Orientation hints

Following your Orientation Leader’s helpful advice may be to your benefit

Admitted University freshman Hardeep Purewal was arrested on June 12 and was charged with underage consumption of alcohol and urinating in public. Purewal, who was attending freshman orientation, was returning to the dorms from a night downtown when the police stopped him.

But what might seem like a fun night downtown can have serious consequences if you get caught.

We at the Red & Black would like to remind students, both those planning to matriculate in the fall and those already at the University, what kind of an consequences their actions can have not only on their standing at the University but also their very admission status and the rest of their life.

For admitted freshmen attending orientation, you might want to think twice before sneaking downtown. In years past students have seen their admission to the University withdrawn for misconduct during the two-day event, and already one student this year has been caught downtown. Is it really worth one night downtown to possibly lose your status at the University?

For those students who are already here attending classes and choose to disregard the law, they can find themselves facing both criminal charges from Athens-Clarke County and judicial action from the University. We ask, are possible criminal charges and University probation worth a few drinks downtown?

The warnings are everywhere, especially to students attending orientation. The Red & Black does not shy from printing the mug shots of students caught for underage drinking offenses. You may still have your admission revoked. Underage drinking is a violation the University and Athens police take seriously. Consider all this before you head downtown under age, especially freshmen visiting for Orientation.

- Greg Wilson for the editorial board

Parking Services

Parking services should raise prices incrementally so fees are felt less

We understand that next year’s rising fees for parking services are a necessary adjustment, but we feel that in some cases they should not be the same for all employees of the University. Rather, price increases for auxiliary services could be carried out much more intelligently and with greater respect to the needs of the lower-income workers.

As an example, the prices could be increased a dollar or two each year, a change which no one probably would notice and which would be much less felt among those for whom cost is a factor.

We believe the University should figure increased parking prices for employees with respect to how much the employee is paid, as well. An increase of $120 during the year is much harder to weather on a $20,000 salary as opposed to one of $120,000 – a number in the range of some of the top administrators.

The administration of the University was presented with several options for effecting the increase. They chose one that was very unforgiving to the lowest earners at the University, for whom salary increases will often not meet the rising costs of inflation, gas and other expenses. We hope, in the future, this will change.

- Matt Brandenburgh for the editorial board