I was appalled to read that NIU would spend $138 million (privately funded, thank Neptune) to upgrade athletic facilities. I was even more disgusted to read that it was being pitched as a way to help falling enrollment. I realize that it’s unlikely that anyone of importance (NIU President Doug Baker) will read this letter to the editor, but let’s get real here: NIU doesn’t have a problem getting students to enroll here, it has a problem getting them to want to stick around.

I was a student who was excited to transfer to DeKalb. I’m not even through two semesters, and already I find myself wanting to leave. This isn’t a matter of disliking school; I’m highly motivated to obtain my degree. But is it worth enduring NIU’s shenanigans to get my degree here? Where is tuition money going when there are so many problems? Enrollment is falling because NIU’s wide inaction makes it an unattractive place to stay. Making NIU a more attractive place to come will do nothing to solve the enrollment problem.

Let’s face facts. If I get five of my friends together, I can count the number of free parking spaces on campus on our fingers and toes. Not even visitors can park here without shelling out money. And even if one does buy a parking pass, good luck finding parking in a timely manner past 9 a.m. Admittedly, there’s the bus, but is taking the bus helpful when you need to cross campus in ten minutes? Furthermore, NIU keeps campus open when sidewalks are icy and snowy, putting student safety at risk. Nobody I know attends class when it’s icy or ten below zero anyways, so what point is NIU trying to prove? Put salt down when it’s icy, close campus when it’s dangerously cold. And for the love of Victor E. Huskie, fix this horrible parking problem!

Overall, NIU needs to realize that the way to grow endowment isn’t to nickel and dime students with parking tickets, but to spend money on building another parking garage and fixing other issues that not only have students scratching their heads, but leaving the school entirely.