Thanksgiving has come to a close, and the holidays are decking halls and spreading some cheer over the University. In the blink of an eye, the New Year will be celebrated all over the country and conversations of 2019 New Year’s resolutions with be planned as students set goals to live a healthier life style, make more friends, read more books, and possibly unplug from electronic devices—all with the intention of starting off the new year right.
While New Year’s resolutions are reflected upon an individual person, University students were asked about what resolutions the University could benefit from, and make as their own official goals for the 2019 school year. Many students had suggestions to make, however the overall resolutions regarded some grievances against Café 101, student spaces, and other aspects about the New York campus.
It is not guaranteed that the University will prioritize these resolutions for their own list; however the following students offered some suggestions regarding improvements that could be made in the following year.
The following requests and suggestions are made in regards to Café 101 and dining on campus.
University senior Julia Briganti states, “Cafe 101 should be open longer on weekends. On top of that, I would like to see more stations opened on the weekends as well. Many areas such as the pasta and salad stations are closed when I get food over the weekend.”
University senior Dave Hundal states, “I would like to see Cafe 101 open later during the week.”
When asked about the food options, University senior Marisa Pace states, “I feel like there are a lot of lunch and dinner options, but there could definitely be more breakfast options. I struggle every day and have to wait in the long grill line. If there were more options in breakfast, like a waffle iron, the grill line would not be as long.”
“I would like to see Starbucks open on Saturdays. While not many, there are still students on campus studying over the weekend, and it would be convenient to have Starbucks open during the day” University junior Diara Pate states.
The Library is another space students feel should be improved especially since many students utilize the space.
“I would love to see the library opened up more in 2019. Towards the back of the library where the blue and green chairs sit, there is open space that is blocked off by dividers. I think it would be nice to open that area up and provide more room for tables,” University senior Tommy Hine shares.
“I know that the library remains open later during midterms and finals, but I think it would be beneficial for it to stay open later all the time. I get a lot of studying done there, and I think students would definitely stay later throughout the semester,” University junior Diara Pate states.
The following observations are related to the Master Plan construction.
University senior Saransh Godha shares, “Walking from class to class can be difficult. In 2019, maybe there can be a simpler way to organize the pathways and provide more ease when using the elevators.”
“I would love to see the [Master Plan] construction finished by the time I graduate,” shares University senior, Noah Savini.
University senior Elena Pinciaro states, “The elevators on campus and in the dorms always seem to be broken down, especially in the Beekman dorm.”
Finally, students want to emphasize more on campus events. Activities are consistently offered to students, and this is how University students want to see them next year.
University junior Eleni Guadadi would like to have therapy dogs around campus, “Whenever therapy dogs come in during midterms and final exams, it makes me feel so happy. I think these dogs should be brought to campus throughout the semester.”
“I think better communication to students about upcoming events would be helpful. Sometimes, I get emails for events I would like to be a part of the day before, but cannot attend because it is last minute” states University senior, Olivia Gonzalez.
While these New Years resolutions are not directed towards the individual aspirations of University students, they are made by students who are interested in bettering the University as a whole. Students should feel encouraged to know that they are surrounded by individuals who envision a positive future for the institution. Let us end 2018 on a strong note, and go into 2019 with high hopes and great expectations with what the University will have to offer in the new year.
