Last spring I had the misfortune of becoming quite familiar with the old adage “no good deed goes unpunished.”

Flashback to last March when I participated in The Newman Catholic Center’s Alternative Spring Break program, which allows students volunteer opportunities to serve unfortunate people in distraught areas for a minimal fee. I felt honored and elated at being given the chance to serve with four other girls at a site in Kenzington, one of the most destitute and drug-infested neighborhoods in the country located in Philadelphia.

That week my group and I spent our time serving wholesome meals to prostitutes, homeless and drug-addicted people, besides sharing heartfelt conversations with them and simply listening to them exert their feelings on their problematic lives. No doubt the experience enlightened me beyond words and belief, besides reminding me of how lucky I am.

When I returned back to the college routine the following week, as one could expect after being around many people who did not exactly have a cleanliness-laden lifestyle, I became hindered by nasty flu-like symptoms.

After a day of enduring the deteriorating illness, the dreadful flu became unbearable and I was forced to miss a few classes that week, two of which were the same class with the same professor. No big deal right? I had not been absent the entire semester plus I had a good reasons behind my absences.

Well, little did I realize how detrimental the aforementioned absences would be to my grade in the long-run.

Not until May, when my professor informed me of my final grade, did I realize that 30 points would be subtracted from my grade per day I was not in class during the semester. I was shocked and appalled when my professor informed me of her procedures.

For the most part it was my fault, and that was the bitter pill I simply had to swallow and come to grips with. I took out my two page course syllabus and felt a large lump creeping up in my throat, and as I read the fine print, I realized my grade was posed to take a severe hit.

Despite the fact that I should have been better informed of this particular professor’s policy, what teacher of any kind allows students absolutely no absences without taking 30 points off at each offense. Even after I explained my situation to the professor, she steadfastly insisted there was nothing I could do to keep her from subtracting those 60 points total from my final grade.

I meekly accepted the fate of my grade. I was totally crushed. I felt so disrespected when I tried to explain the reasons behind my absences. Brushing aside my pleas regarding my grade, she approached the whole matter in a ‘too bad’ kind of manner, using theoretical scenarios to exemplify there was nothing I could do to make her alter the grade she was posed to fabricate. Therefore I had to accept the deduction of a whole letter grade, which would be based on my two absences and not on my work in the course.

My original plan was to write a letter to the department head explaining my situation and arguing the professor’s pathetically ridiculous policy. In fact the whole scenario would have been perfect for John Stossel’s ‘Gimme a Break’ sector of ABC’s intriguing news program 20/20.

However, after the abrupt death of my best friend’s father, which was the result of a heart attack, I put things into perspective and writing the letter no longer was priority at the time to me.

Perhaps what disturbed me the most is that Eastern administrators would allow professors to have such a drastic attendance policy. I was baffled as to why the professor wouldn’t even allow one absence without penalizing a student.

The primary reason I am writing about this debacle is so that other students are not the victims of such an irrational, not to mention unrealistic, policy.

Eastern officials need to ensure that professors enforce attendance policies that are consistent in each various department. It is extremely frustrating when there is one professor taking a half point off your grade per absence and then another taking off 30 points. Students, like professors, are not perfect, and cannot be expected to be perfect when it comes to attendance.

Despite the irritating fiasco that resulted from the illness I contracted while spending my spring break serving others, I wouldn’t trade my volunteering experience in Kensington for anything, not even a whole letter grade increase.

Karen Kirr is Associate Verge editor and guest columnist for The Daily Eastern News. Kirr also is a junior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or mailto:[email protected]