14
//
FORUM
CHANGE YOUR THINKING
www. myunion.edu
Degree Completion Programs Designed for Adults Low residency (small classes, online, or hybrid) Accelerated (earn 8 credits in 8 weeks) Financial aid for those who qualify Bachelor of Science with majors in: Business Management (HR, MIS, Marketing) Criminal Justice Management Elementary Education Exceptional Student Education Secondary Education Social Work
www.myunion.edu 800.486.7141 or 305.653.7141 AdmissionsMiami@myunion.edu 16853 NE 2nd Avenue, North Miami Beach, FL 33162 Non-profit, private, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (ncahlc.org)
JAN. 17, 2011
Hanging on the telephone at MDC Ask Andrea
Contacting school officials is an arduous game of phone tag that results in unanswered questions and unaddressed concerns.
ASK ANDREA IS AN ADVICE COLUMN RUN BY ANDREA ORELLANA, FORUM EDITOR FOR THE REPORTER. TO SUBMIT A QUESTION, SEND A 250-WORD EMAIL TO ANDREA.ORELLANA001@MYMDC. NET. PLEASE INCLUDE FULL NAMES FOR PUBLISHING. ALL CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO EDITING FOR CLARITY.
Dear Andrea, I had casual sex for the first time recently. I always knew I didn't believe in it. My parents always taught against it, especially me, their only daughter. But I wanted to challenge my beliefs. It was my first and my last time. It felt gross to be so unattached during such a personal act. Now I don't know what to do with these feelings. I'm feeling so low, like I've disappointed myself and I can only turn to my best friend, who had the same experience. I need a new perspective. -Not So Casual Dear Not So Casual, Feel low for a while and get it out of your system but steer clear of feeling regret; take this as an opportunity to learn about yourself and your gut instincts which are, more often than not, correct. It's completely normal to challenge the ideals taught to you, but be prudent in choosing the ones you act against. The case quite often is that you don't have to get in the water to know you'll get wet. -Andrea
Adoptive Identity Dear Andrea, I met my biological mother for the first time four years ago. Two summers ago, I spent the fourth of July weekend with her in New York and she introduced me to a few of her close friends. She didn't introduce me as her daughter or her relative or anything, just as Anna. She later excused herself and explained to me that not many people—in fact, none of her New York friends—know that she had a daughter because she was so young when it happened and it's such a touchy subject for her. The thing is: I'm very open with the people I'm close to and have written short stories and other pieces that have to do with my biological mother's pregnancy and my adoption, so it's not a strange story to hear, for anyone who knows me. Dilemma: If I were to introduce her to anyone in the future, should I introduce her as my biological mother, or just by her name? -Annakrizia R. Dear Annakrizia R., As cheesy as it’s going to sound, you have to do what’s most comfortable for you, after all, that’s what your mother did. I think you’ll find that as open a person as you are, it’s going to be uncomfortable omitting the fact that she’s your biological mother to others. -Andrea
By Alcides Decena alcides.decena001@mymdc.net The phone is not dead—although it may seem that way after calling the same person numerous times and getting no response. You expect this kind of treatment from scorned lovers or insurance agents, but not from school officials or employees. If you have never had to contact anyone at Miami Dade College, and were able to handle everything by yourself, you have a secret the world needs to know. To the rest of you that don’t posses this power— prepare for some hardship. Trying to get in touch with the financial aid department is a perfect example; it always leaves a bad taste in your mouth and it doesn’t take much to know why. Tr y calling financial aid and you’ll see what I’m talking about. It’s a hassle. You’ll be bounced from person to person— if you're lucky enough to get to speak to someone live. Sometimes it takes 30 minutes until someone picks up the phone. All of that for someone to fix your problem in less than five minutes. It’s enough to leave a student frustrated and with an impending ulcer.
11/9/10 2:18 PM
Contacting people, especially people who are on the college’s directory listing, shouldn't be like pushing a boulder up a hill. You get put on hold before hearing the dreadful words: “They’re in a meeting. I can direct you to their voicemail to leave a message.” The voicemail, you would think, is the lesser of two evils, but then you hear the words: “You cannot leave a message for this number because their inbox is full.” At this point, you’re bleeding from your ears. Why do administrators, department heads, athletic coaches, professors and such, constantly have their voicemail inbox full?
“You expect this kind of treatment from scorned lovers or insurance agents, but not from school officials or employees.” Do they not listen to their messages? Is it possible that they purposely leave their voicemail inundated? What is a student to do, when the quest for the answer comes to a sudden stop? The phone can’t be dead. Unfortunately, many of these questions can’t be answered for MDC students because their messages have never been returned.
Mailbox LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: All submissions should be 300 words or less and must be typed. Writers must include their full name, contact number, campus, student number, and e-mail address. Faculty and staff should include the title, department, and extension. All letters are subject to editing for purposes of brevity and clarity. Letters can be sent via e-mail to MDC.THEREPORTER@GMAIL.COM, with the subject “letter to the editor.”
Vol. 1, Issue 4 Nov. 15, 2010 "Feast 4 Thought" —Sarah Dawood
Sarah Dawood's "Thoughts on Thanksgiving" seeks to justify colonialism, militarism and the negation of any people she deems inferior. Declaring herself a "completely non-biased" observer of US history because she "isn't American" (a specious argument itself), Dawood asserts that the "English settlers were far superior to the Native Americans. They had strength in numbers. They won fair and square.... [T]he pilgrims deserved the land." Would Dawood have us believe that India (pop. 1 billion) deserves the land of her native Pakistan
VISIT US ONLINE: WWW.MDC.EDU/THEREPORTER
Miami Dade 3x8.indd 1
THE REPORTER
COLLEGE SERVICES
Not So Casual
UNDERGRADUATE
//
(pop. 184 million), that Germany deserved Poland in 1939 or that the schoolyard bully deserves the swing you sit on because his fists are bigger than yours? Dawood invokes both turkey and bald eagle in her essay, but seems to conflate the two, Thanksgiving no more than a celebration of the United States' "powerful national security" state. Perhaps next Thanksgiving Ms. Dawood will toast those Pilgrims who were fed in a faraway land where they'd grown hungry for the sake of that Jesus who himself had fed the hungry once and, at another meal altogether, was sorrowed knowing how such mercy would be betrayed. Perhaps Ms. Dawood will even share the pumpkin pie with others. -Steve Kronen, Faculty Librarian/ Assistant Professor, West Campus