Hello, everyone.
Before we get started, we need to make something clear.
Reopening Clemson, our great caretaker, our lifesaver, our home away from home, takes all of us. That means:
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To everyone cramming into the restaurants, bars, parties or other high-traffic areas,
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To everyone not wearing a mask,
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To everyone who claims COVID-19 is “political,” or “fake news,”
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To everyone unaware of the risks posed to a major percentage of people in this country,
The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics estimates that more than 107 million Americans are immunodeficient in some capacity; whether from nutrition, viral infections like HIV/AIDS, age, major procedures or taking immunosuppressant drugs. That’s a little less than a third of our country’s population who are in danger, and to all of you who fall into a category of the list above, that’s almost a third of our country’s population that is being neglected directly by your action.
Most of the hundreds of colleges planning to have in-person classes by August’s first bell at 8 a.m.. have since revoked their announcements, playing through this Catch 22 scenario as best as they can. An alien and potentially lethal virus is a risk to anyone, and the University will not gamble on our lives and the lives of those who drive Clemson’s outstanding education forward.
However, if we act responsibly, we’ll be able to meet for Death Valley’s conference games with a sigh of relief in the fall. We’ll be able to enjoy our university facilities, holidays, and the long-awaited reunion with the majority of our student body to finish 2020 smarter, healthier and better than we started.
It takes all of us, and with that, let’s take our focus from COVID-19 (momentarily) to your questions. I’m Davis White, your friendly neighborhood Clemson junior, journalist and Resident Assistant that’s just as excited about returning as you, and this is…
Tiger To Tiger, Vol. 2
Question #1: Where are some good places to do online classes/studying if your dorm room is unavailable?
Clemson is not lightly-stocked for seating, though the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of Cooper Library might challenge this claim. In my opinion, Cooper is one of the many traditional outings for students on a weeknight to get quarter-baked, stand in line for forty-minutes at Starbucks and crank out half-hearted discussion posts.
The Academic Success Center is a great place to find empty desks that are scattered alone along the hallways. There are many of them, and if I were to procrastinate writing my Tiger to Tiger columnlong enough, I’d probably crank out a few pages there.
There are also lots of desks and seats in the many halls of academic buildings, dining halls and residential communities. Note that these may not be open or at limited capacity due to COVID-19, (sorry I had to say the c-word). Also, studying alongside a roommate in your room may not be unbearable if you’re in one of Clemson’s apartments or dorms, on-campus or off. You’ll probably end up seeing a lot more of your roommates in the next few weeks than any other semester with fewer study spots open.
Question #1,5: Who is John Galt?
Read “Atlas Shrugged,”or watch the movies if that’s your thing. Don’t let me spoil that for you.
Question #2: My boyfriend and I are about to celebrate our first year together; what do men want? What do I get a man?
First of all, congratulations! One year, in or beyond school, is no small feat for the average Gen-Z or Millennial student. Great work.
Now, since you’ve been together for a year, I think you can understand that it’s less about what men want as a population and more what one of your best friends wants. Men are definitely different and harder to shop for in general, but there’s got to at least be one cute quirk, one inside joke or one amazing part of your relationship that’s worth a gift or a letter. If nothing comes to mind, keep thinking. There’s something out there for him that he’ll take as a heartfelt gift that meant lots. Always trust “WWPBD?:” “What Would Pam Beesly Do?”
If you’re still drawing a blank, look for what he needs. Has he been wearing the same pair of sweatpants for an uncountable number of days? Does his Patagonia ballcap have an extra mountain-range around the edges made of sweat lines? These questions and more may lead you to something they somehow didn’t know they needed.
Question #3: Since the campus has been closed, I’ve been in a tight spot for printing. Who in the area offers printing services? Have you talked with Clemson about when printers can open up?
Firstly, stores like The Copy Shop, the “Print With Me” printer at the All In Coffee Shop and the UPS store should be able to serve all of your printing needs if you bring your files aboard a thumb drive or your device. These services might vary with COVID-19, but none of them are crazily expensive. Once campus totally reopens, CCIT’s printing services should be up and running.
However, Clemson’s updated business guidance page debates whether truly remote work warrants any reason for paper at all.
“Any documentation requiring a signature can be completed by utilizing an electronic signature software such as Adobe,” these guidelines suggest. “To truly work remotely, there would be no need to print paper. Would you be mailing that paper to someone to review or take action?”
Watch out, Dunder Mifflin. Hello, digital age.
Question #4: Is it possible to rekindle trust in someone who doesn’t want to talk to you? If so, what is the best way?
Ah, my expertise: “Inquiries of the Human Experience.” I dig it.
In high school, my wrestling coach always told me that “the best way to get out of a headlock is to never get put in one.” A great point there: if you never dispose yourself to an unfortunate situation, you’ll never face the consequences of such. If only we could live by the rules we write. But live and learn, the show goes on.
The best way to rebuild the trust in a relationship that isn’t totaled from an emotional crash is to apologize and continue in the “headlock” mindset, avoiding further mistakes and reinforcing your words with action. Show this person (or people) that you mean what you say, say what you mean and put the value of relationships first. Trust doesn’t come packaged, it piles over time into comfortable love and true friendship.
Return to the basics of your relationships. There’s no better time than after a heartfelt apology to hit the “reset” button and meditate on what brought you together in the first place. This applies to family, friends and romantic-antics. Finding the source material of what made your act so good is the best way to make the audience cheer.
Question #5: What are some creative ways I can convince my roommate to do the dishes?
Here is an opportunity for me to revert to my sacred Resident Assistant texts and training to recite passages about roommate agreements, handling conflicts with a moderator or even talking to higher-ups like the Graduate Community Director On-Call; but since you’ve already either got an RA of your own or are living off-campus, here’s what I would do as myself.
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Leave a passive-aggressive note about being an adult,
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Get a whiteboard for the fridge to leave your message in bigger handwriting,
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Yell at them about the tuna fish Tupperware that looks like it might climb out of the sink,
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Pour the week-old spaghetti-water onto their mattress.
Creative? Yes. Effective? Yes. Long-term effects? You’ve probably just shortened your stay in your luxurious apartment
Don’t be rash, just give them a friendly reminder person-to-person that they need to clean up after themselves and pull their own weight.
Question #6: Two of my roommates are constantly going out and partying every weekend. How do we politely ask them to be cautious, for our sake and their sake?
This question is as important as it is common. The first thing you’re going to want to do is hit them with the facts from the opening of this column. They obviously didn’t read it.
You sort-of posed the answer to your own question. All you can do for them, since they are (supposedly) responsible adults, is go over your own comfort with what’s coming and going into your space. If they continue to take your cautiousness lightly, maybe get your other roommate involved or an RA. If you’re off-campus, it’s going to be a slug-out argument, but you’ve got to confront your clashing lifestyles. It’s the only solution, and if nothing else serves to make your position clear.
If things continue to look grim for you and your other concerned roomie, do what you can to defend yourselves. Sanitize and encourage them to do so. At least be proactive in your efforts to keep well after enjoying time away from your desk or bed.
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Well Tigers, that’s everything for this week. Continue to submit your questions at tinyurl.com/tig2tig or on Instagram @thetigercu. Stay strong, we’re all in this together and remember that we’ll all laugh as we tell our grandkids about Coronavirus, laptops and headphones.
Keep On Keepin’ On
Davis White
