Sentiments from a Fall 2020 graduate

By: Sophia Bates, Associate Editor 

There’s plenty of frustration in the air, especially after University President Kim Schatzel sent an email outlining the preparedness of Towson against COVID-19… oh and in the middle, a bomb about campus shutting down and sending students home. 

Listen, I knew this was coming. I told everyone I knew weeks ago that there’s no way campus will be open come September. I’m savoring the fact that I was right, but I’m not savoring the fact that Towson has A LOT of our money held up. 

I’m a commuter from an off-campus apartment and always have been. Thus, I haven’t had hesitations about housing and dining- thank god. But Towson administration, did you really just take money from those with on-campus housing and shut down in the first week of school? Every student I’ve talked to had fully prepared to be online this year… so why did we even try? 

Let’s talk about that athletics fee. That pretty $499 fee on all of our statements. That fee that’s meant to cover my use of Burdick and my tickets to games. That fee that is going to absolutely not benefit me whatsoever during my last semester at Towson. 

So far, the University administration has released plans about refunding 10% of all mandatory fees, including athletics, which was announced during a Town Hall meeting with Schatzel on Sept. 3.  

However, there is no excuse for this fee. Yes, it helps scholarships for athletes. But, it’s going towards the postponement of fall sports to the spring? Newsflash- we have a lot of students graduating this semester, including myself. Do we even know if sports will happen in the spring? 

My mother is a nurse. I babysit for someone working in a hospital. I have friends in healthcare. I also just have common sense. It’s a no brainer that America has a terrible track record in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. To those I’ve talked to, and also articles online, there’s a strong chance that attending concerts or sporting events will not be a likely event for many of us for a year of more. 

So, Towson is holding onto our money during one of the biggest financial crises that’s happening in our lifetime, just because they assume we can attend games and go to Burdick in the spring. Again, I’m not benefitting from any Spring 2020 happenings, and more than likely, none of the students will be able to attend major events anyways. 

The holding of this fee is absolutely a money-grab. I work practically full time, I’m an editor of this paper and I have an internship. I don’t have expendable income, and I want a $499 refund in my bank account. 

 

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