Reading the Nov. 10 article, “University turns to students for cash,” made my blood pressure rise. I can respect that the university wants to raise funds for very good purposes, but turning to its students is not the way to do it. To say that OU students pay $9,870 for tuition is a veiled attempt to minimize how much is really being spent by your average undergraduate. Beyond the cost of tuition, we also shell out an average of $10,000 a year for two years (at least) to cover the costs of the mandatory university residence and meal plan.
That figure also fails to account for the extra charges that come with printing and technology fees that are charged to many students. As it is, many of us are taking out loans, acquiring debt and working as many hours as we can in order to attend classes here at OU. Is that not enough?
And while Stephen Golding, vice president for Finance and Administration, claims that it’s “a powerful message” to be able to identify what students are doing for their institutions when they donate money, I would say it’s more powerful to look at the spirit, effort and time that students put into the university and the world beyond it.
Whether they’re working part-time at the library or dining halls, or they’re volunteering their time to give back to the Athens community, OU students make OU what it is by being active and involved. It takes a lot less effort to drop a dollar in a collection box than it does for these students to get up and make something of their time here.
The programs such as Service Living, OU Dreams and the service fraternities on campus are what really send a message to donors that OU students support the institution they’re attending and that they’re learning what it means to give back by attending here. The time for us to donate our money isn’t while we’re trying to stay afloat in a sea of loans and debt.
The time for OU students to give back in a financial capacity will be when we, like our generous alumni, have put our years in Athens to good use and can afford to show our gratification by giving back to the institution that gave us so much. In the meantime, however, the university should respect that we’re doing all we can as students to support our institution in the best way that we can.
Cassie Ciarlillo is a sophomore studying communication.
