By Leslie Eddy
I'm pretty ashamed of UP after going to the candidate speech night on Tuesday. We are a campus full of intelligent, completely competent students, who have been given the full capacity to have a positive effect on the way things are done here. Our school allows a lot of room for students to be deeply involved in making big decisions on campus. Our faculty and administration have shown that they are very open to student input. Our student government is trying everything they can to find out what it is we'd like to see from them. Why don't we respond?
There shouldn't have been a single empty seat in the house Tuesday night. This was our one chance to hear firsthand what each candidate had to say; the best way to make sure the decision we make when we vote next week is an educated one. Are you all really so content with UP as it is right now that you wouldn't welcome improvement? Is there really nothing you'd like to see changed?
You're all very good at complaining. You complain that you don't know where our student government money is going; if you do know where it's going, you complain about that, too. You complain that we don't know enough about ASUP, that they're not doing a good enough job of finding out what students want. You grumble and whine that more money should be going here, and less there, and that the school should do more of this and less of that-but what are you doing about it?
Every Senate meeting is open for you to attend and give your input (Mondays at 4:30 p.m. in Franz 026). The ASUP exeutive board members spend hours each week in the ASUP office in St. Mary's, waiting for you to walk through the door. Your senators' pictures and contact information are posted in Franz Hall, and online at orgs.up.edu/asup. Are you going to sit and wait for them to come knock on your door to hear your ideas?
And that's just student government! I don't know of a single department-head or administrator here at UP who wouldn't be willing to sit down and talk about ideas with a student. We're incredibly lucky to have such a receptive environment-use it! Come give your input at events such as the Candidate Speech Night. Email your senators with your thoughts. Approach next year's candidates with questions! Meet with Kirk Mustain (Bon Appetit) or Mike Walsh (Residence Life) or Jeromy Koffler (Student Activities) about that question you've been throwing around in the back of your mind. Imagine how smoothly our campus might run if every complaint were turned into a plan of action!
