First-year student transfers universities after seeing construction on Gould

By Alexandra Holyk

With the Campus Core Revitalization plan continuing into the new school year, several first-year students have already transferred out of the university after struggling to navigate the campus for three weeks.

“It took me 30 minutes to find Gould Street before I realized that the construction was Gould Street. We don’t have construction on the island,” Trevor Carter, a first-year journalism student from Victoria, B.C. said. “I texted my mom that I’m moving back home and she left me on ‘Read,’ but I already transferred out of Rye, so we’re clearly doing great,” Carter said, sticking a half-thumbs up in front of his face to conceal his unsure expression.

Other students have complained about the tedious detours and confusing signage that seemed to harm students more than help them, with many of them getting lost on their way to class as well as on their way to transfer out of the school.

“I was following the signs posted around campus on my first day trying to get to the Rogers Communication Centre through Kerr Hall,” said first-year RTA student, Laustin Konpheuesd. “I still haven’t found it. By the looks of it, it feels like I’ve been stuck in a high school for weeks and I need to get out.”

Ironically, a new student group was started at Ryerson called “Bye-Bye, Rye High” for meeting new friends to transfer schools with. The group has yet to meet because all of its members have left or are in the process of leaving the university. 

The group’s president, Eggard Ramone, recently transferred from Ryerson to the University of Toronto. 

“At first, I was one of the students yelling ‘Fuck UofT’ at those Pitman parties,” Ramone said. “Then, when I had to trek around the construction just to get to those Pitman parties, I realized I couldn’t beat UofT, so I just had to join them.”

Other group members have scattered between UofT and York University. 

Several first-year journalism students have reportedly transferred to Carleton University in Ottawa. The program director said she was happily surprised at the influx of students, especially since most of the applicants rejected their original offer to the program.

The Campus Core Revitalization program is expected to continue until late 2019, meaning that students will have to find alternate routes to navigate the campus, or follow in the footsteps of other first-year students and find alternate campuses all together. 

University President Mohamed Lachemi said he is worried that more first-year students will leave, especially when the weather becomes less bearable. In a tweet, Lachemi wrote “@ all 1st-year students: please don’t leave Ryerson! Such a great school! #shiny #new #campus #FTW #innovative #cantwait #goodbyeHotGirlSummer #helloThotumn!” 

Lachemi also attached an image of himself next to one of the poster’s on the fence barricading the construction, featuring red velvet ropes and a Ryerson logo-filled background.