Clarion University of Pennsylvania - Sequelle Yearbook (Clarion, PA)

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THE CAFFEINE CONTROVERSY. nil

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I am jolted from my near-comatose state of sleep at exactly 4:37 a.m., according to my digital clock. Bleary-eyed and suffering from the effects of a mere three hours sleep, I shuffle into the kitchen and put the kettle on for tea. While I wait for the water to boil, I splash cold water on my face in an effort to jump-start my body and mind. The kettle whistles and I fill my economy-sized mug with hot water and three bags of tea, hoping vaguely that the caffeine will work quickly. Back in my room I pull out notes and textbooks that have been abandoned since 1:30 a.m. The birds begin to sing, but I pay no heed as I concentrate diligently on the material in front of me. I study everything: notes, charts, studyguides. I memo- rize until I can recite it all forward, backward, and sideways. Finally, as the sun begins to rise, I start to feel sure of myself. After another mug of extra caffeine enriched tea, I feel confi- dent enough to abandon my studies long enough to shower and dress. I munch on a stale English muffin as I go through my notes one more time. Then I leave for class. Arriving early in class, I run through the material again, just to be sure. Just before the professor arrives, I sharpen two number 2 pencils and pull out my lucky eraser. As the tests are distributed, I take a deep breath and look over the first few questions. This doesn ' t look too bad, I think to myself as I begin the test. Twenty minutes later I am outside, feeling very relieved and at peace with the world in general. I have survived another ordeal of college life, and succeeded. The next two days pass in a sort of bliss, my confidence is high and I smile a lot, until I return to class and the graded tests are returned. The professor talks about how well the class did as a whole, and I feel great. Then he returns my paper and I discover my grade is a D. After all that work, a D. I am shocked, disgusted and upset all at once. After conferring with my roommates later in the day, we all decide that maybe a beer or six will enhance my perspective a bit. Laurie Hopkins

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For most college students classes consist of lectures with quizzes and tests. Every once in a blue moon or sunny day in Clarion, students are treated to a break from the ordinary class- room structure with group discussions, oral presentations, and unusual projects. Perhaps one of the most unique experiences is a lab, rather than a regular class. Labs are offered in several different majors including biology, physics, communication, and physical science. Only people who thrive on experimenting with combustibles or toying with smelly chemicals take these classes. Maybe they are obsessed with keeping their hands busy or enjoy taking unique courses that other more traditional students shudder at. Whatever the reason, laboratories are here to stay. niHiiiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiiiia For the nonserious student, labs can be a source of incredible ecstasy or at least break up an otherwise ho-hum day. You notice that there are plenty of live and inanimate things to occu- py your time. You can hide fish eggs and pig intestines in your lab partner ' s knapsack. It ' s childish, but still funny. Yo u can try to cause a power shortage by overloading the power circuts. At least everyone will have a free afternoon. You can also develop kinky pictures of your roommate. Tell her it ' s art; she ' ll never know the difference. Labs can be exciting and worthwhile, as long as you don ' t take them too seriously. Tina Reuter iiiiiinHB