Newspaper Page Text
Maybe A Stadium Is
Not the Answer
by Tony Cowart
Staff Writer
It is a little known fact that
students at West Georgia do
not stick around for the
weekends. Plus, it is difficult to
hold functions on the weekends,
and sometimes during the week.
How can we solve this?
Many students feel that a
stadium will fix this problem
and bring the campus as a
whole together on the weekends
and bring to rest the dilemma of
UWG as a suitcase college.
A stadium could very well
solve this problem, but what
happens when the students tire
of the novelty of it? What hap
pens when the campus receives
their heart’s desire and has the
stadium it has so desperately
craved only to get over it very
quickly?
The problem that needs to
be fixed first is the absence of
connection between students
and UWG. Students on campus
cannot identify with each other,
so they stick to their own small
groups. On the weekends stu
dents would rather go home,
wash clothes, and work at their
old jobs in their respective
towns than stay in Carrollton.
Vice President of Student
Services, Melanie McClellan,
noticed this problem on campus
when she first came here in July
as reported in a previous issue
of the West Georgian. She con
ducted surveys on campus and
discovered that students do not
have a connection to UWG.
McClellan has her plan to try
and figure out West Georgia.
“This semester I am trying
to listen to the students’ con
cerns,” says McClellan. “TJien
I plan to express my findings
sometime next semester, then
possibly create a committee to
start change, and finally imple
ment change if needed.”
One of the first steps in
solving this mystery is to deter
mine if West Georgia is either a
traditional institution, ages 18-
24, or non-traditional such as
commuter students with families
and full time jobs.
With close to nine thousand
students, it is difficult to deter
mine how the school should
classify itself. Should it cater to
just the traditional and neglect
the non-traditional or vice
versa?
Some things have been
done in the past couple of years
that have brought UWG stu
dents to start forming a commu
nity of sorts.
First is the attempt to make
UWG a more pedestrian-friend
ly campus. Many new students
do not know this, but there used
to be a road that ran through the
middle of campus in front of the
community center. Also, other
roads have been cut off to the
general public.
Other attempts are being
made by SGA to try and make
computer labs accessible during
the weekends for the students.
All this brings us back to
the original question: “Will a
stadium bring about the change
that the traditional students
want?” Probably not. It is a
grueling process that will take
years to figure out.
For right now, if students
want a great college atmos
phere, it will not be found in a
stadium.
Students should come
together and show their support
for UWG just like they did two
weekends ago when the Braves
played Valdosta State. The
stands at Grisham Stadium have
never been so full, and if the
student community can do it
once, then it should be no prob
lem doing it again.
And let’s worry about the
little things like actually being
able to consistently have great
turnouts at campus events rather
than waste all our energy want
ing a stadium that will not come
any time soon.
State University of West Georgia
Skiing/Snowboarding
Open To The Public-College Credit Optional
January 1-5, 2001
Beginning Class-PWLA 1665
Includes: 5 Sessions of Skiing/Snowboarding
(1 Night/3 Days Appalachian Ski Mtn., 1 Day Sugar Mtn.)
Instruction with FRENCH-SWISS SKI COLLEGE at Appalachian Ski Mtn.
Equipment: Skis, Boots, Poles (Deduct $lO if using own equipment)
or
Snowboard/Boots: Add $33 to cost below
(If using own board, cost is same as skiers)
Slope Tickets
Lodging for 4 Nights
Intermediate/Advanced Class-PWLA 1666
Includes: 5 Sessions of Skiing/Snowboarding
(1 Night/2 Days Appalachian Ski Mtn., 1 Day Each @ Sugar Mtn. Ski Beech)
Instruction with FRENCH-SWISS SKI COLLEGE at Appalachian Ski Mtn.
Equipment: Skis, Boots, Poles (Deduct $lO if using own equipment)
or
Snowboard/Boots: Add $33 to cost below
(If using own board, cost is same as skiers)
Slope Tickets
Lodging for 4 Nights
Cost
$254 4 per room $274 3 per room
$294 2 per room $394 Single
First Class Meeting
Thursday, Nov. 30, 2000 • 7:00 pm
HPE 105 Gym (MUST ATTEND)
Deposit
$75 (NON-REFUNDABLE, DUE AT MEETING)
Contact
DR. TERRY O'TOOLE, PER DEPARTMENT
(770) 836-4726 • Email: totoole@westga.edu
Pi 1
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Christmas Preview
Date: Monday, November 27 Saturday, December 2
Time: Mon.—Thurs. 8 am—7 pm, Friday 8 am— spm
& Saturday 10 am—2 pm.
It’s never too early to beat the rush and
begin Christmas shopping. The University
Bookstore invites you to preview our gift
selection and save 10% on all imprinted
merchandise!
Be sure to check out our line of crystal giftware.
What a great way to say Happy Holidays!
State University of West Georgia
Bookstore
J\-• v ' .
Phone: 770-836-6523
Email: bookstore@westga.edu
Web Page: www.bookstore.westga.edu