Party stems from bigger problem
Barely one week into the new school year and the shenanigans on Fleming Drive have already begun. Reports of out-of-control partiers, broken glass, beer bottles being used as projectiles, and in one instance a weapon over someone's head gashing a person's skull for a number of stitches makes me shake my head.
Being in the newspaper business it wasn't with any particular glee that I checked my email last Sunday evening to see the only email in my inbox was from the London Police Services media officer no doubt reporting some type of criminal activity. Curiosity got the better of me so I opened it to find out the details of a street party that went awry. So yet again, for what seems to be the umpteenth year in row we here at the Interrobang are covering rowdiness on Fleming Drive, and the story is getting old and tired, though the faces are changing, the details aren't varying all that much.
So while college authorities gather around a boardroom to hash-out a strategy to deal with these ongoing boorish behaviours, like sending out notices and fliers to already disinterested students who won't even bother reading the material (I say disinterested students because during the Week of Welcome and Orientation activities students were reminded not to let their partying get out of hand), or alerting parents to their children's misdemeanors (because what our society needs is to not allow our children to grow and accept the consequences of their choices, and having them firmly attached to their parents teat ad nauseam.)
It's clear to me that this next generation of students suffers from ADD, is self-absorbed and lacks the moral compass to point them in the proper direction. Even complicating matters when large congregations of students gather to have a good time, they lack the ability to socialize because their primary means of communication has been to either text message or hide behind a computer while messaging or facebooking “friends.”
So while college brains continue to work overtime on how to solve out of control student partying, while letting the city and neighbours know they are doing their darndest to minimize the problems nothing seems to ever be solved.
In lieu of the college finding that magical elixir to curb these yearly problems I'll offer up a simple solution that should grab the ADD masses by the ears snapping them into reality and setting the tone for their educational year. Traditionally school starts the Tuesday after Labour Day, and meaningful classes don't begin until the Monday after, I suggest that every program on the Wednesday of that first week of school assign a major project due back Monday. No time for idle minds to plan useless activities that lead to trouble.
Then finally maybe the silliness, as outlined by a Police Foundations student on the A-Channel News a couple of weeks back while sipping beer on his front lawn couch already lamenting the forthcoming increased police patrols at this time of year, and smiling that it's going to get crazy out here won't come true anymore.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
Being in the newspaper business it wasn't with any particular glee that I checked my email last Sunday evening to see the only email in my inbox was from the London Police Services media officer no doubt reporting some type of criminal activity. Curiosity got the better of me so I opened it to find out the details of a street party that went awry. So yet again, for what seems to be the umpteenth year in row we here at the Interrobang are covering rowdiness on Fleming Drive, and the story is getting old and tired, though the faces are changing, the details aren't varying all that much.
So while college authorities gather around a boardroom to hash-out a strategy to deal with these ongoing boorish behaviours, like sending out notices and fliers to already disinterested students who won't even bother reading the material (I say disinterested students because during the Week of Welcome and Orientation activities students were reminded not to let their partying get out of hand), or alerting parents to their children's misdemeanors (because what our society needs is to not allow our children to grow and accept the consequences of their choices, and having them firmly attached to their parents teat ad nauseam.)
It's clear to me that this next generation of students suffers from ADD, is self-absorbed and lacks the moral compass to point them in the proper direction. Even complicating matters when large congregations of students gather to have a good time, they lack the ability to socialize because their primary means of communication has been to either text message or hide behind a computer while messaging or facebooking “friends.”
So while college brains continue to work overtime on how to solve out of control student partying, while letting the city and neighbours know they are doing their darndest to minimize the problems nothing seems to ever be solved.
In lieu of the college finding that magical elixir to curb these yearly problems I'll offer up a simple solution that should grab the ADD masses by the ears snapping them into reality and setting the tone for their educational year. Traditionally school starts the Tuesday after Labour Day, and meaningful classes don't begin until the Monday after, I suggest that every program on the Wednesday of that first week of school assign a major project due back Monday. No time for idle minds to plan useless activities that lead to trouble.
Then finally maybe the silliness, as outlined by a Police Foundations student on the A-Channel News a couple of weeks back while sipping beer on his front lawn couch already lamenting the forthcoming increased police patrols at this time of year, and smiling that it's going to get crazy out here won't come true anymore.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
