Drew University’s campus is suddenly interested in the policies that rule it, mostly because they relate to the hours in which students can party. Drew is a small school and student activity seems close to none. However, changing quiet hours in response to the events of Halloween has even the most apathetic students taking a stand. President Weisbuch has been raising the issue of student apathy since his poorly attended University address. The administration remains perplexed by the student apathy.
I do not mean to generalize the whole campus, as I know many incredibly motivated people at Drew. The bottom line is that as a collective student body we accomplish close to nothing and this does not seem to bother most students. Our generation in general seems to be deficient in motivation for anything but self-interest. Drew is no different—the majority of students have shown by their actions that they could care less about what the SGA does or what Weisbuch hopes to do. However, when it comes to the times they are allowed to be loud, they make a ruckus and appear en mass.
The issue we are now facing is not simply Halloween night—it is something much larger that includes more than just the student body. Although our students are less than proactive, our administration seems to like it that way. The lack of mutual respect and responsibility at Drew comes from both ends of the spectrum. Students don’t respect students, and administrators respect nobody but themselves and their paychecks. Drew is less an educational institution and more of a business. The structure is no different than a corporation with top administrators getting paid more than anyone else, regardless of the amount of time or effort they contribute to the business. Our administration enjoys exorbitant salaries requiring a minimum of 30 hours a week while our professors work long hours and can barely afford to live in the Madison area. That to me is not a sign of respect for the amazing work they do. Meanwhile, the administration is paid by our parents, but does not like when people discuss their salaries—although they are available on websites like guidestar.org under the Form 990.
The lack of transparency at Drew is a major source of distrust and disconnect in our community. Sure, Weisbuch’s Open Hour is good and I have utilized it, but it seems to accomplish little except smiles and feigned interest. The administration has acted in ways that resemble the self-interest we see among the students. It is ridiculous to argue that we should have televisions in the fitness room instead of electronic resources subscriptions because that is what prospective students want to see. If you ask me, any student more concerned with a T.V. than a learning resource is not a good student at all. Drew cares more about its image than the effect these decisions have on the students. When they took the nighttime gate guard and put him at the sign-in desk in the Simon Forum, it showed Drew cares more about its expensive building than needed security measures. I do not believe that Drew needs major security precautions, but Drew even fails at taking care of the bare minimum. For two months, I have called Public Safety asking why no nighttime security exists on Mondays. The response: “We have not been allocated funds to hire a new guard.” So we are assured that our gym T.V.s are safe but not our students.
So what is that we are paying for—Weisbuch’s 5 Series BMW? Maybe if Drew were not run like a business, students would have more say would be more interested. Yet the way it is, no one wants to take on the challenge—it’s just another business where only money talks. If the administration expects students to treat each other with respect and honesty, as Ghandi once stated, they ought to try by being the change they wish to see on campus.
Melanie Robbins is a sophomore Political Science major.
Student issues, apathy remain unaddressed
Published: Friday, November 20, 2009
Updated: Friday, November 20, 2009
 "Photo: Andrew Pungot")
Andrew Pungot
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