My computer crashed. I've since been scrambling to get everything in order for my homework assignments for the week, and for this column.
Granted, the only real pressure comes from myself, but over the last five days I've been racing against the clock to buy a new computer and figure out a way to pay for it.
When the ordeal started last Sunday evening, I was na've enough to think that the problem would be enthusiastically vanquished with the help of the NYU Computer Store - you know, the one that says "NYU places such importance on their students having the tools they need for success."
I get their e-mails. They seemed friendly.
The victim was a 5-year-old Macintosh G4 desktop, or "The Dome" as it was known by an affectionate few. However, by the time I was able to carry it from my apartment at 156th Street onto the subway, there was little affection to be had for much of anything.
I could understand if the worst part of my day was carrying the computer to the store via subway. One should never underestimate the short fuses of rush-hour New Yorkers.
Anyway, when I finally got there, I found out that they were going to charge me $75 just to diagnose the problem, a fee which would only go toward repairs if I decided to spend the money to fix the computer. Otherwise, it's nonrefundable.
Furthermore, if I were to abandon the computer I brought in and buy a new one, they would charge me $125 to transfer data from the old hard drive to the new one even if I bought the new one from them.
I asked the man at the counter, who was compassionate yet unhelpful, if the $75 repair fee could go toward the $125 hard-drive data transfer, and he said something to me that I found remarkable.
"That question has never been asked before."
(The answer was "No.")
Clearly I was in the wrong place. After trying to relate to a lackluster student worker, I decided to take my business elsewhere - namely, the Apple Store in SoHo, where they did both of the above mentioned things for free.
FREE.
Obviously, the only reason the NYU Computer Store has stayed in business at all is either because of some serious pork on NYU's budget or due to a large amount of incredibly lazy super-rich students.
And I've yet to meet a student who doesn't care about money.
My ultimate question is this: What is the point of having goods and services exclusive to the NYU community when students can get something better just a few blocks away?
Education, especially at large schools like ours, is becoming less of a sanctuary and more of a business. When there is an actual disadvantage for a student to do something through his school, shouldn't that send a warning to the administration?
When it's more expensive for a student to live on-campus, buy books from the NYU store, rent a gym locker at Palladium, or eat on a food plan, isn't that adding insult to injury?
Of course one could counter that New York is just expensive in general and that NYU has to pay for the real estate somehow. One could also say that it's just economics at work.
My understanding was that NYU, as a private institution, was going to make plenty of sacrifices on behalf of students. Having experienced the university in full for three semesters, I can't help but feel disappointed.
The current administration cannot possibly be expecting any alumni contributions from my class with treatment like this, can they? If so, then they're in for a terrific surprise.
At least then I'll be the one laughing - all the way to the bank!
Oliver White is a contributing columnist. E-mail him at opinion@nyunews.com.
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