Rochester Institute of Technology - Techmila / Ramikin Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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AV Communications St Kkn HOLZEMER fer the course next year, and if the course is offered the following year, the same instructor will be teaching it, In essence, the administration admit- ted that there were grounds for the students' complaints by offering them the option of taking the course again free of charge, but then refused to of- fer a viable alternative Isn’t a student about to spend thousands of dollars on an RIT education entitled to know this? Another prime example of the ad- ministration's lack of concern for its customers' took place on wrhen classes were cancelled for a teaching con- ference. Most people will agree that such conferences are worthwhile. But the fact that this conference closed the institute down in mid-week after the quarter had already been split up by Christmas vacation and snow days, showed a lack of concern for both stu- dent and teacher opinion. The ad- ministration seemed to ignore the fact that students had to make up these classes at inconvenient times, and that some professors were just too lazy to plan for make-up classes. The ad- ministration didn't see the irony of further disrupting an already in- coherent quarter with ' teaching con- ference.' When one of the main organizers of the event was asked to explain the scheduling, he said, We planned it for the middle of the quarter to im- press on the professors how important these new educational technologies are. Such an answer makes a parody of the fact RIT claims its professors are professional educators who are tops in their field Isn’t a student about to spend thousands of dollars on an RIT education entitled to know this? Throughout the official bulletin RIT reminds its potential customers that it has excellent relations with in- dustry. It is no secret that RIT courts industry with fervor unseen in other schools. This is only natural since RIT is a 'career-oriented' institute. This courting of industry has been to RIT s material advantage: witness the modern, up-to-date-facilities, par- ticularly in the schools of Graphic Arts and Photography. However, RIT should also guard that business and industry do not subordinate the greater interests of the students and the larger goals of education to their needs and profits. This could easily happen at an institute too concerned with raising money and good relations with industry, and not enough concer- ned with the welfare of its 'customers.' RIT would do well to show equal con- cern for developing good relations with its students as it does for its own economic growth. Shouldn't a student about to spend thousands of dollars on a RIT education be made aware of these problems? RIT should emphasize in the bulletin that an RIT education is not the best professional education for everyone. Bringing up some of these problems in the official bulletin would require a much more open attitude on the part of the RIT administration. Let's hope that RIT has the foresight to make some of these changes and to practice self-regulation in other areas before further student alienation and government intervention becomes a reality. -RUSS HARRIS 15

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INTERVIEWS INTERVIEW WITH PAUL Paul is a business student who graduated in June. Although he has come out of the closet he did not want his real name used in this inter- view. On his homosexuality: Last year 1 met a young man on campus who was my age, but actually was a senior. In every sense it was a really nice high school romance, it was one of those things where something just clicked. We used to wait for each other after class, and did all those silly things that two high school kids in love do. Well, one day he was sitting on my desk in the office and 1 was standing there with him and it was quite ob- vious that we weren't discussing the sports scores, if you know what I mean. But we were behaving ourselves quite admirably at the time, given my desires. But another kid in the program walked in and saw the two of us together. This guy has been to Nam and has several girl friends, so he just automatically put two and two together, turned beet-red and turned around and walked out. So, it was about two days before everybody in the program knew I was gay. It was interesting because it took awhile for it to soak through to everyone that, yes, I was one of those, but, no, it didn t change my behavior, and that I was just as much of a cynic and character as I was before. I didn't bother to show up in a dress or anything bizarre, so 1 was simply ac- cepted for whatever 1 was . , . But it is true that as a gay you have more opportunity to hate yourself than most people. It's sort of the idea of waking up in the morning knowing that you are going against the grain with practically everyone you meet. I ve never been in another culture, but to me it would probably be like going to a foreign country and knowing there was no way that you could ever learn the language. You're just naturally put in an outsider's position. You can always get by, but by getting by you're assuming a posture of some sort or another. INTERVIEW WITH MRS. THEY: Mrs. Ttley is a homemaker, and mother of three children. Her hus- band, Ed, is student in the school of Photography, On the morals of RIT students: RIT is a good school, and it's got a fantastic photo department. As far as the academics go, they're (the ad- ministration) doing everything right. But I don’t think they're concerned about keeping the morals in young people high enough. There are so many things you see every day . . . the bathrooms at the RIT dorms are not even marked for men and women; they re coeducational just like the rest of the floor. I think it's wrong. And I just don't like the cohabitation over here in Colony Manor, They (the ad- ministration) say Were taking care of it, we re not allowing it.” Well I say 17