The Omnibus

Issue date: 2/16/07 Section: Forum

One morning last week, I went to Mellers Dining Commons to eat breakfast. I don't eat breakfast often, but I was fortunate enough to actually wake myself up in time to go enjoy a morning meal. I was even more excited to see that the staff had decided to make biscuits and gravy that particular morning. However, my excitement was soon dissolved by a conversation that took place between the two people ahead of me in line.
"They better have gravy this time," said disgusted individual # 1. "Last time I came here, they ran out of gravy and were serving just biscuits."
"That sucks," grumbled disgusted individual # 2.
This went on for a few minutes as the two watched the gravy pan's quantity of gravy grow steadily more shallow. Luckily for these two, a fresh pan of gravy was brought out just in time to serve them.
"Thank God," huffed #1. Then he said something that immediately inspired the rant that is soon to follow:
"I'm not paying $20,000 a year to eat just plain biscuits."
Well, I'm glad to hear it. $20,000 is sure used wisely to make sure your biscuits are accommodated with hot, fresh gravy. Note the sarcasm.
I've actually heard this argument applied to many things at Southwest Baptist University. Most of the time, the argument is used for better food, but there are others, and they are, but not limited to, these: required chapel, dorm curfew, the substance abuse policy, visitation schedules and the condition of various buildings on campus.
Personally, I don't think I've heard anything so ridiculous in my life.
I'm quite certain that if you're complaining about paying $20,000 a year for anything, there's a good chance that the check's being written by your parents and is not costing you a cent.
By saying you wouldn't pay "X" amount of dollars a year to eat bad food suggests that you would pay that much to eat good food. I doubt anybody pays $20,000 a year for food. Maybe George Lucas. Maybe.
And to use this argument for rules enforced on campus is equally ridiculous. There's no sense in arguing with the rules at SBU. You know that piece of paper you signed when you decided to come here? That's the paper with the rules you're responsible for following while attending this university. So complaining about the rules makes you look either inattentive or negligent.
Maybe it's a little of both.
Yes, there are some changes that need to be made, but when presented with an opportunity to generate change on campus, we opt to just sit and complain. I'm not innocent of this by any means, however, I do feel that our freedom of speech is being wasted by just complaining to each other.
I mean, it's the truth. We are the ones paying the money, so why can't we have more say in what changes need to be made?
News flash: we can.
Start a petition, get involved with SGA, write a letter to the editor in the Omnibus, we're never afraid of feedback.
I, for one, would hate to see a group of people as passionate as this student body come and go from SBU without leaving our mark and creating change.

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