IonTUESDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2007 page AGRANT OF THE DAYOne of my friends likes to yell the PirateRants while the rest of us are trying to playGuitar Hero. "Pulling anall-nighterA salute to those who canJ.D. LEWISOPINION WRITERI Tm getting too old for this...stuff. Sundaynight, I did what I swore I Td never do again, andthat Ts pull an all-nighter. I had to write a 500 to750-word book review. No big deal. I knockedthat out in about 45 minutes. The kicker was notstarting to read the 250-page book till 5 p.m. onthe evening before it was due.Why did I wait till the last minute? I'll admitI Tm a procrastinator, but there Ts:also that peskything called life that keeps getting in the way. Ilike to spend time with my wife. I like to play withmy dog, visit my parents, and watch oCurb YourEnthusiasm ? with my best friend. I act in plays andwrite columns for two different newspapers. Andthen there are the everyday things that have to bedone while the wife is working to put me throughcollege such as cooking, cleaning, and going tothe market. Add to that commuting 50 miles andspending half the day in class three days a week,and then having to read volumes for each class. Itcan wear a body down quickly.I Tm thirteen years older than the majority of myclassmates. That might not sound like much, butwait till you get there. It Ts an effort for me to stayup past midnight anymore, no matter what time Igot up. After a while, something has to go on theback burner, and for me it was my book review. I Tmcertainly not advocating neglecting one Ts studies,but it was the choice I made.When I attended ECU eleven years ago, I couldstart writing a major paper the night before it wasdue, knock offaround 4 a.m., get four hours of sleep,and go to school the next day, and it wouldn't evenfaze me. My eyelids wouldn't droop once, and I Tdat least get a B on the paper. :Monday, I felt like I was in Neverland (PetePan Ts version, not Michael Jackson Ts), and all myprofessors probably thought I was coming off athree-day drunk. I Tll probably be lucky to get a Qon the book review, much less an F.I think young college students get a bad rap.People older than I think they're lazy, and that theyspend too much time partying and not enough timestudying. Hey, if you can have any kind of life andthen stay up all night reading a book and/or writ-ing a paper, and still be able to function the nextday and make a passing grade, then my hat Ts off toyou because I just can Tt do it anymore.This writer can be contacted atopinion@theeastcarolinian.com.Counsel me, pleaseECU Ts Counseling CenterJESSICA DUNLOWOPINION WRITERIt is common in the United States to hear about the luxuries that upper class people get, like cars,plastic surgery, house cleaners, and so on. Well,I think that two of these perks are psychiatristsand psychologists, which is odd, because most ofus grow up thinking that only ocrazy ? people goto these professionals.As ECU students, part of our tuition goes to thecounseling center and I think it is definitely in thebest interest of the campus community. Withoutthe counseling center, I doubt we would, as a whole,function sanely. :However, there are still those who are skepti-cal of the entire counseling process. Why is this?Are you afraid of sharing things with a completestranger? On the other hand, are you just afraid ofhow it would make you look to your friends? Thereis nothing wrong with needing to talk to someone(especially when that someone is non-biased).The average college student has to handle thepressure of pleasing their professors, pleasing theirparents, and most of all, themselves. They haveto pay for rent, bills, food and parties, Tall on topof trying to maintain some sort of social life; thisincludes the ever-heavy subject of love. This initselfis enough to drive anyone up the wall. Thereare people who go for more medical reasons.However, what makes you, those who chooseto abstain from counseling, any different fromthose who choose to? Counselors are not alwaysthere for just those who have diagnosed disorders:According to the National Center for Educational ©Statistics, 40 percent of undergraduate studentsattend regular counseling sessions.The counseling center here on ECU Ts campusoffers sessions discussing study tips, coping withgrief, charting your career path, and so on. It doesnot have to be just you and a counselor sitting onthe proverbial couch discussing how your mothercriticized you and your dad never hugged you.They even offer group sessions that are open forstaff and students.I guess I am trying to tell you that it is okay to goand talk to someone. If your friends are too narrow-minded sometimes and you need a ready ear...thestaff at the counseling center is ready to hear aboutyour break-up, your trust issues, and your fear offalling down the dorm steps. ANY THING.Do not think someone is going to judge youfor going to the counseling center, or that yourparents will be ashamed. It is just talking. It istheir job! If anything, it can only help the way youare feeling and help you cope with the day-to-daystresses that pummel us.So do it. Step outside of yourself and givecounseling a try. Besides, instead of asking why weshould or should not attend counseling, we needto ask ourselves, why is our college life stressingus out so much more now than it did our parentsthat we need the help more?This writer can be contacted atopinion@theeastcarolinian.com.{ Oneopinion atatime. }te 2S 4SeIS HILLARYDISCOURAGED THAT AS SOON AS SHE GETS( . | BACK FROM BUYINGae ee CURTAINS FOR THEA NARROW OVE CRCMARGIN ?The East Carolinian does not endorse statements made in Pirate Rants. Questions_ regarding Rants can be directed to Rachel King, Opinion Page Editor, at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com. Log onto theeastcarolinian.com to submit a Rant of your own.| still consider you my best friend eventhough | act like | hate you after all thatjust happened.| cannot even begin to express howpissed | get when | need to use acomputer in Joyner for SCHOOLwork and | can Tt get one becauseeveryone in Greenville Ts. childrenhave them all tied up!Just a hint: | highly doubt that yournew roommate is going to be coolwith your a**hole boyfriend stayingthe night, either.I Tm going to fix your mozzarella sticksand share them with everyone onour hall.Hoagies vs. Subs. What's thedifference?| just want to fall in love...or at leasthave somebody buy me flowers!In the large portion of my life that |have spent searching for a soul mate,| have learned an important lesson:when you are absolutely crazy aboutsomeone you need to swallow yourfear, go for it, and ask them out. Theonly problem being that since | finallyrealized that, | haven't meta single girlthat I Tm crazy about. Figures.Why is it that women can doeverything a man can do but whenit comes to talking to the oppositesex, men always have to be theaggressors?One of my friends likes to yell thePirate Rants while the rest of us aretrying to play Guitar Hero. :I'm sitting at my girlfriend Ts computerand she wants me to come snugglewith her but all she is doing is fartingon me...!| don Tt want to snugglewith that...What do | do? Sincerely,Concerned Boyfriend!!! PleaseHELP!!!I'm just going to go off on a limb andguess that whoever wrote badlyabout Uggs is probably the dumba**wearing flip-flops when it snows.For some reason, | always seemto have a surplus of assignmentsaround the time of a new moon. Whyis that? Are my teachers reverse-werewolves?Facebook is the reason for my lowGPA.Banner Self Service = If you can'tfigure it out for yourSELF then youwon't get any service.Well | basically failed math, and inorder to pass it, looks like I Tm gonnahave to sleep with the professor. Sadthing is, it Ts a guy.Where is Bin Laden? He isn Tt dead.He Ts probably kicking it with ourgovernment leaders in Florida.To the girl that made out with the copto get out of a drinking ticket: Youmight of got out of that one, but youdidn't let us know if he gave you onefor prostitution. :My belly hurts...This could very well be the end of theworld.....of Warcraft.Does anyone else ever think thata Rant is directed towards you, butthen it turns out that it isn Tt and youfeel like an idiot?_[ have a girlfriend but I Tm alwaysthinking of you. | enjoy when we hangout outside of class.To the guy driving the CampusShuttle this morning...thank you forbeing friendly and doing your job.I Tm pretty sure | didn Tt sign up to livewith you so that you could eat my -food and steal my clothes. Umm,STOP!?| wholeheartedly support the WGAwriters strike! Writers deserve to getpaid for the work that they create, nomatter the medium it is presentedon.| love you so much, and | know howgreat of a guy you aré, but you havemoved on with your life now. | wishyou the best of luck with your newrelationship, and | hope they can beeverything I'll never be.| think the freshmen need to stopcamplaining about every little thingthat crosses their little minds! NO,the world does not revolve aroundyou, so get over yourself and look atthe big picture!| swear if | don Tt land a fat job after,all these years of mind-numbingassignments, quizzes, exams,presentations, and projects I Tmmoving to Jamaica for life!!Can we please lock O.J. up onceand for all?My doctor says | drink too much. |told that sissy boy to toughen up anddrink more!| wish Stewie were real. Him and mewould get so mangled!!I Tm so sick of going to court inGreenville. The calendar is alwaysslammed pack with 500. peoplewaiting. And then the judge wants tocomplain about overcrowding. Tellyour cops to quit writing such bogustickets then!!!My girlfriend never wants to have sex.So | slept with her roommate!Does anyone notice that there isa consistency in the race of thosethat the police are always lookingfor? Don't call me racist, just livingin reality!To the hottie in my policy class,thanks for the view of your nice thong!What a day-maker that was.| have a play-by-play game plan justin case my towel ever gets stolenduring my hour shower.Can someone please explain to mewhy marijuana ts illegal?.The Hills is probably one of theworst shows ever, are you girlsSERIOUS!?As members of ECU we need tocontinue to rally around our coach- Skip Holtz and vote for him forLiberty Mutual Coach of the Year...GO Pirates! 2To the chick in my Sociology class,please don't talk...anymore. Do younotice the long pause after .everycrazy commment you make, thatsbecause people don Tt want to be rudeand laugh. But seriously, it Ts gettingannoying.What happened to the GPA calculatorin OneStop? | hate Banner.Can | decorate the big tree nearBrewster this year?| feel like any sign of individualityor free thought is barren from thiscampus. How about some of youladies surprise us and choose amiddle ground between the bleached-out mini-skirt army and the skinnyjeans page-boy cap militia. Actually,scratch. that. It makes it easier toavoid you guys if you adopt a dresscode for yourselves.In football, ECU stands for ECUChokes Usually. By losing to Marshall,a team that was 1-8, ECU hasblown a chance at the conferencechampionship. :Why does ECU crumble againstteams who only have any wins latein the season?To the bonehead football playersin my class: You were completelydisrespectful to our professorthis week, and now you've beendemolished by Marshall, of all teams.How does that karma taste?To my friends: I Tm sorry | couldn'tgo out,this weekend. With the way| was lookin T | would have causedcar wrecks.As a senior, the only thing of value |am taking into the real world is a skulland crossbones sticker on the backof my car.| was in class in the Rivers buildingwhen | had to use the bathroom andcame to find two janitorial workersasleep on two of the three desks inthe bathroom... Guess they aren'tfar off from the students in theclassrooms.| put a few East Carolinians in themagazine pile at a coffee shop inWashington, DC, and less that anhour later the Georgetown studentscouldn't get over how funny theRants were.| heard a girl say if she wasn Tt pregnantshe would have dressed like a slutfor Halloween?! There Ts somethingwrong with this picture.When my family takes pictures ongraduation day, I Tm going to cut apicture of a fountain and paste itin Wright Circle so | can savor thememories of ECU.| lost my virginity on the footballfield!!| do interpretive dance to the Accrossthe Nation Soundtrack in front of mymirror and everyone wonders why |have such firm thighs. oArianne SwanekHelp revitalizeour downtownCommentary from a hometown girlKATE JENKINSCONTRIBUTING WRITERAbout a year ago, I came home from collegeone weekend with a friend of mine, who would bevisiting Greenville for the first time. As we nearedmy house, I asked him about his first impressionsof my hometown. oIt just looks like a long series of strip-malls, ?he told me. ;Though I was mildly offended, I had to agreewith him.Greenville has experienced unchecked growthin the past decade, which has certainly made it amore exciting place to live; but, on the other hand, ithas slowly converted Greenville into a monotonoussea of pavement and chain stores.This kind of unsustainable development is bothenvironmentally and socially harmful, and could haveenormous repercussions on our way of life. Sprawlleads to wasted land space, which is becoming an everscarcer resource, more paved surfaces, which causegreater run-off and water pollution, as well as alonger ©commute, which of course means wasted gas.The social isolation that is created by suchsprawling distance between our homes, our offices,our schools and our stores could potentially wreakhavoc on our families and community as well. Thelonger commute translates to less time spent withfamily and friends, and the geographical compart-mentalization of our lives into separate entitiesmeans decreased opportunity for interaction.That most of us are incapable of walking any-where useful means that we spend more of eachday in our cars and lose the familiarity that comeswith walking to a neighborhood grocery store andencountering friends along the way. Instead, welive in large houses located twenty minutes fromanything, and hole up in our own rooms. We don Ttknow our neighbors and barely know our children.As the sprawling suburbs and commercial areasare eating up scarce land each year, we watch ourdowntown slowly become more and more degraded.What was once a busy small town center is nearlyabandoned; however, it is slowly recovering, due tothe efforts of some brave entrepreneurs.Our community would benefit greatly from areturn to that kind of multi-use, compact, healthyand accessible downtown area near the university.If contractors concentrated on renovating alreadyexisting downtown buildings instead of buildingbrand new ones farther out of town, they couldspare a lot of resources, as well as create a thrivingcampus-side environment.What would it be like to live near such a com-munity center? Imagine being able to get up inthe morning and walk your child to school everyday, which would afford you, say, fifteen minutesof undistracted quality time with him. Then youmight be able to walk to work, past your favoriterestaurants and clothing stores, as well as friendswho also live in the area.As Greenville is not a big city, this kind of com-munity is certainly attainable, though not everyonecan live within walking distance of the university.However, builders could focus on creating such multi-functional environments around the hospital, forexample, or in dense residential areas. Though somenew construction is necessary due to the growingpopulation, there are smart, environmentally-friendlyways to build new subdivisions when it has to be done,such as by building upward instead of outward.This vision for more sustainable, united andpersonal models for city planning should motivatevoters and local government officials to supportthis type of development. Homeowners, buildersand businesspeople can also make simple marketchoices in support of this design, by either reno-vating or buying existing homes, offices or retailspaces that are more centrally located.Everyone is at least capable of choosing topatronize the shops downtown that are workingtowards rebuilding a cultural center. Rememberthat this type of business could help to reclaim asense of community in your town. With a collec-tive effort, Greenville can continue to grow whileconserving the positive small town vibe. :This writer can be contacted atopinion@theeastcarolinian.com.Sarah CampbellEditor in ChiefRachel KingOpinion EditorKimberiy CollamyNews EditorRonnie WoodwardAsst. Sport$ EditorGreg KatskiSports Editor_ Elise PhillipsHead Copy Editor Features EditorMatthew ParkerMultimedia Web EditorLizz WellsPhoto EditorStephanie SmithProduction ManagerNewsroom 292.328.9238Fax 252.328.9143Advertising 202.328.9245Serving ECU since 1925, the East Carolinian prints9,000 copies every Tuesday and Thursday during theregular academic year and 5,000 on Wednesdaysduring the summer. oOur View ? is the opinion ofthe editorial board and is written by editorial boardmembers. The East Carolinian welcomes tetters to theeditor which are limited to 250 words (which may beedited for decency or brevity). We reserve the right toedit or reject letters and all letters must be signed andinclude a telephone number. Letters may be sent viae-mail to editor@theeastcarolinian.com or to the EastCarolinian, SelfHelp Building, Greenville, N.C. 27858-4353. Call 252-328-9238 for moreinformation. Onecopyof the East Carolinians free, each additional copy is $1.eS Ee eea)