There’s been a lot of bustle within the political community recently regarding our newest president. I would expect everyone and their dog to have an opinion, but the last thing I want is for my school to get in on the action.
As a student of IU, I accepted that I was going to a public school that is supposed to have an ultimately neutral standpoint on all matters, religious and political. As we on campus all know and understand, emails from IU have been circulating with regards to Trump's election victory and immigration ban.
Normally it wouldn’t directly take a stance opposing him per say, however this time they directly stated that they take a stance strongly opposing his immigration ban. Not long after receiving this email, I received an email offering me a safe space to process all of this.
I am not a Republican or a Democrat, but I’ve simply had it with watching my school clearly take sides in these matters. If it wants to defend fairness, it should stay out of politics that will exclude many of their students and their viewpoints.
Morals aside, public schools these days should be required not to take sides for the exact reason I just mentioned. This got me thinking of a relatively radical notion in this day’s environment. I would like to endorse and push for the notion that IU should immediately stop receiving all government subsidies — federal, state or local.
In fact, a 2015 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that tuition increases by an average of 65 percent of the amount of subsidy money given to the university. This money from the government is only marginally helping students, and it's ridiculously inefficient, inflating the cost of education.
With the outrageously high tuition rates all the out-of-state students, like me, are paying and all the donations and other funding IU is receiving, it should have to better manage the money it receives. In my opinion, a school without any subsidies would have to run more efficiently and honestly. If you are a student reading this and thinking I’ve gone mad, please hear me out.
Without the subsidies, IU would have to lower its costs so the same amount of students can attend. You are hearing me correctly — getting rid of government subsidies to IU will lower the cost of your tuition and make student life a lot easier.
In my opinion, there are plenty of reasons our fine cream and crimson should be defunded. It’s a radical notion,but there’s merit behind it. I believe in the glory of old IU, and I know it can prosper without the chains of government. Believe in this school, and believe in real true neutrality within the academic workplace. For all of our sakes, moral and financial, we need to get rid of this school’s subsidies.
