Reflecting on my four years here, I have realized what an active role students play in creating a vibrant campus life. Whether through student groups, fraternities and sororities or businesses, many students desire to have an impact on campus beyond the classroom setting. While many students complain that there is a sense of apathy, there have certainly been times where the campus has felt engaged—whether it was about the Student Union general budget, the vice presidential debate or the Mother’s Bar incident. While some of these moments have been fleeting, it seems that there is certainly a wealth of potential for student engagement. I believe that many students are eager to be a part of initiatives that enhance and improve the undergraduate experience; they’re just still looking for ways to provide input.

We are fortunate that there are many administrators and faculty members who do see students as legitimate and important stakeholders in their own education, and seek our input. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and I think there are times where people are hesitant to turn to students for help. I am not going to pretend that students will always have the right ideas for university policies, and sometimes students simply lack a knowledge base that is necessary for understanding the inner workings of our school. However, students have a unique perspective in the college setting—we are the ones who live the campus experience on a day-to-day basis, and at the ground level. This unique perspective should not be undervalued, and can be essential in providing critical and meaningful feedback to the University.

As I think about leaving campus soon, my hope is that members of the University will continue to find value in seeing students as partners in campus life and the undergraduate experience, and continue to solicit their input and their feedback. There are many administrators and faculty who incorporate this into their daily routine, and for that, I couldn’t be more thankful. And for the ones who don’t—it is sad, because they are missing out on a great deal of knowledge that could make our school that much better—I’m pretty sure by now I’ve seen at least four student redesigns of WebSTAC, and they all look fantastic.

I also hope that the students will continue to stay active on campus, and create meaningful partnerships with University members and community members to improve college life. It is through student ideas, projects and creations that our campus truly grows. Sometimes the timeline for students can be frustrating—talk to the two Student Union senators who relentlessly worked on Syllabi Central for the past two years. In the end though, they would tell you it was worth it. And their work, along with all the other students who give back to our campus life, continues to legitimize students as meaningful stakeholders in the University.