Last year at a pre-vespers, I had the honor of having a conversation with former president Dr. Richard Osborn about this subject, and he communicated the same message I had received from other authority figures.  PUC depends on donations from its constituents and alumni, because they keep coming, whereas your $30000 per year ends after four years (or five or six).  Most of those constituents and alumni want worship credit.  Ergo, there is worship credit.  Q.E.D.

It’s not all bad.  It can even be enjoyable.  And it can be terrible.  But the fact is, it’s a requirement, and that’s how things go.  Despite the many dissenters, including the occasional faculty member, some people very much enjoy Vespers and Colloquy, and are definitely correct in saying that it is our worship services that set us apart from secular colleges.  Part of the cultural benefit of being an Adventist and getting healthy food, quality education, and safe environments also includes being a part of a community that tries, sometimes even successfully, to worship together.

The fact is that, at least for now, worship credit is here to stay.  Feel free to complain.  But because some people do get a blessing or a benefit from the services, try to do it quietly.

Tips:

-          Don’t forget your ID card.  If you think that required worship is silly, you’ll think it’s even sillier when you don’t get any credit for it.

-          Don’t sit in the back and talk obnoxiously loudly.  It’s not the speaker’s fault that we have to be there, so we should at least be respectful.

-          Get your credit done as soon in the quarter as possible, or at least have a plan.  You don’t want to be left with 20 credits to go with only two weeks left.  Plus, if you finish early, you can either stop going, or go and simply enjoy it for what it is, rather than a requirement.

-          Pre-vespers is where it’s at.  Only one credit, but good food, and people you like.  Do it.  Make friends in lots of departments and get invited to their pre-vespers.  (PS. English Department pre-vespers have the best food, and we’re not just saying that because we’re biased)

Want co-ed dorms?

Not happening.  See the constituents issue above.  And then imagine your roommate, next-door neighbor, or bathmate doing what he or she does in Winning Parking Lot in the room next door.  Or in your room.  Be thankful.

Curfew

The only thing people hate more than worship credit is the dorm curfew.  Freshmen have to be in by 12:00 every night but Saturday, and everyone else by 1:00, plus an additional hour-and-twenty-nine minutes if you have the pinks left over.  Weekend leaves are also a pain, especially because if there is not going to be an adult present on a co-ed weekend leave (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary for Dorm Policies defines “adult” as: Not you or your friends, no matter how old they are), you can kiss it goodbye.

This is one issue that the C2 is more than willing to see discussed, because as far as we know, it has little to do with funding, and more to do with tradition.  We suppose you could be thankful that this isn’t the era that required chaperones if one wanted to leave campus, ever, with a member of the opposite sex.

And, there’s always hope.  The day you turn twenty-one, all you have to do is call your dorm at 11:00pm if you’re going to be out, and voila, you’re free.  So for those of you under that age: keep on pressing on.

Tips:

-          Give yourself margin of error.  It will always take a little longer than you think, and it really stinks to come in at 1:31am or 2:31am and then be on restriction for two weeks.

-          Honestly, why would anyone want to be out at 2:31am during the week?

-          Never say to yourself, “Oh, I’ve been out late before and never gotten pinks.”  It really depends on your dorm, the desk worker, the dean, and how late you are.  Some days, 2:45am and nothing.  Other days, 2:23am and restriction.  Trust us.

While it sounds mostly lovely, there are the inevitable complaints.  Food variety waxes and wanes with the season and motivation of the staff; some days, it’s adventurous and exotic, other days, it’s burrito deck.  Again.  The prices are generally prohibitive, unless you know what you’re doing.  If you consume as much as, say, a normal human being, you will go over on your minimum board.  Welcome to capitalism.  On the other hand, it’s food, and it’s generally available and edible, sometimes even with a smile, or at least a commiserating grimace.  It’s far better than it was before Bon Appétit, for those of us upper-classmen who recall mystery veggie-meat covered in mystery-sauce for every meal.  Things could be worse.

For all the discussion you’ll hear, you probably won’t see any more articles on the caf’, because there is one every year.  The food can be disgusting or redundant.  There is no meat, and won’t be, because like worship credit, the constituents pay the money that matters.  So sit back, join in the grumbling, and enjoy whatever variant on veggie-food you’re eating.  Bon Appetit.

Tips:

-          Drinks are costly.  Avoid buying too many.

-          Certain combinations of foods will be cheaper and more filling.  Soup is always a good option.  Try to figure out what some of these are.

-          Eat in your room for breakfast if you’re worried about going over.  You only get about $15 a day, which is maybe enough for two meals.

-          Make good friends with lots of girls.  For some reason, a lot of them only eat about three leaves of lettuce a day, and they’ll be more than willing to share their card once midterms are past and they’ve only spent $5.