Let’s talk about tuition; I keep hearing Minnesota and Wisconsin kids complain, even the Dakota. I can only shake my head because, being from Illinois, the tuition at this University almost doubles. I didn’t know how long I could hold out avoiding loans and credit cards. I was not financially prepared to register for this semester, and sadly I can’t register next semester.
I put my education on hold and in the meantime I am a part-time student at Minneapolis Community Technical College and a full-time employee at a local pizza restaurant until I can gain in-state tuition status.
I work long hours and try to scrape together what I can to attend this school to get a diploma that costs a dollar or so to make, but is worth nearly $100,000. Where did that other $99,999 go? I found out where around $1,500 of it goes on a nearly biweekly basis. I think it’s time other people knew what their and their parents’ hard-earned money goes toward: pizza for the football team!
This is money well-spent, because obviously free tuition or partial scholarships are too much for those football players to handle. Who can afford pizza when they don’t have to pay tuition?
On one delivery, a football coach told me to “hustle” like I was a mere girl on the high school tennis team. I lifted 50-plus pound bags of pizza around for these “skilled” athletes, and one player actually had the nerve to ask me for a ride to his apartment. He should have asked if I needed a hand. Maybe one of these big strong guys could’ve let me through the door. They didn’t need to open it or anything strenuous like that, but just taken the time to let the small people get by.
After rushing around separating pepperoni pizzas from the cheese pizzas so these hard-working gentlemen wouldn’t have to work the muscle in their heads, I returned to the store.
I was excited for my tip. On a $1,500 bill you can imagine what I was expecting. In the end the manager tipped me out of his own pocket. When I purchased my $55 season tickets, the profit of which I am sure goes to a worthy cause like burritos, I wanted to say, “Thank You.” Yup, thanks a lot for giving me the opportunity to pay for your lunch.
Kristin Golden is a Minneapolis Community Technical College student. Please send comments to [email protected].
