I blinked, and the year is almost over. A lot has changed. My biggest accomplishment: I became a productive member of society by upgrading to a smartphone!
With the semester quickly coming to a close, it is always fun to read those common interest pieces on Buzzfeed as to what happened this past year; let’s be honest, we do it more as a means of procrastinating than of gauging how well informed we are. In 2014, violence played a prominent role in the media, on both a national and international level. Whether you were walking down the street or scrolling down your Facebook newsfeed, everyone was abuzz about topics such as Ferguson, Eric Garner, ISIS and Boko Haram. On a lighter note, Taylor Swift dominated the music industry with the release of her first non-country album, and highlighted in the process the obscure workings of the music industry when she severed ties with Spotify. Since this is my final blog of the semester, I thought I would share some news and developments that took place in and around Queens College that you may or may not have noticed.
Work Hard, (No) Play Hard
Finally, an instance of QC repping in the college league…except not in the most flattering way (The Queens College logo is on the state of New York).
As you know, I gushed about the Persian Formal all semester. My excitement likely stemmed from the void I felt from the lack of the annual Fall Fest. (The Queens College Social Scene, or more commonly known as the second floor of the library, just didn’t quite cut it.) Indeed, there was a Welcome Day event and a Club Day event on the Quad. But this annual event, that attempts to erase Queens College from the list of “Top Ten Most Boring Schools,” was conspicuously absent.
Last year, we had various carnival rides on the Quad, completely transforming our campus for a day. Proof that it indeed happened is in the album that the Student Association posted on Facebook.
Unsurprisingly, the reason why there was no Fall Fest was due to administrative disorganization. It takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, and planning to have this event come into fruition. The first major step, and in our case hurdle, is to get a budget approved. Unfortunately, it was only passed two weeks ago. Yes, you read that right, and yes, the event was supposed to take place more than two months ago.
Few people realize just how many students are enrolled at Queens College. Unfortunately, you will never see this many people on campus during the semester, except for exciting events like Fall Fest.
To make matters worse, the budget was significantly reduced. The total allotted for both the fall and spring semesters was a mere $40,000. Put in perspective: that amount is supposed to cover two major events for a student population of nearly 21,000. Simple math shows that this breaks down to a buck per head. QC sure knows how to party.
The Shuttle: QC Magic School Bus
Some people were under the impression that the Shuttle would look like the Q64. Not quite.
Not only was there a misappropriation of our student activity fees, but there was actually a rise in them, too. For $40 extra each semester, Queens College provides a shuttle. When I asked people what they thought, I received one of two answers.
Proponents praised the new amenity, noting that it had facilitated their commute to school and within campus. Taking the bus at least twice a day, they had successfully stretched their dollar.
Cynics joke that the Shuttle is our version of the Magic School Bus. Please withhold any comparisons between me and Ms. Frizzle.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are ardent shuttle foes. In addition to complaining about how the school buses are an eyesore, these students argue that it is unfair to force them to share the burden of financing something that caters to a tiny portion of the student body who travel from specific neighborhoods. Indeed, most of those who held qualms with the new system commuted from far away, and could therefore not alter their current means of transportation. To get to class on time, they needed to drive.
I agree more with the latter argument, but would shift my stance on one condition. Please, Student Association, add a fourth destination for the shuttle, at the subway station in Forest Hills! Avoiding the serpentine lines for the Q64 during rush hour would drastically decrease the inefficiency that arises from wasting so much time on line.
A Printing Privilege
Fortunately, I have not seen people print selfies.
The increase in student fees may be offset by the money you saved with the new printing system in the library. This was the first full semester in which printing there was completely free. Last year, you would only receive $15 for printing if you filled out professor evaluations. Now that it is free, would printing become a complete free for all?
In Economics, we learn about the Tragedy of the Commons, a theory that describes a story in which a field is ruined as people ceaselessly let their sheep graze over time.
I was skeptical of the sustainable nature of the policy, and rightfully so: I witnessed a great deal of exploitation, in which students shamelessly printed entire textbooks. Since printing in this case is referred to in economics as a public good, people did not consider the long run implications of exhausting this resource. A professor calculated that Queens College loses about $23,000 a month from the new policy- a staggering, but unsurprising figure. Now, I noticed that there is a limit of 40 pages in one go. Though easy to circumvent, this is a good compromise between unlimited printing and reverting back to the old policy.
Food!
Of course, the changes that were most prominent in my eyes were food related. Recently, a new kosher sushi store opened on Main Street, right by Queens College. Initially, I could not fathom why they would do this; there are already two such places on Main Street. Even the kosher cafeteria sells sushi!
This now marks the opening of the fourth Sushi Tokyo. Perhaps it is a new franchise?
The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that it was in everyone’s best interest for this new place to open. Having a sushi place within ten minutes’ walk of Queens College was much more convenient than driving down Main Street to the other existing stores. Moreover, the new place differentiated itself from the cafeteria on campus through its upscale ambiance. Financially, customers also benefit: the more sushi places, the greater the need to be competitively priced. Any increase will lead students on a budget to shop elsewhere. No one holds a monopoly, and therefore cannot control prices; every sushi place in this market is a price taker.
…except for the bakery promotion
A less noticeable change that probably has impacted few people’s shopping patterns involves a discontinued promotion at the local grocery store, Seasons. In previous semesters, Seasons had a sale every Wednesday in their bakery section: danishes or donuts were only $1. The rationale was most likely to bring in customers on a day that has little foot traffic. Psychologically, people are more inclined to succumb to urges they resist as time passes. Thus, by the middle of the week, people are willing to yield to their craving for something sweet and unhealthy.
When I asked why they ended this deal, they did not know what I was talking about. I could not tell if I was upset at the fact that they were so blatantly denying a previous business model, or that they could not remember how I, the girl with the bright red hair, would religiously come every week and buy the same thing. Regardless, it might just be for the best: it is better that I spend the dollar on fruit at school.
From printing to food, we have witnessed a great deal of change at Queens College-perhaps to the point where graduates would be impressed with our progress. What do you think is next to come?
