Humanizing Student Union, Student Life
Having had the opportunity to concurrently sit on the Executive Council of Student Union and the Editorial Board of Student Life, I have experienced first-hand the criticisms that each group faces-oftentimes even directed at each other.
Both groups are at the receiving end of some classic lines of criticism. Student Life and many students from the greater student body have consistently lashed out at Student Union because they perceive Student Union to be ineffective as a governing body, bereft of activist leadership, unable to get the administration to heed to students’ concerns or communicate effectively to the student body and the list goes on. I have heard them all, many times over.
Similarly, Student Life gets its share of criticism, only some of which we have the opportunity to print as Letters to the Editor in the Opinion section. I have heard some students refer to Student Life as Student Trash (or some equally demeaning name) that attempts to pass as a legitimate news source on campus. Sometimes when I suggest to people that they read SL, the first look that shoots across their face is one of disdain.
I am sure that you need very few, if any degrees of separation to find someone who has been “burned” by SL. The first thing people sight as their grievances about the paper are the misquotings they have personally received, misleading or sensationalized headlines, factual errors in the paper, or the waste of time it would be to pick it up and read such a poorly done paper.
Truth is, however, that SL is the only consistent, reputable news source on this campus and is very much needed considering the alternatives. After witnessing the effort that goes into the paper (particularly on production nights) and serving now for more than a year on the Editorial Board, all I can say is: whew. Student Life, as the premier news source on campus, is student-run and wholly independent from Student Union and the university infrastructure. It does not receive funding from the university through the Student Activities Fee, and has complete editorial freedom/discretion.
As the most influential organizations on campus, a lot of responsibility falls on SU and SL to be held accountable for all their actions and their impact on the campus community. This, of course, should not change. I am not calling here for students to relax their expectations of these groups, but I would also like students to consider the pressures that the individuals in these groups face daily because of their extracurricular involvements.
While I know that both organizations have lots of room to improve, the people contributing to SL and SU are students as well. We make mistakes- sometimes huge mistakes. But just as the average student wants to be social at times, worries about an incomplete or an already late paper or an upcoming exam, so too do these individuals, who try to put out a consistently good paper or improve the situation (i.e. improving the WU shuttle system) for students on campus.
Both groups are filled with extremely dedicated students who care about doing a good job. I have been honored to work with many of them and oftentimes have shared in their frustrations.
As an example of the dedication that the job can sometimes demand, the editor-in-chief of SL or the president of SU can easily spend 30+ hours in one week working on their related duties. While people may intimate that the final products do not reflect the amount of hours or time invested, I am suggesting here, think again.30 hours. That is almost a full-time job and more hours than some students spend collectively going to class and doing their homework.
At the end of the day, while we should always be held accountable for our actions-particularly when we represent a segment of the campus population or shape the campus opinion-we are just students.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Related Posts
Print This Post