Editor:
All over town are marquees and banners loudly proclaiming “Salt Lake City Welcomes the World.” How friendly, how appreciative this city was, and, oh, how they celebrated the diversity of those out-of-town neighbors during the month long “We-Love-Non-Utahns Just-As-Much-Or-Even-More Than-Utahns” fest.
Well, now those signs are disappearing. The Olympics are come and gone, and so, apparently, is Utah’s friendly, welcoming attitude.
Utah, which prides itself on having opened wide its arms to athletes from more than 75 different countries, is now doing all it can to discourage enrolled and potential students from the other 49 states of the Union. It’s bad enough that they are raising the tuition 9.3 percent for all students, but for nonresidents, like myself, they are basically adding another 25 percent. That’s a 34.3 percent increase.
The welcome mats are gone. The smiling, friendly masks are being removed. The ugly face of this state has been revealed. They don’t want visitors from other states for the wonderful diversity they bring to the community. No, they want them for the money they pump into Roots stores and out-of-state tuition.
I guess, now, I won’t be buying berets or credit hours or anything else in Utah; this school has forced me out. Don’t get me wrong, I love this state, and I love this school. But I cannot afford to pay three times the normal tuition for three more semesters than I budgeted and planned.
I’ll be leaving after this semester, my first at the U. I’ll be leaving friends, a job, an exceptional education and spectacular scenery. But I guess that’s what they want. The welcome signs are coming down and being replaced: “World, Go Home!”
Robinson Duffy, Freshman, Undecided