http://ilntimes.wordpress.com Dub is for "W" Fri, 30 May 2008 02:05:05 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 http://ilntimes.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/spring-q/#comment-3 citizen Fri, 30 May 2008 02:05:05 +0000 http://ilntimes.wordpress.com/?p=4#comment-3 What a rush to hear WC referred to as a “renowned institution”! The Princeton of Clinton County it appears! Seriously, WC does quite a lot given its resources and there is a college atmosphere that I have not seen at Southern State. But I sense that Dubtown locals tend to overestimate several things about WC. First the cost. Yes, if you look at the tuition in the catalog the price looks astronomical. But thanks to tuition discounts (they call them scholarships) almost no one pays full price. Dubtowners tend to think of WC in terms of what they think it costs as opposed to what it really costs and as a result, they assume WC students are wealthier than they actually are. I also suspect that Wilmington folks overestimate the wealth of the institution. This misconception is propagated in part by our President’s obsessive concern with appearances. The grounds are spotless. The football field will soon be one of the most modern in the state. We have really cool signage. But the computer system works at a glacial pace. Power outages are a regular occurrence. Thanks to low-bid custodial contracting, many of the buildings are not even clean. Poke around behind the façade and the real WC starts to show through. WC and Southern State combine to provide genuine opportunities for higher education in Clinton County and the two institutions are both major assets. I’m not ready to go as far as renowned but there is an honest effort at both schools to do right by students. What a rush to hear WC referred to as a “renowned institution”! The Princeton of Clinton County it appears! Seriously, WC does quite a lot given its resources and there is a college atmosphere that I have not seen at Southern State. But I sense that Dubtown locals tend to overestimate several things about WC. First the cost. Yes, if you look at the tuition in the catalog the price looks astronomical. But thanks to tuition discounts (they call them scholarships) almost no one pays full price. Dubtowners tend to think of WC in terms of what they think it costs as opposed to what it really costs and as a result, they assume WC students are wealthier than they actually are. I also suspect that Wilmington folks overestimate the wealth of the institution. This misconception is propagated in part by our President’s obsessive concern with appearances. The grounds are spotless. The football field will soon be one of the most modern in the state. We have really cool signage. But the computer system works at a glacial pace. Power outages are a regular occurrence. Thanks to low-bid custodial contracting, many of the buildings are not even clean. Poke around behind the façade and the real WC starts to show through. WC and Southern State combine to provide genuine opportunities for higher education in Clinton County and the two institutions are both major assets. I’m not ready to go as far as renowned but there is an honest effort at both schools to do right by students.

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