OUR VIEW: Tired of same ol’ lines
There hasn’t been an ASUSU Executive Council meeting we have missed this year. We see the council in its beginnings, monitor its progression and ultimately come to a conclusion about whether or not it did what its members said they would do for the students.
Other than electing student government officials for next year and reporting what happened at weekly meetings – which lasted on average about 20 minutes – there wasn’t a whole lot to say. Innovation was practically non-existent. Projects already in existence were carried forward, including the Legacy Fields and Aggie Recreation Center, preparing for next year’s Common Hour and organizing the average USU programs. Sure, officers rearranged the Graduate Student Council, started a series of movie nights and organized an array of other projects that required short-term planning.
We get it, student government leaders have a lot on their plates… well, maybe. It’s a wonder their meetings were so brief when they could be using the extra time to discuss how to better reach out to students. The majority of people who held office this year said something to the effect of, “We want students’ voices to be heard.” This phrase has lost all of its meaning. Stop saying it. Stop using vague summaries of what would be nice to do rather than specifically laying out a game plan that will help reach the students. Students need to hear a plan of action rather than hopeful jibber-jabber. It doesn’t mean anything. The new ASUSU president uses these same types of phrases, full of ambiguity.
So why is it important we address this now? We’ve been told tuition will continue increasing and the job market isn’t at its best. This time of life is stressful and it’s easy to lose hope. There are so many opportunities to improve USU students’ ability to excel as students and graduates. Since our officers say they want to let our voices be heard, why don’t they reach out? Stop saying it and start doing it. We don’t forget the promises you make, and when we vote for you, we put our trust in you to better our chances of success.
Speaking for the students who do want to see change, it takes a consistent effort to let students know you are there to help. Don’t say it once and forget students exist. You cannot tell your colleagues behind closed doors you want to speak for the students and then go on without a game plan. Yes, it will take a lot of time, but didn’t you know that’s what you signed up for?
To end on a positive note, something was different about this year’s Robins Awards. While faculty, staff and students who are often in the spotlight were nominated for awards, those who won were students whose efforts tend to fly under the radar. The Bill E. Robins Award, Woman of the Year and Man of the Year recipients told us they were honored and shocked. We were pleased to see high-achieving students, who don’t make a spectacle of themselves, made a spectacle of by the Robins Awards Committee. This is the frame of mind we need to maintain. Make students feel like they deserve to have their “voices heard.”