Print Edition: September 3, 2014
Withdrawal woes
Registration has its frustrations — Nile-length waitlists and loan-related course load requirements are regular culprits. More grating than registration, though, is paying to withdraw.
The deadline to withdraw from a course with a full refund falls well before each semester begins: 42 days before summer, 49 before fall, and 21 before winter. Students who withdraw after the deadline are charged a penalty — five per cent of the course’s total cost — until a few days before semester begins. After that, 10 per cent.
Usually there are enough students waitlisted to fill the vacated seat if I drop a course in the days or months preceding a semester. The five percent charge for a seat I haven’t sat in and won’t fill seems unfair. I understand paying a small charge to withdraw once class has commenced, but the deadline with a full refund is too early, and seems arbitrary since the dates are inconsistent.
Feminists can marry
I consider myself a feminist. I support women’s equality, rights, and especially their freedom of choice.
Although I am proud to be a feminist, I am not so proud of the stereotype that has become attached to modern feminism. One of the first reactions that I receive when sharing my values is, “so you don’t want to get married and have kids?” I find it unsettling that supporting equality for women has become associated with supporting particular lifestyle choices.
Marriage and family life may not be for everyone, but I strongly support women that decide to live that way. I am proud to live in a society where women can choose whether or not they want to get married and not be discriminated against for their choice. As a feminist, I will not look down on women that live a different lifestyle than I do. I’ll be happy they are able to make their own choice and live the life that they want.
Give me a proper shirt!
Over the summer, I couldn’t help but notice that shirts these days are not what they used to be. Neither are skirts or shorts, for that matter. I understand that it’s summer; it’s hot, it’s humid, and people get disgustingly sweaty, but I would like to be able to go out in public without worrying about being perceived as indecent, as I strut around with my breasts, ass, stomach, and other bodily areas exposed. Nobody needs to see every nook and cranny of my body.
Whether it’s a see-through shirt, booty shorts, a barely-there tank top, or a skin-tight dress, summer fashion is a nuisance. Have you tried wearing some of this stuff? I thought the point of summer clothing was to cut down on layers, but apparently that opinion seems to be passé because a girl can’t find a shirt that doesn’t require at least one more layer in order to make it decent for public use. Not practical at all.
Summer clothing should be made for comfort from the sweltering Abbotsford heat, not for discomfort from a lack of available material.
Listen more, speak less
One to two years of university under our belts does not grant us an all-access pass to express our opinion on current matters without first being asked. Too often I’ve caught myself or my friends spewing off their unsolicited opinion in conversation.
People are bound to respond much better to what we have to say when they have asked for our thoughts on a subject rather than us firing them off with “guns-a-blazin’.”
Just because we have a thought on what someone is saying doesn’t mean it’s appropriate to aggressively share it.
We give our opinions because we want our thoughts to be validated; it feels good and we feel heard.
But there is no point in being heard if what you have to say is unhelpful. It’s best to be quicker to listen than to speak.
