Northeastern is growing into greatness. We have climbed the rankings. We have also expanded our offerings more than ever. Nevertheless, a part of greatness is conquering our weaknesses; a part of advancement is recognizing our limitations.
I have been a student at Northeastern since 2006, and am currently working to finish up my last semester. My years at Northeastern have been above and beyond what I ever expected college to be. I’ve studied abroad twice, gone on co-op three times and participated in campus activities such as Student Government Association, Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, etc. I have had countless memorable classes, professors and learning experiences in and out of the classroom. Throughout my five years, I have had very few instances where I have been sincerely disappointed by Northeastern. Unfortunately, disappointment greeted me my first week of my last semester.
We have run out of room. At least, it seems like it. The past year I have tolerated many annoyances on campus. I have been hard-pressed to find a table to study at Snell Library, somewhere to sit for lunch at the dining hall or a space at Curry Student Center. However, this year the lack of space has reached beyond the annoyances of life outside the classroom.
The first day of my upper level cinema studies course, a student had to sit on the floor for the entire three hour class. The professor asked the student if she minded; the student didn’t mind, but I did. I sarcastically suggested that since we paid a combined value of $80,000 (no exaggeration), we could have rented a loft at the Prudential Center to hold our course in. Nobody seemed to find that funny. However, it would have been better than being stuffed into the smallest room in Kariotis Hall.
Professor Inez Hedges, head of the cinema studies department, whom I sincerely respect, explained to the class that there was a solution to this problem. She suggested that since the Office of the Registrar cannot give us a bigger classroom (reasons unknown), some of us should move to a Tuesday-Friday section of the course. What a hassle! I feel bad for the students who changed their schedules. This wasn’t their fault; they shouldn’t have to suffer from the mistakes of the Registrar. Why did they have to be inconvenienced?
Despite the “solution,” three students don’t have a table to take their notes on. They are forced to sit at the edge of the room, against the wall, taking notes on their lap. No biggie, right? Considering they each pay $4,000 to attend this course, I would beg to differ.
This isn’t the only class in which I have witnessed a shortage of chairs. My English capstone course has a similar situation. Students are required to interrupt a course across the hall to request chairs because there aren’t enough chairs (or tables) to comfortably fit everyone.
These are just two examples of the facilities problem that seems to exist on campus. Three years ago, this was never an issue. The negligence, on the university’s part, to ensure that each and every student has an appropriate seat in his or her classroom is not only shocking, but also disappointing.
Though it is great that we are able to send students around the world, charity starts at home. The education of Northeastern students begins in Boston. As Northeastern continues to grow, I urge President Aoun and the rest of the heads of the university to fix the little problems that affect every student in a big way.
“To whom much is given, much is required” is a quote I’ve taken with me from my college experience. Every student has given his or her fair share to the university. Therefore, the university is required to provide the facilities and necessities of every student, be it abroad, on co-op and most importantly inside the classrooms here on campus.
– Gabby Gabriel is a senior English and cinema studies major with a minor in business administration
