supercheesegirl

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!