Wikipedia: Khokarahman

Diversity. What’s the first thing you think of? A group of people of different ethnicities and colors, of all different sizes and varying types of hair? But what do you really know about their backgrounds?

When people say something is “diverse”, they think of everything mentioned above, but do they actually think about what’s behind all those different faces? Is diversity defined by people’s physical attributes or by something more? To me, diversity is background. Diversity is in the roots, the celebrations.

Take, for example, Diwali. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights that prefaces the Indian New Year; it is a celebration that triumphs good over evil. During this time, Hindus will light “deepaks” or lamps and line the pathway with them to bathe their home in light and ward off any darkness. Diwali has five days, each of which represents a different event and comes with its own set of rituals.

As a broke college student, I don’t have much to celebrate Diwali with, so I improvised. Outside my door, you’ll find two plastic, flameless candles in makeshift miniature clay pots as my deepaks.

Yet, as people walk by my room, they stare at the lights as if they are Halloween decorations; not realizing the significance of the deepak is to illuminate the path to a good New Year and welcome people into my home. Likewise, when people put up lights around their house in an effort to commemorate this festival, people assume they are early Christmas decorations rather than celebration of their own festivities.

With that being said, it’s not necessary to know each and every detail about other cultures. However, diversity should not be limited to just the outside appearance. It should also include a general understanding of their culture and what they believe in.

Nowadays people have made diversity seem like something ordinary, part of which could also be attributed to places like college campuses constantly stating “We’re diverse!” and “Check out all our diversity.”

Diversity isn’t ordinary, and it isn’t even extraordinary. Diversity is something you experience, not just what you see. It’s what you eat, what you hear, what you breathe. Diversity is deep, so don’t just dip your toes in; dive. Dive into the stories of people’s historical pasts, their ancestry. Even your own.

Maggie Fedorocsko The Triangle

WKDU Philadelphia 91.7FM, Drexel’s free-format non-commercial radio station, was ranked No. 1 in Value Colleges’ list of “Top 10 College Campus Radio Stations”, adding to the organization’s growing list of honors.

“[WKDU] not only plays a variety of amazing tunes but they manage to keep up with the entire music scene in Philadelphia, which is no small task,” Value Colleges said in the list.

WKDU has won numerous awards in the past, including the College Music Journal’s “Station of the Year Award” in 2011 and six Best Local Jamaican Radio Stations from the Best of Jamaica in Philadelphia surveys. This ranking is particularly important, as current members of WKDU are trying hard to make the organization more well-known to Drexel students and the community of Philadelphia in general.

Nathan Kosmin, a senior information technology major and the treasurer of WKDU, is pleased to be a part of the ranking.

“This is WKDU’s year,” Kosmin said.

Twenty-year-old Cooper Swan Beaupre is the current general manager of WKDU. Managing the current staff of over 90 people, handling recruitment efforts and directing all of the programming at WKDU is no small task, but it is definitely worth it, he said.

Beaupre was proud to acquire another accomplishment for WKDU with the Value Colleges ranking in less than six weeks of being the GM, though he does not take full credit for the success. He owes it all to the current members and the former teams, he said.

“It was really personally rewarding for a lot of people who spend a majority of their time here and I am excited for the future of WKDU,” Beaupre said.

He continued to explain that it’s nice for someone other than his mom to congratulate his efforts.

Beaupre hopes the ranking will direct attention to WKDU because most people are unaware of it, even though it is a notable component of Drexel’s campus.

WKDU is one of the only student-run radio stations left in the country. Though the organization receives minimal funding from the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee and must abide by common Federal Communications Commission rules, it is completely managed by students, which makes the group exceptional, Beaupre said. Disc jockeys even have the privilege of being on FM radio, which is rare considering the state of college radio these days.

WKDU also houses one of the largest CD and record libraries on the East Coast, which includes records that were sent specifically to WKDU that do not exist outside of private collections. WKDU has been adding to its collection since it first became a station and parts of the collection are older than the students involved.

As Value Colleges pointed out, WKDU maintains a strong sense of community, consistently keeping up with the entire music scene of Philadelphia.

Local music director and record librarian, Yoni Knoll, said this was the strength of WKDU.

“It’s a great community resource. WKDU has historically and currently been one of the best resources for the Philadelphia music scene, having bands that you can’t hear anywhere else,” Knoll said.

Knoll is a 2012 Drexel alumnus who can’t seem to get enough of WKDU. Most people who get involved with WKDU become attached to the organization, like Knoll and Beaupre.

Yet, too many music-lovers don’t know that WKDU exists despite the accomplishments of the organization, Beaupre said. The world of radio has dissipated for many people as customizable services like Spotify and iTunes take over.

Hopefully, this important ranking will make more students and the outside Philadelphia community aware of WKDU. Awards like this are really positive and can lead to incredible futures, Beaupre said.

Since the ranking was announced, current members have been motivated to work harder, more freshmen are getting involved and more people have been congratulating WKDU, including Drexel University President John A. Fry, he said.

Beaupre hopes this ranking will mark a full transformation for WKDU. Above wanting increased funding and to move the radio transmitter to a taller building to keep up with the expansion of the university, he hopes to strengthen WKDU presence on campus. It would be great to discover more passionate people to join, he said.

Without WKDU in his life, Beaupre would be lost. “It totally changed my college experience. I don’t know what I would have done at Drexel otherwise, maybe that lightsaber club,” he said with a laugh.

“My college experience is dramatically better because of this place — purely because of this — and I would love to introduce [other people] to the same positivity and community that I have come to love so deeply,” he said. “Who knows where my life will go, but I doubt that I’ll find something else like this in my future.”

Everyone’s anxious about the presidential election just around the corner., we think we can all finally acknowledge the elephant in the room (or donkey, whichever you prefer): that this election contains a great deal of anxiety.

For the conservatives, there is fear of what will happen with another Clinton president and for the liberals, an identical dread for a Trump presidency.

We’re not going to tell you who to vote for or who’s right; instead, we are going to implore you to think upon the unity of our nation –— and what can cure us of the pandemic fear that has the right and the left in its grip.

This election has brought out some of the worst mentalities in the United States. Before this election even began, we knew that there was xenophobia, racism and sexism present, along with the rest of the world. Did anyone anticipate that it was going to be this bad? Absolutely not.

In the year 2016, we realized that we, as a nation, are still not too far from the racial and sexual discrimination that was blatant 50 years ago.

We heard a man say that all African Americans “live in poverty” and should vote for him because they “don’t have much to lose.”

We have seen that same man claim that Muslims should be banned from entering the United States, even demanding that a wall be built to keep Mexicans who “steal jobs” and “bring crime, drugs and rapists” out of the country. He’s even been accused of sexually assaulting women, many of whom have come forward to show the country who he really is.

He claims you can “get away with it when you’re famous.” These claims are ridiculous enough on their own, and should be immediately disregarded as hogwash. However, when you consider that approximately half of the United States would vote for him, it shows where exactly we stand as a nation.

This country has survived economic collapse and civil war. We have faith that it will survive whichever ruinous president concerns you. What concerns us is that both sides in this election have committed grievous sins held by the other side’s ideology, and there does not seem to be a spirit of parley in the air. The Republicans have passed the point of no return with their nomination of Trump, and the fact that they have does not say much about their opinion on four more years of a Democrat hold office.

There is an intense mutual contempt and bitterness that separates the two factions from each other, and we are genuinely concerned with what will happen when one side is disappointed come November. We are not here to say that we should ignore our differences. Difference means distinction — distinction means identity.

What makes America great is not building a wall, as Donald Trump claims, but the high diversity of the people you see walking down the street. The American dream, as built by our founding fathers, was for people of all races and creeds to unify in order to search for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We think it is time we look up from our voluminous lists of grievances and see with surprise and relief that our fellow Americans are in fact human.

Most of us will probably not meet the president of the United States, but we will meet each other. We will have differences and disagreements and long memories and records of each other’s wicked sins, but we think we can love each other anyway.

We can take this chance right now, before the election comes crashing down on us and half the country rejoices while the other half roars with rage, to unconditionally value each other. To love people for being just like you — complicated but beautiful creatures that in the end, are all Americans.

We believe that a love not for opposing ideology but for individual people will heal this country and end the desperate back-and-forth struggle for control. Maybe for once, we don’t have to let fear tear us away from each other. Maybe for once, this great eagle can fly with both wings. That is where we put our hope: that perfect love will drive out all fear.

America may be on the verge of all-out chaos, but it’s not too late. We can still work together to make America even greater than it was before. We won’t even need a wall in order to do it.

Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT

Halloween is less than two weeks away, and plenty of people already have their costumes planned out. But if you’re still stuck for ideas, then here are what I think are the best and worst costumes for 2016.

Best:

1. Sexy Trump. Yep, this is an actual costume — as if anyone’s surprised. Honestly, with Halloween coming barely a week before the election, any kind of political costume is going to be a hit, especially something that gently pokes fun at all the crazy political shenanigans that have been happening recently. We have to be able to laugh about everything that’s going on or else, we’d be crying. Sexy Trump is the perfect Halloween combination of hilarious and scary, but other good ideas are Ted Cruz Zodiac Killer, Deez Nuts, and Trump’s Mexican border wall.

2. Leonardo DiCaprio and his Oscar. That might feel like a long time ago, but it was actually just this winter — and any meme of 2016 is fair game for an incredible costume, since it won’t be recycled from last year’s Halloween. Harambe is sure to be a popular one, and then there’s Dat Boi, Daniel with his white Vans, Netflix and chill … really, there are infinite options here, and some of them are incredibly easy to make. Alternatively, it’s been long enough now that it would also get plenty of lulz if you went back in time and dressed as a cat who can haz cheezburger.

3. Things everyone recognizes! Halloween isn’t a time to be a pretentious hipster and wear a costume nobody else in the room understands — that doesn’t make you better than anyone. The best kinds of costumes are media characters everyone recognizes, bad puns, everyday objects, anything spooky, etc. Celebrating is a million times more fun if you and everyone you know can smile at each other’s costumes, and the flash of recognition in other people’s eyes when they see you is awesome!

Worst:

1. Any kind of cultural stereotype. Don’t dress up as a geisha, a Native American, a Mexican, or (worst of all) a Middle Eastern terrorist. These aren’t funny, these are people’s real experiences and difficulties that you’re turning into a joke — and in a diverse city like Philadelphia, chances are you’ll run into people at your party who are actually affected by these issues, and seeing your costume could just ruin their night. There are so many amazing costume ideas out there that don’t hurt anyone, so there’s just no excuse for a racist costume.

2. Edgy cartoon characters. Dressing up as Mickey Mouse or Cinderella or Finn from Adventure Time is awesome, but if you want to be a beloved childhood character, then let them stay innocent. There’s no need to go for the spooky versions of these covered in blood and scars, or the sexy versions that are essentially just themed underwear. Spooky or sexy costumes are fine in their own right, but when they’re combined with characters people have loved since they were small, they can just end up ruining people’s childhoods, since it’s difficult to see the characters in a normal way again.

3. Anything prepackaged. Half the fun of Halloween is putting together a costume, and it’s just not as exciting if you pull it straight off the rack. If you don’t have the time to sew or craft a costume, or don’t feel artistic enough, then it’s totally cool to scavenge through thrift stores for all the pieces to make up a costume too. Because getting a compliment on your costume feels so much more worthwhile when you worked on it yourself — and you can guarantee you’ll be the only person at the party in your outfit.

Most importantly, stay safe this Halloween and make the most of your night!

Opinions make the world colorful. They spice up the world with different perspectives. Being a journalist is exhilarating because I get to interact with people of all different backgrounds and understand how someone’s life can shape their opinions. Everyone’s unique experiences create opinions that are vocalized to the world, making it vibrant and lively.

But opinions have also caused a lot of war. Some opinions are controversial, and people will strongly disagree with them if they do not match their own beliefs. It is difficult to put yourself in another person’s shoes, and frankly, most people are convinced that their opinions are more practical than anyone else’s.

But when does disagreeing with others go too far? After all, everyone is legally entitled to their own opinion. We are even legally entitled to disagree as well. With that in mind, everyone must remember that it is important to respect other people’s’ opinions.

Accepting other people’s’ opinions has especially been difficult this year. Many unfortunate events have happened around the world, and they are all at the center of this year’s presidential election. Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have controversial opinions on these events, and it is often difficult not to have the urge to scream and wish they would never speak again. Disagreeing with either of the candidates is very common. After all, they are in competition to govern over 300 million people, as well as have a voice in world affairs, so their opinions should reflect what most people believe.

Strongly disagreeing with, even disliking, a candidate is not too far. What takes disagreeing too far is when one inflicts malicious acts on others solely because one’s opinion does not agree with theirs. This is the kind of violence and intolerance that has started wars and prejudice. I see this as an act of entitlement. For some reason, some people believe that their opinions hold more value than others’, and are willing to declare war because of it.

Nobody’s opinion will ever truly hold more value than another’s. All seven billion people on Earth are humans too, with voices and minds that all have the same opportunity to change the world. With that many people, opinions are bound to conflict at some point, but that’s OK as long as it is met with respect and understanding.

Respecting others and understanding different perspectives can be a humbling experience. It is an easier way to better understand the complex world that we all live in. Having an opinion means possessing the most potent power in the world, and it is up to us to decide what impact we will create with that power.

Flickr: Xavier Badosa

He is one of the greatest singers and songwriters in not just American history, but world history. He’s an icon of the 1960s hippie movement, a 12-time Grammy winner, an Academy Award winner, a Golden Globe winner and a proud inductee of the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame. And, as of Oct. 13, he can add one more accolade, arguably the biggest of his career. He is now the recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature, an accolade previously held by legendary writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Harold Pinter and Pablo Neruda.

Now, this isn’t a surprise. His songs, including “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’” are iconic songs in their own rights and are pieces that should be celebrated. Even the Nobel Committee, when announcing Dylan as this year’s recipient, claimed he received the prize for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”

Many people, including myself, knew that, at some point, Bob Dylan would receive a Nobel Prize.

The shock, however, was that it wasn’t the Nobel Peace Prize, arguably the most memorable of the Nobel Prizes, which he has been a heavy contender for since the 1960s. Why? If you look at Dylan’s career, you see that he has divided his time between his songwriting and his social activism, especially during the American civil rights movement of the late 1960s. In this day and age, the Nobel Peace Prize, while still prestigious, has become more diluted and filled with controversy, with recent recipients including Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, Martti Ahtisaari and even Malala Yousafzai, who does deserve the prize, but not at this point in time.

Previously, the peace prize would go to not only the most well-known advocates for peace, but for those who openly practiced peaceful options; people and organizations such as Martin Luther King Jr., UNICEF and Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and well-known activist famous for writing “Night”, a memoir about his time in Auschwitz during the Second World War.

If Wiesel, a well-accomplished writer and social, can win the peace prize, then how come Bob Dylan will receive the prize in literature despite being similar in description to Wiesel?

Who knows? I don’t.

What I do know, however, is that the Norwegian Nobel Committee need to resolve this issue during Dylan’s lifetime, as the man deserves that accolade as well as any other accolade he can get. Until then, congratulations Bob Dylan! You deserve this, and we’ll see you Dec. 10!

After I was accepted to college, many people began to ask the conventional question, “So, what’s your major?” In the midst of answering this same question over and over again, I realized how stigmatized and criticized being a communication major is.

I was tired of the countless negative reactions like, “What can you even do with a degree in communication?” and “You aren’t going to make any money with a major like that!” My discontent lead me to conduct a Google search about the communication field. All I found were endless stereotypes about the major that tapped into the fear I held since the very beginning.

This hasn’t deterred my decision in any way, as I remain passionate about my specific concentration, journalism, while being more willing than ever to work hard to achieve my version of success.

Yet, the unfortunate truth remains that there are individuals majoring in communication who are embarrassed to reveal their plan of study. Being told that your major is worthless and will yield little to no income is never something you want to hear said about such an important component of your life.

How is tearing apart everything we have established thus far in our lives supposed to help us? It seems that society’s expectations have shifted from doing something that truly intrigues you and that you have cultivated a strong interest for, to something that can just reel in a greater salary than the next person — even if it makes you unhappy.

This generation in particular has seen a more avid acceptance of creative majors, such as communication, than the last. This seems to scare the public, as its idea of working tirelessly for only the money and not for the passion is being deviated from.

Every time a friend gets that look of concern on their face when they hear my major or my family hesitates a bit to tell someone what I’m studying, the frustration that no one understands my dedication continues to get overwhelming. Choosing a major this broad should never be deemed a mistake, as this has only allowed me to discover new aspects of a field that I want to delve into and incorporate in my future. As a communication major, I am opened up to fields such as journalism, public relations, film, and radio and television. Individuals with a communication background are offered job opportunities in all realms. We are able to add a greater range of skills to our knowledge to enhance all that we can offer. The depth of this major only adds to its value, and allows a person to evolve with numerous different interests and possibly manifest it into something incredibly beneficial in the future.

I have learned as a communication major that life works on an incredibly expansive spectrum in which many things require interpretation, problem solving, innovative ideas and obviously, effective communicating. Handling the vast and changing components of life plays directly into the creative elements of communication majors. We analyze the media and create what the public wants to hear or see, utilizing originality and talent that the individuals within these fields possess. Alongside the creativity and artistry that is used in our work, the skills of networking and building connections that we have continuously learned give us the chance to meet the people who can help take our aspirations to the next level. The techniques we are taught are meant to enhance our goals and prove just how relevant communications is in everyday life, even if it is not recognized yet by those who regard it as useless.

Rationalizing my decision to major in communication to those who expect me to get nowhere in my career is downright frustrating and quite honestly, should no longer be necessary. Not only are we relevant in various people’s everyday lives through the news and social media, but we are also currently at a threshold of a major digital revolution where every aspect of the world is interconnected through different media. This makes it not only more achievable but more necessary for the information that is being communicated to be sent through innovative media with significant messages. We are responsible for delivering a great deal of information to the world and the manner in which we do it now matters more than ever.

It’s time we stop downplaying our passions and allowing others to force us to neglect what we love doing to only strive for a better salary. Communication is reemerging more relevant than ever and it is time it is accepted as truly being beneficial within our world. Being the reason a person feels inferior due to the stereotypes that surround their chosen major is not something to revel in — especially when it plays such a vital role in the way our society functions today.

Flickr: 9/11 Photos

It was the worst 102 minutes in American history. In a single day, 2,977 lives were lost. Four planes crashed. Two Towers fallen. Yet, most Americans only remember two numbers from that day: 9/11.

I was only three years old when it happened. I don’t remember much, except that my mother unexplainably came to my preschool to take me home. I sat at home for the rest of the day, blissfully unaware that this day would change the course of world history for years to come. I would also be blissfully unaware that it would unify America in the way it did.

In the years after 9/11, my life began to change. On the television, especially through the CNN programming with Robin Meade my mother and I watched every morning, phrases such as “Afghanistan,” “The Patriot Act,” “Iraq” and “deployment” became commonplace. When President George W. Bush proclaimed that fighting in Iraq took precedence over helping American civilians in New Orleans, I had my first experience staying up late.

After moving to Hong Kong, I gained an outsider’s perspective. Instead of living within the fishbowl, I got the chance to look inside.

As I got even older, I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing within the media: constant reports of Middle-Easterners, supposed Muslims, committing malicious attacks in the name of “Islam.” These attacks included gruesomely beheading innocent civilians and reporters, bombing a hotel in Mumbai, shooting and killing 13 military soldiers in Fort Hood, stabbing and bombing innocent people in Paris and perpetrating a mass shooting in an Orlando nightclub. Watching such events caused me to constantly ask myself if I was evil. Was I guilty by association, just because I shared a similar ethnicity? Were all Middle-Easterners inherently evil?

No. They weren’t.

Throughout time, I noticed other attacks carried out by different men all in the name of “religion,” and not just Islam. It was Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, too. In every religion, I could see that people were taking advantage of faith in order to pursue their own causes. I decided, after years of constant internal debate, that neither I nor most Middle-Easterners were to blame. The actions of a few impacted the image of many in the public eye.

That public eye was not just biased; it was constantly manipulated by all the propaganda brought out by the American government and the media. In the aftermath of 9/11, someone needed to be the scapegoat, someone who the government could use to push their own agenda. Of course, this would be al-Qaeda, the Taliban and the entire Middle Eastern community. America, which had unified, decided to grieve, projecting anger onto the Middle Eastern community. No, not anger. Anger was an understatement. The American people not only projected anger, but also bigotry, often making stereotypes and assumptions without looking into the facts. You can even argue that the 2003 invasion of Iraq was based on the manipulation of emotions after 9/11 to fight the “Middle Eastern threat.” We had no reason to be there, but in we went. Everywhere you looked, the media was exploiting Middle-Easterners as “evil”. The public followed suit.

While growing up in Hong Kong, I was one of the lucky ones. I was on the receiving end of very little racial slurs, if any, and most of the prejudice I experienced were from those directed at Middle-Easterners that I knew personally in the United States.

In Hong Kong, no one cared if you were Middle Eastern. That didn’t matter as long as you upheld the law. In the U.S., even the tiniest mention of being Middle Eastern can earn you an extensive pat-down from the Transportation Security Administration, even if you’re a model citizen. It’s even partially the reason why Donald Trump is as popular as he is now.

Even though I say all of these negative things about America, I must get one thing straight: I love America. I feel that it is one of the greatest countries in the world, if not the single greatest. It has given me opportunities to better myself. Hell, it’s probably even the reason you, the reader, are able to read this article right now. However, I, as an American citizen, can stop and call out the faults of the American people. It is a constitutional right. The constant prejudice, in my view, is one of the most blatant, and the one that needs to be addressed. Why?

Even though the pain of 9/11 is still fresh, we need to make one thing clear: neither a whole race nor an entire religion were responsible. We, as a people, have the capacity to love with all of our hearts.

This prejudice has to stop now.

Why can’t we accept that everyone wants to move away from the pain that 9/11 caused? Instead of hate for our Middle Eastern neighbours, why not invite them in for some good ol’ Monday Night Football? Or invite yourself to a nice dinner of moussaka and chelow kebab? We are one people, unified to find and balance the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Let’s work together to make it happen. We, the people, should unify once again.

Is God a real being? I had an hour long conversation with a friend, attempting to explain why I personally don’t believe in any god. I cannot be convinced that there is a god, even by someone as close as my friend. Throughout our conversation, I realized that this issue needed further reflection. After quite a bit of thinking, I realized that not believing in God has directly contributed to my happiness, and made me who I am today.

My entire family is Roman Catholic and very religious. I attended a private Catholic elementary and middle school. Up until about age 13, I went to church every Sunday and prayed at least two times a day. My belief in God was mostly influenced by my environment. There were moments where I questioned my religion, but didn’t have enough knowledge about the world around me to confirm or disprove my doubts.

As time passed, I became more aware of philosophy and more importantly I became more aware of myself.

The prayers never worked. I never felt like God had helped me in any way. I always remembered to be as thankful and as “good” as I possibly could. I followed the Ten Commandments and went to church no matter what.

Until the whole “believing” thing got old and no longer fulfilled my need for hope. The promise of heaven did not resonate with my needs. Nothing had changed, and I wasn’t going to let it stay that way.

Being so preoccupied with praying and having the constant thought that “God has a plan,” blurred my vision of reality. A promise of eternal happiness is not something that I need. Let’s be real, there isn’t a way to prove that heaven exists, or that God is watching over us. Although some historical evidence supports the events written, The Bible cannot be fully accepted as facts.

I believe in the present, and that the future is dependent on how one utilizes their time now. You cannot just pray; you have to act. To me, it doesn’t matter what happens to me when I die, but rather what I can contribute to the world that I am in now. This is what is known to me, and I don’t want to spend time worrying what might happen in a world that I can’t even confirm exists.

One of the reasons people believe in God is to have a sense of hope. My hope lies elsewhere — in being mindful and positive.

“God is a concept by which we measure our pain,” John Lennon states in his song “God”. The more pain you have, the more need you have for explanation from a higher power. At this point, I’m happy and feel that my happiness is based on what I have contributed to this earth, not what was given to me by God.

If I one day find out God does exist, whether it’s on this Earth or after I die, I will acknowledge it. But for now, I’m okay with being a non-believer. From my perspective, believing changes nothing.

Glued to a swivel chair, I vigorously flipped through stacks of papers hammering out scribbles that faintly resembled my name wherever an “x” lied, barely even glancing at the fine print. A quick glimpse at my friends revealed they were facing a similar stress and I watched as they furiously tackled the endless documents. Clenching my jaw, I anxiously tapped my feet against the legs of the table. The utterance of a half-hearted, “Sorry to rush you girls, but there’s only one room left” interrupted the tension in the air.

Drexel pressures students into finding housing far too early. My roommates and I were sick of the constant emails from Chestnut Square, University Crossings and the Summit, so we decided to look at housing in early November last year, less than two months after we moved into Drexel. We took a casual walk to Chestnut Square, hoping for a simple tour and a mere sheet of paper summarizing the housing plans, but right then and there we were told we had to sign the lease that night or else we could not get housing together. We wanted a specific floor plan and we were told that type was in high demand and that’s why we were being rushed.

Since we would be second-year students, we had to live in university-affiliated housing and therefore, were rather limited in our options. Panicked, we agreed, fearing that if we did not act in that moment that we would not have a place to live the following year.

Naturally, I did not have the several hundred dollars they wanted that night to “secure” my housing just laying around in my wallet, so I was allowed to come back the next morning with the money as a “courtesy” from them. How thoughtful.

As I handed in the payment and the completed forms, I was overcome with relief. I was glad everyone in leasing was so helpful and I was thankful to get the “last” room. For once in my life, I felt lucky since I got to that floor plan at exactly the right time.

About a month later, I realized I wasn’t lucky at all when I got an email from Chestnut Square talking about all the different options available for the 2016-2017 year. The type my friends and I had chosen was listed as an option. We had not gotten the last room. We were rushed for no reason at all.

Though I had been warned of exaggerating leasing agents, I still felt betrayed. We were taken advantage of that night since it was clear we had no experience with leases or apartments or anything of that realm. My stomach still turns when I think about the smirk plastered on the agent’s face as the four of us walked away, committed to Chestnut Square.

We have felt uneasy about the living arrangements for several months now and the only aspect that has made us feel better about our impulsive decision is how we were promised to have a breathtaking view on a higher level of the building. A few days ago, Chestnut Square emailed us our room numbers. We’re on the second floor. Angered, we immediately called them and were told that our specific floor plan was only on the bottom levels. There was absolutely no way they could move us up, even if they wanted to.

We were guaranteed something that doesn’t even exist. We committed immediately due to the promise of a good view and now our only view will be of the concrete sides of surrounding buildings or maybe the garbage premises if we’re lucky.

When marketing a place for someone to live, it’s okay to focus on only the best features and to stay away from the negative ones, but it’s not okay to outright lie. More importantly, it’s important not to pressure someone.

Since second-year students must continue to reside in on-campus housing, all of the housing options will fill up no matter what, so there is no need to pressure students into signing for something right away. At the end of the day, they’ll have the same amount of money in their pockets, so what is the point?

My friends and I were rushed to commit to housing when we hadn’t even fully moved into our first year at North Hall. Not only were we rushed, but we were lied to. It’s safe to say that my living arrangements for sophomore year at Chestnut Square will be Square.

The Triangle: Maggie Fedorocsko