Just so everyone knows, I haven't forgotten about being Contestant #10 in the Miss Xangamerica contest! I'll be posting pictures later today. But I thought I would write one more normal blog before I have to post stuff for the contest. (If you haven't heard of the Miss Xangamerica contest, please visit theblackspiderman and vote for me! And I have endorsed wherethefishlives for antisoccermom's Xanga Hottie contest, so vote for him too!)
I always knew my university was incredibly cheap. But I never thought they would stoop to this level. They have canceled land line phone service to the dorm rooms. Yes, indeed, they have. The reason? It costs too much, and not enough people use the phones.
Okay, look, I realize phone lines don't grow on trees. But I think not giving students the option of having a land line phone is a TERRIBLE idea. First of all, what if some emergency happened--a natural disaster, a blackout, whatever--and nobody could use their phone chargers? My family lives 3 states away from me; how could I let them know if I was safe or not? How could I call 911 if I needed help? The campus does have an emergency alert system, but it sucks, and it only works one way. They can talk to me, but I can't talk to them. Secondly, cell phone reception in the building I live in is completely crappy. I get two bars of signal by the window if I'm lucky. Some other people who live in my building who have a different service than me also get bad reception, so we think it must have something to do with the building. Most banks, job applications, and other important documents require a phone number. But if nobody can contact me at that number, I may as well not have a phone.
So I marched my butt over to the housing department to talk to somebody. I told the receptionist that I thought taking away our land lines was ridiculously stupid. I told her that nobody gets cell phone signal, and I told her that it involves the safety of the students. I asked her if there was a way I could pay to get a land line in my room. She informed me that other people had come in with similar concerns to mine, and that she didn't know if I could get a land line and she couldn't know until the director gets back from out of town. On Tuesday. So I should write the Housing Department an e-mail and they will forward it to the director.
The longer I live on campus, the more
pissed off I get at the cheapskate, inconvenient way they run things. I had to move into my room the exact day before the spring semester started so the housing department wouldn't have to pay the RA's for a few days. I had to move an entire extra time this year because my roommate moved out and the housing department didn't want to waste money on one person living in a double room. I had to pay extra money (almost $200!) to stay on campus during the week between the end of spring and the beginning of summer. And now, in a single blow, they have taken away my land line phone, my main connection with the outside world (and therefore a piece of my sanity), and my main safety resource since I can't have any form of self-defense in my room (self-defense, of course, is hazardous to everyone without an 8 mile radius, according to the rules of housing). What else, housing department. What else. I don't even want to think about what they'll come up with next.
If phone lines are too expensive for the school to pay for, I most definitely hope that I can have the option to pay for one. As for all the people who don't use the landlines, tell them they're freaking stupid and they should get a phone for the sake of their own well-being! You can get a phone at Wal-Mart for $10! It's not a big deal!
I hate how all the important people at my university try to make it sound like, "Oh, we're the best ever" and "Oh, we're totally about giving you the best education." No, YOU'RE ABOUT MAKING MONEY. And THAT is what it all comes down to.
I've already paid for my room next year, so unfortunately I'll have to endure two more semesters of this crazy BS. But after that, I am willing to bet you that I will be looking for a normal apartment.
-SC
Comments (11)
That's a crying shame. It is blatntly obvious that taking away a form of comunication is detrimental to the students' well being that you would either have to be extremely stupid or excessively greedy to do such a thing.
Well that stinks. That just stinks. My god, those people are insane.
@awth44 - I pick excessively greedy. We're known locally as being a business school.
@VaultESL - Yes, exactly. TOTALLY insane.
@fieldtripearth - Thank you. I didn't sen an e-mail; instead, I'm going to go back over to the housing department on Tuesday and try to talk to the housing director myself. Even if nothing changes, I can at least (for lack of a better term) raise hell.
I can not wait until you put on your pictures for the Miss Xangamerica contest!! Carrie
P.S. too bad those university people are so cheap.
This made me mad while reading it - I've never heard of a university doing anything that stupid! Dang, I thought my school was cheap. And thank you for endorsing me!
@amy_elizabeth30 - I'll put the rules for voting in my next post with the pictures.
@wherethefishlives - Yep, my school is pretty ridiculously cheap. And you're quite welcome. =D
@amy_elizabeth30 - I would think they'd be opening themselves up to lawsuits, too, if someone couldn't get a call out in an emergency. The reputation part they are probably not too worried about.
You can also contact the Chronicle of Higher Education, and if yours is a public university, your state government.
@sonnetjoy - I may just take it up with the state government. Thanks for the suggestion. =)
@sigma_C_eq - Please do, and if you'd like another person to write a indignant and chilly email to a Person of Authority at your uni, let me know. I think that's outrageous.