The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 29, 2000, Page 8, Image 8
Quote of the Day
“I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but
how high he bounces when he hits bottom.”
- General George Patton
New York college offers room service
by Jim Fitzgerald
The Associated Press
PURCHASE, N.Y. - Tara Eliason was hungry, but didn’t want to
leave her dorm. It was noon the day before spring break at Man
hattanville College and “everything’s due today,” the junior
economics major said. “If I go to the cafeteria, I won’t get it all
done.”
Heather Singleton, on the other hand, had plenty of time to
walk to the cafeteria; she just didn’t feel like going. The sopho
more’s classes were finished and she was
nil in ner pajamas ai mncnume,
watching Jenny Jones
• on TV.
“I thought it’d
be cool to have
a meal deliv
ered,” she
said.
Consider it done.
Manhattanville, a pri
vate college just north
of New York City that
costs $26,000 a year, has
room service
— just like a
hotel. The difference is that the student, unlike a hotel guest,
can’t call every day. But up to three times a semester, dorm res
idents can call the day before, order an entree, two side dishes
and a beverage, and request a delivery time.
It works for breakfast (7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.), lunch (11
a.m. to 1 p.m.) and dinner (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.). There’s no
added cost.
Such hotel-like service is still rare on the nation’s campus
es, but experts say it’s likely to spread as colleges compete for
students. “Before long, we’ll be seeing a dorm concieige,” said
Ray Mulligan, regional vice president for Flik International
Corp., which provides Manhattanville’s food service.
Two weeks ago, Assistant Catering Director Alma Mojica
knocked on the door of Eliason’s dorm room, with its “Rugrats”
bedspread and “Dawson’s Creek” poster.
She carried an insulated red bag over her shoulder. Inside
was a cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, waffle fries and a
bottle of Slice —just what Eliason ordered. The buiger was hot,
the soda cold. There was a container of ketchup, a fork, a spoon,
a straw and napkins.
“This is great,” said the 20-year-old from New York City,
eating at her desk, maintaining her 3.8 grade point average.
Meanwhile, a turkey-and-bacon club sandwich, a green sal
ad ^nd fries, plus a Pepsi, had been delivered to Singleton’s room,
with its Three Stooges-Clint Eastwood motif. The 19-year-old
from Honolulu, who also has a 3.8 average, was delighted.
“It’s nice once in a while to be able to eat in bed,” she said.
“I’m a long way from home. It’s not like I can pop in on
Mom and get pampered.”
Mojica said she has averaged five or six deliveries a day -
“maybe 15 when it rains” - since the program began two months
ago.
“The first was a guy with an injured foot,” she remembered.
“Sometimes they’re studying hard, sometimes not. But we don’t
ask them why they want it delivered.”
College President Richard Berman said room service fits in
with his “student-driven” policies, which have helped double
the enrollment to 1,300 since he took over five years ago.
“We keep the library open until 4 a.m. We keep the finan
cial aid office open on Saturdays,” he said. “If students are hap
pier, our retention is better, and if our retention is better, our
recruitment will be better.”
“Room service sounds a little absurd, probably, but there
are times when kids just are studying or don’t feel well. If
they were in any other setting somebody would bring them a
meal or they would order Chinese in.”
Flik is part of the global Compass Group, which also in
cludes Chartwell’s, another company that caters to schools.
Mulligan said the University of Miami, Southwest Texas
State University and a few others among the 250 schools served
Room Service seepages
lests can help people understand personalities
by Keita Alston
Staff Writer
All of us have probably gotten a forwarded e-mail message
from a friend saying we should take a personality test. But what do
these tests measure, and are they accurate enough to identify your
lifestyle?
Many psychologists say that these tests measure the five funda
mental dimensions of personality extroversion, agreeableness, con
scientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experience. Since
the 1980s, personality psychologists have found this Five Factor Mod
el to be an effective tool for identifying personality attributes.
The model is the most useful for describing personality and for
understanding problems associated with personality disorders such
as schizophrenia. Personality disorders are chronic mental disor
ders that affect a person’s ability to function in everyday activities.
They can affect one’s work, family and social life.
Most personality tests are free. Some can be taken at the Ca
reer Center, and many are accessible on the Web. There are many
kinds of personality tests - some fun, some strange. Some tests can
measure whether people are extroverts or introverts.
Matt Boiteau, a psychology junior who has taken personality
tests, said, “Some of the questions were ambiguous or had too
many right answers. They were too close in meaning.”
Other tests can measure emotional intelligence quotient (E-IQ).
Psychology freshman Konasha Murphy took one of those. “It
had very simple questions that weren’t hard to answer,” she said.
Some tests measure whether you are a freak or a geek.
Frank Helies, a marine science sophomore, took the “Are You
a Freak?” personality test on the Internet.
He said, “It showed me that I was a freak. [However,] I thought
that the test was pretty boring because it didn’t tell me anything I
didn’t know already.”
Some of the choices on the test were, “It is better to break
rules than always to conform with an impersonal society,” and “I
would rather be just like everyone else than be called a ‘freak.’”
Some personality tests post the results of everyone’s test for com
parison. The questions often cover your personal life, friends and
family.
David Michael Hix, associate director of the Career Center, said
one assessment is not better than another.
Personality see page 2
Campus Notes
Fourth Prayer Breakfast
planned for Thursday
The fourth annual President’s Interfaith
Prayer Breakfast will be at 7:30 a.m.
Thursday in the Russell House Ballroom.
Through sharing, music and prayer, fac
ulty, students and staff representing many
major religions will offer their faith/spir
itual stories. '
Gamecock Club
plans spring cookout
The Student Gamecock Club will hold
its spring baseball cookout for mem
bers after the game April 1. RSVP Mick
Crawford at 777-7784.
Carolina Chambers
season finale show
The Carolina Chamber Players will per
form with the Miro String Quartet at 3
p.m. Sun at the S.C. State Museum’s au
ditorium. Tickets are available at thi
door for $10. For more information and
season tickets, call 376-0071. ,
Professional Rescuer
CPR to be offered
Health and Wellness Programs will of
fer an American Red Cross CPR class
for the Professional Rescuer from 5 to 8
p.m. April 7 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April
8 in the Blatt P.E. Center. To register,
call 777-6518. The registration deadline
is April 5.
Second City National
Tour Company coming
The Second City National Touring Com- ^
pany, a comedy company, will have a
show at 8 p.m. April 12 in the Russell
House Ballroom. Tickets are $5 for stu
dents and $7 for non-students and are for
sale in the Carolina Productions office
and at the RH Information Desk. For more
information, call Carolina Productions
at 777-7130.
■ CORRECTIONS
The Gamecock strives to report the facts
correctly and responsibly. If you come
across any inaccuracies in our reportage,
please let us know.
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