COLLEGE SHORTS

Author: DANIEL L. J. PHILLIPS

Confession board stirs up Wesleyan

Following the trend set at Oberlin College, Wesleyan University launched and recently ended its Anonymous Confession Board - an online message board that provided space that invited students to post their opinions or concerns. The Confession Board lasted nearly two months until it reached its 5,000-comment capacity on Nov. 15.

Sophomore Caroline Shlager created the outlet as a post on the Wesleyan community livejournal (www.livejournal.com/community/wesleyan) after reading the Oberlin board, which was created at the end of last year and mostly elicited confessions of love and reminiscing. However, Wesleyan students began using Shlager's board not only for confessions, but also for rants, insults, political discussions and fights, according to The Wesleyan Argus.

The first comments on the board were anonymous confessions from students talking behind others' backs. By the second page, posts included personal attacks and insults against queer students and students of color, resulting in a series of further debates, wrote The Argus. Some posts singled out students by listing their first and last names, while others were confessions of crushes and personal hygiene, including a debate about the merits of circumcision.

Even students not targeted on the board were offended by the personal attacks, but a new confession board has already been started to replace the first.

- The Wesleyan Argus



Tufts student slain in auto accident

Tufts University senior Boryana Damyanova, born Sept. 20, 1983, was struck and killed by two cars while crossing the street in Somerville, Mass., on the night of Tuesday, Nov. 22. Damyanova was an international student from Sofia, Bulgaria. Police reports said Damyanova was first hit by a car while crossing an intersection. After being struck, she was flung into the opposite lane and a pickup truck traveling in the opposite direction hit her as well.

Both drivers stopped after the collision and Damyanova was taken to Somerville Hospital, where she was officially pronounced dead.

According to police reports, no alcohol was involved and no charges have been filed. Damyanova was on her way to spend Thanksgiving break in Montreal to visit her boyfriend, who goes to McGill University.

- The Tufts Daily


Nat'l trend shows drop in Fri. classes

According to research done by The New York Times, many colleges and universities are offering fewer classes on Friday as part of a national trend.

Indiana University offers 40 percent fewer classes on Friday, while Arizona State University and University of California, Irvine offer 50 percent fewer classes on Friday. The reason for this decline has been because of an increase in outside activities by, suggests the National Center for Education Statistics.

In 1970, about 36 percent of full-time college students were employed compared to 46 percent in 2003.

- Daily Kent Stater