OCR Text |
Show editorial Editor in chief: Heather R. Stallings Phone: 626-7121 , ml? you Iff SUPPOSE CHBSftS w , I TIDING TO TELL $ hr mmm JpK OK to be uncertain about life after graduation just be certain who you are It's almost here, the day I've been anticipating for 22 years my college graduation. You would think I'd be ecstatic, and I am. But more than anything I'm stressed beyond belief. On top of trying to find a job, I'm trying to finish up my classes so I can actually graduate, trying to finish up the year at The Signpost and trying to finish my internship with Weber State University's Media Relations. My mom was right when she said I wouldn't survive if I wasn't constantly busy. I guess I bring this stress all on myself. You know what question I can 't stand being asked, though? "So, what are you doing after you graduate?" I don't know. All I know is I'm supposed to be entering some great job that I've always dreamed of and making a lot of money. What happened to getting some time off and really taking time out for myself? What I would love to do is backpack around Europe and not think about anything. But you know what I would be thinking about? What job I'm going to have after I travel and supposedly find myself. For 22 years I've had somewhat of a direction school. Now it's all up to me to keep that direction going in the right path. I was recently asked in a spotlight interview what I wanted to be when I was younger. I really had to think about that question, because on top of wanting to be a Solid Gold dancer, I couldn't really Heather Stallings Signpost Editor in Chief think of anything substantial. Then, I remembered. . .1 wanted to be a fashion designer. I wanted to name all my clothes "Flower Power by Heather." (This was when I was going through my whole wanna-be Hippie stage, because I had just found out my dad was in the movie "Woodstock." Oh, the phases we go through.) Anyway, pondering this eighth-grade dream made me really think about what my dream job would be right now. I mean I'm supposed to know, right? I've been to college for four years, and I'm supposed to know. But I don't, and my mom says that's OK. (My mom and I are really close, if you hadn't noticed.) For some reason, life's wonderful when mom says it's OK. Also, asked in the same interview was what did I always dream my college graduation would be like? I guess I always dreamed of hearing loud clanging of drums and trumpets when they called my name, or something like that. . .Anyway, the point of all this rambling is I've realized lately stress is not everything, and if I keep on going the way I am, and I'm sure the way you all are going, I'll graduate and noteven acknowledge the importance of what an accomplishment college graduation really is. My belief, and I believe this wholeheartedly, is we can do anything we put our hearts and our minds to. We have passed another stepping stone to take us to the plateau of our lives. We will make it, and I don't care how much stress it takes to get us there. Once we are at the plateau, we will look down and realize all that stress was worth it, because it brought me here. "Life is meant to be a never-ending education, and when this is fully appreciated, we are no longer sur-vivors, but adventurers." David McNally, American entrepreneur. I'll leave you with something one of my favorite authors once said. "Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and those over which we have traveled. And if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that as well," Maya Angelou, American poet and writer. Good luck, graduates, in all you do. Don't take life too seriously it's too short Always be yourselves, you'll have no problem in this journey we call life letter to the editor Labs closed to curb online viewing The internet has allowed the creation of many problems, including its use by organizations that sell pornography and used cars. Due to the article which appeared in The Signpost May 22, 1 have terminated access to the internet in this lab until we can guarantee that no one will be able to view illegal material. This department has had a policy since 1991 against students viewing pornography in its labs. The problems associated with the viewing of por nography has been discussed in our courses and we check periodically to see if pornographic material is being stored on the disk drives of our computer systems. However, we can not view every student's screen every See Labs page 5 Be thankful no good deed goes unnoticed The more upset one gets, the worse the situation gets. Case in point, last week nothing seemed to be going right for me. Everywhere I turned, it seemed that my friends were letting me down. As the week progressed, not only was I dwelling on my misfortunes, but I was reeling in self-pity all the way back to first grade. It was then I shared my ice cream with everybody and nobody shared theirs with me. The pattern of give-and-not-give backs followed me through high school and into adulthood. In the ninth grade I took a three-day suspension for smoking in the school bathroom. I was not smoking, but my friend was. If she had been suspended her father would have killed her, so I took the fall and the fallout at home. My own parents were not exactly light-handed. After graduation, I still struggled with all-give and no- return in my relationships. In the Air Force I worked others' shifts, babv-sat. house-sat and pet-sat. I loaned money, and never said no when anyone asked for a favor. Here I am 30 years later, and it seems not much has changed. I decided to write a story about being used and how no good deed goes unnoticed. Until Last Friday night on my way to a camp site in South Fork with my two children, the car started making strange noises. I pulled off the road, popped the hood and found out there was something broken under there. I turned around, slammed the hood and started kicking the car. My cellular phone ""1" was out of range; I had a car full of food, and I was already late, because I had spent an hour tracking down a water cooler I had lent to a friend. (It figures.) This car problem was my breaking point. Before I had a chance to think about what I was going to do, a car stopped and a woman asked if we needed a ride up to South Fork. When we got in the car, I realized I had cut my thumb and was bleeding profusely. The woman then offered to take me to her house and doctor my cut. I told her I was fine, and the ride was more than enough. For 30 minutes, we drove around looking for my husband and trailer. I could not remember where he had said to meet him. As we were driving, I had a profound thought: this woman had just ruined' my pity-party with her kindness. Her selflessness forced me to realize how many acts of kindness I had experienced all week long. There were the courteous drivers who had let me in on 4800 in Roy, Joe from Kinko's who let me use his employee discount, Jeannette who loaned me her mother's lap-top, the baseball coach who gave my son a ride home, Tom and Will who listened patiently to me complain and panic all week, and especially rny family who have cleaned and cooked to help me through the last weeks of this quarter. It is easy to dwell on the negative, but an act of kindness by one woman showed me how fortunate I really am. After all, how many people will give a bleeding, maniac car-kicking woman and two kids a ride to "they don't exactly know where" on a Friday night? All of these people were kind to me, and if I didn't say thank you then "thank you." opinion by Tammy Smith, Signpost staff writer 3 Recipient of the UP General Excellence award Editor in chief Managing editor News editor Campus affairs editor AS.E editor Sports editor Copy editor Features editor Graphics editor Photo editor Toastbone editor Production mngr. Advertising mngr. Online editor Secretary Adviser Publisher Signpost fax Heather R. Stallings Taylor S. Fielding Mellyn L. Cole Leona Christensen Melinda Taylor Brandon Rodak Tyler A. Holt Heather Wallentine Broc Porter Chad Arnold Melissa Boothe Derrick Andersen Raymond Chow Colleen K. Hales Georgia Edwards Dr. Sheree Josephson Dr. Randy Scott 626-7121 626-7105 626-7105 626-7507 626-7507 626-7983 626-7105 626-7507 626-6358 626-6358 626-6358 626-6358 626-6359 626-6358 626-7974 626-6164 626-6464 626-7401 The Signpost is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday during fal. winter, and spring quarters. Subscription is $9 a quarter. 7neSanpasrisastudtpubliOTtion,writt State University students. Student fees fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university. The Signpost welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must Include name, address, telephone number, relationship to staff and the writer's signature. 7heSgnposfreserves the right to edit for reasons of space and Ibel and also reserves the right to refuse to prtntany letter. Bring letters to the editorial office inUB267,ormailto: 7heaonrxf.WeberStateUniversity,Ogden,Utah&M08-2110. Attn: Heather R. Stallings, editor In chief. |