Nickeled and dimed
I was in the library recently and needed to make a copy for a paper I was writing. I looked around for my little copy card, but realized I didn’t have it. Not having any change, I figured I was out of luck and would have to trek back to the library another day. I was a little upset about my predicament, but refused to give up. The rows of computers beckoned me. After a quick Internet search, I found the very information I needed and printed out the fifteen-page document. Why is it that the library charges students for copies, but not for printing? I’m certainly not complaining that we do not pay for printouts, just wondering why we have to pay for copies.
At Ursa’s students have to pay to play pool but not to play board games. Granted a pool table costs a bit more than a board game, but is the cost honestly made up by the dollar a game we pay to use the table? And if the initial costs have been recouped, should we be forced to continue to pay to play? It’s ridiculous. Next the school will make all the televisions in the dorms coin operated. Entertainment devices were installed to benefit students. These facilities would benefit us more if we didn’t have to pay to use them.
It’s sad to say, but many students here feel that they are being “nickeled and dimed” on a daily basis. The list of gripes is immense. The new student health fee, flexes being erased every Sunday night, and being charged for both cable television and in room Internet access have been causes of concern. While I could understand the school charging for all of these services if tuition, room and board, and the meal plan were not quite so expensive, it certainly feels like we pay top dollar for everything, and are then forced to fork over even more for some very basic services. Students at other universities don’t always have to pay for these services. For the same tuition and room and board, some students receive cable television, both wired and wireless Internet access, and a free laptop!
Washington University has a lot of money. Even during this current economic downturn, the school’s endowment is approximately four billion dollars. If the school can afford to continuously renovate old buildings and construct new ones, then they can afford to give students access to complementary copiers. We the students must live with all of this renewal and construction of our campus, and we are expected to do so without many gripes. It’s time for the school to step up and make our lives easier, or the administration should prepare itself for more opinion pieces and hear more complaints about overcharging for services.
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