Students finally had a chance to make their voices heard at the student town hall meeting with President Sharon Hahs despite of the noisy Student Union room where the event was held. There was lower than usual attendance. The noisy cafeteria adjacent to the small room kept many students out of the event and most students were standing due to lack of proper sitting arrangements and there were many walkouts as well. In spite of all the obstacles, students comprised mainly of freshmen asked questions about central issues like activity hour change, U-Pass, parking spaces, online courses, financial aid and NEIU sports. President Hahs answered all the questions but the absence of the officials of certain departments, such as the financial aid office, was noted by everyone. Central to many questions was a discussion on the lack of funding. Government funds were the answer to many questions regarding U-Pass, financial aid and NEIU sports teams, which were abandoned long ago.
The change of activity hour is said to be related to the university’s graduation rate, which, according to president Hahs, needed to be increased. As the students pointed out, co-curricular activity is an essential part of learning and development. The university administration is trying to address that by maintaining an activity hour with classes scheduled at the same time.
The event covered a lot of information and did provide a forum for students to ask their question. Events like student town hall meetings are necessary, so students can get answers to the questions they have on their mind. However, events should be more organized to allow more attendance from the student body.