With Thanksgiving break next week and finals season creeping up, it’s clear the end of the semester is near. The Scout staff is reflecting on the various happenings on and around Bradley’s campus, determining what deserves a thumbs up, thumbs middle or thumbs down for fall 2024.
Thumbs up: Bradley Commitment introduced to prospective students
The Bradley Commitment was a show of good faith by the administration. The scholarship will help lower-income students at a time when tuition is steadily rising at Bradley and colleges across the country. For eligible students, the commitment will provide a way to attend college when they otherwise might not have been able to. The initiative has its flaws, but based on the intentions, it’s enough to earn a thumbs up.
Thumbs up: Cross country has another stellar season
Cross country continues to be overlooked and undercovered despite being the most successful sport at Bradley. Under the tutelage of former head coach Darren Gauson, the Braves dominated for a decade. The team’s success has continued in the first two years of Andrew Carlson’s tenure. This season, both cross country teams won the MVC championship. The women’s teams secured sixth at regionals, and the men’s team secured seventh. Now, the Braves turn their sights to the NCAA championships on Saturday.
Thumbs middle: Williams Dining Hall renovations present challenges to students
More space to eat, new allergy-friendly stations and more options are coming with the Williams Dining Hall renovations, which sounds great, and it likely will be — in the future that is. Because of construction, however, getting into Williams is a puzzle of its own, and the places that take meal swipes on campus have been halved. With this lasting until fall 2025, the renovations are a short-term inconvenience to solve a long-term problem. Overall, it sucks now but will make things a lot easier in the future, marking the dining hall renovations as a strong thumbs middle.
Thumbs middle: New safety cruiser app receives mixed reactions from students
In August, BUPD announced that TransLoc, the previous safety cruiser app, was being replaced with TripShot. TransLoc was just introduced in fall 2022, leaving students confused about the switch but open to navigating the new app. Despite the continued goal of providing transportation to students in a safe, efficient and reliable way, students have experienced extended wait times, canceled rides and drivers getting lost on the way to their location. Safety cruisers are an important aspect of campus life. They make traveling at night safe and are even more important during the winter months. Unfortunately, issues with TripShot have persisted throughout the semester, but students can only hope for improvement moving forward.
Thumbs down: Students fall victim to scams
While emails detailing job opportunities that sound too good to be true have been an ongoing issue, Bradley students fell victim to a new phishing scam early on in the semester. Scammers attempted to get student information, log into MyBradley accounts and change where tuition reimbursements would be deposited. As an inconvenient result, students received their refunds via physical check. The scam emails have become less frequent since; however, the issues may arise again as students pay for next semester.
Thumbs down: Bradley has yet to hire a new university president
After the recent budget cuts, all students want is to feel secure within the university. The minimal communication about the search for a new president and how many candidates have applied for the position has kept students a little in the dark and uneasy about who could potentially lead them. As the process continues to be dragged out, students lose faith in Bradley’s attempt to choose a candidate that will put the needs of students above everything else. While there should be careful consideration of who will be the next president, it is only fair that students know how the search is going and can weigh in.
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