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opinion@technewsiit.com

 

TechNews | Tuesday, September 10, 2013

    

Outrageous college expenses, required fees add up

Austin Gonzalez & Kyle Stanevich
TECHN EWS WRITERS

College is very expensive, no news
there; sometimes students are lolled into
complacency and forget just how expensive it
is to get what they’re using? I long for the days
when I did not have to pay $110 just to turn
in my homework I really don’t appreciate six
$30 activity fees? I wonder which activities I
participated in are worth more than $30 tickets,
other than to see the Sex A $300 Welcome
to IIT “New Student Fee" is just icing on the
alreadyvery expensive cake? But, it feels great to
know that IIT has got my back with innovative
technologies to save everyone time and money
Innovative technologies like that wonderful little
site known as WebAssign.

To preface, buying books are one
expense that no one ever looks forward to? In
an attempt to save money, it is not uncommon
for students to surf the internet and download
any books they can find for free? Whether or
not this is wrong is not my place to say, but with
the high prices of textbooks, it’s not unexpected
Some students buy all of their textbooks form
the bookstore; the final tally adds up quickly
One student paid $300 for just one of her math
books; of course she needed a second book
that would have been equally expensive; even
the used books are ridiculously expensive?

There might be an outdated version of the same
book selling used for $180, but that’s hardly an
amazing deal? In addition, there are some classes
with 5 or more “recommended" textbooks?
If students are required to buy these already
expensive books, what makes the bookstore or
some professors think that students will buy
these optional books? Books are a necessary evil
that is understood They are truly invaluable

What really grinds my gears is that
there are some departments who want us to
pay to turn in homework Using the internet
to turn in homework is a scenario that sounds
like a good idea? The students and professors are
already hooked up to internet, plus it saves the
environment by cuttingpaper waste? Immediate
feedback on assignments is also an amazing
opportunity to further classroom learning and
involvement only possible in the past with one
on one tutoring

But every rose has its thorns; these
websites require access codes that can only
be obtained from a brand new physical book
Wonderful, students who need to purchase used
books shouldn’t enjoy the same privilege that
those who buy new get? They’re not excluded,
no that’d be ridiculous, instead they get to
spend $75 to use the site for only a single term
for that specific book And if you have two
classes with two different books? $150 please?
This is ludicrous? To turn in homework, which

is sometimes graded by completion, $75 is a
slap in the face? For those working to pay for
their degrees, this amounts to a full day’s work
or more? But there are always other options,
like spending $110 dollars so that you can have
access to that site to do homework in that one
book for a lifetime Many students were worried
that they’d have to pay the fee again, because so
often are the books you need freshmen year used
in later years? At least they were kind enough to
give us the eBook with our purchase, right?

Fees add up quickly College is already
expensive to start, and having this system puts
even more financial stress on students and
families? Why is it that Blackboard and Piazza
are free? Why is handing in homework from the
book suddenly unacceptable? If administration
would sit down and talk to welleintentioned
students, I am sure that some of these ridiculous
fees could be straightened out This article is
not taking stabs at any one person specifically,
but just pointing out flaws in a system that is
widely accepted? There are some very nice
people who are willing to help students out
with their problems? As students, call upon
professors, administrators, SGA, and anyone
else willng to listen to and act on this, unless,
of course, you enjoy paying to turn in menial
assignments?

Disclaimer: Not all administration is
as horrible as depicted in this article?

 

Musing malls,

Neesha Narayanan
TECHN EWS WRITER

Munich is one of those cities that
gives ofi’ a very different vibe on entering it,
unrelatable to other major German cities like
Frankfurt, Berlin or Hamburg? It is a unique
experience because the city has it’s own dis,
tinctive style that is evident in small things like
the sidewalks, UeBahn stations and the ornae
mentation on the houses along the main road?
I could see the lavish taste in terms of lifestyle
and cost of living, which I was not surprised
by, as Bavaria is one of the richest states in Ger,
many

The moment we exited from the
autobahn, I could see the famous BMW head,
quarters? The building was designed by Ause
trian architect Karl Schwanzerl The configue
ration consists of four cylindrical structures
that are suspended from the central support,
ing tower, which makes the viewer feel as if
the structure is floating? Also, it is one of the

 

festivals in Munich, Germany

few buildings that has been constructed from
the top to the bottom? As I entered the city, I
started to explore Marienplatz where I saw a
cathedral towering on the horizon? It was the
first time I had ever seen a church with a white
interior and no stained glass windows? Right
in front of this church was a beautifully main,
tained English garden? I saw many people en,
joying the greenery and the beautiful weather?

Marienplatz is also the goeto place
for shopaholicsl There are two streets that lead
to the northern partrone with rows of de
signer shops (you name it, they have itl) and
the other with a mixture of trendy and comfy
cafes, branded shops and a shopping mall? As I
entered the shopping mall, I couldn’t help but
notice the combination of hanging plants and
light installations all over the ceiling? It was so
beautifully done that it would make anyone
want to go shoppingl

Afterwards, I went to New Town
Hall which is a huge, beautifully crafted build,
ing, built in Gothic Revival architecture style
by Georg von Hauberrisser The whole place

was always crowded, with people strolling
around having a cup of coffee in the cafes in
and around the place? It was where I saw the
maximum number of tourists, as it is one of
the major attractions in Munich?

I have always believed that going to
any kind of festival will bring you closer to the
local culture? One such event is the Oktobere
fest? The Oktoberfest is an annual beer festival
held in Munich, Germany

You will see women wearing the
traditional attire called dirndl, which is a light
dress with a fitted waist and slightly circular
kneeelength skirt, and men wearing typical
German lederhosen (leather pants)? People
book tickets as early as February due to the
immense crowd?

The most important thing to re,
member is that you don’t get beer if you don’t
have a seat, so don’t mind the expensive prices
because the experience is worth itl The next
time you go to Munich for Oktoberfest, wear
the traditional attire, enjoy the beer and the
people aroundl

Photos by Neesha Narayanan