Thursday, July 22, 2010

Near A College? Better Hide The People Paper...!


If you live anywhere close to Texas A&M university, you may want to start hiding your t.p., or as some folks call it...people paper!

In what could be a potentially "crappy" move, the free t.p. in the dorms may be a thing of the past! Just one more thing for the poor college students to worry about!

I have a feeling that this may lead to some serious changes in the lawn and building decorating pranks come Halloween, know what I mean?

A&M may drop free TP in dorms

By MAGGIE KIELY The Eagle (Bryan, Texas)
July 21, 2010, 12:40PM

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Elaine Benes sits in a bathroom stall, pleading with a stingy toilet-paper hoarder to "spare a square."

"Excuse me. I'm sorry. This is, a, kind-of embarrassing but there's no toilet paper over here."

"Are you talking to me?" the stranger asks.

"Yeah, I just forgot to check. So, if you could spare some."

Nope.

More awkward banter.

"Three squares? You can't spare three squares?" Benes shouts.

The woman leaves after saying: "No I don't have a square to spare. I can't spare a square."

That famous scene from Seinfeld soon may be playing out thousands of times in dorm bathrooms across the Texas A&M campus.

It's come to that.

To save money, the Department of Student Affairs is considering shelving free toilet paper in the residence halls. Discussions still are under way, but it's likely that the larger dorm bathrooms — where four or more gather - will keep the necessary item in stock.

Other cost-cutting measures under consideration: Not buying new furniture for Rudder Theater, reducing student worker wages, eliminating one exhibition a year in University Arts, eliminating cell phone stipends for several staff members and reducing the amount of paper, toner and other supplies throughout the year.

The toilet paper savings would wipe away about $82,000 of the $2.2 million that Student Affairs has been charged to reduce in its operating budget for fiscal year 2012. The department's reduction plan was released Tuesday, along with almost $40 million in proposed downsizing across the campus.

Some students interviewed said the t-paper issue brings into focus how desperate the funding situation must be.

It wasn't clear late Tuesday how many rolls or what type of toilet paper the university buys annually. Under the proposal, after getting a few free rolls at the beginning of a semester, students would be on their own in purchasing the hygiene supplies.

Michael Spiegelhauer, a 20-year-old biological and agricultural engineering major from Bartlett, said the cut in bathroom supplies is "definitely going to be a major complaint for students."

Spiegelhauer lives in Fowler Residence Hall and said he receives new rolls about once a week.

"It's going to become a problem," he said.

He said he'd rather see tuition raised than have to worry about where he's going to get his TP from.

"How's he going to get TP?" asked his buddy, Daniel Overstreet. "He doesn't even have a car."

Overstreet, a 20-year old electronics, engineering and technology major from Flower Mound, said he thinks the change will result in Aggie's breaking some rules.

"It's going to make people resort to going where there is toilet paper on campus and taking it from there," said the off-campus student.

I can't help but wonder if this would be called a true SHTF event? Only to the students that will be short on paper, I guess They might want o spend part of the summer vacation stocking up!

As we say "hope for the best, prepare for the worst"! I'm thinking that for some of them, this could fall into the worst category!

How about coffee on the patio outside this morning? Oh, and please save your paper napkins...we may need 'em!

19 comments:

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

That move may actually cost more that it saves I´m afraid. If You forget the t.p You´ll use what You got, perhaps news papers and other things not belonging in the toilette. It can be really expensive to clean up thiose pipes then :-)

Did they save money on the staffs t.p. too? Probably not.
Have a great day now!
Christer.

Anonymous said...

They provided TP in the dorms? Wow, nobody did that in my sister's day at a state university. Nobody did that at the private university I attended. I never stayed in the dorms, but Meine Frau did and she brought in her own stuff. The public bathrooms were provided for, but that makes sense . . . providing for private quarters does not make much sense to me. Aggies spoiled much?

Anonymous said...

Poor students. Tuition going sky high and now, no furnished TP. It just keeps getting crapier and crapier for them. Well, let's hope this doesn't leave them with skid-marks from the rules of life. Could be traumatic for them.
YeOldFurt

Anonymous said...

Seems to be a trend: city of Newark the mayor ordered them stop buying TP.

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/politics/newark-budget-cuts-20100722

Ben in Texas said...

Well,all I got to say is,,That's a Sh**y deal!!
( sorry, couldn't resist)

Dizzy-Dick said...

Do you remember the toilet paper shortage scare back in the 1960's? Or was that just in the North East? I don't think it was real, but my father-in-law sent us over a case of it, just in case. Wonder what he was thinking about me . . . must have been his grandkids.

JoJo said...

Good Morning My Special One
I have to agree with Christer on this. They may start using anything they can get there hands on. But waste not want not.
What is next.
Coffee on the patio is a good thing. Fresh ground pot coming up. :)

HermitJim said...

Hey Christer...
I'm thinking you may be right about the newspaper!There's an old saying that goes "where there's a will, there's a way!" That may be true on this one!

Hey, you have a great day!


Hey Namenlos...
I can see furnishing the public restrooms, but I figure the private ones can fend for themselves! Good training for the real world!

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey YOF...
I guess that they will learn first hand that sometimes life is hard!

I didn't know that the T.P. was furnished anywhere! Learn something new eery day!

Thanks, buddy, for coming by today!


Hey Namenlos...
Yeah, once an idea like this catches on...then look out! I guess a move like this can really save some money, since so many folks are jumping on the band wagon.

I guess it can save a lot of money since so many places are trying it!

Thanks for the link and for coming by!


Hey Ben...
Wondered when someone would come up with that one!

Thanks for coming by today, buddy!


Hey Dizzy...
I don't remember the shortage, but I hope we don't have a shortage any time soon! Things are sh***y enough, ya know?

It was nice of him to send you a case, but like you said, wonder what he was thing about?

Hey, thanks for coming by today!


Hey JoJo...
When such an emergency comes around, you do what you have to do!

Maybe a good thing to stock up at home, just in case! Ya never know!

Thanks for dropping in today, sweetie!

upinak said...

Hmmm this sounds like Democracy in action!

Head of Org decides to either cut something vital or raise something and everyone goes up in Poo!

No one said college educated people were smart. Right?

Hey Jim, send this cold Alaskan some of that nice warm weather. I need it for my corn!

HermitJim said...

Hey Upinak...
The folks that control the budget at these places may have to learn about the real world and cut something else instead!

How about doing away with the yard guys? Must spend a fortune on them. If they turned the football field into a garden, they would have enough produce to open a nice farmer's market and then they could afford to either buy t.p. or barter food for it!

As far as the warm weather, we moved out of the warm about 2 months ago...and moved into hot!

I'd sure send you some if I could, believe me!

I appreciate you coming by today!

Anonymous said...

Oh no....No tp? You poor spoiled shit heads. Buy your own. What idiot would want higher tuition for free shit paper?

Put out-houses on campus, and use the Sears cataloge. lol Saves tp,and water. Sometimes I amaze myself.

See Ya.

Anonymous said...

Uhmmm, should I bring my own when I come over for coffee?

AV

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Maybe students should just pack an extra roll of TP in their backpacks along with their PCs and MP3 devices. Before you know it there will be little room for books!

Catman said...

Be "green". Grab a handful of leaves before visiting the throne.

Catman said...

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/07/21/Police-Man-shot-wife-with-toilet-paper/UPI-81701279757678/

Oh yeah, guess this won't be happening either.

HermitJim said...

Hey Tony...
I think the out house is a great idea, but they would have to teach a course on how to use it!

Higher education, ya know!

Thanks for coming by, my friend!


Hey AV...
I say bring your own, just in case! Can't take any chances, ya know?

Thanks for dropping in today!


Hey Beatrice...
They probably don't use the books anyway! But if they carried enough books, the pages could come in handy, if you know what I mean!

Thanks for the visit today!



Hey Catman...
Many of these guys now days wouldn't know how to use leaves or any other alternate materials, ya know?

Thanks for the link...it really ties into this story pretty well!

Hey, buddy, thanks for coming by today!

Gary Near Death Valley said...

Oh been a while since I made a note, but TP holds a place close my heart. Its like money, when you need it it is nice to have, and if you do not have any, you will spend your last dollar to get some.

HermitJim said...

Hey Gary...
Good to see you again! It's been a while...

Right you are about the T.P. Certainly can be a life saver when needed and a heck of a barter item if you have extra! May be even more true later on than now, so it is probably a very good investment!

Hey, thanks so much for stopping by today!

Gary Near Death Valley said...

To add just a few more sheets to this roll, I have plans for putting in a privy (thats an outhouse to those of you that live in the city), and will be using the tractor and auger to dig the trench soon. Actually I have about 2 years of toilet paper stored up in the pumphouse, and I continue replace to keep at that amount.