Students around JSU have been on edge for the past week after news of scholarship cuts broke from the school administration. As usual, students begin to worry, because a lot of us around here depend on our talent in multiple disciplines to go to school. We NEED that money to get our degree and begin to start our career and achieve our dreams. I'm not entirely sure how the other departments that are receiving cuts are dealing with the issue, so I'm writing from my experience in the music department.

The announcement of scholarship cuts was not made to everybody, but the word quickly spread around the department. The music department's scholarship fund was cut by 30%. That is a large sum of money, once you take into account just how many students we have on scholarship in the music department. Typically, students see this as an outrageous divesting in the student body in order to make finances come together for something that we deem unnecessary. But that is exactly what it is: unnecessary.

It was revealed to us at the end of last semester that the university will be building a new student recreational facility, which is supposed to end up being a very nice addition to our campus. The question we all have is,"Do we really need this?"

This building will not have anything we don't already have.

Besides a rock climbing wall and (maybe) a couple more dining options, this new building is not going to have much more to offer. Yes, our current recreational facility is outdated, but so is pretty much every other building on campus. I would honestly be happy to take a small scholarship cut or pay extra student fees to improve what we already have rather than build a duplicate of another building. For instance, Stone Center is falling apart and is severely outdated, not to mention that we have to report a tile coming off the floor in Mason Hall because we would be exposed to asbestos if one were to come loose. Every building at JSU could use some TLC, and if you're looking for student population growth, make this place a little more presentable. I know for a fact of about 20 students from my old high school that wanted to come here. They took a tour and turned away, leaving JSU for other places with better facilities.

I was the only one who ended up coming to JSU. It makes me wonder how many other high school students experienced the same scenario.

The administration did send out surveys on the new building to the student body to complete so the students would be heard and have some participation in this decision. We were asked if we would be willing to pay more students fees to pay for this facility. We said yes. At the beginning of this semester, we were barraged with new fees, just like it was suggested on the survey. We were fine, until now. I don't think we agreed to take scholarship cuts to pay for this new building that the administration is SO SURE will boost enrollment. Besides this, there have been some other rumors floating around campus that has to do with money.

JSU will no longer be issuing scholarships in credit hour format, but rather in dollar amounts.

This rumor hasn't been confirmed, but it definitely has been making rounds on campus. The students don't seem to be paying much mind to it yet, but if it's true, this could be a bad thing. What this would do would allow JSU to give you a 6 credit hour scholarship that is only worth 4.

For instance, my band scholarship is 6 credit hours a semester, which is equal to $1,800 a semester. If I am offered an $1,800/semester scholarship (which is worth 6 credit hours/semester at current tuition rates) the school could raise tuition leaving money left over to be paid out of pocket or by your financial aid.

In short, the school could be paying you for less than what you actually earned. Again, I don't know if that is true, but it would definitely be a smart plan to cut some corners and save some bucks while raking in more off the students.

The athletic department has received no scholarship or funding cuts.

I'm not completely sure if this is true, but I would have no problem believing it if it were. That being said, athletics do attract prospective students, and I can understand why they wouldn't cut much money from the department's funding if any at all.

JSU has the music department slated for a new music building.

Yet, another rumor, but there might be some merit to this. The music department is definitely one of the main recruiters on campus, and I have seen multiple people walk away from JSU because of our scarce resources. We don't have a concert hall, we barely have a recital hall, and there aren't nearly enough practice rooms. Some of our professors actually have practice rooms for offices. Some may deem this unacceptable, but we make do with what we have. We definitely deserve an upgrade, as our music department has produced numerous great performers and educators.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish the music department was nicer, but our professors are some of the best around. They have limited space, limited resources, and other factors fighting against them, but I have never felt more educated than I do now.

Again, I don't know if this is true, but if it is, I will take a scholarship cut with a grain of salt. I won't be around to use this new building, but I know my professors and the staff deserve it.

There will be some students who receive a reduced scholarship or even lose their scholarship altogether by the beginning of school next semester, but I am trying real hard to accept it as a fact of good intentions. These cuts are just another brutal reminder that college is a business, and businesses will do what they can to make their ends meet.