A typical day in students’ lives in the University Union looks like a group of students sitting at some tables, maybe eating lunch or doing a little studying before a final. One mindlessly lets his hand wander underneath the table and what does he find – only a big piece of wet, sticky and chewed gum. Immediately he pops up and hits the closest bathroom to wash someone else’s saliva off his hands. A few pumps of the soap dispenser later and a disgusting smell hits his nose faster then the soap hits his hands. Outrage washes over the student and he wonders who he can complain to. Well, located across from The Store inside the Union are two boxes especially made for such worries.

In that space there are two suggestion boxes, one designated for the Union and one for the Associated Students Inc. Students can voice their concerns over such issues as the smell of the soap in the bathrooms to things like the kind of music played in the Union. The purpose of these boxes said Union Director Sam Olmsted is for the students to have a voice.

“I want people to have a voice about any issue pertaining to the Union,” Olmsted said. “I have a very open door policy, but for obvious reasons am unable to speak directly with everyone that has a question or comment about the Union. The suggestion cards give me the ability to answer many of these questions each week.”

As good as this sounds not all students are even aware of the suggestion boxes presented in the Union. Molecular biology major Kyle Goff just happens to be one of those students.

“I didn’t know there were any suggestion boxes, and if I did know there was a suggestion box I’m pretty apathetic and probably wouldn’t have written anything anyways,” Goff said.

Olmsted does point out that several changes, although minor, have come from the suggestion boxes. He said that issues regarding plumbing, lighting, drinking fountains, building hours and even the entertainment in the game room have changed through suggestions he’s received. Those are only suggestions from the Union’s box however; ASI Executive Director Patricia Worley handles the suggestions that are put into ASI’s box.

The ASI suggestion box, which sits right next to the Union suggestion box, serves as a channel for students to offer their suggestions to the student government without having to go to the trouble of actually contacting any representatives. Worley does make the point that the volume of suggestions aren’t through the roof, but that students are finding another way to voice their concerns.

“There’s not a huge amount that comes our way through that particular medium of the box downstairs,” Worley said. “One of the ways in recent years that statements will come to us is on our ASI website which has a contact e-mail address. That is the more typical manner in which we will have a general student at large to submit a statement of concern or comment.”

Whether through e-mail or through the actual suggestion box, Worley said she makes sure that either the appropriate person in ASI answers the suggestion, or it is forwarded to the correct person within the campus. Although Worley and ASI do not get a large number of suggestions, they do treat the ones they receive quite seriously. In one case a student had a problem with funding appropriations on campus. Worley said her dilemma rested in the fact the group in question has a religious base to it and therefore receiving funds from the school crosses the boundary between church and state.

According to Worley, one of the services that ASI has provided for the students on campus is a financial grant resource to student clubs and organizations. These funds help to offset the costs of student club events and activities. In the ASI’s operating rules there are standards and guidelines for eligibility to apply for the funds, as well as a committee that reviews the applications and ultimately rewards the funding. Worley said that one part of the application process involves an open meeting in which representatives from each applying group must attend the meeting to give an overview of the event they are asking for funding or support for.

Worley said that in this particular suggestion/complaint one of the people who attended the meeting on behalf of her own club had realized ,that through other presentations, ASI does provide funding for organizations that may be religion- based.

Upon receiving this complaint Worley immediately contacted Tim Snyder, the former vice president and chair of that committee, and provided him the opportunity to asses these comments. They conferred on how to treat the complaint as well as bringing it to the attention of leadership and student activities because of the fact that it is a student’s concern. Worley said that ultimately they don’t want to discriminate against any groups or organizations on campus that have gone through all the processes of becoming recognized as a group and for them to be excluded would fall under discrimination.

While the situation has yet to be fully resolved the suggestion was still taken under consideration in a timely manner and should have a resolution. So whether the suggestion has to do with the water fountains or club funding the boxes fulfill an important role on campus. Maybe not every student will use them, but even those like Goff who have not written before still may have some valid suggestions for the people in charge. “Don’t make us pay for tuition two weeks before Christmas,” Goff said.

Matt Rascher can be reached at [email protected]