OUR VIEW: Think about your complaints before using myVoice

Every student should have a voice in how things are run at their university. They’re paying for it with tuition dollars and they have to live with it every day. But just because the myVoice feature on the new website allows you to share comments, concerns and suggestions with your officers, it  doesn’t mean you should use it as a petty complaint box.

There are plenty of easily-offended extremists on campus who want to start a riot the minute someone ruffles their feathers. Don’t get us wrong – you guys are great. We like you just fine. But don’t undervalue the time and effort that will be put into answering each of these concerns. ASUSU is trying their best to take everyone seriously, so please, take a serious look at your issues before you ask for backup.

And don’t completely forget about the “old ways.” Every teacher has an email. Most teachers have office hours. Many classes have teaching assistants. If you come to them directly with a well-thought-out, sincere concern, they’re probably not going to tell you you’re an idiot for talking to them. Granted, you need to have a plan, but don’t just sit there and let other people do your work for you.

There’s always the good old-fashioned letter to the editor as well.

Once again, this shouldn’t be a mindless rant. You should all have Facebook pages for that. This should be an organized, genuine piece of writing from your point of view with experiences to back up your opinion. Your stories really do make a difference, and it’s not always necessary to have someone else tell it for you.

We’re not bashing on the new outlets of communication. It’s better to have too many voices than silence – but think before you speak.