Opinion Editor- Laura Ostrander |
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| Volume 26, Issue #2 |
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September 22, 1999
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Opinion Editor- Laura Ostrander |
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| Volume 26, Issue #2 |
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September 22, 1999
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| GET A HANDLE ON THE CELL PHONES... by the editorial board |
| There seems to be a new trend working
its way through American college campuses and across America’s highways,
the dreaded cellular phone. In fact, even on NIACC’s campus we often
see more cell phones than backpacks.
In light of the growing use of cell phones, we feel we must address a topic which many cell phone users casually disregard, cell phone etiquette. Most automobile owners have faced a few close calls on the highway: a motorist in a hurry cuts you off, a car swerves into your lane without warning, forcing you off the road, or another driver suddenly slams on the brakes. The vast majority of these incidents are innocent, for many drivers are distracted or sleep-deprived at some point in their lives. However, how many of these irresponsible drivers had a cell phone in hand when they cut you off? Cell phones in the classroom are less of a danger, but no less of a nuisance. One NIACC student, Heidi Hites, said her cell phone went off during a classmate’s speech. “Ironically, someone had just given a speech about the nuisance of cell phones,” Hites said. “This incident made me think twice about bringing a cell phone to class.” A recent study by SBC Communications, who market Cellular One and Pacific Bell cellular phones, reported that 53 percent of responders rated other cell phone users with a C, D or F for manners, but 83 percent awarded themselves with an A or B. These skewed results may indicate that cell phone users do not recognize that they are being rude while driving or when in public. There are a few simple rules of etiquette which cell phone users should be aware of: pull over to the side of the road if you must talk while you are in the car, use a vibrating phone rather than a ringer if you are in the middle of a class, and do not get up to go in the hall to talk, and never talk during a concert, movie, play, funeral or in a restaurant. Cell phones should be used only in emergencies and for business, and only when it is appropriate to do so. |
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| EDITORIAL CARTOON... produced by Charles Weaver |
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| MILLENIUM OFFERS CHANGE... column by Amy Hackbart, editor |
| With the first few weeks of the new
academic year behind us, hopefully all students have adjusted to their
schedules and can now take time to relax and enjoy the final months of
the century.
If you’re one of those people who finds it difficult to take time to relax, now is the perfect time for a change. In fact, with the beginning of the college year and the new millennium approaching, now is an ideal time to change anything in life that you’re not fully satisfied with. For example, if you often find yourself rushing from place to place and without any free time to yourself, you might try cutting an activity out of your daily schedule or maybe even waking up a few minutes earlier in the morning. Also, keeping a planner and sticking to your planned schedule might enable you to free up some time to spend by yourself. On the other hand, if you find yourself spending the majority of your day in front of the television, it might be time to widen your interests and pick up a hobby, sport or job to devote free time to. With only three months of the 1900’s remaining, now is also an ideal time to break a bad habit. Whether the habit pertains to study habits or anything else undesirable in life, now is the time to make a change. After all, why not enter the new year feeling positive about yourself and your actions? Most importantly, now is an excellent time to enjoy life and live each day to the fullest. Don’t waste precious time worrying about things that can’t be changed. Instead, focus on ideas that interest you and strive to make them successful. Last but not least, maintain a positive attitude and work to attain goals that you’ve set for yourself this year. After attaining your goals, enjoy the last three months of the century because there’s no turning back. |
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| BIEBER FACES FEAR... column by Jana McBride |
| “Early and provident fear is the
mother of safety.” — Edmund Burke.
These words may provide some reassurance for NIACC sophomore Phil Bieber, as he certainly had to look fear in the eyes this summer. Everything was going well one Friday night, Aug. 20, to be exact. Bieber was working his usual 6-12 shift at Casey’s General Store on Monroe Avenue and had just finished taking care of a rush of people. The only other person in the store was the pizza man in back. Then, at 9:15, something happened that will forever be in Bieber’s memory. A small woman that Bieber said weighed about 90 lbs. came in and set a note on the counter that read “Give me all you money. Bieber asked her if she was serious and she nodded her head. “Her hands were under the counter, so I couldn’t tell if she had a gun or not.” Bieber said he got a “big adrenaline rush,” and began to open the register to give her “a fair amount of cash.” As the car pulled away, Bieber said he took notice of the make and color of the car and phoned 911. Later that night, Bieber went to the police station for questioning. Many college students know that undesirable hours and working conditions are sometimes necessary. Bieber’s advice to anyone in this type of situation is to just hand over the money, whether the person looks intimidating or not. “Your life is more valuable than to take a needless chance,” he said. Bieber said the whole experience made him feel pretty small in the whole scheme of things. “You forget about the little stuff for awhile..and be happy that you’re still here,” Bieber said. Though the robbery lasted only a minute, it is something that Bieber said he will carry until he dies. Bieber went to work once after the robbery happened, but said he couldn’t seem to get the incident out of his mind. While Bieber doesn’t discourage people from holding late night jobs, working one himself is something that he said he may not be able to handle for a long time. “I was afraid, there’s no denying that.” A lesson we can all take from Bieber’s experience is that fear can come in all forms. It’s not always good to have “No Fear” as the popular shirts publicize. Perhaps it was Bieber’s fear that protected his life that August night. |
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| HERE'S A TIP... column by Jennifer Litterer |
| For many teens today there are three
basic things to do with friends; movies, hanging out at each other’s homes
and of course going out to eat. And with the lovely array of choices
of dining experiences only one real question remains; how much should be
left as a tip?
Every time I finish a meal in a restaurant I always wonder how much I should leave? What is the standard of tipping? And why do a few measly dollars cause such a problem? The standard amount left for a tip should be 15 percent of the total bill. But that leaves one problem with me because I’m not a mathematician, and have problems adding in my head. So figuring the percentage of a meal is mind-boggling. Yet, lucky for me, I have a tip table in my organizer. By pulling a few prices of the variation the cost of meals in local restaurants around the area, I made my own tip table with the amount of meal on the right and the tip on the left. • $8.00
$1.20
Looking at the other end of the dollar,
those few measly dollars are someone else’s income.
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| HUMANE SOCIETY TO SELL STEREO... |
| To the Editor,
The Humane Society of Northern Iowa has received a donation of a stereo system. We will be able to use the proceeds of the sale to further the operation of the Pet Adoption Center here in Mason City. Since opening in 1986, over 2,000 displaced pets have been aided and/or relocated and countless people have given advice and assistance. Please let your students know of the availability of the stereo system. There just might be a NIACC person looking for such equipment that includes: Technics Dolby Surround Sound, 5 CD and tape player, amps and equilizer, large speakers and a good cabinet. I will be taking the best offer I receive. Interested parties may phone 423-3319. Thank you for any help you can give. Kathy Hentges Board of Directors, Humane Society of North Iowa |
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| North Iowa Area
Community College
500 College Drive Mason City, Iowa 50401 (515) 422-4304 Editorial Board: Amy Hackbart, Editor; Jennifer Litterer, Assistant Editor; Seth Ramaeker, Advertising Manager; Charles Emerick, Sports Editor; Jana McBride, News Editor; Laura Ostrander, Opinion Editor; Jana McBride, Feature Editor; Laura Ostrander, Entertainment Editor; Darren Ohl, Photo Editor. Staff: Carah Barnes,
Nicole Blaser, Chris Bowe, Daisy Bram, Nicole Chenoweth, Sadie Cutler,
Jamie Dietrich, Tom Fagerholm, Michael Foster, Chris Fraker, Joshua Frayne,
Jill Gray, Nicole Gretillat, Brooke Harriman, Travis Hirsch, Evar Johnson,
Emily Kammrad, Nichole Glaser, April Lien, Jessie Lockwood, Kristin Lura,
Corey Marquardt, Natalie Meyer, Melissa Miller, Jake Peterson, Jennifer
Schlicher, Jessica Scholorholtz, Nathan Sills, LaShonda Small, Tess Tjaden,
Molly Trenary, Jeremy True, Justin Ullman, Justin VanLaere, Crystal Weiss.
Policies: The Logos is published every other week throughout theyear to inform, educate and entertain the students and staff of the North Iowa Area Community College. We encourage readers to write letters to the editor on matters of concern. Letters should be delivered to the editor of the Logos in room 210 in the Acitivity Center on the NIACC campus. Any one student may write one letter per issue. Letters must be signed. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for length or libelous content. The staff will not print letters that are an invasion of privacy. Letters should be limited to 250 words. All opinions expressed on the opinion page are those of the writer and not the newspaper staff, administration or board. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the editorial board. Affiliations: Associate Collegiate Press, Student Press Law Center. |
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