Welcome back Panthers, new and old! The Panther hopes that everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer, returning full of energy and new ideas for the quickly moving semester. By now, everyone should be settled in and ready for a productive, safe, and spirit-filled semester on “The Hill!”
There are a few concerns that we noticed during the first couple weeks of the semester and would like to not only address but also offer some suggestions based on our observations.
First, every year financial aid seems to develop a new system or program that doesn’t seem to either alleviate the wait time in the financial aid line or decrease the number of students affected by financial aid issues. This year, financial aid moved to the library which didn’t make lines move any faster and also inconvenienced students by taking away the most important computer lab on campus. Students pay fees for the library yet were unable to use it to its full capacity. We understand that the financial aid staff is working diligently to meet everyone’s needs, but we suggest that they strive to be as understanding and student-friendly as possible. It would be helpful if the financial aid office could find more ways to communicate with students besides the Prairie View e-mail system, which isn’t very dependable. Both commuters and on-campus students see the marquee in front of the school and important messages could be broadcast on it. Also, signs around campus would be useful. Maybe a stand-alone bulletin board could be added to the cafeteria where students would definitely see the signs while waiting in line or entering or leaving the cafeteria.
Second, the MSC cafeteria is entirely too small and overcrowded. The first couple weeks are usually the worst. We considered that Sodexho could move the cash register to the front of the eating area and open that area for seating, which in turn would open another tray return window. The gate by Chick-Fil-A could be closed and people wouldn’t be able to enter or leave through the eating area. We don’t know if this will work, but it seems that it will open more seating and another dish return area, which is always crowded and hectic.
In addition, signs were placed on top of the tables in the cafeteria to advise student to pick up their dishes. We thought it was shameful for college students to be told the obvious thing to do. As students, we shouldn’t have to be instructed to clean up after ourselves. We think that upperclassmen should set an example and lead the younger students not only with something as simple as putting up dishes but school spirit and student morale. This is our campus and we need to take pride in it before anyone else will.