As I will be graduating in May, I’ll take this opportunity to offer some “wise” senior advice to those on-campus services and organizations that I feel could benefit from it.

Dining Services: I know I’ve harped on Dining Services in the past. Since then, they’ve done a lot to improve quality and service. There’s still one area, however, that has been left untouched, and that is the shoddy meal plan equivalency rates. It seems whenever I eat a meal in Connelly, it never fits on a meal plan. I think this has to do with both the meal plan equivalency being too low and the prices in Connelly being too high. Even a simple chicken sandwich, fries and a soda appears to always run over a dollar above the meal plan rates. Additionally, the meal plan seems to be accepted here only during inconvenient off-hours.

The Villanova Times: Just when I thought you had bounced back from the dark era of The Conservative Column (we all remember that, right?), you go and produce an issue like your April 11th, in which the underlying theme appears to be “Death to The Villanovan.” Besides the fact that I send a column to the editors via e-mail every two weeks, I have no contact with The Villanovan. But you guys have started this little pissing war with them that ranges from ridiculous to insulting. I understand you feel they get all the advantages, but if there’s anything I’ve learned from this University in my time here, it’s that time will get you everything.

You’ve only been around two years. I’ve been an active member of a student theatre group on campus, and during the past four years I’ve seen slow yet positive changes in our organization (comfortable seats in the auditorium, for instance). Focus on your positives (i.e., your funny “Good Times” sections and your “Yes and No” debate sections). In time, people will notice and take appreciation for your product. Blaming The Villanovan simply because it’s been around longer damages your credibility as a reputable paper.

Public Safety: Seriously, do you guys receive a commission based on the number of parking tickets you write? Now, I have only the utmost respect for Public Safety on campus, but I’ve encountered too many shady instances involving parking. For example, this past Friday night many parents, relatives and community members received tickets for parking in St. Mary’s to view the production of “Mourning Becomes Electra.”

Now I’m not disputing the distribution of tickets in this instance, but they parked within talking distance of Public Safety officers standing outside the building. The officers noticed them parking, didn’t say a word, then distributed tickets after they went inside the building. While this might be good and true according to the letter of the campus law, how hard would it have been to say, “You can’t park here?”

That concludes my final ranting session. Thank you to everyone who helped me for the past two years with ideas for this column, and thank you for those of you who took time to read it. I hope in some small way I’ve made an impression on the campus. If not, I hope my column has at least made good pillow stuffing. Best of luck to all in the future.