Oct
11Long time, no see!
I haven’t updated in almost a month that I feel like a stranger to my own blog! The semester is going slower than I’d like it to. It’s strange because every week will seem to fly by, and before I know it, it’s already Sunday night, and I’m wondering where all the time went. On the other hand, though, I feel as if it should already be November when, in fact, we’re barely mid-semester.
Have I got a lot of work ahead of me next semester, though. My senior recital will be in the spring, and it really hasn’t sunk in. OH! Speaking of spring semester.... The University is implementing a four-day school week in the spring because - long story short - they want to appeal and cater more to commuters, which, apparently, was 80% of the entire university population (staff included). By “commuters,” the University is referring to anyone living off-campus, which, pretty much means everybody. So yeah, that 80% is about right. But so sorry I can’t afford to dish out $2500 per semester for a shitty dorm and a shitty meal plan, and apparently neither can the rest of that 80% DX
Four-day school week sounds appealing… to a high school student! But let’s get one thing straightened out - WE’RE NOT IN HIGH SCHOOL ANYMORE!!!!!! So quit whining about a five-day week because I don’t know of any successful and competitive workplace that functions as a four-day establishment. How can you receive quality education - higher education, might I add, because, you know, that’s what college is supposed to be - when stupid idiots come up with stupid ideas like this and want to turn this University into a community college!!!!! Because that’s what it’s practically going to be, a community college. Mind you, there was NO research done on this. The closest thing to “research” was a fucking SURVEY. Yes, one fucking SURVEY. Dear God, please kill me now. As a research university, it’s ridiculously pathetic. No research done from other schools that switched over to the four-day week and how it affected the local communities, jobs, businesses, etc. Nothing.
Now, let me point out just a couple of OBVIOUS consequences that will happen in the spring semester under this four-day week schedule. Because I’m a music major, let me start with that department first. Private lessons will either be held all day on Friday for roughly 14 hours straight, or late at night during the week, or even on the weekends. Either way, there needs to be one hour for each student in a studio. So the clarinet studio, for example, since there are 17 of us in the studio, Dr. D, my clarinet professor, will have lessons all day on Friday for 17 hours straight. The trumpet studio, on the other hand, would need 24 hours. Sounds crazy? It’s fucking insane. If, say, the late night option was taken, lessons for the trumpet studio, for example, would be from 6:00 in the afternoon until midnight every night to accommodate all 24 students. Now, that’s just ONE way the music department will be affected. Don’t even get me started on the heavier classes such as Wind Ensemble and marching band, or even night recitals.
Now let’s take a look at science majors. 4-hour labs at 10:00 PM. That’s all I have to say. I’m sure you’ll get the picture.
Unfortunately, despite protests from several professors in different departments, the University will still implement the four-day week schedule. And here I am hoping and praying to God that my senior recital will not be affected.