NC State students suffering as University refuses to invest in expansion

The problems are not the result merely of daily mismanagement on the behalf of dining employees; they work very hard to keep up with the unrealistic expectations of food production. The lack of diverse options for dining means that workers face pressure to cut corners in food safety and quality to serve the student body.

subpar. Mold is a concern in older residence halls and in the last few years, and floods in residence halls like Metcalf and Bragaw and power outages in Metcalf, Carroll and Bowen have forced students to relocate.

NC State is actively pushing for large growth in the size of the student population, continually breaking first-year class -size records every year. Because of this, increasing stress has been put on the social institutions on campus, from housing and dining to counseling and community engagement. The way in which NC State has grown the University is greedy and harmful to the quality of student’s health, safety, education and culture.

One factor of notable concern due to population growth is the quality of dining. Many students encounter concerningly inconsistent cooking from dining options at NC State — food poisoning from Fountain, overpriced, cold burgers from Tuffy’s and hours-long waits for a coffee from Starbucks. No one should be surprised that these problems exist with such an increasingly high demand for food, especially at peak hours.

As the population of the University increases, housing for first-years also becomes more complicated. University Housing generally strives to keep first-years on main campus as much as possible, but with growing class sizes and little immediate progress in the way of new residence halls, first-years keep having to live further away from campus.

The University does have plans for new housing and dining, but it is disappointing and frankly confusing that it has promoted its expansion projects for niche areas like esports and athletic upgrades more than critical infrastructure that benefits all students. With increasing social crises and criticisms regarding NC State’s approach to addressing its community, it seems odd that it is so dead-set on growing the campus population without first having housing options readily available.

For those students who do live on campus, the quality of the residence halls is beyond

The end result of this trend is a growing number of students living off campus, the ramifications of which can easily go unseen. The sociological concerns of a physically distant student body are at best, worrisome and at worst, tragic.

Living off campus physically removes students from campus culture, making social cohesion and involvement more difficult. This may be easier for upperclassmen who have spent time forming connections with other students in their first year of school.

But for first-years who have yet to form their social netting, the effects can be disheartening.

This anatomization of campus culture is putting a strain on the social institutions that support students. Recruitment and outreach for organizations of all sizes have become increasingly difficult beyond massive events like Packapalooza and major sporting events.

The result is a campus full of students devoid of social cohesion at a critical stage of social development and in need of support. For students without a social net, professors are a common place to turn to for support.

We have had multiple professors address our classes transparently regarding current mental health concerns and offer to be resources to the best of their capacities. However, professors are becoming less available for many students.

For example, NC State has made becoming a tenure-track professor more difficult, with requirements for scholarship and teaching becoming harder to manage, especially in STEM fields. Because of this, more adjunct professors, who are generally paid less and are guaranteed fewer benefits, are hired. If an adjunct professor is not available, graduate students are employed. As they have unionized for better pay and benefits, those who distressed students may turn to are also working under dire straits financially and educationally.

With nowhere to turn, NC State is leaving its students out to dry. The emotional and mental health of campus has never been more concerning and the irresponsible expansion by the University only contributes to these issues. We cannot simply invest in some new shiny buildings and call it a day. A larger campus requires larger expenditures to support a larger student body. If NC State cannot do that, the crises that we are currently facing will pale in comparison to what will come.

ANXIETY

FINDING PEACE AND PURPOSE

LONELINESS IN THE MIDDLE OF TOUGH TIMES