Jheri Miller

Review of WMUK 102.1 FM

Western Michigan University has a lot of lovely am...

Western Michigan University has a lot of lovely amenities, and it is in a wonderful city. Kalamazoo, MI, is not too large, nor is it too small, making it a great transition for someone from a large city or a small town into the college lifestyle. There are several groups that one may join while attending Western, and there are several incredible programs such as their Medieval Studies Master's program, their engineering programs, their aeronautical programs, their acting/arts programs, and they have recently added a medical school.

However, WMU is a party school, and the carelessness has shown in the buildings' interiors and exteriors. The dorms are the absolute worst. Living in a very small room with another person is already difficult, but much more difficult when you share a bathroom with two other people and your walls are made of blocks similar to what you see in prison movies. The rules are ridiculous. As a full grown adult, you are not allowed to have people of the same sex stay with you overnight, and if your RA finds out that you did, that person can be blacklisted and not even allowed in your building at all.

During the tours/visitations, they will show you the new buildings, but do not be fooled. It is unlikely you will be in those buildings often, unless your major's classes are held in them. The outside of Dunbar Hall looks like a prison, and it is not much better inside. This is where a number of English, foreign language, and history classes are held. Being a history major, I spend all of my time in this building. It is depressing. My low budget, rural high school of eight hundred students, placed in a cornfield, has nicer classrooms than the classrooms I have had during my time at Western. New Sangren and Brown are lovely, but Knauss, Dunbar, Rood, and Old Sangren are in dire need of a makeover. Considering how much students pay to be here, keeping the buildings clean and welcoming should not be majorly difficult. While there are many wonderful, caring professors, their work becomes muddled due to the university's carelessness for the interior of its buildings.

Western Michigan University has also recently cut its foreign language departments, firing or threatening the careers of many of its professors. Some of the best professors I have had have been in that department, and they have gotten rid of them, despite having many loyal students that continued to take their courses.

They are also not very good at updating things. 90% of the classes mentioned on the website that were applicable to my minor are not even classes anymore and are to never be offered again. They were not offered three years ago when I was a freshmen and they still are not offered now. When I asked the head of that department what classes I should take, he simply instructed me, "Take classes with the word 'medieval' in them." How helpful.

Outside of the university, things are not much better. This is a party school. While rent is low, it is very difficult to find places with decent living conditions. My boyfriend and I were able to find ONE apartment complex out of the dozens that we felt would have suitable living conditions for having animals and not wanting to live with other roommates or in a bad neighbourhood. It took us three and four years to finally find someplace that we felt was acceptable.

Western is a great school if you are looking for the college experience, and you will likely meet some great professors here. However, if you are trying to stay away from party schools and your environment really matters to you, I would consider re-evaluating your options.