A Different Angle: Complainers need a reality check

By Olivia Tattory

It was just last week that it most recently happened and then maybe a few days before that. It happens everywhere on campus and I can’t seem to escape the endless amounts of it. I’m sure all of you have experienced it and maybe you, just like me, are sick of it. I know you are probably wondering what it is by now and yes, I’m finally going to tell you.

Whether it’s in a class, the SRC or of course Daly’s, the endless amounts of complaining I hear about how much students hate Rider is just really getting old. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not at all saying that Rider is the best of the best with nothing to complain about.

Yes, I would like if I could get some water pressure to wash the conditioner out of my hair or maybe even a real key to open my door instead of some odd-shaped piece of metal I have to wrestle with to get into my room.

But in the grand scheme of things, I personally am willing to put up with these small inconveniences for everything else that Rider has given me. Academically, I can only speak for the Communication and Journalism Department, but I am sure the opportunities available for students are not confined to the second floor of Fine Arts. There are incredible internship opportunities, three media outlets to jump-start your career in the communication field and professors who consistently go above and beyond the classroom just so you can succeed.

In addition, the amount of activities and organizations on campus are endless, so much so that I find it hard to believe all the complainers out there really just cannot possibly find anything to do. Intramural sports, RUN, WRRC, Greek Life, SEC, the Black Student Union and SGA are just a few of the many groups students can get involved with.

Now I’ll admit, the complaints I hear on Friday mornings aren’t usually centered on students trying to find an organization to get involved with. Instead, they are more like: “I never stay here for the weekend, there is nothing to do,” or “I usually go to Temple or Rutgers because nothing ever happens here.” It is because of this reasoning that I am able to get a spot in the gravel lot on the weekends.

So now, I’d like to offer just a thought – instead of running off campus Friday afternoons after class, open the unread “Weekend Warriors” e-mail in your inbox and take a look.

Take the free bus shuttle to support your basketball team in the MAAC Championship, sit back and relax for an SEC movie or maybe even convince those friends from Rutgers or Temple to come here for the night. College is only as good as you make it.