Anyone who has been receiving the University of Idaho’s emails in the past couple of weeks knows exactly what kind of existential dread is creeping around campus. It is a universal feeling shared between students — even professors and faculty, as we all joke about what it’s like being shoved out of the Teaching and Learning Center.
It feels like classes are pushed to opposing sides of campus like two magnets with positive ends. I blame my short legs, Moscow’s hills and the 10-minute passing period for arriving to my back-to-back classes sweating and out of breath.
Navigating the adjusted spreadsheet is hard enough when neither class titles or class times are chronologically ordered.
I understand how class space is scarce — especially shutting down a whole building — but Engineering Physics Building then the Admin back to back? What are you trying to do, kill me?
As I passed a friend going to classes earlier this morning, we chuckled at the remark of, “At least my calves will be in shape by the end of this.”
Sheerly coincidental, it has been a hard semester for the university.
UI feels like it’s falling apart but desperately trying to remain OK all the same — what would a university be if it didn’t have a significant permanent budget cut delivery and a flooding disaster all in the same month?
It seems like the test vandal alert awoke something deeper.
Surely I was not the only one who got chills from the alert, especially after last year’s Vandal notice bombardment.
Of the unexpected disasters at the university, one has gone largely unnoticed.
The elevator in the Art and Architecture (South) building has finally broken, running its course. This is a problem as there isn’t a comfortable way for students to get up to their painting classes. Just like the university accommodating students to other buildings, art students are being assisted to other studios around the university.
As of now, the university seemingly has no means of fixing the elevator.
With budget cuts running rampant around the university, it isn’t crazy to wonder how funding will affect UI.
It also isn’t crazy to wonder what we can expect for UI’s future.
As of right now, it is unknown when we will be returning to the TLC and when things will go back to normal. It’s a miracle the situation was noticed so soon, as more severe damage could have come from the flood.
We are fortunate that classes are still in session and other buildings around the university can cover classes forced to leave the building temporarily. Although in retrospect, it would be nice to have a week of no classes.
For now, feel free to get your calves working. There’s no choice but to make do with what we have.
Emily Pearce can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce