11 18 14 cayuga collegian vol 61 issue 8 final

SPARTAN PRIDE

Collegian cayugacollegian@gmail.com

Vol. 61 Issue 8 November 18, 2014

CAYUGABRIEFS CCC celebrates with a “BLACK-OUT SENDOFF” for the team COVERAGE PAGE THREE

MEN’S SOCCER OFF TO NATIONALS For those of you who wondered… the lights on Campus Safety Patrol do work! Thanks to Assistant AD Tom Namisniak for arranging an escort for the team. Thank you for those able to come down to wish the team well… much appreciated!

— Pete Liddell

Sad news

2014 SPARTAN MEN’S SOCCER TEAM ACHIEVES WHAT NO OTHER CCC SOCCER TEAM HAS EVER DONE

Spartans finish 4th in National Tournament Play Cayuga CC advanced to National Semis with 2-1 win over Montgomery Thursday; then lose semi-final game to Richland College 6-1 Friday

The CCC community was sad to learn of the passing of CCC alum and retired CCC Admissions Director, Dick Landers, of Auburn.

Dick is also the father of Kelly Diego, a counselor in CCC’s Admissions office.

COLLEGIAN OFFICE HOURS Kelsey McLean, editor-in-chief Monday: 11:00 am-12:00 pm Wednesday: 11:00 am-12:00 pm Friday: 11:00 am-1:00 pm

Caleb Slater, associate editor Tuesday: 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm Thursday: 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm Friday: 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

MORE PHOTOS INSIDE

Herkimer, NY: The #6 seeded Cayuga Community College Spartans knocked out the #3 seeded Montgomery College Raptors in a hard fought 2-1 victory in the NJCAA National Quarterfinals at Herkimer CCC Thursday. The Spartans got on the board first in the 25th minute, when freshman Connor Field (Felixstowe, England) found the back of the net on an assist from Calvin Negus (London, England). Cayuga scored on a Sean Wynne (Liverpool, England) penalty kick following a Raptor handball in the box in the 34th minute to take a 2-0 lead into the half.

The start of the second half was delayed in order to get snow cleared from the pitch. The Raptors came out strong in the second half and cut the Spartan lead in half on an unassisted Gabriel N’Diaye goal ten minutes in. The Spartans battled the elements and held off a talented Montgomery squad from netting the equalizer. Captain goalkeeper Tautis Poniskaitis (London, England) turned away five shots… including a huge diving save with just minutes remaining to help preserve the victory.

With the win, Cayuga moved to 16-1 on the season and advanced to the NJCAA National Semi-Final against the #2 seed Richland College Thunderducks. The Thunderducks proved to be too mighty and brought down The Spartans 6-1.

It was a disappointing loss, but a history-making, spectacular season for the team. The Spartans finish 4th in National Tournament play.

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CCC STUDENT SHARES HOW THE CLUB, BASIC, CHANGED HER LIFE

OPINIONS Here’s how I see it!

Frank “The Tank” Smith

VETERANS DAY VS. MEMORIAL DAY There is a bit of a misconception between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Veterans Day started the day after the Armistice was signed in 1919; then in 1938 it became an official holiday. Memorial Day is a time of remembrance and honoring those who are dead, those who gave their lives for US! Veterans Day was designed to just say, “Thank you” to those who have served during war time and it’s used to express one’s appreciation.

The distinction between the two confuses even me and I was a veteran! I was in the Navy for four years active and two years inactive.

I served on the USS CONNOLE FF 1056, it was a smaller ship. My port was outta’ Virginia. I even desired out a certain type of ship before going in.

It really felt good when people I didn’t even know were telling me, “Good job Frank.” I really think it’s important that we have a day to honor and celebrate those who have, or continue to put their lives on the line for each and every one of us.

—Frank the Tank

Most incoming college students are only thinking about getting good grades, worrying whether they will get along with their roommates, all the party’s they will get to attend, trying to figure out what major they want to take, and ultimately how to get their dream jobs after graduation. This was very true for me last year. When I moved out and came to CCC, all I envisioned for myself was a degree in nursing. Piece of cake right? Boy was I wrong!

I had no idea what was in store for me. How would I know to prepare for the constant fights with my roommate, the parties, and a boy that took me down a turn for the worse! I was so focused on my new found freedom that I hadn’t even noticed my grades were going down the tubes. My dream of being in the nursing program were damn near impossible!

When I told my dad the news of my falling grades, it was his disappointment that pushed me into a depression. I thank my other roommate though, for trying to cheer me up by inviting me to a BASIC meeting one Tuesday afternoon. I went to humor her, but little did I know she was introducing me to the outlet that would change my life forever.

So when I went to the meeting I was very hesitant, because I had a cynical outlook on religion, I thought god hated me. When

crying tears of joy and relief, I called to god and for the first time I knew he listened.

Just last weekend was BASICcon 2014 and I was thrilled to go again. The theme this year was anomaly, god creates us individually, we are all unique and he is the only one who truly knows us, he wants to help us not harm us.

I really feel as though god is leading me down the right path, I’ve changed my major, my habits and even who I associate with, I’ve just changed. I experienced a new form of prayer called a Fire line that night (two lines of people you can walk through and they can pray for you and with the power of Jesus to help heal you)I just prayed for relief of my mental health: depression, anxiety and the stresses of life. The result was me bursting into tears and feeling as if god had taken hold of my heart and was washing my mind of worry.

I felt free, completely and utterly free and full of love.

And I KNOW, I wasn’t the only one.

Hundreds, even thousands of people had a mutual feeling of gods presence. I am glad CCC has given me the chance to live for God and my Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

I’ve always wanted to make a difference in this world and I now feel, with the help of god, I have that chance. I am a proud member of the BASIC Movement.

—Anna Beaudry

MY SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERIMENT

But are we really?

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

KELSEY MCLEAN - EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CALEB SLATER - ASSOCIATE EDITOR DUSTIN ALBINO - STAFF WRITER SHAQUELLA S. NEWBY - STAFF WRITER MARY G. MERRITT - FACULTY ADVISOR WANT TO JOIN THE COLLEGIAN STAFF? EMAIL US TO SET UP AN INTERVIEW.

PAGE TWO

I was introduced to one of the leaders, I could help but rambled on about my lack of enthusiasm for religion, because of my previous feelings of judgment that I got from, “Church People.” That just wasn’t the case though; instead one of the leaders, Erin welcomed me with open arms.

The thing about BASIC that really hooked me was how open they are to all different kinds of people, even someone you wouldn’t expect to find at a church service, like me. At first I wasn’t going every week, but when I did go, I felt as though the BASIC leaders were talking to me about religion and it really helped me coupe with my daily stresses. Before I knew it, I was coming out of my depression.

During the second semester it was leaders Erin and John that introduced me to BASICcon, which is a massive convention, held every year that features guests and panelists FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD! What pulled me in was the idea of enjoying a nice weekend in my hometown of Rochester, with people that made my life make sense again.

However I had no idea what was in store for me. There worship music and spoken words really seemed to sink into my very soul and bring a warm sensation out, like never before. All my fear of being judged relinquished from my body and my heart and soul just opened as I stood there,

On a popular dating the same guy who asked me on week one website, I decided to If I even had a job said to me “babe you do an experiment I look so beautiful, you look like the kind of read about a while girl I can bring home to meet my parents.” ago, but wanted to By week four, I was at a loss of ideas, witness the results but I thought I would bring up the age myself. I created an old question, what do people feel about on-line dating profile tattoos? I took a picture of my bare with a fake name back in my bathroom mirror and later Amanda Bauso and over the span of photoshoped a big fairy tattoo on it.

CCC Telcom a month I changed my Unlike the other photos I posted, I had a profile picture on a weekly basis, dressing as lot of mixed comments. The women that different stereotypes, changing my clothes and makeup I wore, while leaving my bio and the rest of the page the exactly the same.

I opened the profile making it public to men and women to see what reactions I’d receive.

The first picture was me in a pair of baggy sweatpants and a big hoody with the hood up and a big smile on my face.

The comments I received were “What are you wearing”, “Why would you post this”, “Lazy cow”, CCC Telcom student, Amanda Bauso, “Well you look comfortable” and “Do you even have a ‘photoshopped’ a Tinkerbell tattoo, similar job?” Part of me wanted to to this one, on a photo of her back to see shut down the profile, getting what kind of reaction she would get on an judged by strangers wasn’t on on-line dating site. the top of my to-do list, but I got this far so I figured I’d continue. commented said “how artistic”, “wow that In the next picture I reluctantly posted looks like it took a while”, “what must of I was wearing a tight, partly see-through hurt”, “pretty”, and a women that said she dress, with my hair all sprayed up, and my loved it and sent me a picture of her fairy makeup caked on. The comments were tattoo on her shoulder. The comments I outrageous, some of which I don’t think got from men were “WHY?”, “nice tat what I can repeat, but they were “HOT!!!”, “What are you doing tonight?”, “Sorry, but I don’t are you doing tonight? Me hopefully”, date girls with tattoos”, “Why do that to “Wanna party”, “I know you know where your body?”, “cool tattoo”, “nice tattoo to get the good stuff” and a total of 18 wanna see mine ;)”, and two comments guys asking me if I wanted to ‘hook up’ from men that just simply said “trash”. and a total of 14 girls calling me, “trashy”, This experiment taught me that based “sleazy”, and words I can’t even say. It was on the way I looked, I was judged on my by far the most viewed and commented financial, sexual, and educational status. It picture I posted. showed me a lot about the type of society By week three, I posted a picture of me we live in where these social sites in some in a modest, pink sundress with my hair cases are anti-social sites and people who curled and flowers in it. Comments I got don’t know you judge you. So why don’t were pretty repetitive. Three guys called you take the challenge? What will people me ‘sweet’, Seven guys asked me out, four say about you? guys referred to me as a ‘good girl’, and —Amanda Bauso, CCC student

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Auburn elementary school The 100 Die a Day Project principal charged with DWI

By Caleb Slater, associate editor

By Kelsey McLean, editor-in-chief Professionalism is not a word thrown around lightly in education, especially children’s education.

When one is working with children, some of the most vulnerable people in our society, you’re expected to be on your best behavior. We expect it so much, in fact, that we’re often shocked when educators and teachers go off rails, as if the very idea simply isn’t possible... as has happened today in our fair city.

Richenda Walter, principal of Owasco Elementary School, was arrested last Wednesday after she had been discovered unconscious behind the wheel -- unnervingly, not too far away from the school. When it was discovered that she had a blood alcohol count of .25-- easily .7 points above the bare minimum for arrest-she was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated and immediately put on administrative leave later that day.

Marty Walter, her husband, has been quoted as saying “She’s been under a lot of stress, and she’s been dealing with it the wrong way. She’s just been trying to do it all at once.” suggesting some kind of alcoholic problem. “She is getting help, and

we will get through this.”

The community, however, has not been so kind. One only needs to read the comments of the Post Standard articles to see how they feel. “Wishing her good luck and warm wishes will only enable her and others who think they can get away with it. She needs boot camp.” says one. “Everyone defending her should be ashamed of themselves,” says another “Is this what we want to reach our children?”

Yet, for every vitrolic comment, there’s another one just beneath wishing her well, praying for her recovery, and offering her support.

The community is clearly divided.

While Walter’s behavior was never seen at the school, it was certainly nearby, and a DIY doesn’t look well on a principal. Even still, the reaction is mixed. Should she be fired? Put on leave? Jailed? Rehabilitated?

Demonized? Pitied?

There are too many questions, and none with an easy answer.

Walters has been released, though she is set to appear in court later this month. Whatever happens then, is up to the community.

What started as a measure taken by the family of former CCC student Jessica Nicole-Gentile, who on May 8, 2013 died of a heroin overdose, “The 100 Die a Day” project has now become a collaborative effort between the Drug Free Community Coalition, the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Department, the local Department of Mental Health and even CCC. Their mission is to: “Educate people of the realities of heroin use, to prevent people from starting and to impact people already using heroin to encourage them to stop.”

Soon you will begin to notice the

graves lying outside of the CCC Auburn campus, well that’s a part of the project. On Sunday, November 23rd, 100 tombstones will be placed outside the college on the lawn to symbolize the 100 people who die every day from a heroin overdose.

On each of the epitaphs is a message and on one of them is a picture of Jessica Gentile’s actual grave.

In addition, there is an information table that is located in the lobby on the Auburn campus for the remainder of the week to provide information on the dangers of heroine, as well as treatments and meeting schedules for help groups.

The PBL club would like to thank you for your generous support for our fundraiser! We had many people who came out to bowl and we appreciate you donating your spare change in our baby bottles. Thanks to all of your generosity, we raised $1000 which we presented to a March of Dimes Representative Wed, Nov. 12.

Buy a wreath; show a veteran you care

Write for The Collegian and earn credits at the same time! Register for Telcom 204, (Journalism Practicum)

The Criminal Justice Club in Auburn wants you to remember a fallen hero. In honor of our fallen veterans, the club has graciously taken on the task of selling wreaths for “Wreaths Across America”.

This is a not-for-profit organization that sells live balsam wreaths that will be laid on veteran’s graves. The students will be setting up a table Wednesday, 11/19 in the front lobby of the Auburn campus from 10 am to 2 pm to order and pay for your wreaths. Each wreath is $15. Only checks or cash will be accepted. Orders will be taken through November 26th at the school or you can order online. http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org

FULTON CAMPUS! The Collegian wants to know what is going on up there!

Be a Fulton Correspondent or just email us your news at Cayugacollegian@gmail.com

SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS!

PAGE THREE

PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER

PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER

SPORTS GO SPARTANS! CCC celebrates with a “BLACK-OUT SEND-OFF” GO SPARTANS! GO SPARTANS! GO SPARTANS! Students, faculty and staff came together last Thursday to give the Spartan Men’s Soccer Team a special send-off before they traveled to Herkimer to compete in Nationals.

By Caleb Slater, associate editor

PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER

PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER

Tautis Poniskatis and the player of the year, Chris Davison. Although he wasn’t able to attend the send-off, Interim CCC President Dr. DeCinque, did submit a video to the team, wishing them good luck.

PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER

Champions and earned their spot in the National tournament at Herkimer.

The crowd was alive with cheers as many players were nominated into the Mid-State All-Conference team, including: Seam Richards, Sean Wynn,

PAGE FOUR

PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER

CCC’s Pete Liddell

PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER

Dr. DeCinque and Coach Wynne

PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER

CCC faculty, staff and students met up in the café on the Auburn campus at 1:00 p.m. last Thursday to honor and send off their proud Spartan Men’s Soccer team, which in the first time in the college’s history, became Region 3

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CCC Spartans are NJCAA Region 3 Champions!

Spartans do battle in the snow winning their first contest in Nationals

SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS!

PAGE FIVE

ACTIVITIES

Malcolm Huey, the founder of CCC’s Divergent Nation organization.

Divergent Nation update

By Caleb Slater, associate editor

THANK YOU, CCC VETS, FOR YOUR SERVICE!

YouTube channel for Divergent Nation is up and can be found on YouTube, under Divergent Nation. so check it out, keep in touch and subscribe to our channel, “or be a banana.”

P.S. If you want to, “test the waters” and see what Divergent Nation is all about, come to our weekly meeting in the Collegian office on Tuesday’s from 11:0012:00.

PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER

Attention Cayugans, the new student-run organization; Divergent Nation is off to a great start and is a hit on campus. We currently have 10 members and actually run under the Cayuga Collegian, so you may find me on here every so often to keep you updated, with Divergent Nation.

Remember “Divergent Nation is here to give your imagination a new outlet.” in saying that the official

Although on the surface this photo may look like just a bunch of people standing around, it really is a tough, nail-biting kickball competition between students in the Telcom and Music programs at CCC.

Telcom & Music Departments “Kickoff” WDWN advisor’s return

By Caleb Slater, associate editor Last Wednesday, November 12th, the Telecommunication and Music Departments collaborated in their first annual kickball game. Students met up in the TV studio at 10:30 a.m. to build teams, before starting the game in the gymnasium at 11:00 a.m.

There was a great turn out and many students wore their “uniforms”, meaning many Telcom students wore either a WDWN, SOMA or Telcom Cayuga T-shirt, whereas some students from the Music Department wore a T-shirt with a musical instrument, such as a guitar, on it.

The game started off with a huge advantage of eight to nothing, in favor of the Music Department, but then toward the bottom of the 2nd those Telcom students left their mark and made a comeback for a 9-8

HAPPY 43RD BIRTHDAY, WDWN

PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER

By Amanda Bauso, contributing writer

PHOTO BY CALEB SLATER

Jeff Szczesniak

The students celebrated WDWN radio station advisor’s Jeff Szczesniak’s return to work with a cake.

PAGE SIX

lead! The rest of the match was a nail bitter, going back and forth, but the Music Department just managed to snatch an impressive 14-11 victory in the 5th inning.

After the match, high fives, handshakes and plenty of, “good game” sharing was done on the court before returning to the TV studio for some post game pizza and cake in celebration of not only the game, but the return of WDWN station advisor, Jeffrey Szczesniak.

He had just returned to work this week after spending some time in the hospital.

The event was seen as such a success that the departments are even planning on doing another kickball game before the semester’s end!

On Wednesday, October 29th, the college radio station WIN 89 FM celebrated their 43rd birthday with a Halloween celebration. There was live music from the local band Play Dirty, comprised of CCC Telcom Students, along with dancing, pizza, a raffle, and cake! There was also buckets of candy and no Halloween

party would be complete without a costume contest. Many students dressed in costumes but our winner was Lauren Maltese who walked away with a big bucket of candy bars with her costume Isabela from Dragon Age and to wrap up the event the contestants performed their rendition of the dance Time Warp.

Telcom Department’s Jeff Szczesniak and Telcom Department Chair Steve Keeler on the college radio station, WDWN, 43rd birthday.

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Auburn community members come together to give a military bride her dream wedding Sgt. Mat Kratts is a CCC graduate and a former Collegian editor

PHOTO BY MICHELLE SHEREE

PHOTO BY MICHELLE SHEREE

PHOTO BY MICHELLE SHEREE

Strangers came together to make their vow renewal ceremony special.

Once, when Mat was away, Brianne confided to her hair stylist at Downtown Shag in Auburn how difficult it was to be separated from her new husband. She also told her stylist, Kim Cheramie-Weirs, that she was disappointed with the way her hair had looked in her recent wedding photos, and she wished her hair in photos was like the new style and color Cheramie-Weirs created for her. She also regretted that Mat hadn’t worn his military dress uniform for the ceremony.

That’s when Cheramie-Weirs started thinking. The stylist needed new photos for her Downtown Shag Salon website to attract more bride business: So why not have Brianna be the model? Brianne had the gown and her new, desired hairstyle to match. Brianne shared the plan with Mat, who then turned the event into a secret mission with several more maneuvers in the works.

PHOTO BY MICHELLE SHEREE

CCC graduate and former Collegian editorin-chief, Mat Kratts, and his bride, Brianne, were able to renew their vows after his long military deployment to Kuwait with the help of a giving Auburn community.

It’s not often in life you get a chance at a do-over, but one active duty military man and his bride got just that when members of the Auburn community came together to plan and execute a secret mission for the couple.

Sgt. Mat Kratts and his bride, Brianne, were barely newlyweds in 2012, when Mat was called away for extended periods of time to start training for his deployment with the New York Army National Guard to Kuwait. After months of training in Fort Lee, Virginia and Fort Hood, Texas, Mat arrived at Camp Buehring, Kuwait on Dec. 1, 2013. Mat said from their wedding day to his deployment, the couple had only spent a total of six months together.

“It was difficult,” he said. “I wanted to settle down and create a life for us or at least have some consistency, but life doesn’t happen that way.”

With Mat out of the country and in a time zone seven hours ahead, communication for the couple proved difficult.

He said they used Skype and other Internet phone services to keep in touch, but it wasn’t sufficient for a young couple to build a sturdy foundation for their new marriage.

“One of the hardest moments for me was watching my family eating Christmas dinner through my computer screen,” he said.

“The deployment placed a physical and emotional distance between us as newlyweds,” Brianne explained. “The biggest challenge during the deployment was maintaining our identity as a couple while leading entirely different lives on opposite sides of the world.”

It was also difficult when the couple was finally reunited. “When my husband initially returned, I was in a state of shock. After waiting patiently for nearly a year, I was disappointed.

Unfortunately, I felt as if I had received an unwanted present that I obligatorily had to be thankful for. I had dreamed of a reunion and a future life during the deployment, and I had neglected to work on the current state of our relationship during that time,” Brianne said.

Auburn hair stylist Kim CheramieWeirs trained to be an ordained minister in order to perform the vow renewal ceremony.

PHOTO BY MICHELLE SHEREE

PHOTO BY MICHELLE SHEREE

By Mary G. Merritt, contributing writer

“The reintegration process for coming home was much rockier than anticipated because we both lived separate lives for the past year.

This opportunity inspired me to do something to bring us back together, get us on the same page in life. I contacted Kim and told her about the idea of renewing my vows with Brianne. She loved the idea and immediately started to plan around that idea,” said Mat. With the services of Michelle Stoneburg, the owner of Photography

by Michelle Sheree, secured, Cheramie-Weirs and Mat enlisted the help of Cosentino’s Florist and the bakery department at Tops Supermarkets. Everyone was on board to recreate Brianne’s bouquet and the top tier of the couple’s wedding cake. The photographer convinced the management of the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn to provide the setting for the photo shoot, as well as a discounted overnight romance package.

Cheramie-Weirs even studied and became an ordained minister so she could perform the ceremony!

On Nov. 1, Brianne arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn expecting a photo shoot, and got a surprise second chance to put the pieces of her marriage back in place.

“I was surprised when the photographer provided an exact replica of my wedding bouquet as a prop. Later, I was speechless when our wedding song began to play and my husband explained his surprise,”

SERVING THE STUDENTS OF CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS!

Brianne said. “I could hardly repeat my vows.”

Brianne said Mat recited an updated version of his original vows to reflect all the changes for them as individuals and as a couple.

“It was an unforgettable night, and it was more wonderful than our wedding,” she said.

“It was such an emotional moment for both of us, that we will never forget,” Mat said. “How often do you get to remarry your wife and watch her repeat the vows that started us on this journey of life?”

Cheramie-Weirs said you could feel the tears of joy surging in the room for the couple during the ceremony as hotel guests looked on. “Being a part of the ceremony was only something you can witness to understand how beautiful the moment was. I was honored to share a very personal and sweet moment with a school teacher and a soldier,” she said.

Now the couple can cherish their new wedding photos not only as a symbol of their love, but also of the love they received from a caring community.

“The contribution by others made us relive the emotions from our wedding day. Complete strangers put together a magical evening for my wife and I that we will never forget,” Mat said.

“After nearly a year of clinging to past memories, ignoring the present reality and idealizing a ‘perfect’ future with my husband, I was fortunate to have a moment to reset the timeline of our relationship to provide us with a new beginning based on the commitment and knowledge that our bond was stronger than distance, time, and change,” Brianne said.

When Mat is deployed again, Brianne can now look at her wedding pictures and miss Mat, but she’ll be reminded that she isn’t really alone, and a caring community has their back.

The couple would like to thank the women at the Downtown Shag Salon, Photographer Shelly Stoneburg, Cosentino’s Florist, the Tops bakery and The Hilton Garden Inn.

PAGE SEVEN

leave it TO CODY...

Dear Cody, I am having roommate trouble. Now let me start off by saying that I have nothing against this guy personally, he’s a great friend and a cool guy, or at least that’s what I thought of him when I first moved in with him at the beginning of the semester. He’s slowly snowballing into this problem and I don’t want to lose his friendship, but I also want him to understand that I live here too now and, for one thing he needs to understand that I need some shut eye for classes in the morning and I don’t want him and his buddies laughing their asses off the walls until 2-3 in the morning. When I say lights off, he should respect that and at least keep it down a notch.

The other thing is that we are always fighting over the dishes, because he won’t clean them and I shouldn’t have to pick up for his laziness. IT’S DISGUSTING! Lastly the other day he asked one of my friends for money, so he can go get high. Now I know that I have no control over that because he’ll just go ask someone else, but come on.

This is getting way outta hand. What do I do?

—Lost and Afraid Dear Lost and Afraid, I completely understand what you are going through right now; I have two roommates and one of them is just like yours. Here is what my roommate and I tried doing: The first thing that we did was kindly ask him to stop… it worked for a little while, but then he started up again. Then my other roommate and I tried to hold an intervention with a group of friends. That didn’t work, he got really mad, thought we were trying to run his life and he disappeared for a week. When he did show up again, we tried to be nice to him, but my other

roommate was being fucking stupid and let him borrow money. He became really bad, until one night, I’m not sure the exact details, but what I do know is he made the entire house smell like his drug of choice. When my other roommate and I arrived home that evening, the odor was pungent that it pierced our bones!

This brought us to a bigger issue; my other roommate is allergic to both smoke and stupidity, so it was both a moral and health concern. Needless to say, we were madder than a woodpecker in a petrified forest. My roommate locked himself in his room to avoid the smells and I confronted him and said, “What the fuck did you do, get sprayed by a mother fucking god damn skunk?” That pissed me off, but believe it or not, it didn’t end there.

He came out of his room with a bunch of other people and laughed about the situation, like it was no big deal, but the fact of the matter is, it’s a very big deal.

It’s a health concern! They were in the kitchen by the door at this point when shit hit the fan. I picked up the frying pan and managed to refrained from beating him senseless with it, but I definitely got my point across that he better get outta here right quick or else.

The following day was veteran’s day and he tried to continue the argument from the night before and tried to tell US that WE were being disrespectful. Lastly he said that he will stop smoking in the room, so long as we stop arguing with him and trying to run his life.

In the end, all I can provide you with is what I have done to handle the situation.

If you manage to fix your roommate issues, I would be more than willing to listen, as we are both in the same boat.

—Sincerely Cody

PHOTO BY MARY G. MERRITT

WITH CODY WHITE

STONER ROOMMATE

SOMA Ambassadors Amanda Bauso and Lauren Maltese are providing information about CCC’s new School of Media Arts (SOMA) in the lobby on the Auburn Campus recently.

COLLEGIAN WEEKLY SODoKu lOOK FOR THE ANSWERS IN THE NEXT ISSUE last week’s puzzle solved

top

20

Top 20 Artists for the week of November 11, 2014

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