Do we want the freedom of choice?

With the housing lottery and class registration right around the corner, the idea of choice and manipulation has been everywhere. As I was discussing the housing lottery with many different people there were many ideas going around. Many people complained about the system and wished there were a better system. People were talking about how other schools do it online as opposed to in person. A lot of people simply wanted to put down whom they wanted to room with and rank the buildings in order of where they wanted to live (similar to the first year housing lottery). Many people complained that they wish they had more options in the housing lottery yet the idea they came up with was letting the computer do the work. Many simply do not want to deal with the stress of making a choice.

            This is also similar to how registration manipulates us. Some classes are only offered at certain times or during certain semesters and many classes conflict with each other. We are also manipulated to choose classes from a set list.  At the same time, it also works out because I wouldn’t have been in this class if it weren’t for the manipulation of the registration system.

            Even yesterday with the bomb threat incident, people had the choice to obey the warnings to stay indoors or to go outside at your own risk. Many people chose to go outdoors because it was just too nice out. Whether this is smart or not, many people failed to be manipulated by the several warning after several hours. This one unknown person proposed a threat to our school and manipulated our ENTIRE day: classes were cancelled, exams were moved, and the whole day was discombobulated. Most of the time we are all indoors yet when we are told we have to stay indoors it is very different.

            In all these cases, we want the freedom of choice but we don’t really know what to do with it when we have the freedom. Often this freedom causes great stress amongst us students. Even when deciding what essay to choose, we struggle to come to a conclusion, but it is nice to simply have the ability to choose. Personally, I do admit that I complain when I don’t have the freedom to choose, but often times I do like when things are set and manipulated because I am an indecisive person. Although the examples I chose are extreme and not daily choices we make, I want to work on not being manipulated by daily things and act on my own choice.