Complaints surface about TU
Crispin Huang
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: Opinion
We all know about the benefits of being at Trinity. After all, that's why we're here now; apparently there were enough positives about the school to entice all of us to attend it. The prestige that comes with a Trinity degree, the tightly-knit community and focus on diversity are all things we've heard about. But I think the negatives are worth taking a look at as well. My "Mass Media" class has taught me the value of diverse reporting with different points of view. Many of my friends are considering transferring out of Trinity, indicating a low retention rate. What are some of the reasons?
"You'd think for the money we pay, Trinity would let us take some classes we want." That seems to be pretty common, and I'm sure that with the ongoing registration period, many of the current first years will be inclined to agree. Another common gripe seems to be about the common curriculum.
Presumably, the point of it is to expose students to a wide variety of classes so that they can begin to decide on potential majors and cut out classes that do not interest them. This idea falls drastically short, as many students find that they cannot even take common curriculum classes that interest them until they are seniors. Thus, they turn out to be another academic burden. Dr. Balreira, a professor in the mathematics department who also serves as an academic advisor, stressed the importance and value of the idea of a common curriculum that helps Trinity students become well-rounded but admits that he can relate to their plight from when he was a student.
"The misallocation of resources is simply ridiculous." I've heard this one too, from theories about pork barrels to complaints about DCS officers who seemingly peruse the parking lots looking for parking permits that are posted on the left side of windshields. Students would hope the funds received from the high cost of tuition would go to worthy causes. Many of my friends are displeased with what they see as an "obsession of money" on Trinity's part. As Sophomore Vince Rodriguez points out, despite high prices, fines and charges are plentiful.
"You'd think for the money we pay, Trinity would let us take some classes we want." That seems to be pretty common, and I'm sure that with the ongoing registration period, many of the current first years will be inclined to agree. Another common gripe seems to be about the common curriculum.
Presumably, the point of it is to expose students to a wide variety of classes so that they can begin to decide on potential majors and cut out classes that do not interest them. This idea falls drastically short, as many students find that they cannot even take common curriculum classes that interest them until they are seniors. Thus, they turn out to be another academic burden. Dr. Balreira, a professor in the mathematics department who also serves as an academic advisor, stressed the importance and value of the idea of a common curriculum that helps Trinity students become well-rounded but admits that he can relate to their plight from when he was a student.
"The misallocation of resources is simply ridiculous." I've heard this one too, from theories about pork barrels to complaints about DCS officers who seemingly peruse the parking lots looking for parking permits that are posted on the left side of windshields. Students would hope the funds received from the high cost of tuition would go to worthy causes. Many of my friends are displeased with what they see as an "obsession of money" on Trinity's part. As Sophomore Vince Rodriguez points out, despite high prices, fines and charges are plentiful.
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