Future plans for Skyline

Imagine if you got to decide which new major innovation was brought to Skyline. In the past few years, we've seen changes ranging from entire new buildings to high-tech trashcans, and with each new change, students find a reason to either love it or hate it. But is it what you would have wanted?

For some students, the question, "What new major change would you like to see come to Skyline?" is a difficult thing to ponder. Some students think that previous changes should themselves be changed, others think that things are fine the way they are, and still others think that additional changes need to be made to our campus and policies.

One such student is Javier Bustos, a third-semester Skyline student who dislikes Skyline's recent decision to require that tuition payments be paid before the start of each semester.

"I feel like if there were any new changes it should be to fix the payment system 'cause I feel like it's unfair for other students who work really hard on their grades and they have to pay in full before we even get to our classes," Sy said. "Some people don't have that money yet. Even though there's payment plans like the Sally May fund, I feel like it's still difficult for us. . . . I just feel like they should try something else."

Another major topic that some students strongly feel strongly about is course availability. For students like Twyla Elhardt, a pre-nurse major, getting a good education is difficult when required courses seem few and far between.

"I think probably the biggest thing would be more science classes," Elhardt said. "A lot of the lab classes are hard to get into. For example, microbiology: A lot of people are on wait lists and can't get into that class on time, so I think more of the important classes I would really like to see."

Some students, such as Krithika Jagadeesan, think that the real issue is classroom size.

"I think some of the classrooms should be bigger," Jagadeesan said. "Sometimes it becomes way too crowded, like there's too many backpacks everywhere. There isn't enough space to keep our materials. Sometimes the teachers have a lot of their things as well, so for them to arrange it becomes a little bit difficult. So it would be better to have a little more classroom space and also maybe some cubbies or shelves for arrangement purposes."

Even subtle changes to our campus would be appreciated by some students. For electro-engineering student Phyo Htut, it's as simple as improving food diversity in the cafeteria for students who want a good meal without the hassle of going off site and wasting time.

"More variety would be better," Htut said. "Skyline is kind of landlocked. As you can see, we're on a mountain; if we were to go out and eat it takes about 30 minutes. . . . So I guess more food options would be nice."

Another area some students think needs improvement is the student store. For Nick Guinasso, getting an education is difficult when he has to wait in line outside the store only to find that the book he needs is out of stock.

"A bigger store would be nice," Guinasso said. "Also early disbursement for financial aid would definitely be better, then you can buy your books earlier and stuff so you're not swamped early. Students need to be able to get in and get out more quickly so other students can benefit from it as well."

With Skyline ever growing, future changes are sure to happen. The question is, What will they be and who will they benefit?

If you would like to submit an idea for future changes to Skyline, please share your idea in the comment section below.