holidays

The snow will fall, the Christmas carols will be played and the stores will be filled with anxious shoppers trying to figure out the perfect gift to buy the inlaws. But through all of this mayhem the sound of an oh-so-familiar distant ringing can be heard. As you leave the stores and enter the wintry cold that ringing bell becomes louder and even more familiar. It is the jingle of a Salvation Army bell held by a volunteer bundled up to avoid hypothermia.

These volunteers have been a memory of Christmases of the past for more years than any of us can remember. As our parents dressed us in our "outing" clothes and took us to the malls we passed by with ignorance. We would walk into the local Acme ignoring the meaning behind these volunteers. They stood through the cold and icy days for those people who had less and who were suffering during this joyous holiday. This is a holiday that can bring pain to those who can not afford to have the extensive Christmas that we all are accustomed to.

Whether it be in a nice house with a huge feast or in a tiny home with just the loved ones around many of us have taken for granted all that we have. The Salvation Army has placed these volunteers around our cities and towns to bring us closer to the joy that Christmas provides. They do not shove this donation down our throats, rather they ring their little bells with smiles on their faces and a warm hearts that keeps them from noticing the people who just walk by amidst the snow that is falling on their wool hats. These donations help ~righten the holidays for children who will not be getting "Poochy,'1 the electronic dog this year. Take the change from your pocket and make a contribution to this human effort to bring Christmas to all. In the spirit of the holiday season, make a donation.

These volunteers are often overlooked and the least you can share with them is a smile. The feeling that envelops a person after they have given a donation is reason enough to help these volunteers. The extra bonus is that somebody else might be smiling during the holidays because of your unselfish deed.

SHANNA FANELLI

Grandmothers like to think a lot of things are important. Usually their ideas tend to clash with everyone else's, but it doesn't stop them from trying to impose their thoughts, words of wisdom or anything in general that strikes their fancy on family members. I guess it's a part of the grandparent tradition.

It was on one such Sunday morning that my grandmother really needed to share a story she had come across in the car with us. Without hesitation, she read aloud from the fine print of a pamphlet the bald guy from church had handed out. Now, I adore my grandmother and am lucky that she is a genuinely cool gal. She is petite with silver hair styled in a pixie cut, owns a closet full of GAP, Nordstorm and vintage finds and can cook a mean pumpkin pie. She is also energetic, fun and possesses the ability to scrub the stripes off a zebra, her cleaning abilities are that phenomenal. I am also lucky, as is the rest of my family, that what she tends to think of as important, usually is.

And if it's not it's just damn amusing and provides a good laugh for the rest of us.

The story she told us that early Sunday morning was worth repeating. Since this is supposed to be the season of giving, good will and such, I'm going to share this story with all of you. It's about a conversation between a pig and a cow (Seriously, it's good).

One day a pig and a cow were out in the field together. The pig looked at the cow and said, "I'm so much better than you. I am valued more because I provide good meat to nourish people." He nodded his snout and smugly continued, "I provide strong hide that can be used for many prod-

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ucts and farmers feed me well and treat me good because of all the uses I am able to offer. You are used for milk, meat and hide as well, but I have more variety for uses."

The cow chewed on her cud and thought about what the pig had said. "What you say is true Pig," she responded. "You do have more to give than me, but you are only valuable when you are dead. I give while I am still alive.•

Of course this is not a direct quote, as I can't exactly remember the story word-for-word but hopefully you can get the idea. The moral of the story is that we all have things to give. Whether we choose to give of ourselves while we are alive and able to benefit others in our lifetime is up to us.

I encourage you to really think about this tale. Tell it to others. Remind your fellow man to be a cow, not a pig. Just be sure you tell them the story first or else you might wind up in the farmhouse.

A New Brand of Resident Assistant

The RA Selection Process will begin at the start of the Spring 2001 semester. Anyone interested in the RA position MUST attend one of our informational sessions in January to learn more about the RA position

More details to come

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