Dean Melsa said it best in the Feb. 19 Daily. He said, “Students are paying more and more and are, in a loose sense, getting less. That’s not a good answer, but that’s what the state is telling us.” I understand this is what the state is telling us. In Gov. Tom Vilsack’s campaign, he stressed education as his No. 1 issue, but he has failed us. We must remember this in this year’s upcoming election.

There are many small things that could save a lot of money. The first has to do with energy savings. The university already lowers classroom thermostats to save energy and there has been talk about decreasing the lighting after 11 p.m. in the dorms, which are both fine. What I really wonder about is the usage of lighting on campus overnight.

I can go past any of the construction sites late at night and see unnecessary lights while no one is working. And then there are buildings like Howe Hall. I have gone past this building at 1 a.m. and have been able to see enough lights on in the building that I wonder if the U.S. Coast Guard has contacted us about moving the building for use as a lighthouse.

Second is the loss of professors. One big waste I can see is multiple professors in classes. One sits listening to another professor. Why not have them teaching their own classes so that more can be offered to the students? If they both only teach the same thing, maybe one should be cut and someone in a different area brought in.

The final area I will address is campus services. This is an area that I can see a possibility for vast improvement. Earlier this year I saw two of the small “mules” following one another to clear snow when there was none on the sidewalks. That brings to light another problem. That is the use of equipment and trucks on sidewalks that are too big. When this equipment is used it tears up the grass and requires later repair. Efficiency for this department is a huge problem.

These are just a few things that could be addressed to save funds. Maybe there should be a council for budgeting of students like myself, to think of revolutionary ideas like these to help cut down on unnecessary expenses. We can all do our part to help in these hard times to make our education the best that we can instead of an education that is continually decreasing in quality.

Aaron Brand

Senior

Horticulture