My Augie Rant

Let me just start by saying that I am not usually this angry at life, nor am I usually so vocal about my opinions, but this is a situation that I feel needs to be addressed. Continue if you dare.

So today I got an email that amplified a problem I have been having with the Residential Life department at my school (Augustana College). Not only is this problem a MAJOR annoyance for myself, but I think that it will likely be repeated if not stopped, so hopefully I can do something about stopping that.

So housing was in April. I got a crappy lottery number, and ended up signed up in a triple in a house with 10 people and I didn't know my 2 future roommates. I wasn't very happy, but there's not much you can do about luck. Now, I'm going to be a Senior next, and I think I've had my fill of roommate experiences, so I think that living a single would be awesome for me. Not only that, but because I'm a senior, I want to live in TLA (Transitional Living Areas), so that I can have my own kitchen, living room, etc. Basically, apartments and houses. Since I was being optimistic, I put myself on a waiting list for a TLA single. Looking at the waiting list, I noticed I was the first person to sign up by myself (most people signed up with groups they wanted to be with, and therefore could only match an opening if it had room for all people). So I figured I was at the top of the list.

Now, this was in April, and I never brought it up again until right before I left to go home at the end of May. I went in to Res Life and asked them if they had started assigning the open rooms yet, and the told me they wouldn't for a week or two. This was not optimal because in order to reserve a parking pass for next year, we had to apply before leaving for break. Of course, I had no idea where I was living, so I couldn't do that. At the time I was signed up to live in a house with 10 people and only 3 parking spots, so it was a tiny annoyance that I couldn't apply for one. A few days before this I was informed about an open spot in an apartment complex that I wanted to live in. I knew the CA living there, but Res Life told me that two other girls had already expressed an interest in living in that apartment because there are now two open singles, and they want to live next to each other. Understandable, but personally I don't care. If I got there first, it should be mine. I was told that whoever had the best lottery number would get it, and thought that was fair (obviously completely forgetting about the wait list). Nevertheless, i went back home and waited patiently for a phone call.

Needless to say, I never got one. After two weeks, I called their office, and got the secretary, so I left a message asking if the Res Life director could email or call me with the information on when they were going to figure out what rooms were open, and so on. Of course, I never got an email. I forgot about this all, until a week later when my boyfriend called me to tell me they sent out a campus-wide email about the rooms that were still open for next year. Odd, considering they hadn't told me (the person on the waiting list) yet...

So I call Res Life, and tell them I got the email (found out later that it wasn't even sent to me, just to all the other students...) and that I was upset, because I should have gotten to pick before the rest of the students, since I was on a wait list. They, of course, tell me that it wasn't sent out to everyone- just juniors (nevermind that my boyfriend is going to be a sophomore), and that none had been taken yet anyways, so it didn't really matter. Way to brush off the question. So I ask what's open, and there's really only 1 to choose from. I tell them I would like it, and they say that they have to email the girls living there next year to ask if it's ok. Now, mind you, she said, we don't accept excuses except legitimate ones, like if they already found a new girl to live there. So, I'm thinking, even if they find someone who has a worse lottery number than me and who isn't on a wait list, she gets in just because she knows them? But at this point, arguing is doing nothing, so I oblige and she says she will bcc me on the email she sends to them. THIS email I actually do get.

This last talk happened last Wednesday-ish, and life got hectic, so I wasn't able to check my email until today. I checked, and the email was sent, but I was never sent a response. Of course, I assumed that everything was ok, but thought I would email just to make sure.... Tonight I receive an email that says "Actually there was some confusion and there isn’t an open bed in that quad." Great. So not only am I royally screwed when it comes to this housing thing, but no one decided it might be nice to let me know. And the whole time I've been completely compliant and patient.

So here's where I'm at: There is a single left in a house of 14 people, but only 2 baths and 1 kitchen (less than ideal). There is also a spot in (and this is where her email gets cloudy) either a suited dorm (two doubles joined by a bath) or a 6- person apartment. The second I would obviously be fine with, although it's in an apartment complex that is 15% more expensive than the others...

And I don't know where to go from here. I'm waiting for a clarification on the room choices available, and I'm just going to have to take one or stay where I am, but I think that they should understand that the way they treat us is wrong. And it's not just this department, but many others on campus that look as us (students) as the inconvenience, rather than their source of income (if we want to be honest). I mean, I pay $20,000 after grants to go to Augustana, and $5,000 for room and board, and this is what I get for it? The whole reason their department even exists is because students choose to go there, and guess what? I'm a student!

The thing is, they try SO hard (and you can see this all the time at Augie) to appeal to prospective students, but once you're there, you become a secondary concern. The professors are nothing like this, mind you. I have fantastic profs. But the bureaucracy of the school system is unbelievable. I know people that got better rooms simply by asking their parents (who work at Augie) to pull some strings. But here I am patiently waiting, and I get squat. And that's the other thing- I can guarantee you I would not be having this problem if my parents were handling this, rather than me. But, because I'm just a stupid college student, I don't know what I'm talking about. If I were a consumer, I could call a business and get my money back or a replacement or something. Well, technically, I am a consumer of the college, and I should have a say in the quality of my services. Frankly, I want a refund.

First Night.

So blogging is new to me, although I've wanted to do it for a very long time. I feel so much pressure riding on this first post (although I'm not sure why- there will be many more to come). I haven't decided yet which of my thoughts to put on here, and I have to be picky or I would be continuously blogging. I guess this first post is just to say hi and stay tuned. Next time around will be much, much better. I can't wait to figure this site out.

Peace,

Marie