READ THIS FOR A CHANGE
     By J. Wilder Konschak
     
     May I now write my first Hate article? 
     Yes, it was I who wrote the Anti-Section-Hate mad-lib last year. As noted 
by the Omen editor, I possibly single-handedly sucked the steam out of the Omen 
hate-factory. In spite of that, there's something that's really getting to me 
about this campus - or more specifically, about the people on it. And it's time 
I said something. Perhaps you'll even agree.
     In short, my gripe is this. I cannot tolerate the pride that many students 
take at being absolutely dumb. I don't mean unintelligent. I don't mean weird. I 
mean dumb. I mean dumb and blind. I mean absolutely obvious and gleefully 
unaware of everything.
     Believe it or not, I think that Hampshire has a lot of opportunities for us 
to do truly interesting things, interesting things that we couldn't do anywhere 
else. Yet, each time I've been out hanging posters on this idyllic campus, I've 
been stopped by a passerby, who proudly announced: "Don't even bother hanging 
them. I don't read them. No one does." ("Sometimes, we burn them though.")
     Well! Good for you, shithead! You've effectively made yourself a retarded 
sublife! You took the time and effort to brag that you don't read posters - but 
you didn't have enough oumph left to actually read them. Bravo! Go masterbate 
again, dickhead.
     How many student-events are missed because fellow students "forgot" or 
"didn't know" about them? How many of those same events were thoroughly postered 
for? How many sent out e-mails, pushed word-of-mouth, wrote on the board in 
Saga, stuffed mail boxes, advertised in the Omen, or the Forward? The answer is, 
a good number. 
     And yet, students pretend their ignorance is the fault of some weird them. 
"It's their fault I don't know what's going on. Hampshire doesn't have good 
communication. Hampshire doesn't knock on my door, beat me over the head, drag 
me a couple lousy yards, nail me to a seat so I can't leave during intermission. 
Hampshire didn't implant an electrode in my skull to transmit information with 
minute-to-minute reminders. I mean, I can't be expected to remember everything. 
I've got a lot on my mind." ("Pot mostly.")
     The sad truth is, no one knows squat because no one's smart enough to read 
posters, publications, or even their own fucking mail. If we're supposedly a 
group of intelligent people, interested in education, why am I always hearing 
people gladly declare, "They postered for it? Oh, I don't read posters," as if 
they're too good for them? They should add: "I'm a jackass. I like to have my 
head up my lovely bunghole. It's nice and damp and warm up there."
     Now, I realize that Hampshire is composed of students who want to fight the 
system - who didn't join the glee club or the football team - who were too 
creative for the yearbook or the literary magazine. I realize that, and I love 
it. But these students need to realize that they're at Hampshire now, where 
almost any group can get funding, where there's a TV station open for any show 
or performance, where places like ASH are only a phone call away, where the 
largest student publication WILL PRINT ANYTHING YOU SEND IN! People - you're not 
fighting the system or being elite by ignoring what your friends are trying to 
do. Participation isn't uncool anymore. Grow up a little. Don't play dumb and 
complain that there's nothing to do whenever there's no parties in Prescott.
     Lastly, regardless of all the other reasons, if this article says nothing 
else to you, let it say this. This college is full of would-be artists, 
creators, performers, and innovators. It's clear that every real artist, every 
real creator, real performer, real innovator, needs an audience. Thus, it is 
clearly the responsibility of everyone who's serious about what they are doing 
to give respect and attention to whatever their fellow students, their fellow 
artists, creators, performers, innovators, are trying to do. 
     So, please, pay attention to advertising - especially that of fellow 
students. Support groups. Go to shows. Watch Intran. Read the publications 
cover-to-cover. For the fuck of Brittany Spears, give a little goddamn respect 
to the hard work of your friends, and your friends' friends, and people who may 
someday be your friends, whether you may believe it now or not. 
     BE A PART OF YOUR FUCKING COLLEGE!