By Kate Delenick

The rumors are abundant and impossible to ignore: “Skipping classes are a rite of passage and a GPA boost is a guarantee.” But does a semester at McDaniel’s Budapest campus really live up to all the talk and expectations?

Studying abroad is a luxury that many students at McDaniel are lucky to experience. Lately there has been a large influx of students participating in the program, and McDaniel’s own campus in Budapest is a top choice.

Speaking with anyone who has studied in Budapest or is considering it, the academics is an aspect that cannot be ignored. And when it comes to McDaniel College Budapest, many believe the academic rigor is on the lighter side. The campus consists of one gated building and most of the classrooms are on one floor. If students are looking for an official library on campus, they won’t find one.

In researching the matter, however, the results are not as black and white as some might think. Senior Lindsey Harden, a McDaniel student who studied abroad during the fall 2007 semester, quickly found out that what she had heard about Budapest’s easy classes and the reality of the academics were two different things.

“I heard it was going to be the easiest thing in the world,” Harden said. She was told that students never had to attend class but soon realized that most of her professors had fairly strict attendance policies and classes were rarely cancelled. “I heard I would never have work, but I almost always did,” she said.

Though many students agreed with Harden, some who studied in Budapest only had class three days a week. Sophomore Fernando Gomes said he has been lucky enough to travel to places like Paris on the weekends because of the flexibility of his class schedule, which allowed him to have Mondays and Fridays off.

In terms of actual grades received in Budapest, 9 out of 10 students agreed that their GPA increased either during or by the end of the semester. Many found that even a slight increase required “much less work” than they would have put in at McDaniel. Other students, like senior Kristen McDaniel, said they had received their highest GPA since entering college.

“It was just very strange all the sudden getting 90% and 100% on everything I turned in,” she said. McDaniel believes that getting better grades abroad in Budapest has pushed her to get better grades at McDaniel. “I never used to care about grades,” she said, “but after I realized I could get high grades, I actually want them and try to get them now.”

Due to time constraints, Director of International and Off-campus Study Rose Falkner was unable to provide concrete statistics about the average GPA achieved by McDaniel College Budapest students, nor was the Registrar’s Office or Brian Ault of Academic Affairs.

With or without statistics, students who have studied in Budapest have provided raw accounts of their time spent there. Junior Hillary Keating, who also studied abroad in the fall of 2007 said, “I will probably tell the next group [that studies in Budapest] that it was easy.”

Senior, bio-chemistry major, Kevin Flanagan, who studied abroad in the 2007 fall semester, believed that while his GPA increased it wasn’t “indicative of the level of difficulty within the classes.”

Senior Mollie Van Lieu, who studied there in spring of 2007, said the classes were not necessarily simple, “but the grading was easier.” She recalled a day where she was in a rush to get to class and had to quickly print out a paper that. She did not realize until she got the paper returned that two of its pages were missing.

“I still got an A,” Van Lieu remembered.

This leads many students to ask whether professors even read material handed into them, or whether something like that would happen at McDaniel’s main campus.

For many students, studying in Budapest isn’t always about education in the classroom, but about the knowledge attained by traveling to other countries and experiencing different cultures.

Junior Amanda Gushard-Edwards said she believed the faculty wanted the American students to come to class and learn but that many professors were open to her missing a class or two for other opportunities. “Traveling was encouraged,” she said.

Junior Christina Hinkle, who is currently studying abroad in Budapest, feels strongly about the value of the overall experience rather than the actual classes taken. “You can sit in a classroom and read anywhere, but [most people] only have the chance to live in another country like this once,” she said.

With the number of students studying in Budapest on the rise, many agree with Hinkle’s view. So while there might be truth to the reports of higher GPA’s and easier classes, there is much more to it than that. The Budapest program is not only about getting a higher GPA, it’s about receiving a college education while also having the experience of a lifetime.

By Rachel Hooper,
Features Co-Edtior

Award-winning reporter, John Sherman, from Channel 11 WBAL-TV in Baltimore, gave an inspiring keynote message at the Society of Collegiate Journalists’ annual event. His message, that reporting can be important work and that reporters play a vital role in keeping communities informed, was a high-point in the day-long event of workshops and networking.

A group of about 40 students and teachers heard the speech, coming primarily from McDaniel, Hood, Gettysburg, Shepherd, Loyola, and Anne Arundel Community College. This year, students from two local high schools, Westminster and Century, also attended.

Sherman, a highly qualified and experienced speaker, held the attention of the future journalists in the audience. His topics included the importance of the field of journalism, the day-to-day ups and downs a news reporter faces, and a few final life tips from what he has learned over the years.

Sherman stressed the fact that as a reporter you have to do difficult things. “I’m in maybe 20 or 30 living rooms of parents with kids who died the night before?I like it when they don’t answer the door,” said Sherman. “You are inserting yourself in people’s lives in hard-news situations, often when I pull up to your house, it’s the worst day of your life.”

On the other hand, he advises, “I think it’s really important for anyone in journalism to remember not to take themselves or their jobs too seriously.” The audience laughed when he said, “I’m still the guy who on a snow day is standing out in the snow, saying it’s snowing.”

The audience viewed a sample of Sherman’s skilled reporting in his story package “Washed Away.” This emotional feature told the story of how a man named Donald Willey was trying to save a historic cemetery from being washed away along the coast of Hooper’s Island. It portrayed the battles he faced trying to conserve the history of the early settlers to the island for future generations.

Sherman advised the aspiring journalists, “Seek emotion, every good story has emotion.”

He said that the reporter has to choose to make their work important on their own because, “your boss isn’t going to come to you and say, ‘I need you to go do some really important work’?Your work will become important when your standard for yourself exceeds what is expected and you meet that standard regularly.”

He offered the audience one final life tip. “There are times when it is imperative to stand up for what is right; there are also many other times when I believe it is as important to be effective as it is to be right or wrong.”

Sherman also responded to a question about broadcasting being a very competitive field. “It’s a nasty world out there,” he answered. “The more success you achieve, the more people want to bring you down; just be ready for that.”

With all of the difficulties and stresses, Sherman still described his work with enthusiasm. “I really do love what I do; I get to drive around in a van with a great friend of mine, and we get to make little tiny movies,” said Sherman.

“We come in at ten and put it together, and at five o’clock it’s on TV,” he said, smiling. “Then you start fresh again the next day. It’s a promise; I love it.”

In the introduction by journalism professor, Terry Dalton, the group learned that Sherman has won the highest national honors in the industry since joining WBAL in August 2002. His awards include a Peabody Award for “Chesapeake Bay Pollution Investigation” and the Alfred I. Dupont-Columbia University silver baton for “Dirty Secrets.” The 10-part investigative series which led to the closure of the company, New Earth Services, which was worsening rather than improving the pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.

Society of Collegiate Journalists president and senior communication major, Alyse Hollomon, enjoyed how Sherman spoke on a number of different topics. She learned important new details about broadcasting. She felt the clip Sherman showed was especially interesting. “It was beautifully done,” said Hollomon.

Not only the main speaker, but also the entire day was helpful to those who attended. Matt Lego, a senior from Westminster High School is hoping to double major in mass communications and marketing, with a minor in public relations. He attended the morning workshop on internships and was impressed with the importance of taking the initiative and finding opportunities in the field.

“I think I got a lot out if it,” said Lego, who enjoys working on his high school newspaper. As a senior, Lego thought the Press Day event may have helped him even more than the college students in attendance because the advice he heard from the college students carried a lot of weight.

Kevin Hudson, a high school sophomore at Century High School in Eldersburg, is considering journalism as a career. He has been working on the school paper as graphics editor. He found the page design workshop especially helpful and getting advice from the speaker who he felt had a lot of innovate ideas.

“I’m a sophomore, so to have this information early?I think it gives me an edge,” said Hudson. “I’m probably the youngest person here.”

An attendee from Gettysburg College, junior Madeline Shepherd, is a double major in English and an individualized major in religion in American political history.

“We actually don’t have a communication major at Gettysburg,” said Shepherd.

Shepherd also appreciated the morning workshop on internships, and was impressed with the value of getting experience while you’re still in school. Shepherd hopes to eventually go to law school, but says she would also like to get a job editing or working for newspaper.

When asked what stuck out most about the workshops, Shepherd said, “the experiences of the individual students?their professionalism in presenting their experiences, the stories they shared and the advice they were able to give.”

The value of College Press Day, the speaker’s message, and the workshops were summed up by Shepherd. “You might work for your school newspaper but you don’t know how to break into the real news industry or writing professionally or getting published in a regular newspaper,” she said.

Participant evaluations of the day supported the popularity of Sherman’s speech. According to Hollomon, there was a lot of positive feedback about the workshops and many attendees praised Sherman’s keynote speech. The high schools expressed appreciation for being invited to the program. “It was a great event, everyone was happy?.everything went smoothly; the food was good.” said Hollomon.

Becky Snider ‘09
Blotter Reporter

Editor’s Note: This weekly piece highlights some of the more inane calls and incidents to which campus safety responds.

An open 30 pack of beer, an orange parking cone, and rustling noises?what does one get with a combination like this? Surely something entertaining. You might have noticed that lately, the campus has been a regular circus, and I am not just talking about watching shirtless individuals stumble across Red Square.

Though what could be more exciting and entertaining then watching drunken people stumble around and actually act like they are in a circus act? Well, here are verbal arguments which are their own form of entertainment. And we’ve had quite a few of them lately. It seems as if some have taken the idea of stand up comedy to a whole new level. Have no fear, if the noise of a verbal argument doesn’t attract your attention, the noise from a party sure will.

When walking through Rouzer, two Campus Safety officers heard the traditional sounds of a party well in mid swing. After the officers knocked on the door they distinctly heard “Shh, Campus Safety!” Before the door was finally opened, rustling noises and sounds of things being moved around were heard by the officers. At least one student admitted to drinking hard liquor; 10 students and one non-student were identified. The usual incidents were documented: alcohol in a dry dorm, possession of hard liquor, possession under twenty one, possession of a multi-liter container, residence halls room capacity, and violation of quiet hours.

Enter the orange parking cone. Sometime on Friday, April 25, a student was documented for possession of hard alcohol and for the theft of one orange parking cone. Why the orange parking cone you ask? Well, your guess is a good as mine. Although according to the DoCS, stranger things have been known to be found in dorms.

Of course stranger things have happened in dorms too. For instance, on April 17 a Campus Safety officer witnessed a student trying to hide an open 30 pack of beer. Around midnight, a student was seen near Academic Hall carrying what looked to be a pack of beer. Upon seeing the officer, the student decided to go in the other direction. By the way, not a good plan for future reference. In further attempt to hide the beer, the student thought that the bushes near Lewis would be just a good place as any. Brilliant idea, even more so then pretending to be on the phone when Campus Safety walks up looking for you and the beer you just hid in the bushes. The student was compliant; a half empty case of beer was recovered in the bushes near Lewis.

Speaking of strange, another fire extinguisher was stolen, only this time it wasn’t in Rouzer. Instead, someone in Blanche took it for a souvenir, perhaps to use later in the protest against the umbrellas on the patio of Decker College Center. On April 13, Campus Safety found a working fire outside of Decker. Someone had set an umbrella on the patio afire. It hasn’t been determined if it was intentional or not.

Apparently someone has a grudge against Decker. On the same day Campus Safety found a severely cracked glass door on the premises of the College Center. Campus Safety later determined that a brick had been thrown at the glass door.

If that is not enough strange behavior for you, keep a look out for three male non-students looking at and touching vehicles. The still unidentified individuals have been noted for their suspicious actions. In parting, look out for strangers going car shopping on campus.

Caught With Their Pants Down!

On Saturday April 26, two students were found in a college building ? indecently exposed. Documented for unauthorized entry and indecent exposure in Academic Hall…A vending machine in ANW found broken with all the goods removed…An officer discovered three students streaking in the vicinity of the football field during Relay for Life…On May 3, officers discovered students in the pool after hours. According to inside sources, all the students escaped after spending more than two hours in the pool area. The officer on duty reportedly yelled “Hey blonde kid, don’t do that!” before letting him run away.

At graduation time, seniors look back on their four years on the Hill

Geoff Peckham ‘08
News Co-Editor

“I f#%&ing hate this place.”

Strong words, and a lot of us have said them. McDaniel College has been good to us, but not always. From the Wall to the Quad, from Blanche to the Mansion, many of us have had problems with this campus at one point or another.

Yet we’re still here.

There have been bogus citations, uptight administrators, ignorant campus safety officers, and an ever-rising tuition. Ask graduating seniors all of the ways in which this school has frustrated them, and you may get a plethora of answers.
Mistakes have been made at all levels regarding credits or qualifications, there has been unnecessary resistance when attempting to accomplish even the smallest task, a lack of opportunities when it counts, and the food has pretty much sucked all four years. The talk of transferring fluctuates, and people insist that they won’t be back next year.

Yet we’re still here. Ask those same seniors why they stayed.

“My friends.”

“The friends I’ve made.”

“My close group of friends.”

We’ve all read the slogan, “Changing Lives Since 1867.” A lot of us probably didn’t give it much thought when we first arrived here, but for those graduating soon, it may ring a little truer. Lives do change here, but it isn’t always because of the school. It’s the people. It’s in the characters of this story on the Hill that we’ve called college.

The overzealous partiers, the ones who will invite you over for a keg-stand because it’s Wednesday. The drama nerds who take their craft so seriously they almost can’t function in any other setting. The Greek-for-lifers, the ones who take so much pride in their fraternity or sorority, all other Greek life pales in comparison. We have jocks, cadets, musicians, sports junkies, fitness freaks, fashion mongers, video-game addicts, indie kids, tomboys, intellectual wannabes, and countless other types of people.

But there’s so much beneath each McDaniel student. Everyone has left their own mark on this campus, and on each other. These are the characters this school has provided us. Without each individual to play their part, the story wouldn’t be complete. McDaniel wouldn’t be complete, and neither would we. It is the people of McDaniel that make it what it is. It is the characters on campus that give the campus itself character.

Everyone may have had their problems one way or another on the Hill, but because we all have each other to live through those problems, we have all become closer. We are tight-knit, so it doesn’t matter. We all still care deep down about this place. Some of us may hate to admit it, but we hate to love McDaniel, and love to hate it at the same time. It’s been part of the story.

We are all still here, but soon we won’t be. Our parts may end, but the story will go on. More characters will come, to add to the marks that we’ve left. And in turn, McDaniel will leave the same mark on them. And sooner or later, when we’ve had time to reflect on our college days, on the people we’ve become as a result, we all may be saying the same thing:

“I f#%&ing love that place.”

Additional contributions were made by Bill Kauffman.