Guy meets girl, buys her some drinks and buys himself a few as well.

She giggles at his lame jokes. By the end of the night, she’s throwing her clothes off for him, which is good for him, because he would stop at nothing to get down her pants.

OK, so it’s just a hypothetical, and maybe an exaggerated one at that.

But for a hypothetical, it does hold some truth to it. Not too long ago, I was on the receiving end of some of these drunken-and in my case, unwanted-advances.

And why? Guys, would you really attempt to feel up some chick you just met ten minutes ago if you weren’t intoxicated? Is ‘I’m easy’ really tattooed on my forehead? Do I have a neon sign above my head that reads ‘I check my morality at the door’? No? Then where do you get that impression? Why do guys equate drunk with easy?

And girls, would you really go all the way if you weren’t feeling a little loose first? Morality is not something you throw off in the middle of the night then pick it up off the floor along with your clothes on the way out the next morning.

I’ve done my share of drinking and partying. But I’ve never felt the need to waste my night on a guy who wasn’t worth it just because he blinked in my direction when I was plastered. So I’ve come to the conclusion that alcohol doesn’t make people do stupid things. People use alcohol as an excuse after they have done stupid things when they’re drunk.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against throwing a few back and having a good time. Ask any one of my friends. I just don’t want to be the punching bag that you hit on down at the bars-the only requirement being that I’ve got the right parts.

But if that’s you’re thing and you can find someone who’s after the same things, that’s fine and great for you. If not, and you just can’t do without the action, take some advice from Alec Strenge and go to Burger King!

#1.884910:2002479958.jpg:laura_tc.jpg:Laura Haatvedt, Columnist:Ty Carlson

The SDSU chapter of Engineers Without Borders is currently planning a trip to Ghana, Africa.

Engineers Without Borders is an organization that assists disadvantaged communities around the world by improving living and working conditions.

This December, five students from the group will travel to Ghana to deliver three bicycle-powered grinders they built.

These grinders will enable the Ghanaians to grind wheat, soybeans, corn and peanuts more efficiently. Currently, the females must spend all day grinding by hand to produce enough food.

“Female children get no education because they are grinding food all day,” senior electrical engineering student Jaime Haiar said. “We want to work with their community and their culture. We want to provide sustainable engineering solutions. They own it, they do the upkeep.”

Haiar is a student working on this project. She has been a member of Engineers Without Borders for about a year and a half. She said she has really seen the organization make an impact.

“I always knew I wanted to make a difference as an engineer,” Haiar said. “But Engineers Without Borders is not just for engineering majors; other majors can have an equally profound effect.”

Jesse Wolfe, a senior math major from Canton, couldn’t agree more. Wolfe is a co-founder of the SDSU chapter of Engineers Without Borders.

“I think this chapter can really be a good thing for the students and the school,” Wolfe said. “You get to see directly the impact you’re making.”

The chapter, which was founded January 2003, has about 20 active members now.

“The most challenging thing for me has been recruitment,” Wolfe said. “I don’t understand why more people aren’t involved. It’s amazing what students can do.”

Haiar agrees with Wolfe.

“It’s work, but you get to work with extremely motivated people; they are all very high energy and committed to the organization, which makes it fun,” Haiar said.

SDSU’s chapter is also currently working on a project for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

For more information about the club, contact Bob Vaselaar, the club’s president, at bob_vaselaar@hotmail.com

The College on the Hill shares some of the stories that make up the history of SDSU, blanketing more than a century since the school opened up until today.

Roger Campbell has spent the last five months paving a new path in tribal relations with the state government in South Dakota.

On any given Friday night, a party rocks somewhere in Brookings.

Sometimes the police catch wind of these parties. Sometimes they don’t.

Sometimes residents call in complaints, sometimes they don’t.

But there will always be parties and there will always be arrests when those parties are busted.

In 2001, the Brookings Police Department issued 27 common nuisance violations. A common nuisance violation is a gathering in which alcohol is being served illegally, according to Brookings Police Chief Tim Tompkins.

The common nuisance violation can carry up to a $1000 fine as well as jail time.

In 2002, that number jumped to 46 common nuisance violations. While enrollment has been increasing in recent years, it does not account for the 70 percent jump in the number of citations.

“Of course, the cops are our biggest concern with house parties,” SDSU sophomore Brady King said. “Then there are the common risks associated with people drinking too much. We really try and watch out for that kind of stuff.”

Tompkins also has concerns about parties getting out of control to the point of being unsafe.

“In the past, people hosting these parties wouldn’t get in any trouble, so a lot of times they didn’t really care what went on,” Tompkins said.

Now, people hosting these parties must appear in court.

“We never plan these parties; they just sort of happen. But we try to keep things low-key,” King said. “You know, no people outside, just keep things on the down-low, that sort of stuff.”

Oftentimes, residents and community members will call in with complaints regarding a noisy house nearby, according to Tompkins.

“We have a duty and we have no choice to respond,” Tompkins said. “The vast majority of the time we get a complaint that we have to investigate; we don’t go out looking for them. That’s not to say, though, that officers won’t find something or address a situation that they come upon.”

Officers typically cite all common nuisance violations they address. Otherwise the issue of fairness comes into play.

“Cops in this town have a reputation for kind of screwing people over,” King said.

Tompkins said that they try to be fair to everyone, students or otherwise, and letting one person off but not the next person just wouldn’t be fair.

“Parties aren’t all about getting drunk,” King said. “It’s a chance to get together and socialize. It’s a chance to sit back and relax.”

#1.886746:1859707488.jpg:Party.jpg:These revellers have fun at a recent party. All partiers worry their parties will be busted. This one, fortunately, wasn?t.:

In a study composed, conducted and compiled by statistics students of Dr. Zeno Wicks last year, the majority of students surveyed expressed the feeling that young people are being targeted by the Brookings Police Department.

Out of 760 students surveyed, 449 responded “definitely.” Only 2.1 percent of students surveyed responded with a flat-out “no.”

Sophomore Will Zakrajshek agrees with the majority in feeling that he and his peers are targeted by police.

“They make the most money off of us,”Zakrajshek said.

Brookings Police Chief Tim Tompkins isn’t surprised that students feel targeted, although he maintains that problems are being targeted, rather than people.

“I don’t really know how to respond to that.[the results of the survey],”Tompkins said. “It’s understandable, certainly. And a large percentage of our calls deal with noise complaints due to house parties involving college students.”

Tompkins emphasized that the police force was targeting the complaints, many of which involve college students.

“They pull us over for stupid things,” Zakrajshek said.

Like many others, Zakrajshek feels he is being unfairly picked on.

“Nine times out of 10, the officer has never seen them before and will never see them again,” Tompkins said. “Yet people still feel that they are being picked on for police.”

But Tompkins believes that it’s more than just young people who feel that they are being picked on, because oftentimes, adults will make the same statements when pulled over for speeding.

“I am more concerned as to why students especially feel that way,” Tompkins said. “We need more information and more input.”

Tompkins is in the early stages of conducting his own survey in an attempt to remedy a solution to these questions and more.

The survey will be handed out to both community members and college students alike.

“I have to answer to the entire community,” Tompkins said. “Our first priority is to protect society as a whole.”

The department is concerned with confronting issues such as drunk driving, which sometimes goes hand in hand with citing drunk drivers for underage drinking.

“We’re not out to ruin anyone’s party,”Tompkins said.”But it’s not up to me to decide whether something is right or wrong. I am handed a rulebook, and I just have to enforce the rules. It’s almost like shooting the messenger.”

Still Zakrajshek and other students feel targeted when they can’t drive a block without passing a patrol car on a Thursday evening.

“Student’s see the University Police Department all the time, but there doesn’t seem to be much separation,” Tompkins said. “You know, when students get parking tickets, we [Brookings Police Department] have nothing to do with that.”

Tompkins has only been in Brookings for about a year now, but he has worked in college communities his entire career.

He feels confrontation cannot be avoided.

“In a college town, it’s hard to get away from it,” Tompkins said.

#1.886835:3336238597.jpg:copstory.jpg:One of Brookings? finest patrols Main Avenue late at night. A survey conducted on campus showed that the majority of SDSU students believe they are being targeted unfairly by the local law enforcement.:

Perhaps you’re saying, “Wait a minute, this is only the third issue of the Collegian and they’re repeating themselves already?” But look closer — this is how NOT to procrastinate, written especially for those of you who may have enjoyed Todd’s column but are looking for help with the procrastination problem (and let’s face it — isn’t that about half of the student body?). This column brought to you by the letter P, the number 10, and someone who happens to have the art of procrastination perfected.

Break it up. If you are like me, the prospect of a huge project may sometimes scare you. Instead of focusing on the large-scale overall task at hand, break it down into smaller steps to get you to your end result. It will become much less overwhelming, and much easier to start.

Start budgeting. No, not your money, but your time. If you set a schedule for studying, it is easier to stick to it. Write down your intentions — that way they will be easier to stick to. Give yourself an hour to study chem, then an hour to work on that paper for comp. If you are not sure how long a particular assignment will take, allow extra time. It’s better to have more free time than not enough time to get done everything that’s necessary. Then you can take time to reward yourself for a job well done.

Avoid distractions. I know for me, when I’m trying to get something done for class on my computer, MSN Messenger is the devil’s workshop. This can be hard because we all love to chat with our friends. Your best bet here would be to shut MSN off, or at least put the “Busy” button to good use. If you just got done with a three hour lab, go ahead and jump on MSN and check your email for half an hour, BUT stick to that half hour within your schedule. Make sure you still have time to get to your studies afterward. If that still doesn’t work, or everyone on your floor keeps popping in to borrow this or that, try the library. It’s built for people just like you.

Later does not exist. Don’t let yourself get away with “Oh, I’ll just do it later.” Sure, the first time might not hurt. But then, suddenly it’s the night before that 10-paged paper is due and you have yet to start. If it’s an absolutely-can’t-pass-it-up opportunity, allow yourself one “later.” Once again, this can be very difficult at first.

Give yourself time. All of this new self-discipline stuff is not going to happen overnight. It takes time and work to get it down. Then once you have got it down, you really have to stick to it. It can be tough at times. I’ll admit I have had to learn the hard way a time or two. Hopefully, with this article, you won’t have to.

Two years from now “overflow dining” will cease to exist at SDSU if plans for the new union go ahead as planned.

The union will be expanding, with the project set to begin this spring.

The new student union will offer a larger ballroom, more space for dining and different food service options, a larger bookstore, more meeting rooms and more lounge space for students, including three fireplaces.

Due to the expansion however, the student union building will be closed, which may be an inconvenience to some. KSDJ station manager Ashley Allen is frustrated about having to relocate the radio station.

“Basically, we will have to move everything,” Allen said. “We will have to run wire from the transmitter to the new location.”

Radio station personnel had just spent a year updating their facility, and now will have to move out of the building for a year. Phone lines and Internet ports will also have to be put into the new location.

The radio station was going to have a satellite dish on the roof of the union for the AP wire, but Allen said that will have to wait.

“I understand that the union needs to expand,” Allen said.

Students’ Association president Eric Erickson feels that the expanded union wil be well worth the wait for students.

“We will be able to hold more events in the union,” Erickson said. “There will also be a lot more student lounge space.”

Space is one of the biggest reasons to expand.

Originally the union was built for a student body of about 5,000. With enrollment increasing in recent years, that number is now doubled.

“The new union will better suit the campus as it grows,” Kathy Lusk of DSUA said.

Lusk stressed that although the union building will be closed, DSUA will still be there to offer all previous services during construction.

“We will be offering the same services with the same hours, just in different locations on campus,” Lusk said. “We will find places to host any events.”

The ballroom, as well as the dining area in the union, will be expanded. Erickson said that SA members have been meeting with Aramark in order to get spaces figured out during construction.

“We are also looking at options as to a third place to eat on campus,” SA vice-president Justin Larson said.

Erickson and other SA members have also been offering their ideas for the new dining area after the move is complete.

“We are hoping to really revamp the food places,” Erickson said.

In addition to meeting with representatives from Aramark, Erickson has also been checking in with the architect about every two weeks, representing students’ interests.

Both Erickson and Larson would like to encourage students to share any questions or concerns regarding the expansion project with them.

The decision to close the union was made because it will cost less and take less overall time to remodel the union in one building period than if the job were to be done piece by piece, trying to work around students.

“I am excited about it,” Erickson said. “This way the students who are paying for it will get to see it and enjoy it.”

Lusk said that a lot of careful planning has gone into this project.

She feels that it has been an interesting and valuable learning experience, and the results will be able to be enjoyed for years to come.

“I think students are going to love it,” Larson said.

Other offices that will be affected by the construction project will include the University Program Council and the Collegian.

Both offices will remain open in other locations. The locations for these offices and all other offices have not been finalized yet. The Collegian will report their new locations later in the year.

So your roommate crawled into the wrong bed after the blacklight dance last Thursday night.

But how do your scary roommate stories stack up to these stories?

Sophomore Katherine Kesset came home to find her roommate sleeping naked after a dance last year.

“I told her I probably wouldn’t be back after the dance, but my friend and I had a fight that night so I decided to go back to my room,” Kesset said.

“I flipped on the light and quick flipped it back off. I just crawled up into my loft and went to sleep. She had early class, so she left before I woke up. But I don’t think she even locked the door.”

How to avoid this: Don’t sleep naked. Live alone. Lock the door.

Kesset also locked her roommate out of their room while she was in the shower last year.

“It was about noon and I had to leave for class. I thought she already left, but she was knocking on the door saying, ‘Kat, this isn’t funny!’” Kesset said.

How to avoid this: Take your room key and put it in your shower caddy.

Sophomore James Reybuck never caught his roommate sleeping in the buff, but his roommate took a new desk chair from one of the residence halls and decided to turn it into an art project by painting it and sprinkling glitter over top.

Reybuck decided to turn him in to the Residential Life authorities in order to save his own skin, because he didn’t want to share in taking the fall.

How to avoid this: Don’t steal a chair. If you do, don’t live with Reybuck.

Someday, your roommate relationship is sure to deteriorate.

When that happens, make peace and try to remember that the perfect roommate doesn’t exist.

All names have been changed to protect the innocent from painful and untimely deaths.

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