<p>Pay the fine study harder. </p>
<p>I don’t study much anymore since I am a 53 year old mother of two and not attending college. Additionally, TigerCC has used much of the same wording as others who have posted here. Perhaps you are the one creating different profiles. By the way, as gdad mentioned, my son is a good kid also. He is graduating cum laude this spring and continuing on to graduate school in the fall. He is in good standing both academically and socially. Not to beat a dead horse, but the us vs. them mentality is what has become troubling at the school. He has had lots of great professors, classroom experiences, and many good friends. </p>
<p>Pay the fine study harder</p>
<p>You really really really really should not dispute the tortuous rants of those with multiple personas, TigerCC. Who knows if they were all similarly traumatized in the past by some common transgression – like having had a bootie put on their communal car – or not having gone to any sweet dorm parties that weren’t boring – or not having received even one single measly complimentary annual planner from the administration at Saint Olaf.</p>
<p>I, myself, have actually received a complimentary set of oak-wood and cork coffee table coasters from Saint Olaf administration. I know the jealousy and sense of emptiness that others, like thunderthighs, lowerEd and gdud, must feel to not even have received a complimentary annual planner.</p>
<p>Tigercc and Archer, thanks for you posts. One of the other issues my daughter has noted about St. Olaf is the propensity on campus to shout down and penalize those who may have a differing opinion. This rose to the level of outrage among many students last spring after numerous acts of intolerance on campus were ignored by campus administrators. A group called Enough! was formed to try to force some action by school administrators. St. Olaf’s president finally responded after an editorial appeared in the The Carletonian (March 10, 2013 edition) noting the intolerant environment on St. Olaf’s campus. Again, there are many positives about this school, but prospective students need to understand that the campus environment is one of tight controls that in some cases rise to the level of absurdity. For example, read the report from the Manitou Messenger dated May 5, 2013 about the arrest of a student who was upset over the cancellation of Lutefest. Ask upper classmen how many people they know who have been arrested by Northfield police. Ask yourself what it says about the college’s administration that they monitor student social media sites like Facebook and bring in added private security on weekends when it appears that something will be happening at St. Olaf that would be considered innocent fun at another college. A person in my daughter’s dorm was arrested by the Northfield police. The family who lives in the dorm (I know that sounds strange but it is true) called the police because they suspected a student had beer. The student was 20 and was cited for underage drinking. The student was actually happy to be cited by Northfield police rather than having to deal with St. Olaf’s public safety department. I could not believe it when I heard the story, but according to the website cappex, over 20 St. Olaf students are arrested each year for alcohol violations. Since St. Olaf is private property, the only way this is happening is if a school official calls the police on its own students. I understand that St. Olaf is a dry campus, but so is every other college for those under 21. There are far better ways to address a 20 year old student with a beer than to call the police.</p>
<p>I asked my daughter about the much discussed (and ridiculed) “planner.” She said that it was actually more of a portfolio than a planner. As to the 1980’s reference, there may be some validity to that, but I can tell you that portfolios are still frequently given out at executive conferences. In any event, my daughter said that the real issue wasn’t the portfolio, it was the way that the administration announced that the portfolios would no longer be provided for budget reasons, while at the same time public safety was provided with new cars, the administrators moved into the beautiful new Tomson Hall, and numerous new administrators were added to the payroll. No one cared about the planner, but the optics and presentation were terrible.</p>
<p>gdad: Thanks for starting this thread and for your additional insights. I agree that the campus is beautiful, the academics can be first-rate, and the St. Olaf faculty is made up of some wonderful professors. </p>
<p>I hadn’t heard about “Enough!” and find it interesting that it took Carleton students to get involved for St. Olaf to act. While St. Olaf’s administration can silence its own students, it cannot control the voices across town. I was dismayed (but not one bit surprised) to read your examples of how St. Olaf shuts down students with differing views and is overly eager to call the police for minor infractions. Sadly, I know of a pre-med student who spent much of her senior year staying up all night to care for very drunk students because St. Olaf students won’t call for help. If they do so, they know they will be punished, even if they are 21.</p>
<p>Here’s another example. Look at how St. Olaf informs its students about mental health services, <a href=“Counseling Center – St. Olaf College”>ADD/ADHD – Counseling Center, compared to Carleton: <a href=“http://apps.carleton.edu/studenthealth/counseling/”>http://apps.carleton.edu/studenthealth/counseling/</a> (and this is Carleton’s general counseling website, not the website describing the additional services Carleton is providing following the car crash tragedy). St. Olaf is quick to point out that, if a student needs help right away, s/he will have to wait: “… our schedule is often very busy with an average wait of two weeks for an appointment; during peak times (end of the semester) the wait is longer.” Look at the “Cancellation/No Show” link for another example of St. Olaf’s punitive philosophy. Carleton, on the other hand, offers some type of help 24/7/365. I couldn’t find a word about whether or not Carleton even has a “No Show” policy. If St. Olaf’s counseling center has a minimum wait time of two weeks, might it make more sense to invest in more counselors than a brand new fleet of security vehicles and additional security staff? </p>
<p>I have also heard that St. Olaf plans to implement a policy requiring all students to live only in on-campus housing – which, in addition to the antiquated dorms, includes some honor houses – but all would be 100 percent controlled by the college. Control seems to be a common theme. </p>
<p>I am from the Twin Cities metro area, and St. Olaf has always enjoyed an excellent reputation. But something has changed. It does seem as though the administration is making decisions and setting policies based on fear, which is never a sign of a healthy organization.</p>
<p>At least you waited longer than 2 minutes this time to change names 
pay the fine and study harder. </p>
<p>I’m sorry but one ■■■■■ changing names with a grip against the school doesn’t come close to having any credibility. It’s funny but more sad that this student seems to have some such a problem with authority that they have created at least 3 maybe 4 accounts to try and create a negative impression of an amazing school. </p>
<p>Oh Tiger, how great to hear from you! I was waiting to see how long it would take you to respond. From what I have gathered, you are a high school senior deciding where to attend college next year. What an exciting time! I am a bit perplexed with the limited experience (if any) you have to share about St. Olaf. From where I sit, I can tell that gdad is an out-of-state parent of a St. Olaf daughter in her junior year, thunderstruck is the 53-year-old mom of a St. Olaf son in his senior year, and I am a Twin Cities parent of a St. Olaf son. I can’t speak for the others who have shared their negative experiences, but I can tell you that I am trying to help future students and parents be fully aware of St. Olaf’s bizarre idiosyncrasies to make informed decisions. I’m not sure why you’re hanging out here so much, but I’d encourage you to consider our concerns and, per gdad’s recommendation, talk to upperclassmen (ditto for other colleges). Archer: You’ve added a lot of humor to this thread, but there is nothing funny about St. Olaf’s off-putting approach to mental illness. I guess St. Olaf students must plan ahead and, if a student experiences a crisis or needs mental health services during “peak times,” that student must have already scheduled an appointment nearly a month in advance. Sadly, that’s not the reality of following best practices for students’ mental health. I don’t see anything funny about all of the ambulance visits for alcohol poisoning, either.</p>
<p>Pay the fine and study harder. </p>
<p>Tiger: Let us help you. What colleges are you considering? </p>
<p>Which one of your personalities would help me? Actually your reference to mental Heath services makes quite a bit of sense. Actually let me help you…pay your fine and study harder. </p>
<p>While it’s unfortunate the that one one counseling free counseling is not available on demand I do think the fact the school makes a point of including the following for those in IMMEDIATE distress.is an example of their commitment to student safety and well being. I have friends and relatives attending and I may also attend. I’m sorry your car got booted and they took away your free day planner. </p>
<p>If you are in an emergency or crisis situation, please contact 911,
St. Olaf Public Safety at (507) 786-3666,
Rice County Social Services 24 Hour Crisis Line
at 1-800-422-1286,<br>
or
National Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-TALK (8255).</p>
<p>I am only one poster, one parent. And let’s stop with the humor about studying harder and paying fines. Mental health is nothing to joke about, particularly given the tragedy all of Northfield has had to endure with the fatal car crash involving five Carleton College students. I would imagine St. Olaf students might be struggling with this tragedy, too, and having to wait two to four weeks to receive mental health services at any time – particularly when three students in the Northfield community have died – is unconscionable. Something is very wrong at St. Olaf, and it is not about paying fines and studying harder.</p>
<p>Pay your fine and study harder. And shame on you to exploit a tragedy and try and use it to your benefit.</p>
<p>St. Olaf admin=dark Lutherans, perhaps?
<a href=“Past Shows | A Prairie Home Companion”>Past Shows | A Prairie Home Companion;
<p>Thank you for posting what St. Olaf students can do if they need mental health services before the standard two- to four-week wait time: Call 911, call public safety staff at St. Olaf (the same people who write up students for drinking or parking violations), contact social services within a small, rural MN county, or call a national suicide hotline. </p>
<p>Tiger: It’s time to come clean. You are clearly not a high school student but someone paid to respond to St. Olaf posts, and I have unknowingly pushed a “liability” button. You forgot to include the copy on the counseling website that states “our schedule is often very busy with an average wait of two weeks for an appointment; during peak times (end of the semester) the wait is longer” or that " … appointments with the psychiatrist and nutritionist are often three to four weeks." </p>
<p>St. Olaf: I would love to see this turnaround time changed. I would love to see your counseling staff be increased so that students’ needs could be responded to sooner, I would love to see the copy about “Cancellations/No Shows” deleted (why not deal with this on an individual basis, rather than a punish-all policy?), and I did NOT in any way intend to exploit the car crash tragedy that affected the entire Northfield and greater Twin Cities community. </p>
<p>Yes I’m the president of St Olaf and on weekends I’m Batman.</p>
<p>PAY YOUR FINE AND STUDY HARDER.</p>
<p>Delusions of persecution – Belief that others, often a vague “they,” are out to get him or her. These persecutory delusions often involve bizarre ideas and plots (e.g. Tiger: It’s time to come clean. You are clearly not a high school student but someone paid to respond to St. Olaf posts, and I have unknowingly pushed a “liability” button. " ).</p>
<p>And again shame on you for exploiting such a tragedy </p>
<p>Daniel’s story
Daniel is 21 years old. Six months ago, he was doing well in college and holding down a part-time job in the stockroom of a local electronics store. But then he began to change, becoming increasingly paranoid and acting out in bizarre ways. First, he became convinced that his professors were “out to get him” since they didn’t appreciate his confusing, off-topic classroom rants. Then he told his roommate that the other students were “in on the conspiracy.” Soon after, he dropped out of school.</p>
<p>From there, things just got worse. Daniel stopped bathing, shaving, and washing his clothes. At work, he became convinced that his boss was watching him through surveillance bugs planted in the store’s television sets. Then he started hearing voices telling him to find the bugs and deactivate them. Things came to a head when he acted on the voices, smashing several TVs and screaming that he wasn’t going to put up with the “illegal spying” any more. His frightened boss called the police, and Daniel was hospitalized.</p>