A wish list for Washington University for the coming year
It may not be Christmas, but that isn’t stopping us from making our list—of things members of our editorial board hope to see at Wash. U. over the coming year. From less greasy food to butter-sculpting contests and need-blind admission, we have a lot of hopes for our university, and here are just 30 of them:
Alana Hauser:
More political activism on campus—next year is an election year, so let’s encourage people to show their support outwardly for either presidential candidate and spark some healthy controversy.
Naked Quad Run—Tufts has one every year, why can’t we?
Ice cream socials—If anything, high school was good for those three times you gathered in the cafeteria for free ice cream and class bonding. Let’s make this a college tradition too!
Hannah Lustman:
The re-opening of Hilltop Bakery, home of custom wraps and salads—my class will be the last that remembers this place existing. A girl can dream, can’t she?
Another mild Wash. U. winter—before this year, no one had heard that phrase before.
A reason for Wash. U. to be used as a back-up presidential debate site—we’ve all heard how awesome this can be; let’s get those candidates here!
Georgie Morvis:
Cheap wine—along with beer at Happy Hour/W.I.L.D.
Taco Bell—and other cheap food on campus as well
Female comedians—because Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are funnier than any man on this planet
Sahil Patel:
NBC Sports Network—it’s ridiculous that I couldn’t watch the Blues’ game on TV on Saturday and need sketch websites for other playoff hockey.
People at athletic events—come and support your classmates and show we have some school spirit!
DUC food open later—with as late as we work twice a week, I would love some late-night meals
Kurt Rohrbeck:
Fix WUFI in the DUC—or everywhere, really.
Make Ursa’s open on Monday—seriously, what’s the one day of the week where people really need ice cream?
Get more courses on Syllabi Central—it’s under-utilized, but it would be incredibly helpful if they just had more courses there.
Davis Sargeant:
More Pell Grants—the University currently ranks last in Pell Grant recipients among the U.S.’s top 25 schools, and we should make the commitment to socio-economic diversity.
Need-blind admissions—Wash. U. only admits the first 50 percent of its students without considering their ability to pay; that should apply to everyone
Offer some sociology classes—we have courses taught by psychologists, sculptors and linguists, but none by sociologists; adding some would broaden our liberal arts educations. Plus, it’s really interesting.
John Schmidt:
Unlimited printing for all students—or a larger printing budget for those in the College of Arts & Sciences.
A “Track the Circ” app—so you’ll know whether you just missed the Circ or it’s running five minutes late.
The removal of the extra layer of grease painted on Bear’s Den pizza.
Emily Sybrant:
The WUSTL Dining App for Android—why discriminate?
A covered bus stop for the Circ—come on Wash. U., the freaking gazebo doesn’t have a roof.
The art school to clean the bathrooms more than once a week—seriously, it’s just gross.
Michael Tabb:
More fun and free campus-wide events—like a circus or something that actually takes advantage of Mudd Field
New, creative student groups—or at least the revival of WUSTL Live
A butter-sculpting contest—featuring WUChurn-churned butter
Natalie Villalon:
Competitive Student Union elections!
A respectable jump in the U.S. News & World Report Rankings—commensurate with the increase in our tuition this year.
A successful joint event with Fontebonne University or Saint Louis University—that isn’t dripping with condescension/irony on Wash. U.’s end.
Is it safe to say that a chick that wants a baked quad run is probably a hippie and pretty ugly? Can we get a height/ weight?
Agreed with the recommendation of a sociology department here at Wash U. I mean, we used to have one, and it was very top-notch. How can a top university not have this important field of study offered? I was disappointed when I realized this last semester.
I agree with most of this, especially Davis Sargeant’s suggestions.
Here are mine:
1) End abuse of WUPD and other University related security for political repression and intimidation.
2) End all union-busting on campus and hold accountable those responsible for such policies and practices.
3) Divest from all corporations in support of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council)
Jerome Bauer, under the transparent pseudonym shevek, my only Student Life pseudonym
My wish: Jerome Bauer moves on with his life
I forgot to mention: reform our Lecturer’s Policy and let’s have fairer deals for adjuncts:
1) End the code of silence concerning academic pay scales and loyalty oaths
2) Recertification for everybody every ten years, with second and third chances on new tracks
3) End the academic feudal system, academic caste, and the culture of retaliation
Please see “The case for lecturer’s policy reform and fairer deals for adjuncts, 2011,” especially the conclusion:
“What effect would this have on our national rank? Who cares? Too much concern for rank as if for its own sake has arguably led to many of the University’s current problems. Rebuilding our community after a period of expansion should be a top priority. One of my University College students, a refugee from Tulane University after Hurricane Katrina, told me how that school responded to disaster. Instead of focusing on buildings and appearances they rebuilt their human capital by reinvesting in their community. They made their adjuncts happy by making them Professor of the Practice. Had they done otherwise, they would have had to rebuild from scratch. Please let it not take a natural disaster for Washington University to get its priorities in order.”
Let’s get real, indeed.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150652910679829
Jerome Bauer, under the transparent pseudonym shevek
per veritatem vis