What effect do NEIU furlough days have on you?

Honestly, it seems surreal. Nothing’s really changed. My teachers are still teaching, I’m still coming to class. In the long term, it’s kind of scary. Will we be open during the Spring term of 2017—when I’m supposed to be graduating? I don’t have much control over that, only about my own school work. Everything’s up in the air.

It’s unfair. The professors shouldn’t suffer. Cutting back on their hours, on courses, and I know that the Gallery in the Fine Arts building has cut back, also. It’s really unfair. I believe we need to try and solve this without closing in the Spring or cutting back on classes or our class time during the fall semester.

I like to call this the Great Depression of Education. Even my mom was telling me that she had never gone through anything like this or seen anything like this. It’s disheartening knowing that our leaders down in Springfield, it feels like they don’t care, like they only care about themselves.

So far it hasn’t affected me, but I’m still shocked that they’re cutting back. It’s open right now, but maybe I’ll apply at a different school, maybe start applying right now. I don’t know.