EDITORIAL College good at playing < 'rules roulette'

"Comfort in consistency" is not a phrase that this college strives to uphold. Students can never count on knowing what is around the corner. No one knows what will be happening here from one year to the next and what policies are good and which will be thrown out.

The residence life office sent a letter to the student body saying that any student with more than 89.5 credits would not be allowed to live on campus next year. The college had a planning crisis-thanks to them students suffer once again.

Many students received scholarships that would only remain in effect if they lived on campus during their entire college careers. How are these students going to be held liable for not holding up their end of the bargain when they are not permitted by the school to live on campus?

These students are not being kicked off campus because they are unruly or threatening to the safety of other students. An over-admittance of students and lack of proper planning and development of the campus is to blame for this problem. The characters of these students and their obedience to rules are not in question. Students are now being forced to prove themselves to residence life to remain on campus.

This policy may alleviate the crowding on campus, but why should the student body have to compensate for the inadequacies of this administration. The students pay the bills and make this institution what it is. Retention rates and content students should be important to the powers-that-be of Cabrini College. The college may have a strong enrollment now, but if this garbage of socking students with administrative problems continues, Cabrini College will be only a memory. Seize the opportunity and consult the student body with such important decision making.

Press blind-sided by local bomb threats

Some local news media have contributed to the hype of the bomb threats plaguing northern and central Montgomery county. Some have been the direct root of the panic.

In a broadcast last week, Jim Gardner, channel six anchor, read a letter sent to him warning of further wrath if people did not "change their ways." A Montgomery county daily news paper also featured a similar letter on its front page.

The medias' job is to report the news. There is no certainty that this was anything more than mail to hype the situtations already playing out in Montgomery county. If the letters had made specific indications of when something were to happen, then its reporting would have been justified. The media has gone too far with its sensatiQnalisticreportiug.

Who are the real cowards?

instead of cowering behind the excuse of, "We didn't want to get him in trouble, you know?"

equally pathetic friends to cheer them on.

President Bush described the recent Santee, Calif. shooting at Santana High School, executed by Charles Andrew Williams, 15, as "a disgraceful act of cowardice."

While the shooting was certainly Williams' own malicious and maddening prerogative, the cowardliness does not solely belong to him, but also to his friends who were repetitively warned of the boy's plans to kill a month prior to the gunfire. The individuals who loved to make Williams the butt of their jokes, which often resulted in violence, also hold the responsibility as cowards.

How could these students have chosen to remain silent?

The two dead students and 13 other casualties could have been prevented if these cowards would have mustered up enough courage to inform the proper authorities

No, I don't know, nor do I understand this logic, the carelessness of allowing him to potentially scar the physical, emotional and mental well-being of others for fear of expulsion. I would rather have my friend expelled from school for an attempted massacre than have him spend the rest of life behind prison bars.

Let's not forgot those who liked to hurl insults, both verbally and physically, on Williams, who always responded passively.

Individuals who feel the need to prey on others who appear different or not the "norm" are the real cowards.

Often observing the harassment of victims throughout high school and even here at Cabrini, I believe the individuals who enjoy victimizing others practically scream out their own insecurities. They attempt to belittle others in hopes of making the target appear inferior, and themselves, the bully, superior.

And there is always, always an audience.

Bullies do not have enough courage to commit the act alone and need their usual audience of

It is easy for those who do not thrive off abusing others to stand up and say that such 11ebavioris unwarranted and cruel. However, I often wonder at what point does a bully feel so hindered that they are unable to gather the nerve to do the same.

Most of the recent strings of school shootings have occurred due to the repercussions of continuous harassment and taunting.

While school shooters have no excuse for their horrific actions, the unbroken streak of coincidences relating to each case with an individual or individuals who are the school outcasts is critical.

Abusive behavior amongst students is usually dismissed as "kids will be kids," a common statement that should have been put to rest long ago.

While there is no justification for committing these massacres, society has to come to grips with the cowardice that permeates adolescent society today. We need to teach our children, our students, that standing up now is better than burying someone tomorrow and the effects of taunting and teasing can prove to be fatal.