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i realized something today about my Susquehanna senior yearbook. it sucks. i'm so seriously pissed off, i'm actually writing a letter. click below to read the first draft--i'd welcome comments.
Dear Lanthorn Staff,
I am writing in reference to the 2001 Lanthorn, which I recently received in the mail. As a 2001 graduate, I looked forward to opening my senior yearbook for the first time and revisiting my favorite college memories. However, I was highly disappointed by the content of the yearbook, and I would like to lodge a complaint.
The yearbook seemed focused on Greek life and sports. Each fraternity and sorority was given a two-page spread, as were all of the fall, winter, and spring sports. Additionally, on the general student life pages, most of the students pictured were either wearing Greek letters or were known for their Greek involvement. Notably, the Study Abroad, Downtown, Off-Campus Living, Spring Break, and Senior Week pages (pages 42-51) seemed designed to feature Greek-involved students. Further, on the page 43, several students are listed by first name only, giving the impression that the yearbook is simply a photo album for Greeks.
By contrast, the many other campus organizations seemed crammed into a very small space. While the sports section occupied 51 pages--from 72 to 123--other clubs and activities were given only 13 pages (from 124 through 137). Clubs were crammed five or six to a page and were given either a photo or a text description, rarely both. Many clubs and organizations were left out completely, including SDAC and BGLASS, the two sexual diversity organizations. No mention was made of the many distinguished honor societies at SU--even if no photos of the members were given, shouldn't they at least appear in the yearbook? No mention was made of Sigma Alpha Iota or Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, two professional music fraternities which enjoy a strong membership and reputation on campus. Finally, where's the theatre department? A number of fine shows occurred last year, yet the student actors, directors, and technical experts receive no credit for their hard work in the yearbook, nor even any note that stage productions happened at all. Perhaps the yearbook staff tried to contact some of the organizations not pictured and had no response, but overlooking the entire theatre department is inexcusable.
I'd also like to report a number of gross oversights on the part of last year's yearbook staff. There's no Table of Contents in the yearbook, and I for one would have liked a section on our professors and teachers. Certainly there should have been mention of Nichole Dagenhart and (that other guy), students who passed away last year. Even a half a page each would have been a nice memorial.
Finally, the yearbook promotes student drinking in a way that makes me uncomfortable. In the graduation collage at the end of the book, there are several photos of graduates chugging champagne. I know that having champagne at graduation is encouraged, and it's a nice tradition, but a picture of a student chugging from the bottle while champagne pours out onto the ground is really not appropriate, nor is it what I like to remember from my graduation day. Also, particularly in the Greek section, there are numerous photos of students who are clearly drunk and carrying beer bottles and pitchers. A few pictures would be acceptable, but the amount of drinking photos is gratuitous and unnecessary.
In closing, I would like to express again my disappointment with a yearbook that should have depicted, in some part, my senior year at Susquehanna--a yearbook that, really, is worthless to me. I was very involved in campus life through a wide variety of organizations during my years at SU, but the only picture of me in my senior yearbook is my portrait. I mention this not out of selfish reasons, but to show all that's been left out--a very real and vital part of SU's campus life, a part that should not be overlooked in the future. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Roxanne Halpine
put that in yo' pipe and pimp it!
Dear Lanthorn Staff,
I am writing in reference to the 2001 Lanthorn, which I recently received in the mail. As a 2001 graduate, I looked forward to opening my senior yearbook for the first time and revisiting my favorite college memories. However, I was highly disappointed by the content of the yearbook, and I would like to lodge a complaint.
The yearbook seemed focused on Greek life and sports. Each fraternity and sorority was given a two-page spread, as were all of the fall, winter, and spring sports. Additionally, on the general student life pages, most of the students pictured were either wearing Greek letters or were known for their Greek involvement. Notably, the Study Abroad, Downtown, Off-Campus Living, Spring Break, and Senior Week pages (pages 42-51) seemed designed to feature Greek-involved students. Further, on the page 43, several students are listed by first name only, giving the impression that the yearbook is simply a photo album for Greeks.
By contrast, the many other campus organizations seemed crammed into a very small space. While the sports section occupied 51 pages--from 72 to 123--other clubs and activities were given only 13 pages (from 124 through 137). Clubs were crammed five or six to a page and were given either a photo or a text description, rarely both. Many clubs and organizations were left out completely, including SDAC and BGLASS, the two sexual diversity organizations. No mention was made of the many distinguished honor societies at SU--even if no photos of the members were given, shouldn't they at least appear in the yearbook? No mention was made of Sigma Alpha Iota or Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, two professional music fraternities which enjoy a strong membership and reputation on campus. Finally, where's the theatre department? A number of fine shows occurred last year, yet the student actors, directors, and technical experts receive no credit for their hard work in the yearbook, nor even any note that stage productions happened at all. Perhaps the yearbook staff tried to contact some of the organizations not pictured and had no response, but overlooking the entire theatre department is inexcusable.
I'd also like to report a number of gross oversights on the part of last year's yearbook staff. There's no Table of Contents in the yearbook, and I for one would have liked a section on our professors and teachers. Certainly there should have been mention of Nichole Dagenhart and (that other guy), students who passed away last year. Even a half a page each would have been a nice memorial.
Finally, the yearbook promotes student drinking in a way that makes me uncomfortable. In the graduation collage at the end of the book, there are several photos of graduates chugging champagne. I know that having champagne at graduation is encouraged, and it's a nice tradition, but a picture of a student chugging from the bottle while champagne pours out onto the ground is really not appropriate, nor is it what I like to remember from my graduation day. Also, particularly in the Greek section, there are numerous photos of students who are clearly drunk and carrying beer bottles and pitchers. A few pictures would be acceptable, but the amount of drinking photos is gratuitous and unnecessary.
In closing, I would like to express again my disappointment with a yearbook that should have depicted, in some part, my senior year at Susquehanna--a yearbook that, really, is worthless to me. I was very involved in campus life through a wide variety of organizations during my years at SU, but the only picture of me in my senior yearbook is my portrait. I mention this not out of selfish reasons, but to show all that's been left out--a very real and vital part of SU's campus life, a part that should not be overlooked in the future. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Roxanne Halpine
put that in yo' pipe and pimp it!
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no subject
Date: 2002-04-03 09:14 pm (UTC)From:crappy-ass yearbook
Date: 2002-04-04 10:44 am (UTC)From:My mom sent an email after my senior year as well, saying that my daughter was very involved, etc etc, and there is no mention of any of her activities in the yearbook, and since susquehanna is only 30% greek and 47/53 male female and ... (on and on and on with the figures) that the yearbook represents... etc etc etc. She put a lot of effort into that letter, and she gets a letter back that says, "i'll pass along your thoughts to the students who produce this publication"
that was it.
i think she sent the email to T. Boyle? I'm not sure.
but OH was she pissed.
:-)
Re: crappy-ass yearbook
Date: 2002-04-04 12:47 pm (UTC)From:Though, and I was saying this to rox too, I never gave the yearbook any photos, and I'm sure lots of people like us (i.e. outside the j.crew socialite scenes) didn't put as much effort towards getting photos to the yearbook staff. Looking through the yearbook makes me not want to be in it if I'm going to be sandwiched between theta chi boys chugging their graduation ceremony champagne. It's self-perpetuating. We're trained to view it as crap that we don't want to associate with, while the greeks probably see it as a worthwhile document of their school experience with their friends. And the divide only grows stronger every year the book stays this way.
Re: crappy-ass yearbook
Date: 2002-04-04 07:20 pm (UTC)From:i also emailed a lot of people who graduated with me and i've gotten a good response--some people (like alicia b. and amy f.) will probably write letters of their own, and some other people have offered to put their names to my letter too. so maybe this time it'll have some impact? hopefully.
on another note, my friend terri said her dad was flipping through her yearbook and said, "so all you guys ever do is drink?" that's not the image SU wants to show.
no subject
Date: 2002-04-04 01:22 pm (UTC)From:unless you replace it with a photo of you giving those bastards the universal symbol for "lick me!".
:O)
no subject
Date: 2002-04-04 07:39 pm (UTC)From:no subject
no subject
Date: 2002-04-05 08:57 pm (UTC)From:Re:
Date: 2002-04-05 09:21 pm (UTC)From: