DaytonDailyNews.com

You don’t tip? Nah, I don’t believe in it.

By Gerald Fullam | Monday, October 23, 2006, 10:45 AM

Ok, so I do tip, but not because society says I have to. I don’t like to flaunt my viewpoint on this, but I have to let you all know what I think about tipping and then I’ll open the floor for debate. I was reading the chatterbox on DDN.com which asks this question “How much do you tip at restaurants?” and I couldn’t believe my eyes when reading some of the responses.

“I am a good tipper.”; “…I tip 20 percent.”; “I always tip 20-25%”; “Excellent service we tip 30%, poor service usually gets 10%”

What?! Did I read that correctly? That last quote from a reader response takes the cake! So as I understand it, this person feels so compelled to tip, that if their food comes out late, is cold, is missing a side, and the server doesn’t refill their drinks regularly, after all that ‘poor’ service, they still want to give them atleast 10 percent?!

A comment on percentage-based tipping: Based on a 10%poor - 20%good tipping scale, if I order something that costs $8 and the service is great, my tip will be $1.60, but if I order an expensive meal that costs $24.00 and the service is poor, my tip will be $2.40. The server works the same amount to bring me my food and refill my drink, the only difference between the two scenarios is the quality of service. So in effect, the latter, poor-service scenario, rewards the server more than the former, good-service scenario, which is not usually considered a good tip. To me, that is absurd. In each case I will leave my tip based on service so that regardless of cost I am leaving an appropriate tip.

Something has got to change. It was distressing to read the responses of everyone who seemed as though they were trying to prove something about themselves by the percentage on which they base their tips; as if they are trying to preempt future peer ridicule by bragging about how much they tip and all the servers they personally know who are just scraping by. I really appreciate the sentiment portrayed by Mr. Pink, in Tarantino’s film Reservoir Dogs, when he is pressured by his peers to tip:

“I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I’ll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. As far as I’m concerned, they’re just doing their job.” - Mr. Pink, Reservoir Dogs

I completely agree. They’re just doing their jobs. I never tip based on percentages; never based on hourly wage earning; I tip according to service only. You may be appauled, but sometimes I won’t tip as generously when I am at a busy restaurant and I see my server has atleast 4 other tables; sometimes 5 or more in addition to mine. Think about it: If those 4 tables cycle out every hour and each leaves only a $4 tip, collectively that is $16 per hour of work in addition to their $2.15 base pay rate summing a total of over $18.00 per hour for which many servers are not paying all their taxes. If you ask me that is highway robbery. I had a friend who was a server and laughed about not reporting his full earnings; Oh, and he often made over $200 a night of which he also laughed heartily. He wasn’t scraping by. (Yes, now I’m bragging about knowing a server too).

So, don’t give me the rhetoric that they don’t make enough money. Sure I think it is wrong for the government to tax their tips (or any income for that matter) and I think it stinks that they make $2.15 per hour, but that is no reason for me to increase my tip. The restaurants should pay their employees full wages starting atleast at minimum wage like every other business. Then patrons can choose to tip as an added bonus for excellent service. And aside from that, in America, if you don’t like your job, you can quit, find another job that pays more. If the server needs more money, they can find a job that pays real wages; a job that doesn’t depend on the patrons to directly provide their salary. The real thief here is not me, the customer who with holds percentage- or wage-based tips, but the restaurant owner who is attributing his/her payroll account to the pocketbooks of hungry citizens!

You may retort that if servers were earning full wages and no longer relied on tips that they would lose their incentive to do a good job. You may say “they wouldn’t care if you got served or not, they would get paid no matter what.” As a rebuttal, I ask this question, do you full-wage-earners care about your job even though you don’t rely on tips? Doesn’t everyone care that they provide a good product or service, so that they can make themselves marketable? Ofcourse. If they don’t care, then it is their problem and they will get fired and replaced; otherwise people will stop purchasing their product or service. This is what spurs better business and individual work ethic.

By now I sound pretty heartless, but I’m not. I’m just taking a stand against a cultural custom that I feel is a lose/lose for everyone. I’d like to see the system change and I am doing my part to help out. We can all help servers earn more by doing our part to change the system; stop tipping. Well atleast out of societal obligation.

Okay, your turn. Let me have it.

Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment

Facebook: Has it gone too far?

By Cindy | Tuesday, September 5, 2006, 10:36 PM

For those of you that don’t know, Facebook is a networking site used by students across the country. When it started, it incorporated only a few Ivy League schools. Over the few years it has been in existence, it has grown to include not only most colleges and universities, but also high schools and even cities. Since it’s beginnings it has faced scrutiny about the level of privacy it offers, and how an invasion of privacy could compromise a student’s safety. Until today, I’ve never had a problem with it, nor has anyone else I know. I have always had my privacy settings so that only friends can see my information, and have only put information in my profile that I actually want other people to see. Most importantly, I have always taken Facebook with a grain of salt. It has been a tool that my friends and I could joke around on and simply have fun.

That is, until this morning. I woke up and did my normal daily routine. I checked my e-mail, blogs, and then on to Facebook. What I found on my welcome page surprised me, to say the least. Today Facebook started feeds and mini-feeds, to tell me what is going on with my friends. And it’s not little things, either. Whether I care or not, it now tells me that a friend I don’t really know is now friends with someone else that I don’t know, and that ten other friends are going to a party that I don’t care about. And the kicker is I can see how many of my friends are joining Facebook groups that say how stupid the new format is. I prefer Facebook to MySpace because of the privacy settings. I’ve always felt safe on it, but now I feel creeped out looking at all my friend’s changes in information on my welcome page. It’s the ultimate stalker feeling, and I don’t like it.

So, college students, what do you think of the new format? Do you like seeing the every movement of all of your friends? Or do you prefer the old Facebook where you could write something silly on a friend’s “wall” without worrying about the other 120 of your friends seeing it?

Permalink | Comments (3) |

A win for student media, free speech

By Mark McGregor | Wednesday, August 30, 2006, 02:54 PM

Hey all, I’m back on my soapbox about law regarding student press and the freedom of speech it seems to curtail for the rest of the non-press types. After all, if you can’t get it from us, where else can you get it?

This released Aug. 28 from the Student Press Law Center, written by Evan Mayor, SPLC staff writer (my comments are in italics): CALIFORNIA — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed a bill into law that would explicitly prohibit prior restraint and other forms of censorship of the college press.

The bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, said in a press release the legislation makes California the first state in the nation to specifically prohibit censorship of college student newspapers.

Who’d a thunk it? A public figure that actually believes in the same protections for all adult-aged presses – student or not. The bill passed the California Senate on Aug. 10 by a 31-2 and was unanimously approved by the state assembly in May. Since more than just one public figure backed the passage of this bill, it’s a sure sign that people are coming to their senses that censorship of any type is unconstitutional.

At least California had enough sense to pass this, and hopefully many more states will follow suit with the passage of their own bills, though to what extent a state is willing to do that has yet to be determined and edgy. Seems to me other states could go one of two ways: 1. follow the path of California; 2. follow the Hosty v. Carter decision in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowing blatant censorship.

The appeals court decision held that the Supreme Court’s 1988 Hazelwood decision limiting high school student free expression rights could extend to college and university campuses in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. The U.S. Supreme Court decided in February not to hear the Hosty case, letting stand the June 2005 decision out of the 7th Circuit.

Ten days after the 7th Circuit decision, the general counsel for the California State University system sent a memo to university presidents saying the Hosty decision could impact California.

Although the 7th Circuit’s ruling is only applicable in the three Midwestern states covered by the appeals court, said Jim Ewert, legal counsel for the California Newspaper Publishers Association and supporter of the California bill, the memo raised some concerns amongst student press advocates.

“This law sends a very strong message to administrators that the student press is just as deserving of strong free press protection as professional media,” said Ewert.

“College journalists deserve the same protections as any other journalist,” Yee said. “Having true freedom of the press is essential on college campuses and it is a fundamental part of a young journalists training for the real world. Allowing a school administration to censor is contrary to the democratic process and the ability of a student newspaper to serve as the watchdog and bring sunshine to the actions of school administrators.”

YES YES YES!!!! Thank you Ewert, thank you Yee. Why would any institution of higher learning try to create an environment not conducive of a real-life environment for their journalism students? You said it Mr. Yee.

Permalink | |

Reading two sides of the student media law page

By Mark McGregor | Thursday, July 27, 2006, 04:41 PM

An institution of higher education who really had their student journalists’ best interest at heart would provide a real-world experience as part of said journalists’ education. I see this from two sides of the page.

Page 1. Really. What good is newspaper or broadcasting experience during college if those journalists-in-training have their “full rights” of the First Amendment and the Freedom of Information Act suppressed by the college or university?

Boring, but important, lawsuits filed by student newspaper staffs aside, the point is that a college trying to protect its butt (by not adhering to the laws of FOIA and recognizing a student journalists’ First Amendment rights) is a first-class mutilation of the freedom we are supposed to enjoy in the United States.

Furthermore, these actions and reactions by colleges send the wrong impression to budding and learning journalists. Any college that claims to be a “stepping stone to the real world” (as all do) would perhaps treat these adult-age learners as a journalist – not a student journalist – but a professional journalist. The point behind that is if you want to send a professional journalist out into the world, then it would be in the institution’s best interest to treat their student journalists as professional journalists.

Page 2. Maybe institutions that DO try to suppress what is printed in a college newspaper or that do not honor public information requests ARE teaching a student real-life journalism experience.

Professional journalists, not to mention the more helpless general public, sometimes have to file lawsuits against government institution for the release of documents that should be released upon request, no questions asked. So in reality a college who hides information or is hesitant to release such information is actually doing the student a bigger favor than an institution that strictly adheres to said laws.

From this viewpoint, it would seem that while a college or university gives itself a round of applause by keeping its dirty news out of the student media, they are actually teaching students valuable media law and public record-getting tactics.

This type of learning, however, will only be effective if the student journalist cared enough, was passionate enough, knew enough about media law to even know where to start or was not submissive to an institution’s administration or other forces. It is a duty of the press, even the student press, not to bend on this front when the public’s right to know is being threatened.

In conclusion – either way an institution decides to treat its student journalists, it must remember what it is there for: to teach a student to go into the world with the knowledge that will make them successful in whatever they do.

Also, the majority of students who are not student journalists would benefit from keeping an eye on this front because it affects them just as much. If a student journalist who has the backing of a newspaper and resources such as the Student Press Law Center can’t get the proper records upon request, then the general public will likely have a harder time.

Permalink | |

Ramblings from an almost-degree-holding, job-holding-hopeful

By Mark McGregor | Monday, July 24, 2006, 04:59 PM

Almost “halfway” there y’all. Only nine more class meetings to an associate’s degree. Not that it’s any great accomplishment or anything; I have friends and acquaintances who are: working on their doctorates, those who have no college education, and many other friends in between.

But hey, at least I finally did something and did it honestly. I didn’t think it would be such a good feeling…after all, what does an associate’s really mean when it’s hard enough to find a job holding a bachelor’s degree?

Maybe I’m not really halfway at all. Maybe halfway is just a mind set. Maybe I should be thinking more in terms of being a third of the way there and go for my master’s degree instead. Or perhaps I’m just a quarter of the way and I’m going for my doctorate. So that would put me at what? Forty-three years old when I actually earn my doctorate? That, of course, is at the rate I’m going.

In all reality, I’m not sure I want more schooling, though some say it would increase my chances of getting a job, I’m not sure just by how much. I’ve heard horror stories of people getting their sheepskin only to be turned away from a career and working somewhere they never intended or even want to be.

And actually, I know people working in the field and getting paid as much (if not more) than some starters WITH a degree. More power to them…they earned it on merit and proof they can do the job. Hopefully some of us can have that chance that really believe they’ve got what it takes.

It’s not that I’ll ever be through with my education. There are some loose-end personal interest courses I want to take. And there are far too many PBS specials and pages of encyclopedias than I can watch and read during my self-education. But hey, maybe I can both, work AND finish my bachelor’s with hopes of something better. Sometimes it feels that job-based experience is more true to form than any classroom experience. I’ve probably used 10 percent of my classroom experience and picked up the rest over time as I need it. If I need to know something, I feel, then I’ll go to the library.

Anyone feel the same way? Are you going through the motions of college just to get the piece of paper that makes you a degree-holding, job-holding-hopeful? It’s a soul search at its best…what to do with myself after this mess of a junior college career I’ve made.

Permalink | |

Why college is so expensive, really…

By Mark McGregor | Thursday, June 29, 2006, 05:23 PM

My interest was piqued today when I read a CNN story about a dialogue of the U.S. Secretary of Education’s Commission on the the Future of Higher Education. The story said that the draft report “calls for a significant overhaul of the 17 different programs in the federal financial aid system, which it calls ‘increasingly dysfunctional, inefficient and inadequate.’ But, in language likely to irk colleges, it also says schools “have shown little inclination to cut costs and improve their productivity.”

Part of the report was a Q&A about the cost of college, which I have chose to focus on, mainly because it affects students where it counts most - in their pocketbooks and wallets.

I will warn you there is a lot of information here, more than is usually in a blog. However, knowledge is power and being able to present your case as a voter and a college student might be worth its weight in your bank account. I’ve tried to eliminate unnecessary examples and wording for your reading ease.

Continue reading "Why college is so expensive, really…"...

Permalink | |

A choice of survival or school

By Mark McGregor | Tuesday, June 6, 2006, 02:27 PM

The decision is one that many Sinclair Community College students face – “Do I take another quarter off from classes, fill that savings account back up, and prolong the chance of getting a good job sooner or do I bite the bullet, not eat or pay rent for the next couple of months, and finish that degree, effectively ruining my body and my credit?”

If you’re an out-of-pocket student like me, it can be a tough decision to make. I’ve just two classes remaining for that less-than-desirable, but equally-important associate’s degree. But my wallet floated into the stratosphere a few weeks ago and I’m not sure if there’s any way to weigh it down soon enough to pay for school.

I’m already living well below the poverty line and with the resignation from the job that provided my second source of income, I will be living on, well, I won’t be living at all. This is where the conundrum gets sticky. If I go and get another job now at yet another business, I certainly won’t have time to go to school this summer. If I wait to get a job, I won’t be able to pay for school and I certainly won’t have money for food or rent.

What should I do everyone? Does anyone have the solution for this beside financial aid? Maybe others out there are in worse straits than myself. Tell me about decisions like this you’ve had to make.

Permalink | Comments (3) |