Seal is plagued by administrative failures
It was disappointing and downright alarming to hear that due to a deficit of thousands of dollars, the 2007 edition of the Seal is in danger of being canceled. While a college yearbook doesn't nearly have the appeal of our beloved high school books, it still serves as an important memory of our college years.
There are a multitude of problems with the policies and strategies encompassing the yearbook.
First and foremost, the Seal is classified by the Student Finance Board (SFB) as a media organization, along with groups like The Signal. This is a major flaw: While The Signal can fund itself through the sale of advertising, the yearbook has no such luxury - it relies on the purchase of the books and small booster ads.
According to SFB, the Seal staff is responsible for its own financial problems, having exhausted its $30,000 stipend from three years ago. Furthermore, the yearbook staff should not be punished for entering into a contract three years ago, when none of the current members were involved in that decision.
But the members of the yearbook staff are not innocent bystanders in this whole situation. The Seal has done a poor job of advertising, and many seniors had the time for senior pictures come and go without even knowing they were supposed to sign up.
Part of the reason for this lack of publicity is that the Seal has been operating without its advisor, who stepped down at the end of last semester. The yearbook staff should have immediately contacted the office of Campus Activities to ensure that a new advisor could be assigned.
While blame can be passed around, the fact remains that the Class of 2007 will very likely be the first class in 97 years to leave the College without the opportunity to purchase a yearbook. Let's hope that something can be worked out so that seniors won't hold this dubious distinction.
Senior Week loses appeal
The Senior Week meeting held last Wednesday confirmed what the College has made crystal clear this year: It is taking a stand against alcohol in Travers and Wolfe and isn't going to budge.
The College's defense seems reasonable enough, including increased hospital transports and vandalism during previous years. But the fact remains that seniors are of legal drinking age, and the College is not a dry campus.
It is a shame that the vast majority of students who can enjoy themselves responsibly are denied the privilege to consume alcohol based on the potential careless actions of a few unruly individuals.
While the no-alcohol policy is hard enough to swallow, the cost is what really hurts. According to the senior class council, an optimistic estimate of a ticket for Senior Week is between $200 and $230.
These changes to Senior Week have caused seniors to question whether it's even worth attending. The four-day event, made up of the same activities as last year but without drinking in the dorms, will cost about $75 more than the $150 per ticket last year.
Looking back at the low cost and laissez-faire policies of past Senior Weeks can't be easy for the Class of 2007. All the seniors are asking for is a fitting way to put an exclamation point on the best four (or more) years of their lives.
It's the least they deserve after losing out on the apartments they were promised.
