Break from complaining to appreciate

April 21, 2005
By Heather Venema
News Editor

One thing I’ve noticed this year is how much people are complaining. Sure, there are things this university could improve upon, but what institution doesn’t need help?

Everyone is griping about issues, but there are areas that have been working really hard to make things better, and their kudos are well overdue. It’s easy to walk across campus whining about what is going wrong, but it takes more effort to recognize the positives.
For starters, IT and the registrar’s office did a great job with the latest registration. I have registered online for classes six times, and never has the process gone this smoothly.
The employees spent a lot of extra time staying open late, sending out emails about closed classes, adding features on Beeline, and reallocating server space. I logged on once, and was done in five minutes. And did I mention how much more pleasant it was to register at 5:00 p.m. instead of midnight?

The next round of recognition goes to maintenance and housekeeping. It’s inconvenient to be without hot water for a few hours or to have a leaky window, but maintenance fixes things – not breaks them. Plus, I think I can vouch for nearly everyone living across Ripley Street when I say that the rock paths eased the walk to class, and eliminated all that gushy mud that stuck to your shoes.

Housekeeping cleans our bathrooms, takes out trash, and replaces light bulbs, among many other things. I dropped a picture behind my stove, and housekeeping pulled my stove out to retrieve it – and I didn’t even have to ask. And just for the record, the aftermath from a night of too much fun doesn’t clean up itself.

Next on the applause list? The cafeteria. Renovations will happen this summer, but a lot of reorganizing has freed up some space. The coffee area is much more attractive than the piles that sat there before.

We no longer have to compete with the salad and sandwich bars for walking space. There’s more seating, and the rectangle tables are much more conducive to private conversations.

Finally, the career center. A non-legitimate recruiter on campus, who called my cell phone eight times, was soliciting students. Jennifer Timmons sent an email letting students know that SAU did not endorse this individual, and that he had been asked to leave. She could have let us get caught in some random sales scheme, but she took the effort to investigate and inform the student population.

While there are many other positive things about this University that I am leaving out, I hope that as students, we learn to recognize all the good things happening around us. Don’t be afraid to show your appreciation, and never forget that there really are people with our best interest at heart.

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