Sweet & Sour: The Day and Life of a WWU Student

Yesterday, I finished my first week of spring quarter at Western Washington University. Throughout this past week, I have been reminded of both why I love -- and hate -- this campus so much. Western’s campus is so beautiful. Many buildings are constructed out of brick, and there is an abundance of different types of trees about the campus. The cherry blossom trees are starting to bloom, and the fountain was turned back on at the beginning of this week. When the sky is blue, I cannot stop taking in the beauty of the landscape, and I am so grateful that I am able to spend the next three and a half years of my education in such a gorgeous place. 

I am so blessed to be able to go to college and further my education. I have the desire to do the best that I can; however, this is difficult when the people who are supposed to be helping disabled students are actually creating way more work for us than necessary. At the beginning of each quarter, every student who needs extra time (on tests or assignments), alternative texts, interpreters, note takers or scribes, has to make an appointment with a Disability Resource Services' (DRS) counselor. At this appointment, letters describing the needs of each student are given and the student; if they want to receive services, the student is required to take the letter and informational paper to each of their professors. The professor is to sign the information page, and the student must list all the test dates for the quarter. The completed information page must then be returned to the DRS. This is a lot of unnecessary paperwork; in this day and age, with the technology we have, it would be simple to electronically provide the necessary accommodations without making the disabled student run all around the campus. It would be really nice if each student would only need to complete a profile page when they sign up for college; then, when the student signs up for a class, the information would automatically be e-mailed to their professors. This way students would not need to jump through a bunch of unnecessary hoops, and then have to wait a week at the beginning of each quarter for their accommodations. If a student’s accommodations need to be modified, then an appointment would be necessary. This more efficient system is already carried out at several high schools in my area as the IEP/504 plan is electronically linked to the attendance sheet. Plus, you would think at Western, who has won may “Green” awards, would want to distribute accommodations via a paperless method. 

Another mundane task occurs when a professor changes a test date. The student has to immediately update the DRS, as it is important for them to know exactly when the student is coming to take their test. I had an unfortunate experience this last fall quarter. My anthropology professor changed every single test date (as our class got a day behind). This was fine except for one time when my professor e-mailed the class late Sunday night that our test was going to be moved from Monday to Wednesday. I did not read this e-mail, as I was asleep; I went to class expecting to have a test that day, but was surprised to find out we would not take the test until Wednesday. I had to then inform the DRS that the test had been moved. The secretary in charge of organizing the tests was disgruntled that I did not inform her with enough time in advance. This should not have happened, as I was not the one to change the test; if all test details were handled electronically, this situation would not have come about in the first place. 

Another frustration with the DRS took place during winter quarter. There were a couple of days when Bellingham was blanketed with snow. Even though Western was open and classes continued on, the DRS was closed for two days. Many students receiving accommodations had tests on those days. Unfortunately, these students had to take their tests when the DRS reopened, which was on their own time. I was supposed to have a math test on one of the days the DRS was closed; however, my math professor canceled class the day before, so she pushed the test date a day later. Even though the DRS was open on the day my test was scheduled, my professor was not able to drop off my copy when she went to the DRS the day before, as the DRS was closed. My test ended up in the math center. So, when I showed up to take my math test, it was not at the DRS. The test coordinator said I had to wait for my test to be delivered. Fortunately, my mom was able to bail out the DRS. She ran over to my math class, asked my professor for my math test, and brought it back to the DRS. Thank you, Mom, for coming to campus with me that day, and retrieving my test!

Not only has the testing system at Western not been well thought through, but the architecture is poor as well. Granted, the majority of Western's buildings were built in-between the late eighteen hundreds and the sixties, but there are a few that have been built/remodeled in the last 15 years. One building in particular that would win an award for "separate, but equal" access, is the communications building. There are classrooms that I am not able to get to from either of the main entrances. There are four stairs leading up/down to them. However, there is a separate back door that I have to enter through so I can access these rooms; I get to enter through a different door than everyone else. Another situation that I, and many other students in wheelchairs, could face is ending up on an upper floor when a fire breaks out. Obviously, we cannot use the elevators, so we are stuck waiting for a firefighter to come rescue us. We are to sit in the designated spot in one of the stairwells. When asked, the DRS says that they are not able to switch classes to the bottom floor, as if they did it for one, they would have to do this for any student that asked. Fortunately, I love my firefighters. They have always been so wonderful, and if they are okay with this, then I will not worry about it. I know they will save me. 

So, when all the extra stress of discrimination is put aside, I love Western. I try my best to focus on the positive things, and not allow the negative ones to impact my schooling career. We should not let the things that we cannot control stand in our way of success. And in the long run, every hardship faced and overcome, will strengthen our character and personality.