The back-to-back spectacle of Spring fest and Oozfest was created to help students relax. Those who were looking to kick back and enjoy the concert may have been disappointed by the actions of their fellow students - but more so, by the lack of University Police enforcement in at least attempting to stop it.
Students who had cameras in their bags were barred from entry. Others had their contraband water bottles seized. Students were then dismayed when marijuana smoke wafted their way.
Possession of a camera is legal, while drug possession is not. Students can do whatever they want prior to going to the concert, but what they do during should be subject to rules and regulations.
Instead, students hoping to attend a clean, school-sponsored concert were subjected to pot smoke and other drug activity, students jumping off of anything they could get on, and otherwise hindering the enjoyment of others.
While all of this behavior might be typical and accepted at a normal concert, Spring Fest is a concert paid for by your student money- one that every student pays for, and every student should be able to enjoy.
The University Police's ability to remove miscreants from the crowd is hindered by the sheer number of people present at the concert. The behavior is not contained to the floor - those sitting in the seats are just as guilty. Yet despite the obvious illegal drug use, as evident by the smell and clouds of smoke popping up everywhere in the crowd, University Police and the "security" SA provided did nothing to stop it.
Crowd surfing and mosh pits are to be expected with rowdy college students, as is some students showing up drunk or high. This event, however, is open to students and the general public who may not participate in pre-gaming or other behavior. Everyone who paid for a ticket to Spring Fest, whether it be through their student fees or a public general admission ticket, should have been able to at least enjoy the show safely.
By doing as little as possible to prevent students from harm or themselves, the University is inadvertently condoning the behavior. Why couldn't security somehow remove patrons obviously blowing marijuana smoke into the faces of other concert-goers? Would it be too much to ask that the drunk student jumping off of railings onto others be removed?
The actions of few should not disrupt the experience of others. University Police and SA should have worked together to ensure that Spring Fest was an enjoyable experience for all, not just for the impaired.
Lol speak maeks teachers : - (
Internet abbreviations find their way into formal papers
The cultural impact of text and instant messaging, "1337 speak" and other forms of technological "chatting" may soon be realized.
According to Foxnews.com, half of teens surveyed don't capitalize or use proper punctuation, and 38 percent use terms such as "lol." A quarter of teens have used emoticons - smiling, frowning or other smiley faces displaying emotions.
IM conversations involve writing, so some students think using the same writing in school papers is acceptable. When schools begin saying that this language is tolerable, they do society as a whole a disservice.
Internet terminology, while a marvel of modern language, can promote illiteracy. Using slang or colloquial expressions in term papers would not be acceptable, so why would using "lol" or a frowning face be?
Some people don't realize that there is a difference. Shortcuts are ok to use in accompaniment with an extensive understanding of the English language. The recent slang words such as "idk" are actually denigrating the English language. "Wtf" should not be considered a word, and should not be used in a formal paper under any circumstances.
Words used in chats with friends online should be kept separate from formal writing. While there is no way to stop the dozens of words added to Urban Dictionary each day, there are ways to keep the two languages separate. Students need to make the distinction between the two as they're learning, and teachers need to hold them to a higher standard to teach the difference between "lol" speak and real English.
There should an unspoken ban on using the same words you'd IM to your bff Jill in your history paper. Since people have been crossing the line, a rule should be put in place to make an example out of repeat offenders. Schools that have previously allowed these exceptions should definitely call the practice to a screeching halt.
Allowing students to complete their thoughts with online speak such as "Hitler = ☹" does nothing to help students prepare for the real world any more than allowing "ain't" in an English paper.
Putting "lol" in a high school paper may seem like nothing now, but someday job applications and resumes may end with "hire me plz" and a : - ).
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
