
Off Campus Housing Policies
EDITOR’S NOTE:  Kui Jai (aka Jacky) is a guest writer for Writing on the Mall.  He is involved with the Media Writing Two class at Marietta College, which has been submitting articles to us.  His article is the first of many that you will see hit the site.  If you would like to see more like this, just let us know at patrick_h at writingonthemall dot net.
If you have an option, will you choose to live on campus or not? Apparently, it is a tough question that many students do not know how to answer. Today, let’s focus on different people on campus, and let’s hear the different voices from them.
In Marietta College, all of the undergraduate students are required to live on campus. The requirement of applying for living off campus is extremely strict. “In Marietta College, our students were not allowed to live off campus until living in residence hall for eight semesters or four years,†said Bruce Peterson, the Director of Residence Life in Marietta College. “Other requirement also includes the age limits 23. Basically, the only way that we allow them to live off campus is getting married or having some personal medical problem.â€
Posted by Kui_J Date: Thursday, October 1, 2009
Categories: Off Campus, Students
Tags: Bruce Peterson, Chao Gao, College, Housing, international, Joe Williams, Marietta, Ohio, Residence Halls, Residence Life, Students, Wade Christofferson, Writing on the Mall
Campus Security Improved at Parsons
An article hit the Marietta Times today about Marietta College’s security enhancements. Â They were all put into place over the summer and include the following changes:
- Every hallway has a campus phone
- Every floor of every building has an emergency radio linked to the College’s and NOAA’s emergency alert systems
- Wooden doors have been replaced with metal doors
- Grab-resistant handles installed on doors
- Security screens installed on all first floor windows
- All Card readers are certified as working
- Card Reader placed on entrance to bathroom in a 4th street dorm
This hits me a little bit close to home because I can tell you a few things. Â I live in a campus-owned Fraternity house. Â And our house has not had security screens installed on the first floor windows. Â We don’t have a card reader, metal doors (entrances or room doors), or an emergency call box installed. Â We have emergency radios, but not much else. Â Our house has had two TV’s stolen from it the past two summers, and every time we ask for security improvements we do not receive them. Â The other houses have card reader access, but to not have security screens (as far as I know) or metal doors installed. Â Sure, Parsons is safer (which is good, don’t get me wrong), but saying that all campus housing facilities have all of these safety measures is stretching the truth a bit.
Do I feel safe? Â Absoultely. Â Marietta (and the College) have very little crime to worry about. Â However…it would be nice if they did install all safety measures at all campus housing. Â Is the campus safer with all of these additions? Â Of course it is. Â I just would like to see all students protected equally.
