OUR VIEWS Consensus Opinion

Fair priorities

Over 300 companies with more than 1,400 representatives participated in Career Fair this year. The fair is an excellent opportunity for students to explore their post-graduation opportunities. This year, Alexander Memorial Coliseum was more crowded than usual with students and employers, a positive indication of how dedicated students are to actively seeking employment and how marketable a Tech degree is to major companies. However, the increased crowds can prove troublesome for smaller recruiting companies with booths near huge names such as GE, Siemens or Microsoft, because students may not want to fight the crowds surrounding these large employers to talk to other companies. Those responsible for organizing the event should look into further increasing the amount of space available for the fair. Moving the bigger companies onto the court is one solution; students will still seek out those companies and see others on the way.

Clearly, students come to Tech to earn a degree that will eventually help them find employment after graduation. Some professors seem to have forgotten that this is why students enroll in their classes, as many professors continue to not excuse students who miss class for the Career Fair. Graduates finding jobs is also important to the Institute, as it factors into rankings and the value of a Tech degree. Therefore, the Career Fair is good for students and the Institute as a whole. As such, it would benefit the Institute if the dates of the Career Fair were published before the beginning of the semester and professors were alerted that it would be an excused absence and scheduling tests during the Fair would not be appropriate. On the other hand, the Career Fair should not become a student holiday; some proof should be required that the student attended the fair, perhaps by clocking in and out with a BuzzCard. Students should be applauded, not punished, for seeking employment.

Remembering 9/11

The memorial held for the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was orchestrated by a variety of groups in a touching display of campus unity. We set a good example for the community by holding a non-partisan commemoration rather than turning the anniversary into a political launching pad. The 9/11 attacks were a defining moment for our generation, and we should continue to remember them every year, not just on the fifth or tenth anniversaries. In future memorials, however, better advertising for the service accompanying the 2,996 flags would be beneficial for bringing together even more members of the campus community.