Tuition should be better spent

The natural reaction when I tell people I attend TCU is wide eyes followed by “Isn’t that expensive?”

I answer yes and defend the university’s expense by speaking highly of the professors and the beautiful campus.

Sometimes, however, I’m at a loss for words, wondering why TCU is so expensive. The cost could easily be reduced if officials made the decision to cut a few corners. I’m not saying to administer drastic changes, but a few adjustments could be made in our best interest.

As far as our educators are concerned, I praise TCU in the hiring process and have no problem at all paying a substantial amount of money to keep the elite group of professors employed at TCU. However, I do have a problem with the emphasis placed on appearance and the money spent on it. Much of it seems frivolous and almost unnecessary.

I realize there are budgets allotted to the landscaping and watering that takes place at TCU. The way in which we use the money is the problem. As many know, there have been plenty of complaints about sidewalks being watered. OK, so why hasn’t anything been done about it? This problem has existed for quite awhile and it seems it will remain as an ongoing debate.

As far as landscaping is concerned, I do enjoy walking across a beautiful campus, sprinkled with an assortment of colored flowers.

However, why is there so much emphasis placed on the appearance of our university? It seems as if the university is trying too hard to impress potential students and their families. Changing the color of the tulips in front of Reed Hall every week is not going to have that much of an influence when it comes to deciding whether a student is going to attend here.

According to the maintenance department, TCU purchases squirrels to decorate the campus. How superficial is that? I honestly thought when I visited TCU as a high school senior that squirrels just happen to flock to the trees at TCU. I should have known better. This goes to show that TCU is way too concerned with how it comes across to visitors. We are spending too much money on unnecessary furry animals to decorate the university.

The food served at orientation and events prior to school admittance is delectable. However, as soon as a student is admitted to TCU, they are subjected to not-so-delectable food. TCU wants so badly to leave an everlasting impression on the guests that they go out of their way to provide only the best to non-student visitors. Parents are awestruck by the yummy food and cute squirrels during their visit, however, the student is left to endure entirely different circumstances as soon as Mom and Dad drive away.

The bells that ring every hour on the hour are a tape recording. When I found out that the bells that woke me up in the morning were not really bells at all, I was crushed. If we are going to spend money on beautiful flowers, green grass and squirrels, can’t we at least spend a few dollars on real bells?

Students should be proud to be a part of TCU. This is a prestigious institution. I find fault with the way in which the university prioritizes and disperses our money.

Kristin Delorantis is a sophomore broadcast journalism major from Mansfield.
She can be reached at (kdelo@hotmail.com).

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