| Summary: | March 8,1996 the OONOOKDMN OPINION 7 Safe at home in the F-M area T he week after spring break finds us all a little out-of-sorts. Tan skin meets the shock of the Dakota permafrost. Heavenly sleeping-in time is replaced by the reality of shrill alarm chimes (love that communi-ty time). For me, the shock came from once again experiencing continual human contact. Closed roads and lack of funds confined me to a white hell: I stayed in Moorhead. I shouldn't complain. The time wasn't all bad. I rediscovered that I enjoyed my own company and found that I could enjoy Rikki even without my roommates (quality time by anyone's stan-dards). I also found some time to reflect, for silence is the temptress of deep thought. When I tell people I attend col-lege in Minnesota, they usually ask "What brought you to Fargo- Moorhead?" Often, I've fumbled for an answer. How can I explain why I chose this tundra of extrem-ities? While thinking of all the reasons the "folks back home" enjoy their small Montana com-munity, I asked myself how I could relate the "Fargo experi-ence" in terms they would under-stand. First, I would tell of a people that marked harvest not by ripened sheathes of golden wheat rippling in the wind, but by . . . the stench of ripe sugar beets. Mmmmm. Perhaps, I thought to myself, I am romanticizing the hometown experience a little too much, see-ing as how I am stuck here, and that I miss my cat. Next, I thought I could tell my mother how sirens sound fre-quently, and why Fargoans don't feel the need to pile into their cars, follow the ambulance, and investi-gate the accident out of sheer curiosity (or a slow day at the legal firm). But this fact, too, makes my tiny town seem nice. People chase ambulances for the same reason Concordia students frequent dining service while something good is being served: rare occurance. I can't remember that last time that chasing an ambulance yielded gossip fodder. My mother is painfully aware of this fact, and is convinced that in this high crime area, I will someday be raped, mugged, or worse, run over by a racing ambu-lance. I could tell people back home how Fargoans tell time by bells. Friday morning, Concordia stu-dents can tell if they are late to class if eight bells sound before they claim their chair. Moorhead residents know the precise hour by attuning their ears to the area church steeples. And everyone in the area knows that when those special Burlington Northern bells sound, they have picked a bad time to try crossing Center Ave. That's kind of a special thing, isn't it? Well, I could tell the people back home that it takes over four minutes to get from one end of my new metropolis to the other. I could tell them we have more than just one flashing stoplight (a small-town novelty). I could tell them that in Fargo, we don't have to drive forty miles to go to "the mall," or even to go to McDonald's. All these things are merely conveniences and don't really hold much importance to a small-town population (unless they really have a fetish for Big Macs). My dad would laugh at this notion of "convenience." As a girl, I used to go to "coffee" at the local sandwich shop with my dad in the morning. "Coffee," in rural Montana, is not just a beverage, but an activity. One goes "to cof-fee." Such excursions proved to me that women were not the only ones who gossiped, and that men were more likely to punctuate their chatter with dirty jokes. Anyhow, the ambience of the cof-fee shop could make McDonalds, or even the Olive Garden, look like a dull dining experience. "Coffee," the activity, helps a talkative community compensate for receiving a newspaper only once a week. Even when the small town paper comes out, everyone already knows the sto-ries. There has to be a way I can explain the uniqueness of Fargo- Moorhead and why I am here. I can tell those back home that the people are nice; although no one will "loan" you anything, they will bend over backwards to "borrow you" an item. I can tell you that variety is present in Fargo. Here, when they ask "Where do you go to school?" there are several pos-sible answers, and not 98% of the county voted for George Bush. Or, I can just tell my rural rooted friends that when I go back to Fort Benton, now, I go to Montana, not "home." I'll always be "from" Montana, but my "home" is in Fargo-Moorhead. Just don't ask me what's so spe-cial about this place that keeps me here. A habitat for my humanity Between the lines "Remember your humanity and forget the rest." -Einstein When traveling in a city of any size in the United States, it is not terribly uncommon to see a homeless per-son standing on a street corner holding a sign asking for food or work. The request often ends with the words, "God Bless.'* I've seen them in Los Angeles, Denver and even here in good old Fargo- Moorhead. What I haven't seen is anyone ever get out of his or her car and offer assistance of any kind. It is as if society has become so accustomed to seeing these people that when our eyes look at them, they don't necessarily see people. They see vagrants, bums, problems, something that no one wants to be. I'll admit, I've never gotten out of my car and offered help. I'm as guilty as anyone. I didn't think of it this way until I. took a Habitat for Humanity trip to North Hollywood, California, two weeks ago. We worked on the earthquake-damaged houses of a Hispanic family and an elderly white woman; two opposite ends of the spectrum With us falling somewhere in between. Though boy, Joset whose house I worked the stories of all of our lives are on, needs them. The rich people a very different, there is something few miles away from Jose in we all share: Common humanity. Hollywood hills need them, just To a certain extent one could say as do the homeless people on the I can honestly say I learned more on this trip than in some of the classes I've taken. that all people are looking for the same things in life: love from family and friends, clothes to keep us warm, food on our tables, decent roofs over our heads. I need these things; the six-year-old street corner. And though my house may be considered nicer than Jose's, it is not because I deserve better. It is simply because I, just like the others on this trip, was lucky enough to be able to give something back. lam reminded of a magazine adver-tisement depicting an elderly woman who is reflecting on her life. She says, "I know so much has been given to me in my life, to each of us, for which we've never paid. All we can do is pass it on to someone else. As we climb lift somebody with us." I can honestly say I learned more on this trip than in some of the classes I've taken. I was awakened to the similarities between people I had formerly thought had completely different lives. I saw the same smile on the face of six-year-old Jose when the Habitat work group arrived at his house that I wore on my eight-year- old face when the contrac-tors came to remodel our newly purchased home, and I realized right then and there how much I have been given for which I haven't paid. Does grade point average weigh heavily? Stephen Young Guest columnist Q. Many universities maintain a record of two grade point aver-ages for each student The first GPA is "overall" and the second is "in your major." How much does an employer or graduate school weigh each GPA? — Charles Holmes, University of Tennessee A. Generally speaking, an inter-viewer will pay greater attention to the overall GPA when initially screening applications to set up interviews. However, while con-ducting an interview, he or she will pay closer attention to the GPA based on the applicant's major. It is important to maintain both aver-ages at an acceptable level. Q. Would you advise against working the first year you are in college? — Shekyla Scott, University of Michigan A. Not necessarily. After all, many college freshman have no choice, due to financial constraints. If finances are not a problem for you, then holding off for at least a semester is a good idea to allow yourself time to become oriented to the demands of the college envi-ronment. You've asked a good question because it is the key to being successful in college — time management. As much as anything else, your ability to manage time will play a large part in how well you perform throughout your col-lege years. If you have begun to notice that you're having trouble "holding it together,1' then I strongly recommend that you enroll in a time management course, or at the very least, read a book on the subject as soon as you can. Another tip: If you do not own a day planner, get one and use it every day from now on. A day planner is a simple, inexpensive way to begin to get organized. Q. How should you decide whether or not to pledge? — Ingrid Hoover, Wake Forest University. A. By "pledge," I assume you are referring to joining a sorority or other related social organization. First, let me back up and say that it is very important for all college students to find an extracurricular oudet away from academics. The purpose of college is not just to excel academically. College should also be a time in which a student matures interpersonally and learns to develop balance between "work and play." All col-leges and universities have literally hundreds of organizations that offer a means to develop friend-ships with those who hold interests similar to yours and to become involved in activities away from books. Greek organizations cer-tainly fit that bill for a great many students. However, as many, if not more, students find equally fulfill-ing outlets away from the Greek system. If you are undecided about the Greek system at your school, I suggest that you go through the process called "rush" — arid use this pre-pledging period to evalu-ate whether or not a greek organi-zation is for you. Regardless of your choice, the important thing is to become involved in activities that you truly enjoy and speak to your interests.
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