Nieszczur: If I controlled UT’s budget
By now, we should all know that money doesn’t grow on trees. We have to scrimp, save, work and take out loans to afford our education and living expenses. It’s obvious that tuition takes a large chunk of our money, and it’s only normal to expect our money to be put to good use.
As with anything, our university isn’t perfect. I’m sure we could all find little things we’d like improved upon or personal touches that would make the University of Toledo feel more like home. This very thought got me thinking — if I were in charge of UT’s money, where would I do some tweaking in the budget? Here are some things I came up with.
- Keep the wrap station open at South dining for dinner hours. Seriously, I can go for a turkey wrap any time of the day. Please don’t take away one of my few life’s pleasures. And please, how much does lunch meat really cost?
- Add more lighting to dorm rooms. Half the time I felt like I was sitting in the dark side in my dorm last year. I had nice overhead lighting on one side of the room, but the other side was completely in shadows. I recommend at least two overhead lights per room. It was frustrating to have to settle with a fire hazard floor lamp.
- Replace some of the old dorm furniture. I admit, I was privileged to live in MacKinnon last year and Tucker this year with nice new furniture. However, visiting friends at Carter last year had me leaving with splinters from the desks and chairs. Also, blinds may be a better option when compared to curtains that breed mold. Just for a safety standard, it may be time for an update.
4. Keep funding food at residence hall events. This was a simple way to get people interacting and for potential friendships to form. And hey, we all need a break from dining hall food once in a while.
- Get rid of some vending machines. With food at the union so close by or a grocery store just a few minutes away, vending machines have become a pricy and rarely-used item. Perhaps we can put that money towards residence hall events or university beautification.
- Please fill the potholes and solve the mysterious smoking pipe problem. Let’s admit it; we all want to know what steam is coming out of those underground pipes. Also, the uneven sidewalks and roads make driving or walking treacherous. This would be money well-spent.
- Do anything to make Wolfe Hall and Bowman-Oddy cooler. Seriously, there were times when I felt like passing out in labs due to heat. Also, classes held in those classrooms felt suffocating, even with doors propped open. It’s great in winter, don’t get me wrong, but it needs to chill out for fall and spring.
- Make the Rider app more user-friendly. While I think the idea of the Rider app is awesome, I had much difficulty with figuring out when a bus would be arriving and where. Also, the times on the app are often out of sync with real-time bus schedules, making it all too easy to miss your ride to class. Maybe a change in apps would be better.
- Cut the buses at an earlier hour. During the last rounds, I often see the bus transporting just one student around. With the price of fuel and ecological impact, it may be worth cutting service off at a more reasonable hour with more student interest.
- Offer free coffee in the residence halls. We’re not talking gourmet like Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts. Just a simple cup of joe … and cream and sugar. Hey, a girl can dream.
All of these things would be nice improvements to UT.
Alexis Nieszczur is a second-year majoring in pharmacy.
