My brother once told me, “Worrying is like a rocking chair, it doesn’t get you anywhere.” After the WASC student forum, I decided to apply this logic to whining and complaining.
WASC is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, one of six regional associations that accredit schools in the United States. When representatives visited last week, the lack of student presence in the University Center Banquet Hall was appalling. This was the chance for students to speak up and voice their opinion. Like worrying, whining doesn’t get you anywhere. Actions speak louder than words and if there is a problem, get up and do something about it. Students all across campus have been whining about budget cuts and unit caps. But when it counted, next to none of them showed up to make a change.
This event was highly under publicized, but not by fault of the university. There was minimal group effort from students making sure that fellow classmates knew what was going on and encouraging them to go. An e-mail sent out and a post on the university website notified students about the forum. George Morton of WASC explained that, “Reviewing all of this material is an enormous and daunting task.” Because of this the forum lasted only forty-five minutes. “There is limited energy and time,” he continued, but he seemed more than ready and willing to hear the students out.
This is the time when students must take initiative, we aren’t children anymore. In the real world if you are at work and don’t read the email from your boss informing you of a meeting and you don’t show, it’s your fault, not theirs. The same applies here. This is a campus of students preparing for a professional lifestyle, it’s time to start acting like it.
In both the staff and student forums I noticed one familiar face. Victor Reuther, a junior political science major, took the time to sit through both forums and take notes. Then, with some research and perspective gained, voiced his opinion. Reuther explained to Morton that education is our greatest investment. According to their website the California State Student Association shows that for every $1 the state invests in the California State University, the California State University returns $4.62.
He thought this meeting was so important that he skipped his internship at the Eureka Public Defenders Office. “Students need to take initiative,” Reuther said after the meeting. “It’s Associated Students responsibility to mobilize and inform the student body, and unfortunately, it seems most of the students have fallen victim to a lethargic indifference.”
In these trying times students need to work together to make the best of the situation at hand. Finger-pointing can go on all day long, but blame can’t even begin to be placed if a personal effort wasn’t made to improve the situation.
Many students were unable to attend the meeting because they couldn’t miss work or didn’t want to skip class. For example, Sarah Cannon, junior, zoology major was unable to attend due to work, but is planning to send an e-mail to the WASC team. Any comments or concerns that you may have can still get to the WASC team via e-mail: wasc2hsu@yahoo.com. This email is secure and only WASC team members will be able to access it.
There is still time to make a difference, this is your chance.
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