WTF Maryville?

Every school has a few campus issues that just make you think, WTF? Here are a few recurring problems at Maryville that could, and should, be easily solved.

Parking

Seriously Maryville, WTF is up with the parking? At times there are literally no open parking spots. (No exaggeration) What are we supposed to do? Park illegally and get a ticket? We aren’t allowed to park in the other business lots either. There has to be some way to fix this.

Empty Parking Garage

Speaking of ways to fix the parking problem, remember that giant,  empty parking garage behind Maryville Hall, just sitting there tempting and mocking us? I’m sure there is lots of meetings, paperwork, and agreements that have to be made before we are allowed to park in it but come on! There has literally never been one single car parked in that garage! It could solve a lot of the general parking problem without having to try to make room to add in another parking lot!

Speed Bumps

While it is obvious that the purpose of a speed bump is to slow people down while driving around campus it is unknown why there is a need for what seems like hundreds of them! You make it over one speed bump and there is another one not even 15 feet away. I can understand adding them before a crosswalk or busy area, but not in all of the random places they are in now. Driving around campus one way to get to the dorm I counted crossing eleven (yes, eleven) speed bumps. The campus is not that big! Also, some of them are so high that there is no way of avoiding scraping up the bottom of a low-riding car. One student actually had to take his car in for repairs first semester. And finally, a few of the speed bumps didn’t extend all the way to the edge of the road, so it gave us a few breaks from the  roller coaster we call driving through campus. But sadly, now they have extended those speed bumps all the way. Many students, when discussing the speed bumps, stated their confusion on their addition since there was no car related accidents on campus last year. WTF Maryville?

Print Policy

Again, I understand the surface reason for adding a print policy. I also realize that it has saved a lot of print use and unnecessary paper waste, but there are some ways it could be improved. Some students are taking classes that require an abnormal amount of printing. Yes, the teachers should take the policy into consideration, but most times they don’t. I can’t speak for every student on campus but I can’t just shell out money I don’t have to pay to print off a thirty page powerpoint. The print policy should be expanded or reduced depending on either major or specific class. Teachers should specify how much printing will need to be done for their class. I’m not even a Psychology major, and am just taking Intro to Psych, and have already used a majority of my printing balance to print off all of the powerpoints. (We are on 58 now, and there are almost 30 slides in each one) I have also heard that Physical Therapy students in particular are required to print out a huge amount of material. They shouldn’t have to pay extra for that. There should be some sort of allowance system, for those students who are actually printing school related items.

Poor Activity Advertisement

There have been numerous activities and events on campus that have occurred that students have never even heard of. More than 5 students in my Marketing class didn’t know that we weren’t having class last Friday because of Easter break. Also, since they didn’t know that, they also didn’t know that the entire campus would be closed over the weekend and were stressing out about trying to figure out what they were going to eat. Another event related to Easter that no one knew about was the Easter Egg Hunt. Apparently, as I was told by a Fresh Ideas staff member, there was an Easter egg hunt going on all day for eggs with candy inside and some even including tickets to pick up prizes. There has to be some better way to get the word out to students about activities. We all have a Maryville email account don’t we?

New Live Email

That reminds me of another ridiculous issue at Maryville: the new email system. This supposedly faster, newer, and better email service has lost countless emails, never sent some at all, created unnecessary problems, and ruined many deadlines and even cost students homework grades. I have resorted to sending my emails through my personal account, because no one ever seems to get my emails through my Maryville account, and of course it is always the most important ones. I do feel bad for the IT department thought, because I know they have gone through a lot trying to make this transition a smooth one. However, why did we have to switch over now? Couldn’t this massive and intrusive switch have occurred over the summer so it wouldn’t have so many issues? It could have been figured out when no one was using their Maryville account as much and its problems would have effected a lot less people. Despite that, it is still causing problems and losing emails. WTF Windows Live?

Nasty Elevators

This rant is pointed towards the Maryville students. Almost every time I walk into an elevator in Maryville Hall I have to stand pushed up against the wall to avoid whatever disgusting mess there is on the floor. Yesterday there was some sort of white powder covering almost the entire elevator. That was the worst I have seen it. At least every day there is some sort of trash in the corner, whether it be popped red balloons, candy wrappers, or beer cans. Students also think its funny to put hand prints all over the silver panels. It’s not funny, it just looks gross. Some other things I have seen include pudding splashed on the floor, liquid dripping down the walls, and countless other things I could not even identify. It’s not that hard to keep an elevator clean. Imagine how that looks to prospective students. Besides that, think of all of the extra work you are putting on the staff that has clean up all of these pointless messes. WTF Saints? Show a little respect for yourselves, your school, and its staff.

Lack of Vacuums

I am really upset that Residential Life sent out emails and tried to spread the word that there were vacuums available at the front desk for students to use. On one of their new fliers about moving out they even remind students that they must clean, and vacuum, their room before they leave. However, I have been down to the front desk several times and there is never one vacuum there. They always just tell me to try back later. Well I am tired of trying back later. First of all, it is not that hard to add a rule that students must return a vacuum within a certain amount of time after they check it out if they don’t want to receive some sort of penalty or charge. Believe me, they will return it then! And secondly, since when did vacuums become that expensive? I am paying over 30,000 dollars to go to school here, I’m pretty sure they can take out a few dollars here and there to get a few more vacuums.

Meal Schedule

While lunch is at a normal time and reasonably extends a few hours earlier and later to fit the schedules of students with a busy class schedule, the breakfast and dinner times could, and should, be adjusted. Breakfast is from 7:30-9:00 in the morning. I am usually not even awake by 9:00. It would only need to be extended maybe another hour to meet the needs of many other late-waking students. Dinner is from 4:30-6:30 at night. Really, 6:30? At my house dinner never occurred before 7 and it wasn’t unusual to be as late as 9. Students are busy and many, like myself, have to work and do not even get off work, let alone get back to campus, until way after 6:30. Also lunch is open until 3:00. Having dinner again at 4:30? That is not even two hours later. I don’t know about everyone else, but I need at least a good 4 or 5 hours after lunch before I can even think about dinner.

No Finals Schedule

This issue was brought to my attention by a few students, who have expressed their desire for a finals schedule. Without one, all of our finals are around the same time. It is a pretty small problem that could be easily fixed.

Terrible Internet Connection

The wireless connection at Maryville has to be one of the worst I have ever attempted to use. Yes, some days (Maybe 1 in 100) the internet works perfectly fine and not too slowly. However, most days you would have more luck flipping through an encyclopedia. Even the ethernet cords that are available through the school don’t always work. I have to plug in and unplug the cord from my computer every few minutes to keep it working. And sometimes, it just doesn’t work at all. In a world and a school that revolves around internet and email it is a pretty significant issue that definitely needs to be fixed. Really, WTF Maryville?