Jaclyn Goldstein
It’s the first day of class. All of your school supplies are ready to go. You purchased or rented the textbooks for class. You walk to your classroom only to find that class has been canceled due to the strike, unless you were one of the lucky students whose professor continued to have class.
This was not the greatest way to start off the school year, as senior Biology education major Louis Scala put it, “It was ill timed.” Many students, especially commuters, expressed disapproval upon hearing of the canceling of their classes. With gas prices the way they are, can you blame them? After an increase in student tuition, canceled classes may not have been the greatest news for anyone returning to school.
On the other hand, not all students objected entirely to the cancelation of classes. Many, including Kim Woods, a senior childhood education major, who understood the professors’ reactions toward the unsettled contract. “I understand why the faculty [members] were frustrated and decided to take the actions they took by fighting for their rights to a fair contract.” said Woods. “But it was also frustrating for students who felt that their education was being hindered, and put second for the first week of school.” Marie Serpico, senior adolescent education major agreed. “Teachers should stick up for what they deserve,” said Serpico. “The strike should have been settled in a more time-appropriate manner. Going into my senior year was very unsettling because of what happened and I felt very uninformed. Especially for freshman just starting college, I can’t imagine how confusing it was. I’m glad it’s over.” After a few days of abandoning classes, the C.W. Post faculty union membership reached an agreement with the university administration and all classes were in session by the following week. Despite mixed opinions from the student population at C.W. Post, there is one thing that we can undoubtedly all agree on; the strike has already made this semester a memorable one.
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