CougZone.com - The Pres' Palouse Park Bench

April 10, 2009

Michael Preston
CougZone.com Staff Writer

On a regular occasion, this is not a place I come to stand on a political soap box. I can't even remember a time when anything ever written was the least bit political. But the time has come that I can't help myself because it affects every last student and future student of Washington State University. And it even affects the city of Pullman that the university resides in.

You see, at the same time the state government has seen fit to potentially cut WSU's budget by nearly 29% (that is no misprint) the governor in all his genius has decided to raise tuition by 14% for all state universities. Part of her reasoning being the increase will help the schools stay on their feet.

Problem is, the increase in tuition won't fix the problems of the collegiate deficit. All it means is larger classes, few teachers and a lower quality thereof. But it also means 1,500 less students can attend Washington State next year because of the increases. Classes will be cut, majors will be cut and long time teachers will be losing their jobs. Deans of colleges at WSU are scrambling to save who they can before the budget battleaxe comes crashing down.

But perhaps what angers me most about all of this is the audacity of the governor to say that college students can afford the extra $500 bucks a semester and it's not that big of a deal, calling education in this state a bargain compared to others. Students will find a way to get through it and find the money.

Let's get to the first of a mountain of things that are wrong with that statement: where will the money come from? The job market is more stagnant than water in an old tire and any student would be hard pressed to find a job, especially in a small town like Pullman. Students are going to have to bring together an extra thousand dollars a year just to go to school. I do understand that education is fairly cheap compared to other states but don't use that as an excuse just to raise tuition because it's a lot cheaper than other states. It's like saying every time my girlfriend gets angry at me for flatulating more than usual I tell her other boyfriends would flatulate more. And even though that's an incredibly juvenile simile to draw, it's one that holds true. You can't justify raising the cost simply because other states cost more.

Ultimately, the students at the universities of this state did not create the budget deficit the state is facing. So why are we (and our parents) the ones who are paying for it? Truthfully, I really have no idea. It's difficult to find a segment of this state's population that would be more affected by such a large increase to their expenditures. What's more, the increase in tuition doesn't only affect the university but the city of Pullman as well.

With upwards of 1,500 fewer students at the university, that means anywhere from 300-400 jobs could be cut from the university pay roll. With fewer employees, that means fewer people will be living in Pullman and paying property taxes, which decreases city revenue. I think we all know where I'm going with this one: less money flowing into city coffers means cutting essential services and transportation services. So these increases in tuition and cuts to the university run much deeper than anyone could've really expected them to here on the Palouse.

But at its basest level, it affects the future students of this university more than myself. Does the tuition increase for my final year of school stink? Sure. But lucky my grandmother had the foresight to put away some money before she passed away for my education. But not everyone has the luck that I do. Some students and their families may no be able to bear the increased cost of sending their children to school. And when a bright young child is denied access to higher education, that's a crime. Whether it be at Washington State, Western Washington or even at the University of Washington, every student bright enough to be accepted to a four-year school deserves to go. And the fact is these tuition and cost increases could stop some kids.

I'm lucky. I'll leave here soon. Others aren't as lucky. Others will bear the extra burden of paying more than me. Everyone deserves the experience of college. Some won't get it now. So for you, from the tables at the Coug, I raise a pitcher (also not a misprint) of beer to you, the future students, for you deserve the best education you can get. But it seems the state doesn't want to give it to you.

Who Cares Pick of the Week: Nevermind! You should care about this one! Washington State over Washington in the Apple Cup of women's rowing tomorrow morning at Wawawai Landing.

Dunderhead of the Week: Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern. In his episode shot in St. Petersburg, Zimmern ate three spoon fulls of caviar value at a rough total of $250 smackers in about five bites. He went and tried what was essentially rancid dog meat and actually said to savior the flavor of the meat and ate it slowly. Sound backwards much?

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