News

Graduates have seen UH endure, grow 

By Nikie Johnson
Senior Staff Writer

Students graduating this semester have seen the University go through many changes in the last four (or five, or eight) years.

Four years ago, the biggest issue in the Student Government Association was getting liquid soap dispensers in the bathrooms instead of powder soap. As the graduating seniors leave, the biggest issue is whether or not the SGA president misused student fees or committed fraud.

The graduating seniors have seen the arrival of new on-campus housing options, Cullen Oaks and University Oaks, which have given more students closer ties to UH.

They dealt with Tropical Storm Allisonis aftermath, which included millions of dollars of damage, closed classroom buildings and a ruined Law Center library and UC Satellite.

They have seen at least two football coaches get dismissed and one basketball coach quit.

In four years, these students have seen the University grow by thousands of students, install Internet class registration, build a new recreation center and become a Coca-Cola campus.

But many things havenit changed. Thousands of students are still complaining about parking, and thousands more are still saying thereis enough if you know where to look. Thousands are still complaining textbooks cost too much. Lines are still long in the Ezekiel W. Cullen Building. Workers at the end of those lines still tell students they were in the wrong line, and then tell them a second wrong line to stand in. Students still donit care much about whatis happening on campus unless it will cost them more money.

The graduating seniors will leave behind a University poised to go through many more changes. Next year, UH will have a new president. More on-campus housing, Bayou Oaks, will open. Tuition and fees are going up, and the rate of increase will likely escalate if the state budget crisis hits UH as hard as many fear. New buildings will be built, more scandals will break out and the student body will change in ways that no one can predict right now.

Four years ago, UH was trying desperately to shed its "Cougar High" image. Now, steps have been taken to bring UH to a level where people wonit have that image.

With more Tier I research funding, UH is developing its reputation in the scientific community. With a new Athletics director, UH hopes to reduce that departmentis deficit and start winning more games. With a greater retention and graduation rate, students are being more successful in college. With more on-campus housing, those students are getting a more traditional college experience. 

Itis widely accepted that students at UH tend not to pay much attention to whatis going on here.

But what graduating senior can say these changes, and those issues that will never change, havenit affected them over the last four (or five, or eight) years?

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